The event took place on 14 May 2008 at the Hatfield Campus of the University.  It coincided with the 10-year anniversary of the University’s Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) as well as the 100-year anniversary of the University of Pretoria. At this meeting, more than 200 local and international scientists were present. The Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Prof Anton Ströh presented the candidates to the Vice-Principal, Prof Robin Crewe, who officially awarded the Chancellor’s Awards to the recipients.

During the past decade, Mr Hearne has contributed immensely to research outputs in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, and particularly through his involvement with FABI. When Hearne first became a banana farmer in 1979, he realized that there was a great need to introduce research into the banana industry as means to improve crop yield and productivity. This resulted in him promoting innovative methodologies, which at that time were new to banana farming. 

His vision and insight led to his becoming a member of the board of directors of the Banana Growers Association of South Africa (BGASA) in 1993. In 1998, then as co-chairman of BGASA, he played an integral role in negotiations to establish banana research at the University of Pretoria.  This led to the establishment of the Banana Research Programme and the signing of a five-year research contract between FABI, the University of Pretoria and BGASA.  This contract was renewed five years later and the work continues today.

Mr Edwards has made substantial contributions to the South African forestry industry. He is the Executive Director of Forestry South Africa (FSA), an organisation that binds all the role players involved in commercial forestry in the country. In this capacity, he has guided and defended one of the country’s most vital industries.

In 2002 he was actively involved in the creation of Forestry South Africa, an organization that replaced the Forest Owner’s Association of which he was the Executive Director from 1991. Amongst others, he is also a member of the board of the Institute for Commercial Forestry Research, member of the National Forests Advisory Council and member of the board of the DST/ NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology.

In 1997, Edwards was involved in negotiations to establish FABI, which houses the Tree Protection Cooperative Programme (TPCP) and has become one of the University’s most prominent research hubs. Throughout FABI’s ten years of existence, Edwards has guided and supported the institute. His influence and contributions with regards to the research programmes at the University of Pretoria can be argued to be one of the reasons that FABI was recognized to house one of South Africa’s first government recognized Centres of Excellence.