National Young Academies of Science: Towards a mature and integrated scientist
Where do I fit in in the discussion about Young Academies of Science, leadership and career development? So, I am a member of the South African Young Academy of Science ( SAYAS ) – outgoing co-chair, a member of the Global Young Academy ( GYA ), former co-leader of the women in Science working group and also a fellow of the Africa Science Leadership Programme ( ASLP ). Does anybody count the acronyms? Hehe In a variety of different discussions within this year, I made a statement paraphrasing the one by US President Kennedy “Ask not what the Young Academy of Science can do for you, but what you can do for the Young Academy of Science”. By this statement, I am pointing out an interesting phenomenon with the organisations I am involved in: the more you give the more you take. So let me take the discussion a step back…. In 2017, the Dean of my Faculty asked me to apply to become a member at SAYAS. Being in social sciences, economics, I was not even sure of what exactly that meant, but