Personnel from the Directorate Research Development (DRD), the faculties of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, and Health Sciences, along with more than 4 600 delegates – including speakers and attendees from across the world – attended Science Forum South Africa (December 2023).
The theme of the conference, co-hosted by the South African Department of Science and Innovation and the Science Diplomacy of Capital for Africa initiative, was: Igniting Conversations about Science – People, Partnerships, Priorities for the Decadal Plan.
Prof Johan van Niekerk, Vice-Dean: Agriculture in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, facilitated a side event titled: Future Harvest: Scientific Perspectives on the Sustainability of Food Systems in the Next 10 Years. This event aimed to foster collaboration between stakeholders from different food system sectors and to coordinate efforts towards sustainability for future food systems. Prof Maryke Labuschagne, Professor of Plant Breeding in the Department of Plant Sciences at the UFS and head of the NRF SARChI Chair in Disease Resistance and Quality in Field Crops, also gave a presentation.
The conference, which took place at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria, served as a platform for debating the science and society interface. It featured more than 60 sessions and more than 70 exhibitions where delegates could browse and learn about science through interactive displays.
The university also took advantage of this opportunity with its presence at one of the exhibition stalls, answering questions about research at the UFS from prospective postgraduate students, scientists, public and private sector representatives, as well as civil society. This included insights into the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and the Department of Pharmacology.
Tebogo Machethe, Director of Research Contracts and Innovation, emphasised that attending the conference provided the university with a platform to showcase its projects, diverse academic offerings, and potential for future collaboration with various stakeholders present at the science forum.