Speaker
Description
Big science is characterized by long term multi-lateral engagements and large scale instruments that are used to address fundamental questions in science. The projects in big science work require huge funding and extensive collaborations at the regional and international levels. Experiences elsewhere, for example in Europe and the Middle East, have shown that in addition to technological developments, big science work brings communities of people together to address common scientific goals. Africa will be hosting the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project. This is the world’s largest array of radio telescopes to be operated in Africa and Australia. South Africa is one of the founder members of the global SKA organization. There are eight partner countries of the SKA in Africa. The SKA and the AVN (African VLBI Network) present Africa with a great opportunity for scientists in the region to work together with world scientists. This is a unique opportunity to use big science as a means to attain regional cohesion and unity. This paper focusses on the following: how big science has contributed to unity in the European Middle-Eastern regions; the experiences from particle physics research at the European Organization for Nuclear Research – CERN; the potential for big science to enhance national and regional unity in Africa; and the way forward for Africa.
