Capacity building

South Africa is shortlisted to host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the most powerful radio telescope ever. South Africa is building an SKA technology pathfinder telescope, the Karoo Array Telescope (known as MeerKAT).

The SKA South Africa Project, including the MeerKAT telescope, is one of the biggest science and engineering projects in South Africa. The SKA therefore represents an unrivalled opportunity for the development of very high level skills and expertise in Africa. This will allow Africa to be a significant contributor to the global knowledge economy.

SKA technologies include, amongst others, the construction of large precision structures using modern composite materials, novel designs for wideband antennas and receivers, high-speed digital signal processing and transport, reconfigurable and parallel computing platforms, and low-cost, high reliability control and monitoring systems for large scientific infrastructures.

In 2005 the South African SKA Project initiated a targeted “Youth into Science and Engineering Programme” to develop highly skilled young scientists and engineers. The young people supported by this programme will serve South Africa, and our African partner countries, in the future in key areas of economic development in addition to their participation in “blue skies” scientific research.

The programme offers comprehensive bursaries to students in engineering, mathematics, physics and astronomy at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Bursary holders benefit from regular workshops and student conferences, where they interact with the world’s leading astronomers. To date more than 80 postgraduate students (from South Africa and the rest of the African continent) and about 40 undergraduate students are studying or have studied with SKA bursaries and are on their way to being a part of South Africa’s exciting future in radio astronomy.