Report on the Visit to Ukraine from the Republic of South Africa

22 Sep 2003

September 18, 2003 a delegation from the Republic of South Africa (RSA)was welcomed by the STCU. It consisted of Dr. Roy Marcus, Ministerial Advisor, Ministry of Arts Culture, Science and Technology; Ms. Nthabiseng Malefane-Letoaba, Deputy Director, Bilateral Cooperation, Department of Science and Technology; Dr. Iqbal Parker, Professor from the University of Cape Town; and Dr. Phil Mjwara, CEO, National Laser Centre. The purpose of the visit was to identify opportunities for bilateral cooperation between the RSA and Ukraine in the field of laser use in health and materials processing, optics, manufacturing and measurement technologies.

Two visits were organized by the STCU. One – to the Institute of Radiation Medicine where Dr. Volodymyr Bebeshko, Director and Dr. Dmytro Basyka, Deputy Director welcomed the delegation. Representatives of various scientific units gave an overview of their activities. As a result the participants of the meeting agreed that cooperation might be developed in the following areas:
1. Number of problems related to radiation: monitoring of the state of health of people living in radioactively contaminated zones; resolution of legal issues; radiation protection.
2. Telemedecine;
3. Demographical aspects of medicine;
4. Early cancer diagnostics.

The second visit was paid to the Taras Shevchenko Kyiv State University, Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics. There were three main areas covered by the presentation of Dr. Volodymir Andryushenko, Laboratory Chief, Corrective Mirrors of Adaptive Optics, Drilling of Oil and Gas Wells with Downhaul Telesystems, and Laser Measuring Techniques.

During the visits the parties agreed that concrete proposals for cooperation would be submitted by the Ukrainian side to the STCU and then to the Embassy of South Africa.