Briefs

Associate Professor Landon Myer has been selected to receive a prestigious award: the AU-TWAS National Award for Young Scientists in South Africa, in the Life and Earth Sciences category.

AU-TWAS stands for African Union – Third World Academy of Science, and the award is supported by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The award recognises Myer's excellence in research and the impact his research has on society. Additionally, he was acknowledged for his contribution to the training and development of students, along with his involvement in broadening the public understanding of science and technology.

Myer is an Associate Professor in the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Public Health & Family Medicine. His research focuses on reducing the impact of HIV/AIDS on women, and on maternal and child health. His research benefits from his multidisciplinary training in anthropology (MA, UCT), clinical medicine (MBChB, UCT) and epidemiology (PhD, Columbia University).

Tlhoriso Matlokotsi and Sebastian Khoete, final-year electrical engineering students, have been awarded MEXT scholarships by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The students, who have been friends since finishing high school in Lesotho, will be leaving for Japan in April 2014.

They were both delighted when they were selected for the scholarships, which allow international students to study at Japanese universities as research students.

Khoete said, “I am absolutely overwhelmed. I have always wanted to see the world, and this is an amazing opportunity for me.” He will be studying for a master's degree in power grid automation and control, and Matlokotsi will undertake a master's degree in renewable energy.

Matlokotsi said, “I feel greatly excited about the scholarship, and I personally take this as an opportunity for me to see the world. I have always wanted to go abroad, and this opportunity has just made my dreams come true.”

The friends have both started learning Japanese in preparation for the trip.

Vusi Mngomezulu, a second-year Computer Science student, has been awarded a scholarship by the NESA-UGrad (Near East, South Asia, & Sub-Saharan Africa Undergraduate) Exchange Program.

Mngomezulu was one of many undergraduate students to apply for this relatively new scholarship, which includes sub-Saharan Africa. He is the only South African student in the 2013-14 cohort of undergraduate participants in the programme which recognises awardees' potential as student leaders.

His application was deemed “outstanding” by a national panel at the US Embassy in Pretoria, who put forward a nomination that was approved by the US Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. He will be based at the University of Missouri for the duration of his studies.

Twenty-five postgraduate student researchers – the cream of UCT's master's and PhD candidates – and their supervisors recently received UCT's annual Research Associateship Awards.

The awards, which support the university's strategic objective to be a research-led institution, are open to all areas of study. This year's awardees work in diverse fields, ranging from paediatrics and child health to music and law, and from science to engineering.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Danie Visser, also chair of the Postgraduate Studies Funding Committee, hosted the event, and the awards were presented by Vice-Chancellor Dr Max Price. The awards are unique in that they acknowledge both students and their supervisors – the latter for their vital support and mentorship.