Ubulungu ObuHloniphekile be-ASSAf EziFundisweni Zase-UKZN

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Izifundiswa ezinhlanu zase-UKZN oSolwazi Yin-Zhe Ma, uRituparno Goswami, uDeevia Bhana, Kogieleum Naidoo noThajasvarie (Anita) Naicker ngezinye phakathi kwezifundiswa ezivelele nososayensi baseNingizimu Afrika abemukelwe babangamalungu e-Academy of Science of South Africa (i-ASSAf), kwathi uSolwazi u-Asanda Mditshwa wabangomunye wezifundiswa ezincane eziyishumi ezemukelwe yi-South African Young Academy of Science (i-SAYAS).

Amalungu amasha e-ASSAf akhethwa ngamanye amalungu minyaka yonke njengoba lesi sikhungo sibeka eqhulwini izifundiswa ezivelele ezweni kuyo yonke imikhakha.

Ubulungu be-ASSAf buhlonipha amagalelo kwezemfundo kanti amalungu avolontiya ngesikhathi namakhono nobungcweti bawo emphakathini kanti ayinsika emqoka ye-ASSAf.

I-SAYAS yethulwa ngonyaka wezi-2011 ukulekelela ososayensi abancane baseNingizimu ukuthi babambe iqhaza ngokuphelele ocwaningweni lwasekhaya nolwamazwe wonke ezinhlelweni zentuthuko ngokuhlinzeka ngenkundla ezweni lapho ososayensi abancane bayo yonke imikhakha nabesayensi, isayensi yezenhlalakahle, ezobuciko, bekwazi khona ukuhlangana, bacobelelane futhi bafinyelele emathubeni aphesheya okuzithuthukisa. Lezi zifundiswa zingaphansi kweminyaka engama-40, zineziqu zobudokotela emikhakheni yazo kanti zizuze izinto ezinkulu emikhakheni yazo.

Usekela-Shansela lase-UKZN uSolwazi Nana Poku uthe: ‘Siyababongela bobahlanu osolwazi. Ukuqokwa kwabo ukuthi babe ngamalungu e-ASSAf kugcwalisa indawo yabo yokuba ngezinye zezifundiswa ezivelele ezweni. Kukodwa nje ukuthi bakhethwe ukuba babe ngamalungu bekhethwa ngamalungu eSikhungo kuwubufakazi bokuthi bahlonishwa ngabalingani babo. Lokhu kuqokwa kwezifundiswa ziqokelwa ku-ASSAf kusho izindaba ezinhle kubafundi namanye amalungu. Sikholwa wukuthi izifundiswa zangomuso zizokhuthazwa yilezi zifundiswa eziqhubekayo ziphokophele izinto ezinkulu.’

U-Ma weSikole seKhemistri neFiziksi uwungoti wefiziksi ohlonishwayo owafika e-UKZN ngonyaka wezi-2015 kanti usefinyelele ezingeni lokuba wusolwazi ophelele, osebhale emabhukwini ocwaningo ayikhulu. U-Ma, odabuka e-China, wenza iziqu zakhe zokuqala neMasitazi kwiFiziksi ne-Astrofiziksi e-Nanjing University nase-Chinese Academy of Sciences. Wathola iziqu zobudokotela e-University of Cambridge, wenza ucwaningo emanyuvesi ase-British Columbia ne-Manchester.

Ucwaningo luka-Ma lugxile kwikhozimoloji ukuqonda imithetho emqoka yokudalela komhlaba nokuqonda isimo samandla nezinto ezimnyama. Uyilungu le-Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Team (i-HERA), usebenza namaqembu amaningi e-Square Kilometre Array (i-SKA), ithimba lesayensi ye-Planck nethimba elicwaninga umkhathi le-TAIPAN/6dFGS.

U-Goswami waseSikoleni seZibalo, Imidanti-zibalo neSayensi yamaKhompiyutha uwungoti ohlonishwayo owafika e-UKZN ngonyaka wezi-2013, kanti wake wenza ucwaningo emaNyuvesi ase-Cape Town nase-Alberta (e-Canada) ngemva kokuphothula izifundo kwelakubo eNdiya. Ungumholi weZifundo woCwaningo eSikoleni. Ucwaningo lwakhe lugxile kwi-Cosmology nokuhlobene nayo. 

UMditshwa waseSikoleni seSayensi yeZolimo, Ezomhlaba neZeMvelo waphothula izifundo zakhe e-University of Fort Hare kanti ezifundweni zakhe eziphakeme wagxila kwi-phisiology. Wenza iMasitazi KweZolimo e-UKZN, walandelisa ngeziqu zobudokotela kwi-Horticultural Science e-Stellenbosch University. Waphasa ngamalengiso i-Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education e-UKZN kanti ukuzinikela kwakhe ekufundiseni kwabonwa yi-National Research Foundation (NRF) nange-Future Professors Programme yoMnyango WezeMfundo ePhakeme.

UMditshwa wafika e-UKZN ngonyaka wezi-2015. Ucwaningo lwakhe lugxile kumakhemikhali amasha nasezintweni ezingenamakhemikhali ekuvuneni. Unezinga i-Y2 yeNRF, kanti unemibhalo yocwaningo eyi-17 eyabuyekezwa ngabalingani bakhe nezahluko azibhalile kanti ungumeluleki wabafundi abayi-16 abenza ucwaningo, nabayi-15 abaphothule iziqu zeMasitazi nezobuDokotela. Uwumhleli obuyekezayo nelungu lebhodi le-Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems journal.

Ephawula ngokuba yilungu le-ASSAf, uBhana waseSikoleni sezeMfundo noyi-SARChI Chair in Gender and Childhood Sexuality uthe: ‘Ukuba yingxenye ye-ASSAf, inhlangano eyenze ukuthi isayensi nemfundo kube sesicongweni eNingizimu Afrika negcwele izifundiswa ezikhuthele nezihlonishwa njengabaholi emikhakheni yazo yinto enkulu futhi kungikhuthaza ukuthi ngiqhubeke nocwaningo lwami ngokubalulekile esimweni sobulili bezingane nentsha.’

UBhana uhlonishwa umhlaba wonke jikelele ngocwaningo lwakhe oluhlose ukuqonda ukubaluleka kobulili nocansi empilweni yomuntu omusha nokuthi konke kusho ukuthi esimweni sobulili, ezempilo nokulingana ngokobulili. Uneqhaza elinqala endimeni yocwaningo, nokwandisa abacwaningi bangomuso nokuhola ucwaningo olusha kule ndima. USolwazi Bhana uyisifundiswa esikleliswe ezingeni B1 esaklonyeliswa nge-Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC)/USAf medal for Social Science and Humanities ngonyaka wezi-2022.

UNaicker ungusolwazi ophelele eKolishi LeSayensi YezeMpilo ucwaningo lwakhe lugxile ekuhlanganeni kwezifo ezithathelana ngegazi. Luhambisana nezinjongo ze-United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 and National Development Plan ukunciphisa ukushona kwabantu besifazane, ukuqeda ukufa kwezingane okungagwemeka, ukuqeda ubhubhane lwengculaza nokunciphisa ukufa ngenxa yezifo ezithathelanayo. Nakuba ucwaningo lwakhe lugxile ekuthelelekeni ngegciwane lesandulela-ngculaza kodwa uyacwaninga ngezinye izinto ezingakuthinti lokhu kodwa ezihlobene nakho.

UNaidoo uyiPhini LoMqondisi neNhloko ye-Treatment Research e-Centre of the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (i-CAPRISA) noSolwazi oNgumsizi wokuHlonishwa eKolishi LeSayensi YezeMpilo. Iqhaza lakhe emsebenzini wokwelapha isandulela-ngculaza nesifo sofuba ngeleminyaka engamashumi amabili. Wayengumcwaningi omkhulu weSigaba II nesi-III socwaningo lokuhlola imishanguzo kubantu abanesifo sofuba olunamandla futhi wayengumcwaningi omkhulu ocwaningweni lwe-CAPRISA lokusabalalisa izindlela zokwelapha iziguli ocwaningweni lwe-CAPRISA SAPiT, olwaba yisisekelo sokuthi kube nohlelo lokwelapha isifo sofuba emhlabeni jikelele ngokwemigomo ye-WHO.

Amagama: wu-Christine Cuenod; u-Melissa Mungroo noLihle Sosibo

Isithombe: Sithunyelwe