Prof Thuli Madonsela is flying the South African flag high after being appointed by UN secretary-general António Guterres to serve on his scientific advisory board, among other eminent scientists to advise on emerging scientific issues.
Madonsela joins other eminent scientists including Prof Yoshua Bengio, Prof Sandra Díaz, Prof Saleemul Huq, Prof Fei-Fei Li, Prof Alan Lightman and Prof Thomas C Südhof.
The board will also include chief scientists from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), UN Environment Programme (UNEP), UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
“I am deeply honoured and humbled to be part of the UN's scientific advisory board. This appointment underscores the importance of fostering collaboration between the scientific community and decisionmakers, addressing the complex moral, social and political challenges presented by rapid scientific and technological advancements of our time,” said Madonsela.
Madonsela said the appointment shines a spotlight on the work of the Law Trust Chair and Centre for Social Justice at Stellenbosch University, which has caught the attention of the UN.
“It is my hope and belief this appointment will complement and reinforce our centre's efforts at mainstreaming social justice considerations in all policy work while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly between law, science and technology. I believe this is also good for our university, country and continent.”
The university's rector, Prof Wim de Villiers, said the prestigious role is a testament to Madonsela's immense contributions to the fields of law, human rights and governance.
“Her dedication and tireless efforts in championing social justice, most recently as director of the centre for social justice at the faculty of law, have left an indelible mark on the global stage. As an institution, we're extremely proud of her for this achievement. We look forward to witnessing her invaluable contributions to advancing the greater good on an international platform,” De Villiers said.
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