ASSAf News

The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) -Twas Young Affiliate Network (TYAN), the South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS), Sub-Saharan African Network for TB/HIV Research Excellence (SANTHE) and the World Academy of Sciences Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Partner (TWAS-SAREP) will be hosting an Infectious Diseases Symposiumfrom 27 to 28 May 2019 in...

Royal Society of South Africa and the Academy of Science of South Africa invite you to a free public lecture by Prof Michael E Meadows, Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, South Africa, and Department of Geographic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China, on Wetlands in the highlands and the lowlands: reinterpreting African landscapes through Quaternary palaeoecology.

Prof Himla Soodyall has been appointed as the Academy’s new Executive Officer with effect from 1 November 2018. She is succeeding Prof Roseanne Diab who is retiring.

As I prepare to retire from ASSAf after ten years as Executive Officer I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on some of my experiences and highlights over the past ten years and thank all those who have made my time at ASSAf so memorable.

Prof Sabiha Essack was elected as the new General Secretary during the Council meeting on 10 October 2018.

The Academy recognised two of South Africa’s foremost scholars with gold medals at its annual Awards Ceremony held on 10 October 2018.

Twenty of the country’s leading scholars and scientists were inaugurated as Members of ASSAf at the annual Awards Ceremony on 10 October 2018.   The 20 new ASSAf Members bring the total Membership of ASSAf to 556. The new ASSAf Members are:  Prof Montaz Aliis Professor in the School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). Prof Lyn-Marie Birkholtz is Professor in Biochemistry at the University of Pretoria (UP) and holds a Department of Science and...

To get high, or not to get high? A multi-disciplinary team of panellists shed some light on the use of cannabis at the third Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) Presidential Roundtable in Port Elizabeth on 21 November 2018. The roundtable, hosted by ASSAf, in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela University and in media partnership with the Herald Live, focussed on the implications of the recent decriminalisation of cannabis use in a private capacity. ASSAf President, Prof Jonathan...