Events FY2016

Visit to FREA

SA-SIP Workshop on Solar to Hydrogen

Welcome Remarks by Ms Eudy Mabuza, Minister Counsellor: S&T	Opening Remarks by Mr Eizo Matsumoto, Deputy Director General, Science, Technology and Innovation, Cabinet Office, JAPAN	Opening Remarks by Mr. Mmboneni Muofhe, Deputy Director General, Technology Innovaiton, Department of Science and Technology, SOUTH AFRICA
Keynote Address by Mr. Shigeru Muraki, Programme Director, SIP Energy Carrier Programme, JAPAN	Keynote Address by Dr. Rebecca Maserumule, Chief Director: Hydrogen and Energy, Department of Science and Technology, SOUTH AFRICA	Moderated by Dr. Kenichi Aika, Programme Sub-director, SIP Energy Carrier Programme, JAPAN
Solar Thermal Energy Presentation by Prof. Yukitaka Kato, Research Laboratory for Nuclear Reactors, Tokyo Institute of Technology, JAPAN	Solar Thermal Energy Presentation by Mr. Thomas Roos, Principal Research Engineer, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), SOUTH AFCIA	Solar Thermal Energy Presentation by Mr. Kazuto Noritake, Assistant General Manager, Toyota Industries Corporation, JAPAN
Solar Thermal Energy Presentation by Dr. Yoshiki Okuhara, Senior Researcher, Japan Fine Ceramics Centre, JAPAN	Moderated on Solar Thermal Energy Session by Dr. Kazuo Yoshida, Executive Research Fellow, Research and Development Division, The Institute of Applied Energy, JAPAN	Q&A Session
Hydrogen Production Presentation by Dr. Nariaki Sakaba, Division Head, Hydrogen Hydrogen Application Research & Development Division, HTGR Hydrogen & Heat Application Research Centre, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), JAPAN	Hydrogen Production Presentation by Dr. Gerhard Human, Programme Manager, HySA: Infrastructure CoC (North West University), SOUTH AFRICA	Hydrogen Production Presentation by Prof. Hiroshige Matsumoto, International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I2CNER), Kyushu University, JAPAN
Moderated on Hydrogen Production Presentation by Prof. Mikihiko Nomura, Department of Applied Chemistry, Shibaura Institute of Technology, JAPAN	Q&A Session	Moderated on Discussion Session by Mr. Bunro Shiozawa, Programme Sub-director, SIP Energy Carrier Programme, JAPAN

JAMSTEC International Symposium on "Past, Present, Future of Predicting Ocean and Climate Variability"

Ms. Eudy Mabuza, Minister Counsellor:S&T	Dr. Asahiko Taira, President, JAMSTEC	Dr. Toshio Yamagata, Director, Application Laboratory
Dr. Rajeevan M. Nair, Ministry of Earth Sciences, India	Dr. Kaname Kanai, JICA	Prof. Haruo Watanabe, AMED

Science Forum: South Africa

Minister Pandor said that the continent's research community faced many challenges. "African research lags behind in most science disciplines. We have too few scientists, inadequate publication and innovation achievements, and poorly resourced science institutions." read more...

Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) organised a parallel session The Power of Public Engagement for Cultivating Science and Society Breakthroughs to Tackle SDGs

Science without proper public engagement remains incomplete. Public Engagement is all about “igniting conversations about science” in many levels and it’s an essential medium to make science transforming society by bridging scientists, policy makers, industrialists, and general publics. This talk brings together key drivers from Africa, Asia and Europe shaping the latest thinking on the global stage. read more...

Pre Event: SAJU Forum Pre-Launch

H.E. Mr Hiroki, Ambassador of Japan	Dr Aldo Stroebel, NRF	Ms Mabuza, Minister Counsellor

Around Forum

Mr Omi, Chairman of the STS Forum, made remarks on the Contribution of Science Diplomacy to Africa's Development	Ms Kawazoe, JST, promoted Science Agora during the Forum of Fora

Exhibition

Closing Session

The Mission participated at the Science Agora 2016 @Miraikan

Visit to the High Performance Computing Facility of JAMSTEC

Ambassador used the opportunity to learn more about the joint research collaboration between South Africa and Japan on the following project: "Predictions of Climate Variations and its Application in the Southern African Region". The objective of the project was to use a high-resolution ocean-atmosphere coupled model (SINTEX-F) (a virtual earth on the Earth Simulator supercomputer that reproduces interactions between the atmosphere and oceans) to predict global climate variations up to one year in advance. The prediction results are now used to conduct downscaling seasonal prediction for southern Africa to provide an early warning system of an outbreak of infectious diseases (IDEWS) / 南部アフリカにおける気象予測モデルをもとにした感染症流行の早期警戒システムの構築.

Visit to Tohoku University

Ambassador Sisulu paid a courtesy visit to the Executive Vice President of Tohoku University Prof Toshiya Ueki on 09 August 2016.

During her visit, Ambassador Sisulu visited the Kodama Laboratory where she learnt more about the research collaboration taking place between South Africa and Japan on cancer treatment. Ambassador learnt that the University of Johannesburg led by Professor Oluwafemi Oluwatobi together with Tohoku University led by Professor Tetsuya Kodama have a long standing joint research project that is currently funded by the NRF and JSPS, the project is titled "Development of photo-thermal cure for involved lymph node by auri-nano-rod and near infrared ".

The project focuses on metastasis, a characteristic of many tumor types, that are estimated to be responsible for the death of 90% of all patients with cancer. However, effective treatment of metastasis has not been established. In the Kodama laboratory, the research focuses on the early diagnosis and treatment of lymph node metastasis, often observed in breast cancer, head and neck cancer. Though this joint collaboration the team has reported their research activities to the world and are in the stage where they will carry out clinical trials.

Ambassador Sisulu also visited the Tohoku University Hospital which is the medical hub to the Tohoku Region and aiming for a harmony between patient-friendly care and advanced medicine. Their doctors introduced their latest medical equipment and diagnostic approaches.

NITheP Visit

Professor FG Scholtz the Director at the National Institute for Theoretical Physics (NITheP) from South Africa visited Tokyo on 04 to 05 August 2016 to explore collaboration possibilities with the following institutions: KEK in Tsukuba, IPMU & ISSP at the University of Tokyo and Keio University. These institutions have large theoretical physics groups in Japan and are natural partners for NITheP.

The Kavali Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (IPMU) at the University of Tokyo. The Kavli IPMU is founded as an international research institution addressing fundamental questions about the universe. What is the universe made of? How did it begin, and what is its fate? What are the laws that govern it, and why do we exist in it? These are basic questions for all humanity, as reflected in the thoroughly international and interdisciplinary character of Kavli IPMU.

The High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, known as KEK, is a Japanese organization whose purpose is to operate the largest particle physics laboratory in Japan, situated in Tsukuba, Ibaraki prefecture.

The Institute for Solid State Physics (ISSP) at the University of Tokyo. The ISSP was established by the Japanese government to carry out basic research with a specific goal to develop advanced experimental techniques that were rather difficult to achieve in most university laboratories. Lastly, Prof Scholtz delivered a lecture titled “A Brief Overview of Quantum Mechanics on Noncommutative Spaces". The lecture was attended by a group of post-doctoral fellows from Keio University.

JASSO Study Abroad Fair 2016

The Science and Technology office participated in this year's Study Abroad Fair organised by Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO). The Office participated by promoting South African universities to Japanese high school students to consider South Africa as their preferred destination.

JASSO is an independent administrative institution established under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT - Monbukagakusho). JASSO comprehensively administers scholarship loan, support programs for international students, and support programs for Japanese students. The purpose of these programs is to foster the development of creative individuals who will be rich in humanism and are likely to become the leaders of society in the next generation, while at the same time promoting international understanding and exchange.

	Counselling by Mr Shun Yamasaki Graduate from University of Pretoria	Seminar by Mr Tanaka, Liaison Officer:S&T

SANSA technical expert visit to Japan

A delegation from South Africa is in Japan for Earth Observation training from 12 June to 09 July. The delegation is from the following institutions in SA: South African National Space Agency (SANSA), South African Marine Safety Agency (SAMSA), Transnet Port Authority (Durban and Port Elizabeth), Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), Agricultural Research Council (ARC), Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and Statistics South Africa (StatsSA).

The SANSA signed a formal agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in June 2014 to champion cooperation in peaceful use of remote sensing and Earth observation technologies. The formal agreement benefits and exposes to SANSA staff members and the South African earth observation community to Japanese expertise and skills. It also promotes utilization and improved knowledge about JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) ALOS/PALSAR satellite data.

The SANSA-JICA framework agreement includes the secondment of Mr. Kentaro Yoshikawa from JICA as a Senior Advisor at SANSA Earth Observation directorate in September 2014, as well as senior official's training in Japan. Minister Counsellor Mabuza joined the delegation at the Earth Observation Center (EOC), operated by the Remote Sensing Technology Centre of Japan (RESTEC), located in Hatoyama Town, Hiki County, Saitama Prefecture.

With Mr Komine, Town Mayor of Hatoyama town, Saitama Prefecture

On 29 June, the delegation paid a courtesy visit to Ambassador Sisulu at the South Africa Embassy.

IDEWS delegation visit to Japan

A research and development unit of “Establishment of an Early-warning System for Infectious Diseases in Southern African Incorporating Climate Prediction (IDEWS)” paid a courtesy call on Ambassador Beryl Sisulu on 20 May 2016. Dr Neville Sweijd from South Africa’s Applied Centre for Climate & Earth Systems Science (ACCESS) introduced the outline, progresses and prospective of the on-going five-year project since 2013 under the Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS) by JICA and JST.

This project is developing an infectious disease outbreak prediction model that incorporates the influences of a variety of environmental factors into the climate change models in order to predict the outbreaks of malaria, pneumonia, and diarrheal diseases such as cholera that are predominantly affected by climate conditions.

With the success of the previous project showing prediction of climate variations in the Southern Africa, the unit can apply climate prediction to appropriate preventative measures during warning periods and in high-risk regions. Furthermore, climate prediction can expand to improve food, energy, and water security with the relevant organisations in South Africa.

This partnership provides human capital development and training courses to researchers and governmental officials mainly in Limpopo, then expanding to other regions.

South African participants are ACCESS, South African Weather Services, CSIR, Medical Research Council, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, University of Limpopo, University of Venda, and University of Pretoria.

From Japan, Institute of Tropical Medicine at Nagasaki University and Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) are participating.

Lecture Series at University of Limpopo

– See Office Events 2015
– See Office Events 2014