Ten top young scientists selected for prestigious Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) has successfully nominated ten top young scientists from South Africa to attend the 70th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting which will be an interdisciplinary meeting dedicated to the disciplines of Chemistry, Physics and Physiology/Medicine, later this year in Lindau, Germany.

ASSAf, as the official partner of the Lindau Foundation and with funding from the Department of Science and Innovation, annually nominates young scientists to attend the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings which are designed as a forum for young scientists from all over the world to have an in-depth exchange with Nobel Laureates. South Africa last year hosted the International Day during the meeting week.

The South African young scientists are: Gina Leisching, Stellenbosch University; Joyful Elma Mdhluli, University of the Witwatersrand; Mantwa Annah Lephoto, University of South Africa; Martin Page, Stellenbosch University; Nabila Ismail, University of Pretoria; Nqobile Xaba, Tshwane University of Technology; Percy Hohne, Central University of Technology; Rabelani Mudzielwana, University of Venda; Sunaina Indermun, University of the Witwatersrand and Zamani Cele, University of KwaZulu-Natal,

They will join 660 young scientists from 101 countries who will participate from 28 June to 3 July 2020, along with 70 Nobel laureates in this year’s Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings have been held annually at Lindau, Germany, since 1951.

Successful participants are outstanding undergraduate and postgraduate students and postdoctoral students under 35 years of age, in the disciplines of Chemistry, Physics and Physiology/Medicine as this 70th meeting is an interdisciplinary meeting.

They were selected after a multi-stage international selection process. The selected young scientists may expect a six-day programme with numerous lectures and panel discussions. Many see the chance to present their own research work at one of the master classes or at the poster session as a special opportunity.

Prof Himla Soodyall, Executive Officer of ASSAf, was pleased that ten South African young scientists (six females, and four males) will be attending this year’s Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting.  “They have an opportunity to engage with Nobel Laureates and other scholars in their fields and I hope that the young scientists will take advantage of these interactions and use the opportunity to build networks for future collaborative research.” She added that: “Interdisciplinary research allows for the synthesis of ideas and the synthesis of characteristics from many disciplines. At the same time, it addresses students’ individual differences and helps to develop important, transferable skills.”