ASSAf Hosts Workshop on Science Diplomacy

The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) celebrated Africa month with an inaugural workshop on science diplomacy that was hosted from 21 to 25 May 2018 near Pretoria.

The workshop deliberated on the role of science to better align Africa with Vision 2063 and the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA) 2024. Co-hosts are The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

This workshop was designed for young scientists (below the age of 40) living and working in sub-Saharan Africa and whose research and wider engagement has brought them into the international policymaking arena, policymakers and diplomats interested in some of the central science-based themes that might influence their work, and representatives from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other sectors working at the science-diplomacy interface.

Guestspeakers were Dr Lassina Zerbo from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation who last year won the AAAS Science Diplomacy Award; Mr Paul Bewsher from the Peace Parks Foundation; Dr Youba Sokona, Vice-Chair,  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Dr Adrian Tiplady, Head, Strategy and Business  Processes, Square Kilometre Array.

Thirty delegates from 16 countries in sub-Saharan Africa have been selected to attend. The countries include Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, Uganda and Zimbabwe,