Five TUT teachers and researchers have been nominated for seven awards on this 12 months’s prestigious National Science and Technology Forum-South32 (NSTF-South32) Awards scheduled for 16 July 2026.
Prof Kurien is nominated for the Science for Diplomacy Award and the Innovation Award: Corporate Organisation.
Dubbed the “Science Oscars” of South Africa, the NSTF-South32 Awards recognise excellent contributions to science, engineering, know-how and innovation by people, groups and organisations.
Full Professor within the Department of Electrical Engineering, Anish Kurien, and Associate Professor within the Department of Information Technology, Topside Mathonsi, have every been nominated for two awards in several classes.
Prof Kurien, a National Research Foundation (NRF)-rated researcher and the Director of the French South African Institute of Technology (F’SATI), acquired the nod for the Science for Diplomacy Award and the Innovation Award: Corporate Organisation. While Prof Mathonsi, who can be the Head of Department of Information Technology, has been chosen for the Management Award and the TW Kambule-NSTF Award: Emerging Researcher. Also nominated for the TW Kambule-NSTF Award: Emerging Researcher is Dr Nangamso Nyangiwe, a Lecturer within the Department of Physics within the Faculty of Science.
TUT’s highest-ranked NRF-rated researcher and creator of greater than 300 articles in peer-reviewed publications, Prof Alvaro Viljoen, is up for the Lifetime Achievement Award. Viljoen, whose analysis experience is in botanical sciences, can be the Department of Science, Technology-National Research Foundation (DSTI-NRF) Chair in Phytomedicine beneath the auspices of the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI). Receiving the nod for the Communication Award is Prof Raymond Jansen, a Full Professor within the Department of Environmental, Water and Earth Sciences within the Faculty of Science.
Now in its 28th 12 months, the winners of the 2025-2026 NSTF-South32 Awards can be introduced at simultaneous occasions in Cape Town and Johannesburg, beneath the theme “Healthy Ageing”, in keeping with the United Nations’ proclamation of 2021-2030 because the Decade of Healthy Ageing.
Prof Mathonsi acquired the nod for the Management Award and the TW Kambule-NSTF Award: Emerging Researcher.
Dr Nangamso Nyangiwe is chosen for the TW Kambule-NSTF Award: Emerging Researcher.
Prof Alvaro Viljoen is up for the Lifetime Award.
Prof Raymond Jansen is vying for the Communication Award.