A record number of 20 young scientists bound for the annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany were given a taste of what to expect at a send-off meeting hosted by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) last week in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
The young scientists from South Africa will attend the 69th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting dedicated to physics from 30 June to 5 July 2019 in Lindau.
ASSAf represents DST as the South African nominating partner in the partnership which was established with the Lindau Foundation in 2015. Since then, young scientists are nominated annually to participate in the three natural science Nobel Prize disciplines of physiology and medicine, physics and chemistry, which are run in alternate years under the auspices of funding from the DST. The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings are designed to foster engagement of young scientists from all over the world to have in-depth exchanges with Nobel Laureates. This year the natural science theme is physics and South Africa is hosting the International Day. Our young scientists will have an opportunity to showpiece their science and culture to the world.
The South African young scientists are: Tariq Blecher, Rhodes University/Square Kilometre Array (SKA); Stive Djiokop, Nelson Mandela University (NMU); Jake Gordin, University of Cape Town (UCT); Thandi Gumede, University of the Free State (UFS); Arthur Harrisson, University of Pretoria (UP); Julia Healy, UCT/ South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO); Jan Louw, Stellenbosch University; Genevéve Marx, NMU; Itumeleng Monageng, UCT/ South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO); Francis Otieno, University of the Witwatersrand (Wits); Valentine Saasa, UP/Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); Michael Sarkis, Wits; Hester Schutte, North-West University (NWU); Katekani Shingange, UFS; Sinenhlanhla Sikhosana, University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN); Kimeel Sooknunan, UCT; Tanita Ramburuth-Hurt, Wits; Johannes Thiersen, NWU; Nicole Thomas, University of the Western Cape (UWC)/ SARAO; Danielle Venter, NMU.
At the send-off meeting they spoke to, among others, alumni who attended the meetings in previous years to learn what to expect at the prestigious gathering.
They will join 580 young scientists from 89 countries and 42 Nobel Laureates in this year’s Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings have been held annually at Lindau, Germany, since 1951.
In Lindau, the young scientists will experience a six-day programme with numerous lectures and panel discussions. They will also have the opportunity to meet the biggest science names in physics when they are introduced to the Lindau Nobel Laureates.