Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship research fellow, Professor Robin Crewe, won the Contribution Over a Lifetime Award at the 2018/2019 National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF-South32) Awards function, held at Emperors Palace, Johannesburg on 27 June 2019.

The NSTF-South32 Awards event is a flagship project of the National Science and Technology Forum, in partnership with global mining company South32. Popularly known as the “Science Oscars” in the science, engineering, technology (SET) and innovation community, the awards honour and recognise professional, innovative research that helps to provide solutions to the challenges of South Africa’s socioeconomic growth in a sustainable manner. This year’s theme was ‘Materials for inclusive economic development’, aligned with the UN ‘Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements’.

Professor Crewe has been a research scientist, academic administrator and a participant in the global activities of Academies of Science. His research interests have been focused on understanding chemical communication and social organisation in a variety of social insects, with a particular focus on honeybees. He has published extensively in this field and supervised 35 postgraduate students and nine postdoctoral fellows. He has participated in administration of universities at the level of head of department, dean of faculties and as a Vice-Principal for Research and Postgraduate Studies.

Prof Crewe was responsible for the establishment of The Communication Biology Research Group (at the University of the Witwatersrand) and The Social Insects Research Group and the Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship at UP. He also served two terms as the President of the Academy of Science of South Africa and a term as President of the Network of African Science Academies. His contributions to the development of science and technology have been manifold over his lifetime and he is still active in research and postgraduate supervision.

Prof Crewe said, “To have had the opportunity to work at two of South Africa’s research intensive universities has enabled me to pursue my research interests with outstanding students and international collaborators, with the additional support of the National Research Foundation. This has led to unique insights into honeybee social behaviour. … In my role as administrator, I have had the chance to contribute to the development of a number of higher education institutions and statutory bodies.”

To view the other University of Pretoria winners of the night, see the full article here.