Dr Mzamo Shozi, a lecturer in the School of Chemistry and Physics has been awarded a prestigious Researcher Mobility Grant (RMG) from the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). The grant targets PhD students and early career researchers working in academia or industry. Its primary function is to support these candidates in undertaking...

A doctoral candidate in the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science (SMSCS), Mr Adeolu Taiwo is one of three recipients of a Fellowship from the International Mathematical Union (IMU) Breakout Graduate Fellowship (BGF) Programme, intended to aid them complete their PhDs. The grants are made possible thanks to donations from winners of the Breakthrough Prizes in Mathematics, and...

The National Research Foundation (NRF) has awarded Professor Michael Chimonyo in the Discipline of Animal Science at UKZN a B-rating, recognising him as an internationally acclaimed researcher in his field. The rating system benchmarks the quality of South African researchers, contributing to the enhancement of a globally competitive science system in the country and...

Microbial Factories and Artificial Intelligence - Fixing Global Bugs with Tiny Bugs – was the subject of an inaugural lecture presented on the Pietermaritzburg campus by UKZN Microbiologist, Professor Evariste Bosco Gueguim Kana. Gueguim Kana, who holds a BSc in Pure and Applied Biology, an MSc in Biotechnology and a...

An academic specialising in differential geometry at UKZN’s School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, Professor Fortuné Massamba, presented his inaugural lecture on the Pietermaritzburg campus on the subject of geometric structures in smooth manifolds. Massamba obtained his doctoral degree, which focused on differential geometry, from the Institut de Mathématiques...

Innovative research projects being undertaken by masters and doctoral students were on show at the annual Postgraduate Research and Innovation Symposium (PRIS) staged by the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science (CAES) on the Westville campus. Hosted by the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science (SMSCS) in collaboration with the College Public Relations...

During his inaugural lecture in 2017, UKZN’s Professor Indresan Govender, argued that a theory published in Nature Letters [NATURE Vol 441] failed to match the high-quality nuclear imaging measurements that his Particle Technology Group (PTG) were obtaining for complex industrial flows typical of South African mining systems. The argument was settled when Govender...

Research and innovation to improve livelihoods is the foundation for work done in UKZN’s School of Engineering’s five disciplines, and is the focus of the Research and Innovation Exposition and annual Industrial Awards function, that takes place on Friday 8 November 2019 at the Unite School of Engineering building, Howard...

A research partnership recently signed by the Moses Kotane Institute (MKI) and UKZN is based on research, innovation and maritime as a strategy to contribute to the economic development of KwaZulu-Natal. This is underpinned by STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) found across all Colleges of the University. Professor Bala...

The publication of a book titled Savanna Woody Plants and Large Herbivores is the culmination of years’ of work by Professor Peter Scogings of the School of Life Sciences, who was one of the editors of the work. The book deals with the interactions between woody plants and browsing mammals in global...

An industrial expo organised by the Society for Automation, Instrumentation, Measurement and Control (SAIMC) at UKZN’s School of Engineering attracted students, lecturers and SAIMC regional and committee members, among others. The expo, which involved collaboration between the School of Engineering and SAIMC, included a variety of industries which displayed state-of-the-art...

The College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science (CAES) is hosting its annual Postgraduate Research and Innovation Symposium (PRIS 2019). This invaluable opportunity prepares students to present at international conferences and draws an audience of over 800 students, staff and members of industry. What to expect: Research showcase from 60 oral...

Mr Sbongiseni Xolo was awarded a Master’s in Entomology for his investigation of biodiversity recovery in a reforestation project. The study used ants as a monitoring model to evaluate the extent to which reforestation for carbon sequestration can have co-benefits for biodiversity. It was conducted in the reforested landscape of the Buffelsdraai Landfill...

Ms Bongekile Ngobese, who was awarded her Master of Science in Genetics cum laude, grew up in the small village of Nqutu in northern KwaZulu-Natal, where she completed her matric at Ekucabangeni Secondary School. Hard work was part of Ngobese’s everyday life. ‘I had to walk more than 20 km each...

Ms Nomfundo Praise Ntombela graduated with an MSc in Biochemistry after developing assays to identify non-specific compounds that are known as “promiscuous” for their ability to unselectively cause false positives in early drug discovery processes. ‘The identification and elimination of these compounds is important in early drug discovery so that...