Dr Fanelwa Ngece-Ajayi Photo: Facebook Dr Fanelwa Ngece-Ajayi Photo: Facebook
Cape Town – UWC’s Dr Fanelwa Ngece-Ajayi has been selected to be part of the Next Einstein Forum’s (NEF) 2019-2021 Fellows programme, which brings together Africa’s most brilliant young scientists.
The forum is a platform for young scientists to share their work and help develop a generation of “scientific geniuses” who can solve the world’s most pressing challenges.
“It’s a great honour and pleasure being selected an NEF Fellow. It helps me see my issues as an emerging scientist in South Africa are not isolated, but are felt all across this continent by those aimed at solving the real issues affecting real people - and at ensuring the continent’s future,” said Dr Ajayi.
The forum connects science, society and policy in Africa and the rest of the world, with the goal to leverage science for human development.
Ajayi is a senior lecturer in physical chemistry at UWC, and research leader at the university’s Enzyme Sensor Laboratory, SensorLab, where she works on drug metabolism nano biosensors for antiretrovirals and tuberculosis treatment drugs.
She has been elected to the South African Young Academy of Sciences, received UWC’s academic achievers excellence award, and was named one of South Africa’s Inspiring Fifty 2018.
She’s also the founder and leader of the non-profit organisation AmaQawe ngeMfundo, which aims to change the negative stereotypes about Stem at township schools, and helped establish KasiMaths - a scalable low-cost maths hub for learners in marginalised communities.
“Community engagement is essential in order for scientists to learn to communicate with the public at large, so that their work can be understood better and so that the youth can receive a proper foundation in science and exposure to the field,” Ajayi said.
“With enough willpower, any child can succeed, no matter their background or circumstances.
“Academia is important, but so is the need for more academics to engage with the community at large and to educate others about what they do.
“We need to continuously encourage the youth about the importance of education and how that can be used to solve their immediate issues.”
The NEF aims to make Africa a global hub for science and technology.
“I look forward to this new chapter of my life with joy at the thought of joining a new network of African leaders whose work is aimed at solving Africa’s issues and challenges through excellent research work,” said Ajayi.