Abstract:China and South Africa share common aspirations for scientific and technological development, and for the growth of human capital resources. The countries are members of the BRICS consortium. Their shared goals are particularly apparent in the area of astronomy and astrophysics, and they wish to formulate a bi-lateral agreement and identify specific opportunities for collaborative initiatives of mutual benefit to foster joint progress in these areas.

Astronomy captures the imagination of people everywhere, and touches a fundamental human desire to understand the universe that surrounds us, and our place in it. It provides an ideal way to attract young learners into scientific and technical studies, developing the human capacity for the knowledge-based economy of the future. Its appeal transcends boundaries that divide peoples and speaks to all members of our societies. The goal of the China-South African collaboration in Astronomy is to exploit these basic strengths for the mutual betterment of our general populaces.

     Prof Nithaya Chetty, will give an overview of Astronomy programmes in South Africa and discuss the growing cooperation between South Africa and China in the field of Astronomy.