The Siemens Africa Profile Awards ceremony is set to take place on 28 June 2011 in Doha, Qatar and will honour Science and Technology journalists working in print, online and broadcast media. South Africa’s minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor is the patron of this year’s awards, which are themed around the Square Kilometre Array Project.
The Siemens Africa Profile Awards competition is an annual event which seeks to recognise journalists who excel in the fields of science and technology reporting.
“As patron of the Siemens Africa Profile Awards, my role is to support Siemens in terms of the organisation of the awards, as well as determine the relevant criteria from the perspective of the Department of Science and Technology,” informs Minister Pandor.
“Science and technology are not traditionally popular subjects, despite the extensive use we make of them in day to day life – indeed, people do not appreciate the degree to which these subjects should be highlighted,” the Minister insists. “This is why awards such as the Profile Awards are so important – in Africa, politics and economics are featured most predominantly in the media. We have to cajole and encourage editors to feature stories around Science and Technology. This is one of the challenges we are facing and why it is vital to support journalists in this field. Moreover, one should not assume that is easy to report on these subjects – a depth of technical knowledge is required. I would like to build a larger cohort of Science informed journalists throughout South Africa,” she adds.
South Africa and Australia have both been shortlisted to host the world’s most powerful radio telescope, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). Minister Pandor has high hopes that South Africa will be chosen as the host country. “The impact on the country would be both positive and widespread,” she says. “The SKA will involve a range of talents coming together, from astronomy to civil and electrical engineering. It would bring an extensive range of skills and young professionals into the country – already it has drawn people from all over the world to work with South Africans as part of a global community – addressing the skills gap and creating jobs.”
The Siemens Africa Profile Awards are now in their tenth year and are the only pan-African awards that exclusively promote science and technology journalism. The awards aim to advance quality science and technology reporting.
For additional information on the awards, contact Sithembile Mokaeane, Head: Corporate Affairs, Siemens Southern Africa, Tel: +27 (0) 11 652-2146, Fax: +27 (0) 11 652-2446, Email: Sithembile.mokaeane@siemens.com