Academy of Science South Africa 2005/6 Annual Report

Programme 4ASSAfPromoting South African Science andTechnology capacities for the 21st centuryexpert committees of the WHO and he directed one of its research laboratories. He also served for many years asan expert consultant to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Nutritional Agency Consultative group, andSUSTAIN (Sharing United States Technology to aid in the improvement of Nutrition) and played an importantrole in co-ordinating efforts to eliminate iron deficiency globally. There can be no doubt that Professor Bothwell’smany contributions to present-day understanding of iron metabolism and the consequences of its deficiency orexcess have earned him the reputation of being one of the pre-eminent international scientists in this field, andfurther that the products of his research achievements have already and will continue to have a profound effect onthe health of a major portion of the world’s population. Thomas Bothwell is clearly a most worthy recipient of an“ASSAf Science-for-Society Gold Medal. “ASSAf Lecturer 2005Prof George Philander, Princeton UniversityThe first ASSAf Public Lecturer, Prof George Philander, South African-born geophysicist and climatescientist, visited the country in September 2005 and gave public lectures and advanced seminars infour regional centres, to acclaim from large audiences. He subsequently offered to assist the Academyand other South African institutions to attract young scholars into important disciplines in the appliedphysical sciences and related areas.Key performanceindicators for Programme 4The Academy awarded two more Science-for-SocietyGold Medals, arranged a very successful nationalLecture Tour by an outstanding South African-bornASSAf Lecturer, started the sponsoring of regularpublic lectures in large centres, and greatly increasedits programme of generating evidence-based advicefor the country (reported under the internationalprogramme because of its international funding).Annual Report 2005/0667