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Tag Archive for: Science Communication

SKA Semi-Finalist Wins a Trip to Mauritius

Jive Media Africa FameLab

The South African Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be the biggest scientific instrument ever built. Listening to their scientists really gives one a sense of the magnitude of the endeavour and the excitement of the discoveries waiting to be made.

FameLab, one of the world’s biggest science communication competitions, taking place in over 30 countries – provides the perfect platform for STEM researchers to share their work and develop skills in science communication. The SKA contestants were privileged to have retired NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration Deputy Chief Technologist, Jim Adams, judge the heat.

Vereese van Tonder advances to the semi-finals AND wins a trip to Mauritius to be a part of a SKA Science Communication workshop. The heat included representatives from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) who demonstrated the power of mathematics for solving real-world problems.

Jive will be tweeting live from semi-finals, follow @JiveMediaAfrica, and tweet us with the hashtag #FameLabSA to show your support for Vereese!

 

Judging the SKA heat were Busi Maqubela from the Cape Town Science Centre; Ziyaad Halyday from SKA South Africa and Jim Adams, retired NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Chief Technologist

Judging the SKA heat were Busi Maqubela, from the Cape Town Science Centre; Ziyaad Halyday, from SKA South Africa and Jim Adams, retired NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration Chief Technologist

 

Vereese van Tonder explains her science during the SKA FameLab heat

Vereese van Tonder explains her science during the SKA FameLab 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

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NMMU – Sea Anemones for the Win

Jive Media Africa FameLab

The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) hosted an open heat of FameLab SA. Judging the heat were Dr Natasha Beukes from the NMMU Department of Biochemistry & Microbiology, Ms Zandile Mbabela, the NMMU Media Manager and Ms Marilyn Gibbs, the EC Regional Science Fair Director: Eskom Young Scientists.

Biochemist, Wynand van Losenoord, from NMMU won the heat! He is currently researching how toxins from sea anemones can be used to improve insulin secretion in people with diabetes. Wynand is passionate about science and says that FameLab provided the platform to show his love and interest for his work. It also generated lots of ideas about how to interact with the public around his science. First runner-up, Otto Joseph, is studying for a Master’s degree in Chemistry at Rhodes University and also proceeds through to the national semi-finals.

Jive will be tweeting live from semi-finals, follow @JiveMediaAfrica, and tweet us with the hashtag #FameLabSA to show your support for Wynand and Otto!

From left: 1st runner-up, Otto Joseph from Rhodes University; Winner, Wynand van Lesenoord and 2nd runner-up - Doctor Tshabalala from NMMU

From left: 1st runner-up, Otto Joseph from Rhodes University; Winner, Wynand van Losenoord and 2nd runner-up, Doctor Tshabalala from NMMU

 

NMMU Media Manager, Zandile Mbabela, looks on during science communication training with Jive Media Africa

NMMU Media Manager, Zandile Mbabela, looks on during science communication training with 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

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Mintek Semi-Finalist – More Social About Science

Jive Media Africa FameLab

Mintek is a leading provider of minerals processing and metallurgical engineering products and services to industries worldwide. Their FameLab SA participants had the perfect platform to put their public speaking and communication skills to the test, in front of experienced Mintek judges.

The judges were: Ashma Singh, a Senior Technical Specialist in Mintek’s Mineral Processing Division; Mokae Bambo, a scientist at Mintek researching Nanoscience and Nanotechnology for water treatment and Portia Mudau, the Principal Engineer of Mintek’s Minerals Processing Division who is passionate about mentorship and education.

Nanji Sheni (above) won the heat and along with runner-up, Tshiamo Legoale, will join the other FameLab SA contestants in the semi-finals!

Nigerian-born and South African grown, Nanji said that FameLab SA was the perfect opportunity to be more social about her science and tap into her passion for public speaking. She is a Chemical Engineer who did her Masters in Minerals Processing and currently works as an Engineer-in-training at Mintek, optimising mining processes.

Jive will be tweeting live from semi-finals, follow @JiveMediaAfrica, and tweet us with the hashtag #FameLabSA to show your support for Nanji and Tshiamo!

The FameLab SA contestants and judges from Mintek

The FameLab SA contestants and judges from Mintek

 

Tshiamo Legoale – Mintek’s FameLab SA Runner Up

Tshiamo Legoale – Mintek’s FameLab SA Runner Up

 

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

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Retired NASA Technologist to Judge SKA FameLab

Jive Media Africa 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

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.

‘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

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FameLab SA – Onward and Upward at Mintek

Jive Media Africa FameLab

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

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Wits – Confidence Boosting Communication Training

Jive Media Africa FameLab

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.

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

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

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FameLab – Confidently Sharing Science

Jive Media Africa FameLab

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 3rd 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

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FameLab 2017 – Science communicators shine in Pretoria

Jive Media Africa FameLab

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.

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Journeys of Discovery

Jive Media Africa

Where did human beings first begin to wonder, investigate and create? Growing scientific evidence now suggests that it was right here, under African skies. And this process, repeated over millennia, now continues in the creation of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope. Jive Media Africa is honoured and privileged to have worked with the SKA in South Africa on the creation of a book which aims to deepen and broaden public interest and engagement with the SKA project. The book, Journeys of Discovery – Stories of Human Innovation in Africa, positions the  SKA within a larger story of over 200 000 years of human history and innovation on the African continent.

The book highlights scientific and technological advancement on the continent by exploring themes as varied as imagination and innovation, the human odyssey, pyrotechnology, early chemistry and early engineering, with beautiful images of symbolic innovations and development in Africa. The book provides an overview of the SKA project and how its objectives and long-term scientific benefits link to the story of human innovation, and ultimately to our future as a species.

The book was researched, written and produced by Jive Media Africa, in association with leading archaeologists and origins researchers. The publication has been exceptionally well-received. Read the full book here.

“The products were brilliant and far exceeded expectations. The science communication experience and proficiency was of the highest standard. There are many highlights stemming from where the product was used.” – Mr Lorenzo Raynard, Communications Manager – SKA South Africa

Feature image: Ostrich eggshells covered with engraved geometric patterns found in Diepkloof Shelter, near the coast, north of Cape Town. Image credit: PJ Texier

 

 

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Contact

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Address: Jive Hub, 279 Boddington Estate, Nottingham Road, 3280