The University of Johannesburg’s vice-chancellor and principal Professor Tshilidzi Marwala and Professor of Social Work, Leila Patel were awarded the Science-for-Society Gold Medals at the Academy of Science of South Africa virtual annual awards.
The gold medals are the academy’s highest recognition bestowed on outstanding individuals in scientific thinking.
The academy said Marwala had used his position as an academic expert and science communicator to allay the fears and concerns of the public toward artificial intelligence.”Through his outreach activities, Prof Marwala has become a role model for university students and an inspiration for high school learners. “His unwavering commitment to excellence, which he attributes to his family, ensures that colleagues and students strive to be excellent,” read a statement from the academy.” Marwala is a Fellow of the Academy of Science of South Africa, the Third World Academy of Sciences, the African Academy of Science and the South African Institute of Electrical Engineering. He is also a distinguished scientist of the Association for Computing Machinery and serves as deputy chair of the Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).
Patel was recognised internationally as a leading scholar in the field of social development and is credited for using science to effect the betterment of society. The statement continued, “Prof Patel has refined social development theory to promote better social and economic outcomes for vulnerable groups. This ethos, which emerged in her PhD research, continues to infuse her scholarship.” In her role as director-general of Social Welfare in the Mandela-led government, she brought scientists and policymakers together in the Lund Commission to conceptualise and promulgate the Child Support Grant. Her research continues to assess the effects of the Child Support Grant, which now reaches more than 11 million children, and to consider innovative mechanisms to enhance the outcomes of children who are recipients. Patel is also the recipient of the Katherine A Kendall Memorial Award from the International Association of Schools of Social Work.
