Business Talk – Dr Heide Hackmann on the importance of open science

Hackmann is the Director of Future Africa and the Strategic Advisor on Transdisciplinarity and Global Knowledge Networks at the University of Pretoria.
Before this, she served as the CEO of the International Science Council for nearly four years, and as an executive director for its predecessor organisations.
She is a Distinguished Fellow of the Austrian-based International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), and a member of several international science advisory committees and boards.
In 2017, Hackmann received an award for her role in the merger of ICSU and the ISSC.
She holds a Bachelor of Social Science degree with Honours in Sociology from the former University of Natal, an M.Phil in contemporary social theory from the University of Cambridge, and a PhD in science and technology studies from the University of Twente in the Netherlands.
The interview
In her interview with Michael Avery, Hackmann discusses the ins and outs of open science and what it entails – which was the theme of the recent Africa Week event hosted by the University of Pretoria.
She explains why this concept is particularly important in the context of Africa, and unpacks the main challenges holding back scientific transparency on the continent.
Hackmann also delves deeper into Africa Week and discusses why the University of Pretoria chooses to hold such events.
She concludes by noting the importance of collaboration between the state and academia, and explains how private stakeholders can further open science, too.
The full interview with Dr Heide Hackmann can be found below.