VENUE: SANLAM AUDITORIUM
PROGRAMME DIRECTOR (Dr Sekelwa Cosa, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology)
PROGRAMME:
DAY 1 (29 AUGUST 2023)
08:00 – 08:30 Registration
08:30 – 08:40 Welcome (Prof Sunil Maharaj – Vice-Principal: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Education)
08:40 – 08:50 Opening (Prof Barend Erasmus – Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences)
Session 1: Next-Generation Agriculture (Chair: Prof Esté van Marle-Köster)
08:50 - 09:50 Invited presentations by:
Prof Christine Maritz-Olivier (Integrated tick control: Creating partnerships to transfer solutions from lab to farmer)
Dr Danie Jordaan (Agribusiness research to support sustainability in a VUCA world)
Dr Linde du Toit (Smart technologies to improve livestock greenhouse gas emissions reporting)
Dr Michael van der Laan (Harvesting 4IR Success: Strategies for Boosting Yields in Commercial and Small-Scale Farming)
09:50 – 10:10 Panel discussion
10:10 – 10:40 Tea
10:40 –11:40 Ian Edwards (Philanthropic fundraising consultant hosting a Capacity Building Workshop on Fundraising)
Session 2: Energy (Chair: Prof Patrick Ndungu)
11:40 – 12:40 Invited presentations by:
Prof Ncholu Manyala (Biomass-derived activated carbon for sustainable supercapacitor applications)
Dr Shankara Radhakrishnan (Reduction of Carbon Footprint via Green Hydrogen production and CO2 electroreduction)
Prof Adam Bumby (White Hydrogen occurrences in Mpumalanga Province- a possible cheap, renewable energy source for small-scale ‘standalone’ electricity production)
Dr Nolwazi Nombona (A green approach towards transparent conductive films for optoelectronic devices)
12:40 – 13:00 Panel Discussion
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch (First 15 minutes: Sponsored talk by Microsep/Waters)
Session 3: Environment and Biodiversity (Chair: Prof Nigel Barker)
14:00 – 15:00 Invited presentations by:
Prof Rebecca Garland (Southern African atmospheric composition and air quality)
Prof Mark Robertson (Ant communities are changing in response to increasing temperatures in the Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains)
Prof Brenda Wingfield (Unveiling the Hidden Kingdom: Exploring the Synergy of Fungal Genomics and Biodiversity Conservation)
Prof Abel Ramoelo (Monitoring and assessing the environment for societal impacts: Earth Observation perspectives)
15:00 – 15:20 Panel Discussion
DAY 2 (30 AUGUST 2023)
08:00 – 08:25 Registration
08:30 – 08:35 Introduction of keynote speaker (By Prof Barend Erasmus - Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences)
08:35 – 09:00 Keynote speaker: Dr Phil Mjwara, Director General, Department of Science and Innovation
Session 4: Health and Well-being (Chair: Prof Natalie Schellack)
09:00 – 10:00 Invited presentations by:
Prof Lyn-Marie Birkholtz (Health innovations in infectious diseases: opportunities for impact in southern Africa)
Prof Vinesh Maharaj (African medicinal plants as a panacea to the continent’s health challenges)
Prof Darren Riley (Application of advanced chemical manufacturing technologies for the realisation of a competitive regional pharmaceutical manufacturing sector)
Dr Samkelo Malgas (The use of prebiotics and probiotics for gut health – what we know and where we are going)
10:00 – 10:20 Panel Discussion
10:20 – 10:50 Tea
Session 5: Food Systems and Security (Chair: Dr Marinda Visser)
10:50 – 11:50 Invited presentations by:
Dr Colleta Gandidzanwa (Research and capacity building for sustainable African food systems)
Prof Lise Korsten (Food Security at a tipping point; are we heading for Zero Food)
Prof Naushad Emmambux (Innovation to manufacture SMART foods for food and nutrition security)
Dr Selma T Karuaihe (The role of agricultural economics in shaping the food systems agenda: national to global)
11:50 – 12:10 Panel Discussion
Lunch (12:10 – 13:10) (First 15 minutes: Sponsored talk by Inqaba Biotec)
Session 6: Big data (Chair: Prof Bernardo Rodrigues)
13:10 – 14:10 Invited presentations by:
Prof Jacek Banasiak (Mathematical Models in Science)
Prof Eben Maré (Risk homeostasis and the hamster)
Dr Kshitij Thorat (Translating Astronomical Big Data into Patterns of Discovery)
Dr Eder Kikianty (Yet another overview of vector spaces)
14:10 – 14:30 Panel Discussion
14:30 – 14:40 Closure and vote of thanks
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