ROB ADAM

Professor Rob Adam is Chief Executive Officer o f the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), which is South Africa’s statutory nuclear technology organization. He has held this position since 2006. He holds the title of Extraordinary Professor of Physics at both the University of Pretoria and the University of South Africa. Prof Adam also serves on the Council of the Academy of Sciences of South Africa, on the Board of PBMR (Pty) Ltd and chairs the Steering Committee of the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope. He has also recently been appointed President of the Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa (NIASA).

Before joining Necsa, Prof Adam was Director General of the Department of Science and Technology, a position he held for 7 years. In this capacity he was responsible for driving all major national science and technology initiatives of the South African government.

Prof Adam has held various academic positions in Europe and South Africa, and has published 23 refereed articles in theoretical physics. He was awarded his doctorate in physics by the University of South Africa in 1991.

Prof Adam was detained as a political prisoner from 1981 to 1990, due to his activism against apartheid as a member of the African National Congress.