About Science Forum South Africa
The SFSA 2020 will be an opportunity to reflect on the various science, technology and innovation partnerships initiatives led by the Department as part of South Africa‘s chairing of the African Union in 2020. As usual, pan‐African cooperation in science will be a significant focus of the Forum agenda. As a tradition, the diplomatic community in Pretoria number among the Forum’s strongest supporters and will be presenting several Forum sessions. Through the European South African Science and Technology Advancement Programme (ESASTAP), there will a special focus on cooperation with the European Union, with several sessions presented by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and the Africa‐Europe Innovation Partnership. We are confident that SFSA 2020 like its predecessors, will continue to enrich the public discourse on the role of science in society, advance Pan‐African cooperation and integration, and bolster the global solidarity and friendship our world so desperately needs.
Event Programme
On Wednesday afternoon 9 December 2020, the SFSA 2020 will commence with an opening address by Dr Blade Nzimande, South Africa’s Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation followed by messages from the Forum’s strategic international partners including the African Union Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology, Prof Sarah Anyang Agbor.
Two internationally-acclaimed South African scientists, renowned for their work in the fight against HIV-AIDS and recently COVID‐19, Prof. Quarraisha Abdool Karim and Prof. Salim Abdool Karim, will be delivering the SFSA 2020 plenary lecture. Prof Quarraisha and Salim recently received the prestigious “500th anniversary of the discovery of the Strait of Magellan” award in recognition of their pioneering scientific work and contribution to humanity.
On Thursday 10 December 2020, the Forum programme will comprise 32 different panel discussions and debates, all interrogating the critical interface between science and society. Highlights on the programme will include sessions on topics such as the future of trans‐disciplinarity in research, African histories of technology, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the future of data protection.
An exciting new addition to the Forum programme will be a series of provocative conversations with global thinkers, especially from the Global South and Africa. Active audience engagement and debate will continue to be a hallmark of the SFSA programme.
The Forum will conclude on Friday morning 11 December 2020 with a series of panel discussions interrogating the role of science in advancing social justice, which will be the theme for South Africa’s hosting of the World Science Forum in 2021.
A final plenary discussion facilitated by the South African Affiliate Centre of the World Economic Forum’s Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution will focus on the impact of disruptive technology in narrowing and widening inequality.
Dr. Blade Nzimande
South African Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
Prof. Sarah Anyang Agbor
African Union Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology
Prof. Salim Abdool Karim
Director: Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa
Prof. Quarraisha Abdool Karim
Associate Scientific Director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa
Contact Person for further Information:
Email: Mabatho.Ndwandwa@dst.gov.za
Phone: +27 79 940 1498
This event is proudly brought to you by:
OVERVIEW
ESASTAP is a collaborative initiative between South Africa and the European Union. The programme’s main objective is to strengthen ties within the field of science, technology and innovation. Funding for projects, mainly sourced from both the Department of Science and Innovation of the Republic of South Africa and the European Commission.
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