Annual Research Symposium Promises Insight into COVID-19, UKZN Research

UKZN’s College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science (CAES) is delving into what things will look like in 2021 in light of the COVID-19 pandemic at its annual Postgraduate Research and Innovation Symposium (PRIS), with Director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) and co-chair of the South African COVID-19 Ministerial Advisory Committee Professor Salim Abdool Karim presenting a keynote address that will set the tone for two days of presentations of UKZN students’ best research.

To be held virtually via Zoom on 10 and 11 December, the PRIS will crown what has been a challenging year for the country, with universities no exception. Despite this, researchers and scientists have demonstrated the importance of their work to address vital aspects of the fallout of a global pandemic, from issues of understanding epidemiological models, to developing excellent testing regimes, to issues of sanitation and food security in a pandemic-stricken world, and far more.

The PRIS is always a highlight in the University calendar, drawing hundreds of staff, students, and industry partners from across the three UKZN campuses the College operates on, and draws attention to the cutting-edge, collaborative research being undertaken by postgraduate students and the supervisors, partners, technicians, and industry representatives that contribute to UKZN’s successful research programmes.

The Symposium has risen to the challenges presented by COVID-19, and Abdool Karim’s presentation will hone in on epidemic trends in South Africa, explore how the meaning of science has changed in the era of Covid-19, and reflect on what can be anticipated in 2021 and beyond. Abdool Karim, a clinical infectious diseases epidemiologist widely recognised for his contributions to HIV prevention and treatment, is Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research at UKZN. One of the world’s most highly cited scientists, his presentation will highlight the importance of “following the science” in addressing the pandemic.

Following this presentation will be two days of parallel sessions in which postgraduate students in the College’s Schools of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Science, Chemistry and Physics, Engineering, Life Sciences, and Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science will present their research as oral or flash presentations, providing insight into themes and innovations that are driving the University’s agricultural, engineering and scientific efforts.

The Symposium always enjoys strong support from industry, and this year will be no different as close to 20 organisations, institutes and companies rally to sponsor prizes for excellent presentations, as well as lucky draws.

Guests are invited to join the virtual research extravaganza by registering on the PRIS website: https://pris.ukzn.ac.za.

ENQUIRIES:       

Dr Sally Frost
Email: frost@ukzn.ac.za
Cell: 0731691409

Ms Leena Rajpal
Email: Rajpall@ukzn.ac.za
Phone:  +27 31 260 7065 or 0828230853

Ms. Samantha Ngcongo
Email: ncongcos@ukzn.ac.za
Phone: +27 31 260 8470

INDUSTRY PRESENTATION PROGRAMME

Thursday 10 December

09h50 – 10h55      Session 1

Timeslot	Organisation	Topic	Presenters
09h50–09h55	UKZN	Introduction	Christine Cuenod
09h55–10h05	Amazon.com	Come build the future with us	Thembisa Ntulini and Shelley Freswick
10h05–10h15	Anton Paar	Anton Paar’s innovation highlights at Achema	Manju Naicker
10h15–10h25	Elsevier	Elsevier congratulates UKZN on continued research excellence	John Sterley and Daneshree Moodley
10h25–10h35	Eskom	Igula Pumped Storage Scheme	Nonkululeko Shezi
10h35–10h45	Inqaba Biotec	How well do you know Inqaba Biotec?	Pule Shabalala
10h45–10h55	SACNASP	Welcome to SACNASP	Sarah van Aardt

10h55 – 11h10      Break

11h10 – 11h50      Session 2

Timeslot	Organisation	Topic	Presenters
11h10–11h20	2Cana Solutions	2Cana Solutionsh  Enabling digital transformation	Charles Cowan
11h20–11h30	NRF	NRF funding opportunities for Emerging Researchers	Thandeka Mthethwa
11h30–11h40	SANAS	The impact of SANAS Accreditation on operational performance of laboratories	Shadrack Phophi
11h40–11h50	Westfalia Fruit	Career opportunities at Westfalia	Agnes Ramafalo

11h50 – 12h05      Break

12h05 – 12h55      Session 3

Timeslot	Organisation	Topic	Presenters
12h05–12h15	Anatech	The Thermo Scientific LCMS Portfolio	Bridget Calder
12h15–12h25	Apex Scientific	Apex Scientific – Bringing global technology to your laboratory	Mikayla Raman and Premanthra Naicker
12h25–12h35	Lasec	Lasec – Empowering Africa’s Development	Bruce Pillay
12h35–12h45	Merck	Merck – Who we are	Samantha Nicholson
12h45–12h55	Thermo Fisher	Thermo Fisher:  The World Leader in Serving Science	Suvina Bisnath, Neliswa Nhlabatsi, Raveshni Durgiah, Pholisiwe Mbona