The University of Pretoria’s (UP) 2021 Academic Achievers Awards saw many deserving academics being rewarded for their contribution to knowledge creation. One such person was Daniel Bradlow, a Professor of International Development Law and African Economic Relations at UP, who was co-recipient of the Conversation Africa Award for the highest number of articles published in 2020. He shared the award with Prof Henning Melber of Stellenbosch University.

In an age of fake news, there is a great need for reliable information. Experts who share their knowledge with the public have become a valuable resource, which is why this particular award holds such value.

“It was a pleasant surprise,” Prof Bradlow said. “I didn’t know that such an award existed, so getting an email that says you’ve won the award was a nice surprise. I am grateful to the University for this – it gives everyone an incentive to do more popular education work.”

Prof Bradlow is Chair of the UP’s South African Research Chair Initiative, runs an LL.M (a master’s in law) programme, and researches general public finance and human rights. Over the years, he has written about many social and economic issues.

“I’ve done work on many ‘sovereign debt’ issues – countries, particularly in Africa, that borrow money to fund development to meet their budget needs, then run into debt problems,” he explained.

His work has made him an accomplished academic, but has also demonstrated to him the gap between public and academic knowledge. “There is a big gap between ‘hardcore academia’ – writing for other academics in academic journals, which tends to be writing for other experts using a particular language that makes it harder to understand and contribute knowledge – and information that is given to the general public in an understandable and meaningful way.”

The professor began writing articles to share his knowledge and to make people aware of science. “The need for science journalism – knowledgeable people writing about science – is very important,” he said. “Most people look at a scientific article and find it way too technical and complicated. We need people who can translate that language into something more understandable, that helps readers understand why they should care about [a particular subject].”

Prof Bradlow sees science and journalism as important for people to make informed decisions. “Part of our public service is making sure that the public is getting the information they need in order to be informed and to make informed decisions about issues that affect all our lives.”

Of course, even experienced professors face challenges when presenting and writing for the public. “The skills you need are complicated,” Prof Bradlow said. “Media is complicated. For legal academics, writing is nothing new. Lawyers should know how to write persuasively because that’s part of the job. Dealing with radio and TV can be more challenging because you have a short amount of time to convey complicated information, and you have to do it on your feet.”

Fortunately, the professor has some writing advice for academics. “Sometimes you write what you think is a really good article, but it turns out to be too ‘esoteric’. Try to say things in a clearer, more precise way.”