The closing ceremony of the Forum also saw other members of the South African science community receiving awards for their work. These included Dr Olive Shisana, a former chief executive of the South African Human Sciences Research Council, who was honoured for putting science at the service of others, and Robert-Jan Smits, the European Commission’s director-general for research, innovation and science, who was acknowledged with an award for excellence in global science.
The South African Science Forum was the third such event, attracting over 2000 researchers, academics, and scientists. The forum was held under the theme ‘Igniting conversation about science’.