Future of Physics in South Africa
KwaZulu-Natal Regional Meeting
University of Natal, 11 November 2002
SAIP URL:  http://www.sun.ac.za/physics/saip
Future of Physics Discussion Forum:  http://delta.nrf.ac.za/physics/


Notes

Attendance
The meeting was attended by 32 people.

Welcome 
Prof. Krish Bharuth-Ram chaired the meeting and welcomed all to the KwaZulu-Natal regional meeting of the Future of Physics in South Africa study being conducted by the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP) and the National Research Foundation (NRF).  Prof. Bharuth-Ram explained that he was unfortunately unable to get a representative from the NRF to attend the meeting.  Prof. Bharuth-Ram then introduced Dr. Patricia Whitelock, President of the SAIP.

Dr. Patricia Whitelock, President of the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP), welcomed all to the meeting especially those that had traveled from afar.  She thanked Prof. Krish Bharuth-Ram, Prof. Terry Doyle, Miss Jaynie Padayachee, Prof. Ramesh Bharuthram and Prof. Edmund Zingu for their efforts in organizing the meeting.

Summary of Process
Dr. Whitelock summarized the outcomes of the meeting.  She then gave some background to why the process has started and described the process.

Points Raised During Open Discussion (as discussed)
·	The study is taking the views of government and physicists into account so that both sides take the outcomes seriously.
·	The aim of the study is to convince government to provide the funding necessary to do “real” physics.
·	Some problems with physics:
o	poor quality of teachers
o	attitudes of learners and students towards physics
·	Research should be improved before tackling the problems with undergraduate students and school teachers
·	There are generally problems with all numerate sciences
·	In England, the IoP has provided support which has improved the numbers of students doing A-level physics.
·	Physicists should help with the training of teachers.
·	Jobs for physicists should be a priority.  
·	Physics should be made “sellable”.
·	Industry should highlight the skills needed so that courses could be structured accordingly.
·	At the moment, there are too few people to lecture and do research and more resources are needed.
·	Are there many unemployed physicists?  Is it not a marketing exercise to bring to light what physicists can do?
·	Industry does not employ physicists as they don’t know what physicists can do.  
·	Engineers don’t get enough of a physics background.  The SAIP should speak to the engineering community to emphasize that engineers in training should do more physics.
·	Physicists should be aware that the situation in the country has changed and should not expect jobs to be created for them.  
·	The Biotechnology community has undertaken a similar study in partnership with related industries and this has resulted in large amounts of money being injected into biotechnology.
·	The training of well-founded generalists (i.e. physicists) is necessary to keep up with a fast changing world.
·	Physicists should be accredited to allow industry to employ them.
·	We shouldn’t have an International Panel as the physicists should be talking to government and industry.  ----In Response:  It was agreed that everyone (those in and outside of the physics community) will take notice of the result.
·	The International Panel should have local representatives as well.
·	This is the right time for this exercise.
·	How many science teachers are produced by universities?  Should bursaries be provided to increase the number of teachers?
·	Research assistant posts should be funded by the NRF.
·	Perhaps physics needs to be exposed to the public i.e. increase public awareness of physics
·	What do we expect a physics graduate to be able to do?
·	We should do some internal marketing to sell each discipline to the students.
·	Physics has a real image problem.  Students don’t even consider physics as an option of study.
·	People who work indirectly with physics (engineers, medical doctors, etc) should be included on the panel as physics is everywhere.
·	The solution is to start from within.  UNP has concentrated on quality undergraduate teaching to show students that physics is useful.  Undergraduate physics needs to be much more relevant.
·	Jobs (and salary because of poverty, family dependants, etc) is a priority.
·	Create a directory of physics jobs.
·	Increase teachers salaries until more teachers are drawn into the profession.
·	Its easier for geologists and chemists to get jobs than physicists.
·	The drop in the number of students choosing physics is the same internationally so the SAIP should contact international physics societies to see how the situation is being handled internationally.
·	Physicists don’t motivate school kids to choose physics.
·	IoP deals with decision makers.  
·	Convince industry to invite students to see what physics students can do.
·	University course content should be included in the Terms of Reference together with how first-year physics is taught.
·	The National Workshop should not follow the same format as the regional meetings and an agenda will be circulated well in advance.
·	Public Relations and marketing to the wider public should be included as a Term of Reference
·	KZN physicists should meet regularly.  PAW strongly supported this suggestion.

It was agreed that the KZN physics community would meet again in February 2003 in Pietermaritzburg, before the National Workshop.