Image: Dr Mamoeletsi Mosia, Managing Director of NRF-SAASTA, delivering a keynote address at PCST 2025

NRF-SAASTA made a notable contribution to the global dialogue on science communication at the Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) Conference, which took place in Aberdeen, Scotland from May 27 to 29, 2025.

This biennial gathering brought together over 600 practitioners, educators, policymakers, and scholars from around the world who are involved in communicating science to the public. 

The conference aimed to examine how science communication can drive positive change while investigating transitions, traditions, and tensions within the context of issues such as the climate emergency, global health challenges, food and water security, and poverty reduction.

Dr Mamoeletsi Mosia, Managing Director of NRF-SAASTA, delivered a keynote address titled “Science Communication and the Gap We Dare Not Ignore.” In her presentation, Dr Mosia highlighted some the challenges faced by science communicators in South Africa, as a result of our diverse cultures, languages, educational levels and so forth. She also mentioned interventions implemented by different practitioners to solve some of these problems.

Ms Joyce Mabale, Manager of Planning, Reporting, Monitoring and Evaluation at NRF-SAASTA, presented on “Institutionalisation and Promotion of Scientific Literacy through Effective Monitoring and Evaluation in South Africa.” Ms Mabale spoke about science engagement initiatives in South Africa and how these are monitored and evaluated. She further took part in a panel discussion with other presenters in her session.

In addition to their participation in the PCST Conference, Dr Mosia and Ms Mabale undertook an informal benchmarking visit to the Aberdeen Science Centre. The visit offered valuable insights into public science engagement approaches, notably the active participation of parents in activities with their children, highlighting the role of family participation in fostering a culture of curiosity and scientific learning.