ASSAf is the official national Academy of Science of South Africa and represents the country in the international community of science academies.
The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) was inaugurated in May 1996 by the former President of South Africa and patron of the Academy, Nelson Mandela.
It was formed in response to the need for an academy of science congruent with the dawn of democracy in South Africa - activist in its mission of using science for the benefit of society.
The mandate of the Academy encompasses all fields of scientific enquiry and it includes the full diversity of South Africa’s distinguished scientists. The Parliament of South Africa passed the Academy of Science of South Africa Act (Act 67 of 2001), as amended, which came into operation in May 2002.
The benefits that the Academy aspires to bring to South Africa (and the wider world) are the sustainable provision of a professionally managed organisation that can mobilise the best intellect, expertise and experience.
These are used to investigate and provide evidence-based solutions to national problems; inspiration and example in science and technology, applied for the benefit of society; international connectedness at the highest level of knowledge and insight; and facilitation of public understanding of the nature, scope and value of the scientific and technological enterprise.
The mission of the Academy is to:
•Become increasingly associated with the highest levels of scholarly achievement and excellence in the application of scientific thinking for the benefit of society;
•Consolidate its infrastructure and capacity;
•Expand and mobilise its Membership to include scholars from the full disciplinary spectrum;
•Proactively and reactively embark on a programme of systematic studies of evidence-based issues of national importance;
•Develop a sound and robust methodology for constituting study panels, producing authoritative reports that are well-disseminated and have significant impact;
•Publish science-focused periodicals to promote an interest in the sciences to the nation; ◦South African Journal of Science- multidisciplinary scholarly journal of the highest quality and international standing;
◦Quest: Science for South Africa- science magazine that showcases the best of South African research to a wide national and international audience, particularly youth in secondary schools;
◦Strategic Reports- science advisory reports that seek to influence national decision- and policy-making;
•Promote the development in South Africa of an indigenous system of research journals of internationally recognised quality and usefulness;
•Develop and maintain productive partnerships with government departments;
•Develop and maintain collaborative linkages with science councils, non-government organisations (NGOs), higher education institutions and other organisations, with a view to the building of capacity in science and its applications within the National System of Innovation (NSI);
•Create new and diversified sources of funding for the sustainable functioning of an independent national Academy;
•Communicate effectively with general and specific publics, as well as with partners, sponsors and stakeholders through various media and fora;
•Expand activities in partnership with national science academies of other countries;
•Play a significant role in the international science system, particularly in Africa.
The relevance of the Academy in the context of national policy frameworks and initiatives is that it strives to achieve the purposes of its enabling Act of Parliament through a public domain, multi-year strategic plan. It subscribes to the intentions and recommendations of the White Paper on Science and Technology and the National Research and Development Strategy, and the Ten-Year Innovation Plan.
