Academy of Science South Africa 2005/6 Annual Report

Multi-year Strategic PlanASSAfThe mission of ASSAf can thus be summarised as follows:To become increasingly associated in the mind of the nation with the highest levels of scholarlyachievement and excellence in the application of scientific thinking for the benefit of society.To consolidate its infrastructure and capacity, and to expand and mobilise the membership to ensurethat scholars from a full disciplinary spectrum are available for its work, and that these are indeedboth thinkers and doers, willing to put significant effort into the Academy’s activities.To embark on a programme of systematic studies of evidence-based issues of national importance,some proposed by government or other sectors, and some identified by the Academy itself.To develop a sound and robust methodology for constituting study panels, organising their work,including conferences and workshops, and producing authoritative reports that are well-disseminatedand have significant impact.To publish science-focused periodicals, especially a multi-disciplinary journal of high quality (the SouthAfrican Journal of Science) and a science magazine that will showcase the best of South African researchto a wide national (and international) audience (Quest – Science for South Africa), and to promote thedevelopment in South Africa of an indigenous system of research journals of internationally recognisedquality and usefulness.To develop productive partnerships with other organisations, especially (but not only) theDepartments of Science and Technology, Education, Health and Agriculture; the National AdvisoryCouncil on Innovation; science councils; higher education institutions, etc., with a view to buildingcapacity in science and its applications within the National System of Innovation (NSI).To create new and diversified sources of funding for the sustainable functioning of an independentAcademy.To communicate effectively with the general and specific publics, as well as with partners and sponsors.To develop a plan for the expansion of the activities of ASSAf in partnership with the national scienceacademies of other countries, including the contracted partnership with the US National Academies.Annual Report 2005/0671