Address by Minister Naledi Pandor, MP at the 11th National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Awards, Kempton Park

National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Chair, Professor Brenda Wingfield

Executive Committee and Members of the NSTF

Executive Director of the NSTF, Ms Jansie Niehaus

Chairperson of Scientific, Engineering and Technological Societies and Allied Professions Group (SETAG), Professor Stephanie Burton

The representative from the Department of Education (DoE)

Heads of science councils and professional bodies

Sponsors, funders, winners and nominees

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

It's an honour to deliver this address to the 11th National Science and Technology Foundation Awards.

The National Science and Technology Forum have a crucial role to play in our scientific progress and I'm pleased to be associated with the forum.

The NSTF awards have immense symbolic meaning. For many young scientists these awards symbolise a beginning of great success and the promise and talent that young people represent for our future prospects.

As most people now recognise, one of the biggest jobs in the science sector is to produce more scientists. We don't have enough of them. South Africa has a science sector that is growing in importance and size. But it will not grow fast and far enough unless we can find more effective methods of interesting capable schoolchildren in carving out careers in the sciences, in mathematics, in engineering, and in established and emerging technologies. This is just one of the areas in which the NSTF has an important role to play.

The NSTF manages both the National Youth Service and the Youth Incentive Scheme. These are projects implemented under the "Youth into Science" strategy. The NSTF is also playing a significant role in promoting co-operation among the various SET Olympiads and competitions at school level.

The National Youth Service employs unemployed science graduates at 22 centres throughout the country. The Department of Science and Technology's (DSTs) "Youth Incentive Scheme" supports young people from poor backgrounds and enables them to pursue careers in science, engineering and technology. The scheme is currently supporting around 40 of these students.

The NSTF also oversees the operations of FESTOC (the Federation of Engineering, Science, and Technology Olympiads and Competitions). FESTOC was launched last year for the purpose of promoting collaboration among the various existing SET Olympiads and Competitions.

The initiatives of the forum complement a number of government interventions that seek to strengthen research and development in South Africa. We are working closely with the higher education sector to increase the numbers of young researchers, the generation of new ideas, and the promotion of a knowledge-based society.

Furthermore we are investing in university research chairs - a R200 million initiative launched in 2006 that aims to establish 210 research professorships by 2010 - with the objective of encouraging experienced researchers to train increased numbers of scientists in a wide variety of disciplines. Alongside the research chairs initiative we are supporting centres of excellence in which research teams focus on new areas of research and development.

In addition to these interventions we're also giving increased attention to inventors, designers and others who generate new products for industry and for general use.

I warmly congratulate all the finalists in this year's NSTF Awards. In the years since this prestigious event was inaugurated, competition has become progressively tougher, to the point where selection as a finalist is a great honour, recognising outstanding achievement.

Your achievements are very important for our country. It's our intention to provide you with the necessary support to build on your achievements and to assist South Africa to achieve increased levels of scientific achievement.

I hope that in the adjudication process you were given an opportunity to indicate what should be done to improve support to our innovators. Our system of innovation must respond to your creativity and provide resources to advance your work.

The NTSF can be an important bridge between the DST and award winning scientists. It can assist the DST to ensure that the awards are a beginning to excellence in science and technology. By promoting achievement in research, in science, technology and innovation, you are essentially promoting recognition of the role science plays in promoting South Africa's best interests, in promoting the economic growth of our country, in taking as many people as possible out of poverty, and in improving the living standards of all our people.

Not only that. The NSTF Awards promote inclusiveness, by nurturing young scientists, and communicating with the public and students, about science and technology. The awards celebrate scientific research that is innovative, forward-looking and relevant.

And the NSTF Awards make a valuable contribution to building research capacity by recognising the achievements of those who supervise and mentor young researchers.

Educators, learners and students, are also being recognised tonight.

Congratulations to those schools and young achievers who have been selected to attend. I wish you, and all those of like mind, success in your further endeavours to improve your educational achievements in mathematics and the sciences.

I appeal to all organisations who work in the field of science and technology to apply for membership of the NSTF. We live in a world where science plays an increasingly important role, and those of us who recognise this can help those who don't by sharing our knowledge, our hopes and our fears – without, I should add, sharing any trade secrets. I believe that in scientific unity lies scientific strength.

Finally, I have the honour to congratulate the winners here tonight. Your work inspires us; your research has opened our eyes to a new way forward; you renew our faith in what is possible and do-able – we all salute you.

Thank you all for your attention.


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