Following the introduction of a dedicated strategy and portfolio for research and innovation in 2011, Unisa is experiencing exciting times of change and growth. In 2012, the institution continued on its journey towards becoming a formidable hub of meaningful research output and achievement that is aligned with national imperatives, by approving five Unisa research chairs in High Performance Scientific Computing, Ecotoxicology Research, Macroeconomic Policy Analysis, Superconductivity Energy Technology, and Topology Research.
According to Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, Vice-Principal of Research and Innovation, the Unisa Research Chairs Programme reflects the commitment of Unisa’s leadership to research excellence. “The programme is designed to help our university to achieve research excellence in different disciplines and will play an important role in building on Unisa’s growing reputation as a key player in research and innovation in South Africa and internationally.”
Chair incumbents are professors Moritz Braun in High Performance Scientific Computing, Malose Mphahlele in Ecotoxicology Research, Nicholas Odhiambo in Macroeconomic Policy Analysis, Srinivasu Vallabhapurapu in Superconductivity Energy Technology, and Themba Dube in Topology Research.
While funding for the chairs over the three years will cost more than R26 million, this will be offset by the average outputs from each chair, which are expected to be two master’s and two doctoral graduations from the second year, as well as three publications annually from the first year. In that sense, the monetary benefits, including the social impact of these chairs, outweigh the financial investment by Unisa through this programme.
Phakeng concludes: “The chairholders are working in areas of strategic importance to South Africa and so the investments that we are making as part of this programme will contribute towards South Africa’s depth of knowledge and quality of life, strengthen Unisa’s national and international competitiveness, and help train the next generation of highly skilled people.”
Professor Themba Dube – Topology Research
Prof. Themba Dube is pictured with his CSET colleagues, Prof. Augustin Batubenge, Prof Inderasan Naidoo, Dr Gugu Moche, and Prof. Seithuti Moshoka
Professor Themba Dube says that the research he plans to do is in pointfree topology. “It has recently come to light that much deeper probing in this area of mathematics is best facilitated by means of the use of category theory. It is for that reason that the focus of the Topology Chair will be made sharper by incorporating category theory.
To bring this to fruition, Dube has recruited a newly appointed member of the Department of Mathematical Sciences, Dr James Gray, to be part of the Topology Research Group, as his area of expertise is category theory. “Whereas earlier publications of myself and my main collaborator, Professor Inderasan Naidoo, have been more on the traditional side of pointfree topology, our recent papers have a great deal of categorical leanings, which has increased the readership.” This, he added, was attested to by the number of requests for their recent papers, and citations, albeit to a minor extent, by the more categorically inclined authors. “Thus, sharpening the focus the way I propose to do will certainly broaden collaboration with eminent international scholars.”
Dube said that the other focus he was directing the research towards is that of what are called algebraic frames. This is a burgeoning field driven most prolifically by Professor Jorge Martinez of the University of Florida, USA, and, according to Dube, the leader in this area. “He is going to visit our research group in September, the College of Science, Engineering and Technology Innovation Month. In recognition of my work in related areas, Martinez has for two consecutive years invited me as a speaker to conferences with a focus in algebraic frames. The first was in 2011 at Kansas University, and the second in 2012 at Florida University.”
Dube’s PhD student, Oghenetega Ighedo, is also doing her PhD in a topic that expounds certain aspects of algebraic frames.
Professor Nicholas Odhiambo – Macroeconomic Policy Analysis
Prof. Nicholas Odhiambo, Macroeconomic Policy Analysis
Professor Nicholas Odhiambo is a seasoned researcher with an impeccable academic record. In 2010, he became the first Unisa economics professor to obtain an NRF rating (C2). He says that the Research Chair of Macroeconomic Policy will evaluate some of the macroeconomic policies that have a bearing on socioeconomic issues, such as economic growth, employment, and poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa, with the aim of providing customised and tailor-made policy advice to individual countries.
“It is anticipated that the empirical findings emanating from this programme will provide timely warning signals and corrective policy measures to individual countries on a case-by-case basis,” says Odhiambo. “The research programme is expected to be multifaceted and interdisciplinary in nature. It will incorporate a number of research activities. And these will, invariably, differ from country to country, and over time.”
Odhiambo adds that, given the complexity of macroeconomic policy research in general, the rigour and the scope of research conducted by the chair will be determined largely by the scholarly contribution of the research, as well as the socioeconomic dynamics of the studied countries. “In other words, eh says, “the research conducted by the chair will not only be scientifically rigorous, but will also be policy-relevant to sub-Saharan Africa countries.” He also believes that, considering the size of the research programme, the number of projects undertaken in a particular year will depend largely on the number of postgraduate students, as well as the postdoctoral fellows attracted to the programme. “The findings of this research will not only serve as early warning signals to countries included in this study; but they could also provide timely corrective options to other African countries that are facing similar socioeconomic challenges,” he concluded.
Professor Moritz Braun – High Performance Scientific Computing
Prof. Moritz Braun, High Performance Scientific Computing
According to Professor Moritz Braun, in the Research Chair of High Performance Scientific Computing, the postdoctoral fellow, as well as the PhD and MSc students, will undertake research activities mainly in, although not limited to, two topics in the broad domain of computational physics.
The first of these is the calculation of the properties of atoms, molecules and solids using the method of finite elements in three dimensions. Braun says that the method of finite elements was originally developed by applied mathematicians and engineers, but has during the last 25 years also been used by theoretical physicists to solve the Schroedinger equation in one, two and three dimensions. “Both the Hartree Fock and density functional formalisms will be used. The resulting eigenvalue problems are of very large order and require the use of the Unisa High Performance Cluster.”
The second topic is the simulation of seismic processes making use of parallel processing to estimate parameters describing the structure of the substrate or the seafloor.
Braun adds that the research chair will also provide some training to interested researchers on the tools and methods required for high performance computing (HPC). In addition, the research chair will be available to assist researchers in other quantitative disciplines with evaluating their research questions as to whether HPC can be used for them.
Professor Vijaya Srinivasu Vallabhapurapu – Superconductivity Technology
Prof. Vijaya Srinivasu Vallabhapurapu, Superconductivity Technology
Current renewable energy technologies have not grown to an optimum level where they can replace the traditional ones, says Professor Srinivasu Vallabhapurapu. “At the same time the traditional ones are also not producing enough energy. This produces a strategic gap between production and utilisation. The demand for energy is ever increasing and production is not able to meet the demand. In these circumstances of ‘energy crisis’ worldwide and in particular South Africa, energy storage and energy-saving strategies are gaining in significance.” He says that superconductivity technology offers great energy savings, in hundreds of billions of dollars, and minimisation of energy wastage as compared to any technology, which is why first-world countries are pushing this technology.
Vallabhapurapu points out that superconductivity technology research is one of the focus areas of Unisa. “It will be a unique platform in the country, which will help develop skills and build capacity in this area. Thus, Unisa will be a hub of activity for superconductivity niche-area research in the country, building a network with other universities that will integrate related technologies into superconductivity research.” He believes that establishing this research platform is very important and urgent because this will help SA to get ready to embrace superconductivity technology by 2020 when this technology penetrates energy markets. “We not only want to build capacity in this highly advanced area, but, by 2020, SA should be one of the key international players in this technology.”
There are some exciting technologies and by-products in store in this field, says Vallabhapurapu. “This chair shall focus on establishing a research platform of superconductivity science and technology for the development of energy-saving technologies like ‘superconducting cable’ and energy storage technology such as ‘superconducting flywheel’. We will also be developing, as by-products of this primary focus, areas related to SQUID-based ‘medical imaging’ and ‘advanced electronics’, as well. The idea, he says, is to make South Africa ready by 2020 to ride the ‘superconductivity wave’. “By then, Unisa will be the vehicle equipped with expertise, manpower, equipment and international reputation to ride this wave.”
Applied activities of the proposed research programme are an African superconducting cable for lossless power transmission and a superconducting flywheel for energy storage. In addition, Vallabhapurapu says that understanding fundamental properties is very important while tailoring the superconducting materials that will be used in the above-mentioned applications. “We will research fundamental properties of high temperature superconductivity in both existing and newly discovered superconductors, and superconductivity in novel systems.”
Come and find out more about these exciting new research chairs during Research and Innovation Week from 11 to 15 March 2013.
*Compiled by Sharon Farrell
