[Article by Amber Viviers]
Several postdoctoral research fellows and mentors from the Faculty of Engineering were recently celebrated for their exceptional performance in contributing to Stellenbosch University’s research productivity and impact in Africa and beyond.
The faculty’s postdoctoral fellows and researchers play a vital role in the university’s strategic vision toward becoming a leading research university in Africa. The two postdocs fellows, Jafaru Egieya and Fariborz Shaahmadi, both from the Department of Process Engineering, were honoured for their contributions to the academic performance at SU.
Mentors also have an influential role in shaping postdoctoral research fellows’ future and career trajectories. Prof Bernard Bekker from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Prof Richard Walls from the Department of Civil Engineering received the Eugene Cloete Outstanding Postdoc Mentor Award. The winners are honoured for their excellence in leadership, commitment to Postdoctoral Researcher development and excellence in the advancement of future research.
Prof Thomas Niesler from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Prof Johann Görgens from the Department of Process Engineering was awarded the Distinguished Postdoc Mentor awards. This award is presented every five years and recognises mentorship excellence regarding the number of Postdoctoral Research Fellows supported over the same period and the financial investment in fellowship amounts. The cut-off selection was set at 20 Postdoctoral Research Fellows.
The university has ambitious plans to grow the postdoc cohort from 356 this year to 600 within the next two years.
Read the full article on Stellenbosch University’s website.
Photograph: Dr Fariborz Shaahmadi (left) and Dr Jafaru Egieya (right).
