The International Liaison Programme is divided into five sub programs as follows: Strategic Partnerships, Overseas Collaborations, and African Collaborations, Gender in Science and Technology, and Young Scientist Liaison.
Programme Strategic Objectives
- To establish, strengthen and sustain strategic national, regional and well as global engagements for the benefit of ASSAf and the South African science system
- To initiate, strengthen and sustain mutually beneficial partnerships and activities with national academies of science, their networks, and multilateral organisations in the African continent and overseas
- To promote and enhance the participation of young scientists in global and national Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) activities
- To promote the participation of girls and women in STI and to raise awareness of the gender dimensions of STI
Strategic Partnerships
This portfolio seeks to develop and maintain productive partnerships with international partners that include networks of academies and other international science organisations. ASSAf serves and contributes to the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) as an Executive Committee Member representing the Developing Countries.
The InterAcademy Panel is an umbrella body of three organisations namely, IAP – the global network of science academies, the InterAcademy Medical Panel (IAMP), and the InterAcademy Council (IAC) that was officially launched in March 2016 to permit the three inter-academy networks to speak with one voice and thus have a greater impact on global issues of common interest.
Other strategic partners to ASSAf include:
TWAS Regional Office for Sub-Saharan Africa (TWAS-ROSSA) is hosted by ASSAf for the next five years.
Overseas Collaboration
ASSAf has signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with the following national science academies:
Indian National Science Academy
German National Academy of Sciences (Leopoldina)
ASSAf has hosted joint conferences and workshops with overseas academies in the following fields:
- Environment and health
- Mathematics symposium
- Infectious diseases
- Nuclear energy
- Low carbon technologies
- Science Business Dialogue Conference 2016
- Science Business Society Dialogue Conference 2017
Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
Minutes of the 4th Meeting of the South Africa-Vietnam Partnership Forum, 14 and 15 March 2019
Bilateral Collaborations in Africa
ASSAf has signed bilateral agreements with the following academies:
Senegal Academy of Science and Technology (ANSTS)
Uganda National Academy of Sciences
Multilateral Collaborations in Africa
Network of African Science Academies (NASAC)
There are 22 academies of science on the African continent. 21 are members of the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC) headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. ASSAf serves as in the Executive of NASAC through Professor Nyameko Barney Pityana who is the General Secretary and Professor Robin Crewe as the Committee Member.
Gender in Science, Technology and Innovation
Organisation of Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) South Africa
ASSAf has hosted the Organisation of Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) since 2009.
Young Scientist Activities
ASSAf creates opportunities for young scientists in South Africa to link with their counterparts in Southern Africa, Africa and globally. ASSAf hosts the South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS) and links SAYAS with other young academies in Africa and overseas as well as the Global Young Academy (GYA). ASSAf creates opportunities for young scientists to come to South Africa for research, conferences, symposia and workshops and provides similar opportunities for South African young scientists by responding to various international calls.