Getting emotional: #tHEARTofResearch

It’s been an incredible week, getting emotional about research! Thanks to all the awesome people at The University of South Africa for getting creative and engaging the public through #tHEARTofResearch. Could your research create more impact if more people knew about it? #tHEARTofResearch is a mentorship programme for PhD and Masters science researchers to unleash their creativity and get their work noticed. Engaging audiences outside academia is critical for increasing the uptake and the impact of research. While this can be daunting at first, strategies and...

Put your audience in the picture: Why co...

Reaching large audiences with important information is a challenge faced by many government departments. Carefully considered policies can fail at implementation if key audiences remain disengaged. This was the difficulty faced by the South African Department of Environmental Affairs when engaging stakeholders about the Biodiversity Economy. The Biodiversity Economy presents opportunities for people to improve their lives and create wealth from nature, whilst ensuring its sustainability for future generations. The DEA recognised the power of storytelling through comics and...

Science Rocks! Engaging through music

Science Spaza, an initiative of Jive Media Africa, recently celebrated National Science Week with learners from the Science Spaza club at Zibukezulu Technical High School. The theme for this year was “Science Rocks!”, a response to the National Science Week theme of Science for Sustainable Tourism. There are numerous tourism sites in South Africa related to rocks – because they can tell us such wonderful stories. So we we explored three aspects of science relating to rocks: palaeontology, archaeology and geology. Learners were introduced to these science...

The science of hope

A palpable chemistry fills the East Rand township of Tsakane as 60 young scientists from 40 countries congregate with enthusiastic young South Africans. The purpose of this meeting? To explore strategies for science outreach and engagement. The result? Inspiration, hope and valuable new perspectives on old challenges. It is a typical winter day on the East Rand and dodging potholes on dusty streets en route from their conference venue fills 60 young scientists with a sense of uncertainty. However, upon arrival at the African School for Excellence, the excitement is...

Community engagement through participato...

Dr Alastair Van Heerden, a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) Sweetwaters Office, posed interesting questions at the opening of the Amazwi Ethu: Speaking Back exhibition held at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.  What qualifies as photography art? Would it have been better to show images taken by professionals?  It was clear from the exhibition that amateur photographers are equally, if not more capable of conveying important messages about their perceptions and experiences of the world. Amazwi Ethu is one of the outcomes of a photovoice...

Demystifying science at the African Scho...

We are thrilled to announce our collaborative science outreach project with the South African Academy of Science (SAYAS), Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAF) and United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth (UNMGCY) on 21 July 2017. Through Jive Media Africa’s Science Spaza programme, sixty scientists from different corners of the world will be sharing their experiences with members of Science Spaza science clubs in Gauteng and completing fun science related activities. There will be a special focus on demystifying science career choices – the idea is...

Drilling Towards Research Leadership

UKZN’s College of Health Sciences (CHS) is taking knowledge production to a new level through their Developing Research Innovation, Localisation and Leadership (DRILL) program. In collaboration with the Kwa-Zulu Natal Department of Health (DoH), DRILL aims to identify and nurture the next generation of South African health science research leaders. The skills these researchers develop through the DRILL program will help confront local healthcare challenges whilst keeping South Africa on the forefront of globally competitive research and innovation. Jive Media Africa has...

Science communication is spreading! Inva...

Healthy and robust ecosystems are essential for the health and wellbeing of the planet. That’s why Jive Media Africa is thrilled to be working with the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology. The principal aim of the Centre’s work is to reduce the rates and impacts of biological invasions by furthering scientific understanding. Engaging with communities affected by these issues is a critical part of this process and Jive Media Africa’s science communication training bridges the gap between researchers and the various stakeholders who have the potential...

Tshiamo Takes Home the 2017 FameLab SA T...

It is with great excitement that we congratulate Tshiamo Legoale on her FameLab SA win at Sci-Bono Discovery Centre, Johannesburg. Tshiamo delivered three minutes of science communication excellence with her presentation on using wheat as a gold hyperaccumulator from mine tailing dumps, or literally growing gold from wheat! Tshiamo was one of 10 finalists who progressed from their local heats through to today’s FameLab SA final, competing for an all-expenses paid trip to represent South Africa at the FameLab International Final at the Cheltenham Science Festival taking...

SARETI: South African Research Ethics Tr...

Research is an essential tool to secure health and wellbeing for the people of Africa and the world. Without deeply understanding the complexities of health issues, we are unlikely to develop the necessary innovations to address them. However, when that research involves human subjects, it becomes critical to consider both the potential benefits and the potential risks of that research. It’s a complex field, and one which requires unique responses to local challenges. Jive Media Africa are proud to be working with the South Africa Research Ethics Training Initiative...