Dr. Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation, has hailed a new agreement between South Africa and Italy that would lead to the growth of basic and computational sciences in South Africa.
This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Institute of Theoretical Physics of South Africa (NITheCS) and the Abdus Salam International Centre of Theoretical Physics of Trieste (ICTP) at the World Science Forum in Cape Town last week.
In the presence of Nzimande, NITheCS Director Prof. Francesco Petruccione and ICTP Director Prof. Atish Dabholkar signed the agreement.
Nzimande believes that the relationship will not only give crucial support for fundamental research in South Africa, but will also serve as a template for future international partnerships in the subject.
Under the terms of the agreement, the two institutions will collaborate on a variety of projects, including the advancement of theoretical and computational research and education in South Africa and the interchange of scientists and students between the two nations.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with NITheCS to support the growth of theoretical physics in South Africa,” said Dabholkar.
“This collaboration will provide valuable international opportunities for South African scientists and students and those at ICTP to work together and advance their research,” he added.
The department said the MoU is a significant step forward in the relationship between ICTP and NITheCS.
“It will have a positive impact on the development of theoretical and computational sciences in South Africa and Africa,” noted Petruccione.
The NITheCS offers a platform for research, training, and participation in the fields of theoretical physics, astronomy and astrophysics, data science, mathematics, statistics, quantitative finance, bioinformatics and quantitative biology, earth systems modelling, and climate change modelling.
According to Dabholkar, the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) is a one-of-a-kind institution that investigates fundamental scientific questions at the highest level, promotes active engagement with scientists in developing countries, and promotes global cooperation through science.
Scientists there undertake rigorous, brilliant, and inquisitive research in frontier and multidisciplinary disciplines such as string theory, cosmology, and black holes, as well as quantum computing, climate science, and quantitative life sciences.
Please visit www.nithecs.ac.za and www.ictp.it to find out more about these institutions.