Detail of silicon, the most abundant element on Earth, after oxygen.
The world, and developing regions in particular, face many challenges that can no longer be addressed by singular and isolated approaches to science. The first theme provides a broad introduction to science in society and firmly locates UP in Africa − from Future Africa, UP’s initiative to develop a new generation of science leaders, to Earth Matters, the work of an internationally acclaimed artist. This theme, as with the research profiled in this Review, demonstrates what has become widely accepted – that the role of universities is about knowledge production and, equally, about the public good.
