The 2024/2025 South Africa National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Awards recently held simultaneous ceremonies in Johannesburg and Cape Town, celebrating outstanding achievements in science, engineering, technology, and innovation over the past year. Among the distinguished honorees was South African Chinese scientist and member of the Academy of Science of South Africa, Professor Ma Yinzhe, who received the Researcher Award in the individual contributions category.
Ma Yinzhe (center) with South Africa's Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Gina (left), and awards committee member Boter (right) at the ceremony.
Photo courtesy of the organizer.
The judging committee recognized Professor Ma, Director of Astrophysics at Stellenbosch University, for his groundbreaking contributions to detecting the "missing baryons" in the universe—faint, diffuse matter located outside galaxy clusters. His pioneering methods for studying how these baryons interact have played a pivotal role in understanding galaxy formation and evolution. The Researcher Award honors his transformative research on the large-scale structure of the universe.
In his keynote speech, Dr. Blade Nzimande, South Africa's Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, emphasized the nation's commitment to placing science, technology, and innovation at the center of government, education, industry, and society. He said that South Africa is home to some of the prominent scientists, researchers, and innovators, who are developing sustainable solutions to national challenges.
Professor Ma, reflecting on his decade-long journey in South Africa, shared that his goal was to develop new radio astronomy approaches to study the universe's large-scale structure. He expressed gratitude to the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Stellenbosch University for providing him the freedom to conduct independent, uninterrupted research.
Now in its 27th edition, this year's awards coincide with the NSTF's 30th anniversary. Sixteen categories honored excellence across scientific, engineering, technological, and innovative fields. Aligning with the United Nations' declaration of 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, a special theme award was introduced this year—the Quantum Science and Technology Award. Beyond showcasing South Africa's scientific advancements to the public, the NSTF Awards also launched a year-long initiative connecting winners with students, aiming to inspire youth to pursue careers in research and education.
Source: Science and Technology Daily, VOC
