Academy of Science South Africa 2005/6 Annual Report

Programme 3ASSAfAn Academy of Science can serve as a unique andvaluable entity, in national systems of innovationand science based developmentaddition to representatives from academia, business, non-governmental organisations, delegates fromother African Academies within the African Science Academies Development Initiative (ASADI), aswell as the media and the general public. The Minister of Science and Technology not only accepted theinvitation to officially open the “Double Symposium” but participated in the deliberations, while theDeputy Minister of Health also attended and participated throughout.ASSAf’s Action Plan for Year One of the USNA partnership included an “Open-house” functionhosted by the Academy for senior representatives of many relevant government departments and otherstakeholders. The aim was to present and discuss ASSAf’s role in generating and providing sciencebasedadvice for South Africa. The ASSAf Council resolved to cancel plans for its customary annualAGM-linked Symposium in 2005 in favour of a one-day double symposium on the nature of evidence(Symposium 1: “What is Evidence?” and Symposium 2: “Science-based advice for the nation”). Theevent served the double purpose of expanding the scope of the symposium programme, and providingan opportunity for exploring ASSAf’s potential role in the national science system as an independent,authoritative, preferred provider of evidence-based advice on a broad range of nationally significanttopics and issues. Experience in the roll-out of the USNA-funded programme underlined the urgencyand strategic importance of making ASSAf’s activities better known and understood in the leadershipstructures of government departments and other organisations.The goal of the Symposium was to bring South African scientists and national policy makers togetherfor a dialogue on the potential role of science academies in supporting government decision making. Thiswould be done by providing opportunities for relationship building, networking and shared learning onthe potential for evidence-based advice to inform South Africa’s most significant public policy challenges.Overall, a total of 108 people attended the Double Symposium:18 from Government Departments (DST, DoE, DoH, DoA)36 from Universities (UP, UCT, UNISA, UNIVEN, TUT)26 from Science Councils (CSIR, SAASTA, CHE, HSRC)Prof Jonathan JansenASSAf Vice-President and Organiser of Symposium 1Annual Report 2005/0647