The launch of the Sutherland observing site in 1973 came with an objective to develop astronomy at universities and strengthen relations with other South African universities to enhance scientific interest in the country. Specific focus had to be paid to those institutions that did not yet have a relationship with the Royal Astronomical Observatory at Cape Good Hope. These new relationships were to be prototyped on the shining example of the University of Cape Town’s astronomy department. To understand what these relationships mean to those involved we chatted with some of the users of the South African Astronomical Observatory telescopes.

The South African Astronomical Observatory and the astronomy department at UCT have had an enduring relationship since the 1950s, beginning with the first honorary professorship bestowed on Sir Richard Stoy   who was the astronomer Royal at the Royal Astronomical Observatory Cape of Good Hope. The relationship is founded on shared values and vision, grounded in the dedication to student training, and to bolstering collaborations that create opportunities for students to do cutting-edge astronomy research locally and internationally. The National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme (NASSP) is jointly taught by astronomers from both institutions; it exposes students to diverse research opportunities at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) and SALT through access to astronomers with broad skills. According to Professor Sarah Blyth of UCT astronomy, about 33% of their students are supervised at SAAO. Shared supervision advances research output for both institutions and creates career pathways for astronomy graduates. This is evident in the number of astronomers who were in NASSP and are now employed at SAAO and elsewhere in the country.  Since the establishment of the astronomy department, UCT students have also been participating in the SAAO public engagement program, even today, this continues to be the case. These skills allow them to communicate their science with audiences who come from various backgrounds.

The drive for research excellence has led to innovative instrument design; for example, in the 80s and 90s UCT developed the “People’s Photometer”, the polarimeter, and the CCD used on the 1.9m telescope. More recently, the MeerLICHT is a partnership bringing in new collaborators including the two new SARChi Chairs on instrumentation whose expertise boosts the training program for postgraduate students. Other South African universities also request time on the SAAO telescopes. Since there is collective use of these facilities, instrument development is a consultative process that seeks to serve all users and scientific endeavours and interests. Similarly, the time allocation committees comprise a diverse group of people within SAAO as well as the users located locally and internationally. Among the international users, we reached out to Professor Quentin Parker, who is based at the University of Hong Kong. His relationship with SAAO began in the 1980s as a PhD student, and now as a professor, he still brings his students to Sutherland to observe. When asked about the continuous tradition of using the Sutherland facility, he mentioned the importance of giving his students an authentic observing experience adding, “The SAAO has an illustrious history going back decades and it is important that this is preserved and indeed strengthened for the whole African community of nations and not just South Africa. SAAO is an exemplary science body for the continent with broader international connectivity, collaborations, and partnerships which must be protected.” The importance of collaborations was echoed by Professor Sarah Blyth when she said “SAAO and UCT have shared networks that enrich the student experience and fortify further collaborations. The joint supervision with SAAO means versatility of skills, which positively benefits the research.”

The relational culture among astronomers at SAAO and their community has resulted in common interests around research excellence, training future astronomers, and strengthening relations with collaborators for the benefit of research. Consequently, the maintenance of these relations is likely to lead to more investment in astronomy and attract more telescope users.