The evolving role of science in society

Abstract

The world is experiencing a traumatic change brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. It is traumatic because it is sudden and affects everyone around the globe at once. Nothing like this has ever happened so rapidly before, but as the world and the environment grow under pressure from an expanding global village it might also not be the last time that we experience such a dramatic transformation. The University of the Western Cape (UWC), over its 60 years of existence, has seen the world change profoundly and the university has in many ways steered our society through these changes in the past. I propose to take a look at how science at UWC is helping us navigate the brave new world being defined by the coronavirus.