In June 2025, Dr Anne Treasure, Manager of the Data, Products and Society (DPS) Integrated Facility (IF) of the South African Polar Research Infrastructure (SAPRI), attended the International Association for Social Science Information Service and Technology (IASSIST) 2025 Conference in Bristol, UK, after being awarded an IASSIST fellowship.
At the conference, Anne delivered a presentation on SAPRI and the SAPRI Data Centre, with a particular focus on Humanities and Social Sciences data, and actively engaged with the international data community. Her talk, titled “The South African Polar Research Infrastructure: Advancing Marine and Polar Research Through Collaborative Data Management,” highlighted the role of SAPRI in fostering interdisciplinary research through effective data practices.
While in the UK, Anne also visited the Natural History Museum in London to explore the Antarctic Collections and meet with curators. The visit aimed to gain insights into the archiving of physical materials and artefacts, informing plans for the development of a SAPRI Humanities branch and Research Commons within the DPS Integrated Facility.
(L) Anne at the London Natural History Museum to view Antarctic Collections; (R) Original drawings and sketches by E.A. Wilson from the Terra Nova Expedition that were used for a publication of birds from the expedition.
SAPRI is honoured to have participated in the conference and looks forward to building on the valuable connections and insights gained. Both the conference and the museum visit formed part of SAPRI’s broader mission to support the Humanities and Social Sciences community and to explore ways of facilitating and enabling impactful research.
Anne and Ria Olivier from the Antarctic Legacy of South Africa at the IASSIST 2025 (Photo: Ria Olivier)
We extend our sincere gratitude to IASSIST and the IASSIST2025 organisers for awarding the fellowship and providing funding to attend the conference.
Text supplied by Dr Anne Treasure. Feature image: Ria Olivier (Antarctic Legacy of South Africa (ALSA))
Rabia Mathakutha, South African Polar Research Infrastructure, 30 July 2025
