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Science Education in SA May 4, 2010

Posted by Diane in : Projects , 2comments

Prof Diane Grayson, Committee Member, ASSAf STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Education Committee

South Africa can never produce enough scientists, engineers and technologists until the quality of science education offered at schools improves. The factor that affects this quality the most is the quality of teaching. This, is turn, is affected by the school environment and available resources. But most of all it is affected by teachers’ understanding of the subject matter and how to teach it effectively, sometimes called content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). (more…)

Securing the Humanities in an Age of Failing Economics April 7, 2010

Posted by Peter in : Humanities and Education Studies, Projects, Uncategorized , add a comment

Prof Peter Vale, Co-Chair, ASSAf Consensus Panel on the Humanities

From almost every corner of the Anglophone world, the complaint is the same: “The Humanities are under threat”. I use the qualifier because, sadly, my ability to access other language worlds – beyond  the Dutch-Afrikaans link – is limited.*

The question is what is to be done to recover and revive the Humanities?

Research and deliberations into ASSAf’s own Consensus Report on the Humanities in South Africa is well under way and the hope is to issue a preliminary report in late October, 2010. My own view of this issue is framed by an understanding of political economy – the rise of neo-liberal economics has emphasized economic growth and efficiency and, in this particular universe, the Humanities have no place ( the State of Science in South Africa, pg 210). This is a fallacy, of course. Take the creation of jobs. In this country alone, right now, one of the strongest areas of economic growth is Afrikaans cultural production – most of this is both creates jobs and pushes economic growth. (more…)

Role of libraries in research March 24, 2010

Posted by Zweli in : Events, Humanities and Education Studies, Open Access Scholarly Publishing , add a comment

South African Library Week 2010 will be celebrated from 22 – 27 March 2010 with the theme: “Reading changes lives“. SALW2010 was launched on Saturday 20 March at the National Library of South Africa to coincide with the date of the declaration of the first public library in South Africa in 1818.

The Academy is made up of researchers wanting to benefit society through their research. Libraries play a crucial role in this endeavour.

During Library Week we acknowledge the role that libraries play in the production of research. Whereas the internet at large provides general information resources, libraries provide authoritative information resources such as books, journals and access to academic electronic resources.  Click here to read more about SALW2010.

Biosafety and paranoia post-9/11 August 18, 2009

Posted by Phakamile in : Health Studies, Projects , add a comment

Since the bombings of the Twin Towers in the US on September 11, 2001 there has been a great deal of emphasis on safety in different countries. Some countries have stepped-up and strenghtened their safety so as to ensure this doesn’t happen to them. The other issue of biosafety against any form of biorisks has also seen many countries form specialised committees of scientific experts and/or agencies that specialise in dealing with biorisks. Biosafety policies have been implemented by some countries whereas others are still in the process of either developing or implementing them.

Even though these biosafety policies are good and necessary, there also seems to be a degree of paranoia in some countries. Some academic institutions/biotechnology research centers have suffered because of the restrictions imposed by these policies, where, amongst other things, they can’t work with certain pathogens as they are demeed biological risks. Paranoia about biosafety is even evident at airports in certain countries. Despite all this paranoia, many lessons have been learnt regarding good laboratory practice (GLP) and ethical issues surrounding biosafety. As the saying goes: it’s better to be safe than sorry!

The state of HIV/AIDS clinical trials in South Africa August 18, 2009

Posted by Phakamile in : Health Studies, Projects , 1 comment so far

Clinical trials in South Africa are taking place almost in every province and majority of them are HIV/AIDS -related because of its high prevalence in the country. The good thing about this is that the communities in which these trial are carried out get to benefit by the level of HIV awareness information and education they receive. Through this education and awareness this contributed in the decreasing the level of new HIV infections.

However, the level of acceptance of these clinical trials in these communities is not always smooth sailing. Some of the main issues include: volunteering vs ‘guinea pigs’, re-imbursement and ethical aspects. Some communities, despite being fully informed, regard being reimbursed for volunteering in these trials as a form of coercion to join them.  Others regard volunteers of these trials as guinea pigs. To address these issues communities are always reassured through communuty meetings and education.

GMOs in African agriculture August 13, 2009

Posted by Nthabiseng in : Health Studies, Projects , add a comment

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are said to be opening a door of opportunity for ensuring food security, especially in South Africa and other African countries. On the other hand, skeptics claim that there are numerous challenges and risks associated with the adoption of GMOs. It is against this background that the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), in collaboration with the German Union of Science Academies and National African Science Academies (NASAC) are holding a workshop that will address key issues on GMOs in African agriculture.

The workshop will be held in Pretoria on 17 – 18 September 2009. It will be attended mainly by experts from South Africa and other African countries.

For more information, please contact Dr Nthabiseng Taole at nthabiseng@assaf.org.za or Ms Phakamile Mngadi at Phakamile@assaf.org.za.

Do the Humanities matter? August 13, 2009

Posted by Zuki in : Humanities and Education Studies , add a comment

In the 21st century, more and more emphasis has been put on science and technology. There are certain jobs that did not exist two decades ago, and others that have completely disappeared from the employment seeking websites and newspapers. As a result of these “new job demands”,  the education system has structured its curriculum to suit the current needs of a society which is more technological than two decades ago.

The new societal demands have resulted in a huge shift in terms of who is funded for further studies, putting the humanities in a somehow unpopular position in attracting funding for those students that would like to pursue studies in social sciences and humanities. A few questions have been asked: Do Humanities matter? Is there a future for the Humanities?