Review of Physics in South Africa

Dear All,

Find below the list of topics as per our discussion last Tuesday. The final document is expected by this Friday.

1. Problems
   a) low output from schools
   b) Funding
   c) Equipments
   d) Number of students at higher education institutions
  
All of this stems from a lack of 
 e) (national) awareness of and appreciation for the importance of physics, and 
f) poor perceptions of the subject.  This is exacerbated by the facts that the South African public is comparatively scientifically illiterate.  So perhaps extra effort is required to raise levels of awareness and appreciation.  Most of our politicians are also scientifically illiterate.  As scientists engaged in teaching and research (and associated admin), our first priority is to teach physics well and to do physics research well, as evidence of our "home grown" capabilities. 
As to the time consuming, but equally important, aspects of creating awareness and appreciation for the subject, a division of the SAIP should perhaps be constituted with one or two salaried employees whose sole function and energies are dedicated to popularising  and advertising the subject.  There is no shortage of example of the impact of physics on modern society (only a shortage of time for physicists themselves to show-off the discipline).  
eg this is thought to be the century of bio-technology (drug design, GM foods etc), but this would not have been the case without the input of physics (where various spectroscopies are used in the characterisation and elucidation of  bio-related products.

2. TOR
    a) Ownership of the review process  (ie, that the physics community is making input at each stage of the review progress, and that this is not being left to some third party)
This is a justification as to why/how this review will be different to others conducted previously

3. Industrial Strategy
    a) Industrial/corporate participation in
      Curriculum development, post-graduate research
    b) Development of indigenous industry
    c) Addressing cultural differences (Industry/Inst) 

4. Scope
should include a  ...
   a) comparison of the employability of physicists with that of their counterparts abroad.

5. Solution
   a) Physics awareness (the SAIP should be awarded funds so as to employ somebody full-time to implement this, just like the APS does)
   b) Introspection by physicist
   c) High level of physics education
   d) Soft skill/appropriate training
   e) Innovative (start new industry and lead from the front)
   
6. Address problems relevant to South Africa.

Part of the awareness or marketing campaign would be to demonstrate how physics has the potential to do this.
And in fact how it has already contributed (perhaps under another guise) 


Kind Regards

Khomotso Kganyago