Two local science students chosen to represent SA in Germany
TWOCAPETown students are among the top five young scientists in the country who have been selected to attend the 66th Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting in Germany this year.
They are Siyambonga Matshawule, of UWC, and UCT’s Gregory Jackson.
The scientists were nominated by the Academy of Science of South Africa, an official partner of the Lindau Foundation, and they will join 402 others from 80 countries.
Matshawule said: “I’m excited about the adventure of meeting new people and scientists from other countries to interact and learn how they use science in their respective countries.
“My parents have always encouraged me to study further, even though at first they didn’t understand what I wanted to study because they are used to people graduating as doctors and teachers. But they are really happy I’m going to Germany.”
Matshawule said that when he was a child he was curious, which is probably why he chose physics.
He said the first time he worked with a telescope was at university and he was amazed by how much people knew about the galaxy. This triggered his interest in astrophysics.
The academy said the successful participants were outstanding undergraduate and postgraduate students and post-doctoral students younger than 35, in the field of physics, who were selected after a multi-stage international selection process.
About 30 Nobel laureates are expected to participate in the meeting, which will be held from June 26 to July 1. The meetings have been held annually in Lindau, Germany, since 1951.
The academy said the Nobel laureates who had confirmed their participation were Takaaki Kajita, of Japan, and Arthur B McDonald, of the US, who were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics last year for the discovery of neutrino oscillations, which show neutrinos have mass.
The vice-president of the council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, Wolfgang Lubitz, said the Nobel laureates will meet some especially qualified and committed young people.
“The proportion of women is 31 percent – a good, internationally representative number in the field of physics.” – Siyabonga Kalipa