SASAS meets the modern age web
Time flies and in this process, change is inevitable. It has been 55 years since the South African Society for Animal Science (SASAS), formerly known as the Society of Animal Production (SASAP), was established. Just like technology has evolved, the society has come a long way and the change has definitely been for the better. However, it’s time to get with the programme – the www generation has been on the roll for some time and it’s about time we seize the moment and get to grips with it.
It has been 15 years since the “birth” of the SASAS website and the first issue of the electronic version of the South African Journal of Animal Science (SAJAS). In order to embrace the inquisitiveness of the “teenage years”, this is the right time to surf the net further through blogging. It’s an informal platform that allows connection and discussions on common matters across a variety of communities with mutual interests.
According to the current SASAS president, Professor Michiel Scholtz, “The aim of the South African Society for Animal Science is to advance animal science and promote viable animal production systems, while sustaining natural resources and the environment”. What better way to achieve this than to bridge the gap between science, which brings the modern trends, and the community which holds the “natural resources” key.
This is a perfect tool to bring together all stakeholders in animal production i.e. farmers, industry practitioners, academics, students, as well as government representatives. With all that said, how about we join in and share all the relevant stories, ideas, information, discussions that need to be attended to in order to grow the society as a whole.
The way forward…
A blog account has been created for this purpose and will be led by Professor Voster Muchenje, as appointed by the SASAS council. The idea is for people to voluntarily send in entries on any topic of choice within the scope of the society.
Blogs work better if uploaded frequently. The recommendation is one entry per week. However, as a pilot, 2 monthly entries will be our start up target. The floor is open to submissions that will go through evaluation and editing, before being posted on the SASAS blog (within the SASAS website).
This is an opportunity to express your opinions on relevant matters and interact with others on a more flexible podium. Like Mother Teresa once said “I can do things you cannot do, you can do things I cannot do; together we can do great things”
By
Yonela Z. Njisane, Felicitas E. Mukumbo and Voster Muchenje
University of Fort Hare