World solutions lie in scientific, technological research

BIUST Scientist, Duniya Gwazah Adams calls for researchers to collaborate

Astronomy is a growing field across the world, offering a plethora of opportunities across all economic sectors, and finally, Africa is coming to the party and tapping into the opportunities and skill- set of this field. After all, science is a good field to find solutions to most pressing issues. For Duniya Didam Gwazah Adams, the goal is to become a world- class problem solver through research, innovation and collaboration.

Adams is a senior lecturer in Astrophysics under the Department of Astrophysics and Physics at the Botswana International University of Science and Technology ( BIUST). He told this publication that scientific and technological achievements give a large competitive edge to any nation, which pride themselves on having the most efficient new technologies and race to achieve new scientific discoveries. “Most important perhaps, is to encourage collaboration and create a constant flow as researchers travel around the globe to work in international facilities,” he said.

Adams said that astronomy and related fields are at the forefront of science and technology; answering fundamental questions and driving innovation. He said it is for this reason that the International Astronomical Union’s strategic plan for 2010– 2020, has three main areas of focus: technology and skills; science and research; and culture and society.

“Although ‘ blue- skies research’ like astronomy rarely contributes directly with tangible outcomes on a short time scale, the pursuit of this research requires cutting- edge technology and methods that can, on a longer time scale, through their broader application, make a difference,” he said.

Adams noted that it is important for Botswana to consider inculcating astronomy education from foundation level. “It has been proven that pupils who engage in astronomy- related educational activities at a primary or secondary school are more likely to pursue careers in science and technology, and to keep up to date with scientific discoveries.

This does not just benefit the field of astronomy, but reaches across other scientific disciplines. Contrary to popular belief, astronomy is one of the few scientific fields that interact directly,” he said.

He further said that astronomy is one of the few scientific fields that interact directly with society. “It not only transcends borders, but actively promote collaborations around the world. Some of the most useful examples of technology transfer between astronomy and industry include advances in imaging and communications. The aerospace sector shares most of its technology with astronomy — specifically in telescope and instrument hardware, imaging, and image- processing techniques. Astronomical methods can also be used to find new fossil fuels as well as to evaluate the possibility of new renewable energy sources. Along with these imaging techniques, astronomy has developed many programming languages that make image processing easier, specifically IDL and IRAF, which are widely used for medical applications.”

Adams boasts a rich career profile in the field of science, specifically astronomy.

Prior to joining BIUST, he was a post- doctoral research fellow in the Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Between 2015 and 2019, he was a research fellow at the same institution in the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, an undertaking he took on after working as a lecturer covering Introduction to Medical Imaging & Image Processing Ph. D., Physics ( Cosmology) at the University of the Western Cape ( UWC), South Africa in 2015.

He studied a Bsc in Physical and Mathematical Science and at Masters’

Level at the University of Cape Town in 2009 and 2011, respectively. He has also done additional short courses in Mathematical Modelling for Infectious Diseases and Radiation Safety in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology.

His achievements and honours include being published in more than ten research publications, being granted lifetime membership to the Golden Key International Honour Society, being a fellow of the Horst- Kohler Fellow, The Robert Bosch Stiftung in Germany. In 2015 he was selected in a global competition to attend ‘ The 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting’, in Lindau. He also completed a PHD scholarship in 2012 at the South African Square Kilometre Array, July 2012 and also did a Thesis Upgrade: M. Sc. to Ph. D., The Senate Committee on Higher Education at the University of the Western Cape in the same year.

Adams has also participated in a workshop dubbed: ‘ Galaxy Bias: Nonlinear, Non- local and Non- Gaussian’, The Abdus Salam, the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy, and completed a course on ‘ New Horizons for Observational Cosmology, International School of Physics in Italy.

Adams completed doctoral research/ visit collaboration at the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom in 2012, among a list of other accolades.