South Africa’s Science Minister visits RAL

The Republic of South Africa’s Minister of Science and Technology, Derek Hanekom visited the UK’s STFC’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory as part of an ongoing effort to further strengthen collaboration between the two countries.

The Republic of South Africa and the UK are already closely linked through the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) which will become the largest and most sensitive radio telescope in the world. The UK is hosting the SKA Project Office and playing a leading role in contributing to the overall final design of SKA and the Republic of South Africa is, together with Australia, hosting SKA.

In September 2013 UK Minister of State for Universities and Science, the Right Honourable David Willetts and the Republic of South Africa’s Minister of Science and Technology, Derek Hanekom agreed to look for opportunities for further collaboration between the two countries. The agreement came as part of a visit by David Willetts to Karoo where South Africa is building the 64-dish MeerKAT radio telescope, a precursor to SKA.

Mr Hanekom said during the visit: “I have been most impressed by what I have seen and look forward to a strengthening of co-operation between South Africa and the facilities located at RAL”.

Dr Andrew Taylor, Executive Director of STFC National Laboratories, said: “By collaborating with our international colleagues we can make leaps and bounds in scientific and technological breakthroughs. We are very pleased that our South African counterparts have taken the time to visit us today and look forward to the future opportunities for working together that it may bring.”