African physicist wins global award

NATIONAL Research Foundation (NRF) physicist, Professor Malik Mâaza, has been honoured with the José Vasconcelos World Award of Education for 2018 for his positive impact on the cultural legacy of mankind.

The announcement of the recognition by the World Cultural Council (WCC) was made on Monday at the City University of Hong Kong.

The award itself will be conferred to Mâaza at the 35th World Cultural Council award ceremony, which will take place at the same venue on November 8.

Mâaza is a senior research scientist at iThemba LABS, a research facility managed by the NRF of South Africa; he is also a professor at Unisa, and holder of the Unesco-Unisa Africa Chair in Nanosciences and Nanotechnology.

He is an accomplished researcher and educator, born in Algeria in 1963, and works in South Africa.

His vision of how science can be used as a tool to empower individuals to address some of humanity’s most pressing challenges has been demonstrated through his commitment to training and mentoring young scientists.

Mâaza has significantly contributed to the education of numerous PhD students and post-doctoral researchers.

“I am really thankful to everyone for all the support. This recognition is not mine but belongs to the rest of the iThemba LABS staff as a whole,” he said.

“I would never have reached my current situation without a robust institutional support base created for me by iThemba LABS and the NRF.

“I would also like to thank in particular the team of post-graduate students and post-doctoral fellows I work with. I am grateful to His Almighty, the grand architect for making this recognition possible,” Mâaza added. – Staff Writer