Training and Mentorship Archives - Page 3 of 5

Retired NASA Technologist to Judge SKA FameLab

Jim Adams (below), retired NASA Deputy Chief Technologist, dropped in to speak to the SKA South Africa FameLab participants while they were spending time at the Cape Town Science Centre practising their science communication skills. With responsibility for such a huge science programme, Jim Adams is uniquely positioned to engage SKA scientists on how to communicate with the public. Jim Adams will be one of the judges at the SKA South Africa FameLab heat.

The SKA will be the biggest scientific instrument ever built, and working with their scientists really gives one a sense of the magnitude of the endeavour and the excitement of the discoveries waiting to be made.

The SKA has also provided extra incentive for the winner of their public heat – they will travel, all expenses paid, to Mauritius to participate in a SKA SA Science Communication Workshop, where they will share their FameLab experience with students, specialists and science communicators. Jive Media Africa worked with the participants to facilitate discussions about science communication ahead of the SKA South Africa heat.

Time is running out to register for FameLab SA! Visit www.britishcouncil.org.za/famelab

Jim Adams speaks to the SKA FameLab SA participants

‘Colourful Science’ – the Cape Town Science Centre provided a stimulating venue for Jive to train SKA FameLab participants in science communication and media skills.

Pictured with an SKA FameLab participant is the South African MeerKAT radio telescope - a precursor to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope.

Pictured with a SKA FameLab participant is the South African MeerKAT radio telescope – a precursor to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope.

FameLab ® is an initiative of the Cheltenham Festivals. The British Council in collaboration with the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) and Jive Media Africa deliver the FameLab competition in South Africa. Find out more about FameLab South Africa at www.britishcouncil.org.za/famelab

March 7, 2017/by Jive Media

Training and Mentorship

FameLab SA – Onward and Upward at Mintek

Mintek is a leading provider of minerals processing and metallurgical engineering products and services to industries worldwide. Jive Media Africa worked with Mintek researchers who are fired-up about using their science skills to change the world for the better.

The Mintek FameLab SA heat is the perfect opportunity to gain skills for talking to non-science audiences – contestants need to think creatively about how to communicate their research with public audiences. Being part of FameLab heat is about growing capacity in the organisation for both internal and external communications. Growing partnerships and collaborations and attracting new investment relies on finding ways of making science and technology accessible to a wide range of audiences. Jive is thrilled to support this objective.

Participants said that Jive’s training was very beneficial and enhanced their presentation skills.

Do you think you’ve got what it takes to compete – or would your organisation like to partner with FameLab in South Africa? Find out more at www.britishcouncil.org.za/famelab

Jive trained young researchers at Mintek to clearly explain their research to the public, narrowing the gap between science and the society in which it is at work.

Face to face training in science communication!

FameLab ® is an initiative of the Cheltenham Festivals. The British Council in collaboration with the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) and Jive Media Africa deliver the FameLab competition in South Africa. Find out more about FameLab South Africa at www.britishcouncil.org.za/famelab

March 7, 2017/by Jive Media

Practical Training at Wits Centres of Excellence

Jive Media Africa is thrilled to be working with three Centres of Excellence for this year’s FameLab season. At a recent training held at the University of the Witwatersrand, young CoE scientists and researchers spoke passionately about their particular focus areas and searched for ways to make them accessible and exciting to public audiences.

The CoE programme is an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and the National Research Foundation and aims to “concentrate existing research excellence, capacity and resources, to enable researchers to collaborate across disciplines on long-term projects that are locally relevant and internationally competitive”. Science communication skills development is a key part of this.

The Centres of Excellence in Palaeosciences, Strong Materials, and Mathematics and Statistical Sciences have all seen the importance of growing these skills – and brought together a group of fired-up researchers to learn from one another and the Jive team.

During the training, Jive facilitated practical exercises and group discussions and engaged the participants around videos of other great science talks – to give them the confidence and creativity to share their Science on the FameLab stage!

Want to get involved? Visit www.britishcouncil.org.za/famelab

Jive Media Africa provided practical science communication training for researchers from University of Witwatersrand’s Centres of Excellence

Putting Jive’s training into practice

FameLab ® is an initiative of the Cheltenham Festivals. The British Council in collaboration with the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) and Jive Media Africa deliver the FameLab competition in South Africa. Find out more about FameLab South Africa at www.britishcouncil.org.za/famelab

March 7, 2017/by Jive Media

Training and Mentorship

Wits – Confidence Boosting Communication Training

The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) is hosting FameLab SA for the first time this year!

Jive Media Africa was privileged to work with 17 researchers from a wide range of faculties and departments to enhance their science communication skills prior to the Wits FameLab SA heat. Wits’ participation in the heat demonstrates their commitment to taking science into public spaces, and we are excited to welcome them to the FameLab family.

The session was very interactive and prompted lots of discussion and debate about the role of science in society, and how to find the right amount of detail for a public talk.

Feedback from the group was that Jive’s training was useful, fun and boosted their confidence and ability to communicate their research with people outside of their field or within the public. Participants will compete against each other for the opportunity to represent Wits at the FameLab SA semi-finals, and ultimately to represent South Africa on an international stage.

Find out more – or register for FameLab SA at www.britishcouncil.org.za/famelab

Researchers at Wits practice their communication skills ahead of competing in the FameLab SA competition.

Working pairs to practice communications skills learned from Jive Media Africa

FameLab ® is an initiative of the Cheltenham Festivals. The British Council in collaboration with the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) and Jive Media Africa deliver the FameLab competition in South Africa. Find out more about FameLab South Africa at www.britishcouncil.org.za/famelab

March 7, 2017/by Jive Media

Training and Mentorship

FameLab – Confidently Sharing Science

FameLab SA contestants from Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and the University of Limpopo are learning important confidence-boosting communication and media skills!

TUT is participating in FameLab SA for the first time this year. Jive Media Africa visited TUT to train a group of over 55 lecturers, students and academic staff on science communication. The group included 25 excited FameLab participants who were there to prepare for their heat on the 3^rd March 2017 (pictured above).

Ready to welcome them at the training was Dr. Edgar Alufheli Nesamvuni (Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Post Graduate Studies, Research and Innovation). He encouraged the competitors to make the most of the opportunity so that they can confidently share their science.

The University of Limpopo has hosted the FameLab SA competition for the fourth year running! Jive assisted participants with science communication training ahead of their heat.

Mukondi Munyai, a 23-year-old Animal Science Honours student, took first place and moves on to the masterclass training and semi-finals.

Have you got what it takes to compete? Register now: www.britishcouncil.org.za/famelab

Mukondi Munyai, front centre, beams among fellow FameLab competitors and judges after winning the University of Limpopo Heat

FameLab ® is an initiative of the Cheltenham Festivals. The British Council in collaboration with the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) and Jive Media Africa deliver the FameLab competition in South Africa. Find out more about FameLab South Africa at www.britishcouncil.org.za/famelab

February 23, 2017/by Jive Media

Training and Mentorship

FameLab 2017 – Science communicators shine in Pretoria

FameLab 2017 successfully rolled-out in Pretoria last week in partnership with UNISA and the CSIR.

On Tuesday, Jive Media Africa trained post-graduate students at UNISA in Science Communication and Media Skills ahead of the UNISA FameLab Heat on 3 March 2017.

The CSIR hosted a successful second heat of FameLab on Wednesday, following the launch of the 2017 competition at Science Forum South Africa in December last year. Congratulations to Tshepo Makgoba who won the heat! He will be going through to the Masterclass training and the semi-finals.

FameLab, one of the biggest science communication competitions in the world, is helping South African scientists and engineers improve their communication skills. By supporting them to clearly explain their science to the public, they are helping to narrow the gap between science and the society in which it is at work.

YOU can get involved in the international FameLab competition here: www.britishcouncil.org.za/famelab.

Learn more about Jive’s work in Science Communication and Media, visit www.jivemedia.co.za

FameLab ® is an initiative of the Cheltenham Festivals. The British Council in collaboration with the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) and Jive Media Africa deliver the FameLab competition in South Africa. Find out more about FameLab South Africa at www.britishcouncil.org.za/famelab

Birds of a feather – postgraduate students from UNISA gathered on Tuesday to improve their science communication and media skills. Here they are pictured with Jive Media Africa’s Robert Inglis -a science communication specialist.

February 14, 2017/by Jive Media

Science Communication Training, Science Engagement, Training and Mentorship

FameLab South Africa 2017 kicks off

Registration now open for SA’s ‘Pop Idols of Science’

Are you South Africa’s next great scientist? FameLab® South Africa 2017 kicks off and you can register to enter as a contestant for the South African leg of the international competition dubbed, the ‘Pop Idols of Science’.

Entries NOW open. http://www.britishcouncil.org.za/famelab/enter-competition (Link will open in a new tab)

This year’s competition will launch on 8 December 2016 with the first heat at the second annual Science Forum South Africa (http://www.sfsa.co.za/) which takes place at the CSIR International Convention Centre, in Pretoria. This heat will be preceded by a workshop and preliminary selections on 5 and 6 December 2016. Participants selected at the prelims will proceed to compete at the launch heat on the 8th December 2016.

Thereafter, heats will be taking place around the country. Watch the press and the competition website for more information.

Who can enter?

The competition is open to anyone aged 21 to 35 and working in or studying technology, engineering, medicine, biology, chemistry, physics or maths. This includes private and public sector employees.

Entrance to the SFSA and FameLab® heats is free and open to the public and we invite all science enthusiasts, young and old, to come and cheer on their favourites at the FameLab® SFSA heat. Interested participants can register here. Registration is open.

Participants are offered training by Jive Media Africa to enhance their science communication skills and to enable them to present their science topic to a panel of expert judges in just three minutes. Presentations are judged on content, clarity, and charisma and must be original and scientifically accurate while being accessible to a public audience. Contestants who make it through the heats, win master class training with an international trainer and may progress to the semi-finals and finals of the competition, which will be held in April and May 2017 respectively. The FameLab® South Africa winner will go on to compete against winners from over 30 countries on an international stage, at The Times Cheltenham Science Festival in the United Kingdom.

Jive Media Africa creates innovative, cutting edge communications; grabbing attention and conveying crucial messages in accessible ways. Jive Media Africa is an award-winning agency, which has provided media and communications services to the research sector over the past decade.

About FameLab®

FameLab® was started in 2005 in the UK by Cheltenham Science Festival and has quickly become established as a diamond model for successfully identifying, training and mentoring scientists and engineers to share their enthusiasm for their subjects with the public. It is implemented in over 30 countries, including the UK, USA, Brazil, South Africa, Thailand, Qatar and Kazakhstan to name a few. FameLab® South Africa is implemented in partnership between the British Council, the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA), and Science Communication Agency Jive Media Africa.

More than 5000 researchers have taken part in the global competition, resulting in a vibrant network of highly skilled individuals engaging international audiences and each other. FameLab® visit: http://famelab.org.

December 7, 2016/by Jive Media

Science Communication, Science Communication Training, Skills Development, Training and Mentorship

Nozipho made us proud!

Nozipho Gumbi , a PhD candidate in nanotechnology and water at the University of South Africa, has represented South African science on a world stage! Nozipho – you are an inspiration to us all.

Nozipho’s FameLab journey started last year with her first speech at the UNISA student showcase in Pretoria. She proceeded to calmly and confidently win round after round, at the UNISA heat and in Cape Town at the British Council hosted Going Global conference. After winning the South African leg of the competition Nozipho, who is currently studying in Germany, made her way to The Times Cheltenham Science Festival in the United Kingdom. After delivering a speech on how carbon nano-tubes can be used to remove micro-pollutants in our water systems, Nozipho secured herself a place in the finals.

Nozipho, you have made us proud. You are a truly inspiring role model for young scientists and for woman in science everywhere.

Congratulations to Abhi Veerakumarasivam from Malaysia who was crowned FameLab 2016 champion for his winning talk on our individual responsibilities when it comes to fighting cancer.

Find out more about FameLab at www.britishcouncil.org.za/famelab

June 10, 2016/by Jive Media

Training and Mentorship

Nozipho Gumbi sets off for the FameLab International finals 2016

Nozipho Gumbi’s Famelab journey has only just begun! She will be travelling to the United Kingdom for the FameLab International Finals at the Cheltenham Science Festival where she goes up against 30 country winners for the international title. Nozipho Gumbi from Eshowe (KZN), a PhD candidate at the University of South Africa in the Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability Research Unit won the South African leg of the international Famelab competition in Cape Town in May.
Nozipho will be jetting off on Monday the 6th of June. She takes part in the international semi-final on Wednesday the 8th of June; and hopes to compete in the final on Thursday the 9th June.
Catch the International Famelab finals by tuning in to the live streaming on Thursday 9th June at 8:30pm (UK time) via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXJp2jsV_fw
South Africa at large is very proud and wishes Nozipho all of the best as she flies the South African flag high! Find out more about Famelab at www.britishcouncil.org.za/famelab

June 3, 2016/by Jive Media

Science Communication, Skills Development, Training and Mentorship

Nozipho Gumbi wins FameLab South Africa 2016

The International FameLab Competition has chosen its South African Winner: Nozipho Gumbi from Eshowe (KZN), a PhD candidate at the University of South Africa in the Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability Research Unit
The final of the South African leg took place in front of a capacity audience at the glittering Cape Town International Convention Centre – venue of the British Council Going Global conference.

The finalists presented to the high-profile audience and judges, who included Dr Tollulah Oni (UCT school of Public Health) Dr Carolina Odman (Universe awareness Programme) Koki Selepe (Department of Science and Technology) and John Wade Smith (British High Commission. Quentin Cooper of the BBC and FameLab International played the role of MC.
Runners up were Claude Moshobane from Limpopo, currently working with the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), and Savannah Nuwagaba from Uganda, currently at Stellenbosch University. Moshobane discussed alien invasive plants and how they disrupt the ecosystem, while Nuwagaba spoke about how mathematics is used to predict possible changes in animals’ body size, depending on changes in their eating habits.

But the star of the show was Nozipho Gumbi from Eshowe in KwaZulu-Natal, who is currently studying nanotechnology at UNISA. Gumbi was the overall favourite as she dazzled the audience and the judges with her engaging talk on water filtration using carbon nanotubes.
Nozipho Gumbi’s journey has only just begun. She will soon be packing her bags and jetting off to the United Kingdom for the FameLab International Finals hosted by Cheltenham Festivals to go up against 30 country winners for the international title. Humble, yet confident – Gumbi acknowledged the other candidates saying “each and every one of you could have been the winner tonight”. Congratulations once again to all the contestants and we wish Nozipho all the best for the International finals.

May 5, 2016/by Jive Media

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