About AEON

AEON is a research and teaching network of African and Africa-based scientists with a physical hub in Cape Town. We are concerned with scientific understanding of how our earth works; the resilience of its interconnected systems; the value of its services; and documentation of its heritages, particularly in Africa. In this section you will find information about AEON, its visions, challenges, governance and annual reports, as well as other interesting facts about us.

ID & Vision

Freedom to sustain a creative, intellectual environment and network of excellence that stimulate innovative and practical ‘Science without Borders’ across Africa, and which will energise those working overseas to come and join us. Our vision is something we see as an integral driving force of everything we do at AEON.

Life @ AEON

People rooted in different disciplines mingle and work interactively in our common-space and environmentally-friendly labs. We thrive in multi-tasking, multi-mentoring and cross-disciplinary curiosity about science and the unknown and about their relationship with society in Africa.

Challenges

Uphold the health of science and answer fundamental questions about earth systems and resources that can facilitate equity of natural capital and conservation of Africa’s heritage. We want to forge collaborations and build a network of AEON-hubs where world-class thinking, discourse, experimentation and exploration will ensure that we Arrive Alive 50 years from now.

Governance

AEON is a self-organised institute in the Faculty of Science at UCT. Governance is through an Executive Committee, comprising the Dean of Science, and AEON’s Director and Chief Operating Officer. Financial administration follows existing procedures of UCT. AEON has an interim Advisory Board of founding members that meets at least once a year.