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This collection contains slide presentations and audio/video recordings not provided for elsewhere. This includes events/activities/participation in special day, special week, special month and special year celebrations, as well as science festivals and thematic weeks, e.g. National Science Week, Science Engagement and Open Access Week.
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Item The policy & practice of drug, alcohol & tobacco use during Covid-19(Science Forum South Africa (SFSA), 2020-12) Science Forum South Africa (SFSA); Soodyall, Himla; Gilligan, Aidan; Shelly, Shaun; Venter, Francois; Letlape, Kgosi; Kinderlerer, Julian; Pedersen, David BudtzThis discussion formed part of the Science Forum South Africa (SFSA) 2020 event. The World Science Forum will be held in Cape Town in December 2021 under the theme of “science for social justice”. As a precedent, this documentary examines the ethics of intervening in the lives of others under the lens of South Africa’s go-it-alone ban on tobacco and alcohol sales to tackle COVID-19. Leading medical, policy and civil society experts from at home and abroad weigh up the scientific evidence for and against. Taxation, jobs, sectoral interests, religious indoctrination, values and civil liberties all come into play. Further issues debated include concepts of recent history and subjugation versus today’s democracy and the rule of law. Have fundamental principles of autonomy, human dignity, freedom and equality been forced to give way? Is the medical profession’s “unconscionable collusion” acceptable? How must lawmakers navigate between the rights and responsibilities of individuals to look after themselves and the rights and responsibilities of States to look after their citizens? Above all, as this pandemic collides with the known syndemics of TB, malaria, HIV/Aids, hepatitis etc., the panel argues for the urgent acceptance and application of harm reduction science worldwide, if lives really do matter.Item COVID-19 and Human Rights: Perspectives on Socio-economic Rights and Violence(Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), 2020-12-07) Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf); Heyns, Christof; Jewkes, Rachel; Liebenberg, Sandy; Mbazira, ChristopherSouth Africa like other countries worldwide, was forced to impose lockdowns to curb the spread of COVID-19 since March 2020. While the measures taken by the government aided in slowing down the spread of the pandemic, they have had far-reaching consequences for a range of socio-economic rights, such as the rights to education, food, and work. They have also had serious consequences for civil and political rights, including through a rise in the levels of domestic violence, and because of the use of force by law enforcement officials in imposing these measures. This panel discussion explores the impact of COVID-19 on socio-economic human rights and violence faced by citizens.Item Webinar One of a Three-part series: What to do to reduce poverty and inequality? 10 May 2021(Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), 2021) Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf); Studies in Poverty and Inequality Institute (SPII)The ASSAf Standing Committee on the Science for the Reduction of Poverty and Inequality (SCSfRPI) has been mandated by the ASSAf Council to focus on poverty and inequality in respect to the pandemic, and to consult interdisciplinary science in the consideration of how to reduce poverty and inequality. In response, the SCSfRPI conceptualised a webinar series that will delve into the following themes: 1. What to do to reduce poverty and inequality? 2. How to fund interventions to reduce poverty? 3. What must be done if the state is to be capable of poverty and inequality reduction?Item Why environmental management must become the new normal (1/4)(Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf); South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS), 2021) Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf); Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE); Institute of Natural Resources (INR); South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS)SAGE hosted a webinar series in partnership with ASSAf, SAYAS and INR on “Why environmental management must become the new normal”. The series aimed at raising awareness on the importance of emergency risk mitigation in the context of environmental management. The series sought to answer the following questions: 1. How can we prevent future pandemics and human-driven environmental emergencies? 2. How should we manage the environment in a more pro-active and integrated fashion? The first webinar focused on the following topics: 1. Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and Ethics. 2. Managing and Measuring the health of Mangrove Forests in a changing world.Item Webinar Two of a Three-part Series: How to Fund Interventions to Reduce Poverty in South Africa?(Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), 2021) Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf); Bureau for Economic Research (BER)The ASSAf Standing Committee on the Science for the Reduction of Poverty and Inequality (SCSfRPI) has been mandated by the ASSAf Council to focus on poverty and inequality in respect to the pandemic, and to consult interdisciplinary science in the consideration of how to reduce poverty and inequality. In response, the SCSfRPI conceptualised a webinar series that will delve into the following themes:Item Webinar: Mechanisms, funding and state capability for poverty and inequality reduction (post-Covid) in South Africa(Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), 2021) Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf); May, Julian; Frye, Isobel; Kirsten, Johann; Adesina, JimiThe Standing Committee on the Science for the Reduction of Poverty and Inequality (SCSfRPI) is a committee of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf). In July 2020, the ASSAf Council mandated the committee to focus on poverty and inequality concerning the pandemic and consult interdisciplinary science on reducing poverty and inequality. In response, the SCSfRPI conceptualised a webinar series that will delve into the following themes:Item Why environmental management must become the new normal (3/4)(Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf); South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS), 2021) Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf); Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE); Institute of Natural Resources (INR); South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS)SAGE hosted a webinar series in partnership with ASSAf, SAYAS and INR on “Why environmental management must be become the new normal”. The series aimed at raising awareness on the importance of emergency risk mitigation in the context of environmental management. The series sought to answer the following questions: 1. How can we prevent future pandemics and human-driven environmental emergencies? 2. How should we manage the environment in a more pro-active and integrated fashion? The third webinar focused on the following topics: 1. Accountable GREEN leadership and strengthening of democracy in South Africa. 2. Environmental Management: A local government perspective. 3. Participatory environmentalism in the new normal: Framing post pandemic futures for climate action praxis. 4. The Future is Now: Understanding the role of Space in Monitoring future Disease Outbreak.Item Crisis and catastrophe: the motor of South African history?(Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), 2021) Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)Annual Humanities Lecture Webinar hosted by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) on 5 October 2021. Presented by Assistant Prof Jacob Dlamini, Princeton University, United States of America. In 1977, R.W. Johnson published How Long will South Africa Survive?, a book that sought to examine the resilience of what the author called South Africa’s ‘White Establishment.’ Johnson challenged the tendency among left-wing thinkers and Afrikaner nationalists to see change in South Africa as being driven solely by the internal dynamics of the country’s history. As Johnson elaborated in a 2015 sequel to How Long will South Africa Survive?the ‘iron law’ of South African history was that international developments have always been more responsible for change in the country; that crises generated by South Africa’s position in the global economy have always been the key driver of political transformation in the country. In my presentation, the presenter built on Johnson’s claim that crisis (and catastrophe) is the motor of South African history. He used his claim to position South Africa as a vantage point from which to imagine a national history not burdened by race, and to tell a South African story that is at the same time a global history of the 20th-century. What happens to conventional accounts of South African history (not to mention global history) when we treat the country as the standpoint from which to examine some of the major crises and catastrophes of the 20th century? That is the question at the centre of this presentation.Item Behind the scenes of peer review(Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), 2021) Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)This webinar - presented on 22 September 2021 - gives insight into the peer review process from the perspective of various role players involved in the South African Journal of Science: Editor-in-Chief, Online Publishing Systems Administrator (Journal Manager), Associate Editor, Associate Editor Mentee, Reviewer.Item ASSAf POPIA Public Consultation Forum: Progress on the POPIA Code of Conduct for Research, 03 May 2021(Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), 2021) Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)The Academy of Science of South Africa is facilitating the process to develop a Code of Conduct for Research under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), having hosted two stakeholder events that were attended by scientists and researchers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. We have set up a Steering Committee to oversee the process of developing a Code of Conduct for research, as well as a Drafting Committee who are drafting the document. At this virtual consultation forum, presentations will be offered on the process of developing a Code of Conduct, as well as on thematic areas of interest, including consent, genomics research, information matching programmes and the use of social media data in research. Stakeholders will be given an opportunity to share insights and provide comment on the development of the Code of Conduct.Item Understanding the scourge of predatory journals and conferences in academia(Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), 2021) Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)Presented as part of Science Forum South Africa 2021. This presentation highlights some of the key emerging findings and recommendations of an InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) study “Combatting predatory academic journals and conferences” which will report in early 2022. IAP is the global network of over 140 national academies of science, engineering and medicine who work together on policy issues of vital importance. Predatory journals and conferences are pervading the research enterprise: they are driven entirely by profit and involve some form of deception, such as the false promise of rigorous peer review - a hallmark of academic research. What is more, their tactics are becoming increasingly sophisticated and that it is becoming more difficult to distinguish fraudulent practices from low quality or questionable ones. This means that poor science can find its way into the knowledge base and good science can be overlooked when it appears in low credibility journals: if left unchallenged, the implications are profound. The IAP study has been informed by a unique survey of the global research community in which over 1,800 researchers participated. The survey gives a concerning insight into the extent and impact of these predatory practices across the world, what drives them and motivates researchers to use them. By understanding these dynamics and the relative vulnerabilities and exposure to predatory outlets, the survey can help identify the most impactful ways of combatting them. African members of the international working group leading this work provide a preview of the study's findings, including (i) emerging recommendations for key stakeholder communities who play their part in the knowledge ecosystem, such as researchers, research funders, publishers, academic leaders, libraries and indexing services; and (ii) a new spectrum tool designed to assist many of them. An African perspective is prominent in the discussions. The session explores the following key questions: 1. What are predatory journals and conferences? 2. Why are they on the rise? 3. Why are they important? 4. What can be done to curb them? 5. What resources are available to help researchers and others minimise their risk?Item The status of coding and robotics in South African schools(Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), 2021) Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)Recording of a webinar hosted by ASSAf on 28 April 2021. Panellists included the following: - Emma Dicks, founder and director at CodeSpace, an education institution that specialises in teaching coding & software development. - Hussein Suleman, Acting Director of the School of Information Technology; and Head of Department and Professor in Computer Science at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa. - Jean Greyling is an Associate Professor in Computing Sciences at Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha (previously Port Elizabeth), South Africa. He is mainly involved in teaching and research related to programming. Since 2017 he has been coordinating the Tangibl Coding project (mainly with the TANKS coding app), introducing learners to coding without the use of a computer. - Jonathan Freese is Chief Education Specialist (Technology) at the Department of Basic Education, Western Cape Government, South Africa.Item Uniting people through diversity – coming together during times of need(Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), 2021) Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)Panellists: Dr Stanley Maphosa, Prof Brij Maharaj (Professor of Geography and Deputy President of the South African Hindu Maha Sabha), Sultan Sheikh Yasin Muhammad Yaqeenullah Allamal Yaqen Muhammad (Grand Mufti SA and President of Muslim Supreme Council of South Africa (MUSCOOSA)), Dr Winnie Tshirumbula (Pentecost Church of God). September is heritage month in South Africa, celebrated on 24 September each year by recognising and celebrating the cultural wealth of the nation. South Africa boasts a richness of cultural diversity from the precolonial era to the present. Heritage is an integral component of all communities and links identity to ancestors and for continuity in future generations. Aspects of heritage intersect with our daily cultural traditions, oral history performance, ritual, popular memory, skills and techniques, indigenous knowledge systems and the holistic approach to nature, society, and social relationships. Heritage plays an important role in promoting cultural diversity, social cohesion, reconciliation, peace, and economic development. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected some aspects of our cultural practices. These include restrictions on burial practices, our grieving processes, not being able to visit the sick in hospitals, etc. Moreover, the social distancing in informal settlements and rural communities has been a challenge to the young and the old. To celebrate our diversity, the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) hosted a webinar with the Religious Sector to discuss these issues, how they have been affected, how they have gone around them and also take recommendations for the future.Item ICT in Science – Towards empowered South African Citizens(Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), 2021) Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)Science engagement plays a pivotal role in bringing trusted information to the public, however, not all communities are accessible in South Africa and science engagers are in short supply. Alternative ways need to be explored as to how to empower citizens and equip them with knowledge to make informed decisions. Informed and knowledgeable citizens can in turn contribute to a more developed citizenry, where the concept of development involves several dimensions of transformation, including the creation of wealth (that is, rapid and sustained economic growth) and its distribution in a fashion that benefits a broad spectrum of people rather than a small elite (that is, a reduction in social inequality) (Shrum, 2001). This webinar tried to address the following questions: • Can ICT assist in making trusted scientific information accessible to all? • Which challenges does the country face in achieving success in this regard? • Are there any success stories on how ICT has positively impacted on a more scientifically engaged citizenry? • What needs to change if we want to succeed in utilising ICT for increased science engagement?Item Writing for a scholarly journal(Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), 2021) Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)Recording of an interactive workshop hosted by the South African Journal of Science aimed at postgraduate students and early career researchers with little or no experience in writing and publishing journal articles. This workshop was presented on 10 June 2021.Item SALGA-ASSAf seminar on disaster risk management, fire & emergency services capabilities assessment of municipalities(Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), 2021) Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf); South African Local Governments Association (SALGA)In partnership with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), ASSAf hosted a seminar to discuss the output of research commissioned by SALGA. The research sought to determine the ability of municipalities – across all municipal categories – to perform functions in relation to disaster management, fire services and emergency services. The work was a “deep-dive” analysis to obtain a detailed understanding of the challenges faced by municipalities, and to describe the essential elements of “best practice” and how the elements interact as a complex adaptive system.Item Women in Science: Prof Helen Rees(Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), 2021) Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf); WITS RHIIn this video, Prof Helen Rees shares more on her science career as a woman. This documentary formed part of the South African National Science Week from 2-8 August 2021. In commemoration of women’s day held annually on 9 August and women’s month observed yearly in August, ASSAf’s Phyllis Kalele had a discussion with Prof. Helen Rees to talk about her life’s journey from childhood to being a global renowned public health scientist and her views on women and their role in science. Prof. Rees was elected and inaugurated as a Member of the Academy of Science of South Africa in October 2006. Her election to membership of the country’s national science academy is confirmation that she has been honoured and recognized as one of the most outstanding and celebrated scholars contributing to scholarly activities in her field of expertise in this country to a significant extent. In addition, Prof. Rees is featured in the ASSAf’s first edition of the Legends of South African Science, a book that introduces Academy Members who rank among the top achievers in the country and that provides a unique collective perspective on contributions by South African scientists and scholars.Item Launch of Essential facts about Covid-19 Booklet(Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), 2021) Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)The booklet titled "Essential facts about Covid-19: the disease, the responses, and an uncertain future. For South African learners, teachers, and the general public" was launched as part of this webinar. View the launch video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07kIfuHZztY&t=7s. The booklet itself can be accessed at http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11911/194. The following presentations formed part of this webinar: Introduction to Booklet - Prof Anwar Suleman Mall, University of Cape Town; Vaccines and Variants - Prof Ed Rybicki, University of Cape Town; HIV and Covid-19 - Prof Quarraisha Abdool Karim, University of KwaZulu-Natal; Covid-19 and Hospitals - Prof Marc Mendelson, University of Cape Town. The first cases of a new coronavirus (SARS CoV 2) were identified toward the end of 2019 in Wuhan, China. Over the following months, this virus spread to everywhere in the world, and by now no country has been spared the devastation from the Covid-19. During this book launch event some of the authors will highlight selected current issues relating to this pandemic: the role and future of variants, the effectiveness of vaccinations and challenges of vaccinating a sufficient fraction of the population worldwide, and more generally the relation to HIV and hospital care in South Africa.Item Dual-Use Research of Concern(Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), 2021) Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)Dual-Use Research of Concern (DURC) describes research (typically in the life sciences) that is intended to produce answers to legitimate research questions but may be misapplied with nefarious purposes. DURC is defined by the National Institutes of Health as follows: “DURC is life sciences research that, based on current understanding, can be reasonably anticipated to provide knowledge, information, products, or technologies that could be directly misapplied to pose a significant threat with broad potential consequences to public health and safety, agricultural crops and other plants, animals, the environment, materiel, or national security”. The misuse of research findings, either intentionally or not, is a long-standing concern of science, but governance of the subject has been lagging. In the United States, several policies and legislation governs DURC nationally, and internationally to those that may be receiving research funding or attempting to publish research findings in US-based scientific journals. Currently, there is no policy or legislation in South Africa governing DURC (directly),other than the Acts and Regulations addressing non-proliferation. This webinar is a scientific engagement to share knowledge and experiences with DURC internationally and nationally.Item Why environmental management must become the new normal (2/4)(Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf); South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS), 2021) Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf); Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE); Institute of Natural Resources (INR); South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS)SAGE hosted a webinar series in partnership with ASSAf, SAYAS and INR on “Why environmental management must become the new normal”. The series aimed at raising awareness on the importance of emergency risk mitigation in the context of environmental management. The series sought to answer the following questions: 1. How can we prevent future pandemics and human-driven environmental emergencies? 2. How should we manage the environment in a more pro-active and integrated fashion? The second webinar focused on the following topics: 1. South Africa's National Healthy Eating Guidelines Sustainable Diets the People and the Planet. 2. Environmental Management as the New Normal: Towards a Framework for the Covid 19 Pandemic Analysis. 3. Investing in Ecological Infrastructure for Water Security. 4. Pathway towards Climate Mitigation and Resilience requires a Transdisciplinary Approach.