South African Minister Naledi Pandor Wins Top Global Award for Science Diplomacy

South Africa’s Minister of Science and Technology, Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor, has been chosen by the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to receive the 2016 Award for Science Diplomacy… for using science and technology to support development in SA and sub-Saharan Africa.

Pandor (63) is being honoured by AAAS not only for integrating science within South African policymaking, but also for her advocacy for young scientists and women scientists by supporting initiatives that encourage international collaboration for both groups.

“Science not only enables us to more decisively respond to major societal challenges,” Pandor said, “but also plays a critical part in helping to foster international partnership, friendship and solidarity.”

Pandor believes the role of science diplomacy is more important than ever, and said she is humbled and honoured to receive this award.

Pandor, who has been Science Minister since 2009 (with a break between 2012 and 2014 when she was Minister of Home Affairs), has also served as a Member of Parliament since 1994, and member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress since 2002.

Before her current position, the former teacher was SA’s Minister of Education from 2004 to 2009.

“Under her leadership, South Africa has made numerous contributions to building science structures in organisations such as the African Union and the Southern African Development Community, to strengthening the science granting councils of other African countries, and to expanding the role of the Global Research Council,” wrote Tom Wang, AAAS’ Chief International Officer and Director of the Center for Science Diplomacy, in a letter to the AAAS Board of Directors.

Pandor’s numerous achievements include promoting and expanding the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) which attracts top research and innovation at SA’s universities; initiating and hosting Science Forum South Africa in 2015, the first of its kind on the African continent.

She was nominated for the AAAS Award by the President of Canada’s International Development Research Center who praised her tireless work to connect research with sustainable development goals, and said that under her leadership, “South Africa has become a catalyst for developing scientific capabilities across the African continent”.

The deputy head of the German Embassy in SA wrote a letter of support, highlighting her award for promoting German-SA relations and called her “an outstanding woman committed to scientific advancement and cooperation not only in her own country, but with a global perspective”.

According to a news release from AAAS, Pandor earned a bachelor degree and Certificate for Continuing Education from the University of Botswana and Swaziland, and a master’s degree in education from the University of London. She also obtained a master’s degree in General Linguistics from the University of Stellenbosch in 1997. Pandor taught English in London and Botswana before joining the University of Cape Town as a senior lecturer in 1989. 

The Award, which consists of a plaque and an honorarium of $5,000, will be presented to Pandor on 17 February 2017 during the 183rd AAAS Annual Meeting in Boston.

The AAAS is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science.

Source: AAAS.org