Launch of the Engage Hub South Africa

The Falling Walls Engage Hub South Africa was launched on 28 – 29 November in Cape Town, bringing together South African, regional and international perspectives on Science Engagement and Planetary Health.

For this 9th Hub launch, Falling Walls Engage was honoured to be partnering up with the University of the Western Cape (UWC), with the collaboration of Jacqueline Goldin, Associate Professor Extra-Ordinary in the Faculty of Natural Sciences at UWC, Founder of “Diamonds at the Sole of their Feet”, and Falling Walls Engage Winner 2021. The event was hosted by International Relations and the Faculty of Natural Sciences, and will took place at the School of Government (UWC).

This new Hub Launch gathered regional and international practitioners and researchers sharing a common passion of taking science out of the library and out of the laboratory and into communities. To explore the topic of Planetary Health, we were  guided by the four elements, Fire, Water, Air and Earth, bringing the very best practices in Science Engagement onto a unique platform.

Passionate Science Engagers talked about alternative energy, agrarian justice, friendly and not so friendly fire and walked through a water story museum and the songs of the humpback whales. They also dived into astrophysics bringing passionate young scientists together to reach for the moon and the stars. They showcased the nourishing power of our Planet Earth and how humans seek health through plants and products.

[Long-Term Aim] With this launch, South Africa is the 9th country to join the international Engage Hub network, a global community of Science Engagers and organisations committed to breaking down the barriers between science and society. The University of the Western Cape is an incubator of Science Engagement, and with its history as a promoter of social justice, stands proudly side by side with other Engage Hubs  – all with a common vision for 2022 of Planetary Health.

About the Falling Walls Engage Hubs

The Falling Walls Engage Hubs aim to facilitate a global dialogue around local-global challenges in Science Engagement through regional perspectives and to foster the building of long-term regional and international collaborations in the field.

About the Falling Walls Foundation & Falling Walls Engage

The Falling Walls Foundation is a unique international platform for leaders from the worlds of science, business, politics, the arts and society located in Berlin, Germany. As one of the foundation’s programmes, Falling Walls Engage is the global platform for Science Engagement co-hosted by the Robert Bosch Stiftung. The mission of Falling Walls Engage is to connect and support established and emerging Science Engagement stakeholders to generate mutual benefits for science and communities all around the world.

Note for editors: the Falling Walls Foundation is a non-profit organisation.