Three up-and-coming scientists from South Africa distinguished as “Green Talents” 2011 in Berlin
Parliamentary State Secretary Thomas Rachel honours the winners of the international sustainability competition “Green Talents”
Three South African researchers were awarded the renowned “Green Talents” sustainability prize on 15 December 2011. Climate change, water shortages, a loss of biodiversity and a lack of raw materials all urgent social challenges which the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research aims to draw to the attention of science, business and politics in Germany in its second programme supporting “Research on sustainable development”.
Achieving sustainability, however, is a global undertaking. Schemes like Green Talents help to promote that cultural plurality and creativity which encourages the development of global solutions. That is why we intend to intensify global exchange between young researchers in the field of environmental and sustainability research,” explained the Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Thomas Rachel, Member of the German Bundestag at the award ceremony in Berlin.
The year 2011 was the third time that the BMBF had organised the international competition, which is aimed at exceptional young scientists active in the field of sustainable development. A total of 331 young researchers from 58 different countries entered. A jury made up of high-ranking German experts including Professor Dr Klaus Töpfer, Executive Director of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Pots-dam, Professor Dr Achim Bachem, Chairman of Forschungszentrum Jülich, and Professor Dr Jürgen Schmid, Director of the Fraunhofer IWES, selected the 20 prize-winners.
The jury sought out research projects that have the potential to contend with global threats such as global warming, energy shortages and massive environmental contamination. These new Green Talents bring the number of young sustainability researchers in the BMBF’s global network up to 55 award-winners from 19 different countries.
No less than three of the prize-winners came from South Africa. Dr Dyllon Garth Randall of the University of Cape Town is examining potential ways of processing wastewater from mines, and has developed a completely new technology which allows the saline solutions produced there to be processed. The jury highlighted the global significance of his research work which contributes towards a sustainable solution to urgent problems such as water contamination and water shortages. Dr Owen Horwood is studying for a PhD at the University of Oxford, and impressed the jury with his significant expertise in the field of water management and by his publications on the subject.
Alanna Rebelo, who is studying for masters at Stellenbosch University, was distinguished for her interdisciplinary research work in which she is seeking solutions towards the preservation of biological diversity in the face of global development. Before the award ceremony in Berlin, the Green Talents were invited on a journey across Germany as part of a ten-day science forum hosted by Germany’s Federal Minister of Education and Research, Professor Dr Annette Schavan, who is also patron of the competition.
The Green Talents visited internationally important research facilities, universities and companies. “The forum week provided me with a unique opportunity to acquaint myself with pioneering projects in various areas of technology, and to network with German experts and young scientists,” said Alanna Rebelo, Green Talent from South Africa. A total of 21 South African scientists applied for the 2011 competition. The three new award-winners bring the total number of Green Talents from South Africa up to six.
Over the coming year the prize-winners will be able to stay in Germany for several months for research purposes, the intention being to deepen a global exchange in sustainability research.
Green Talents 2011 prize-winners from South Africa:
Herr Owen HORWOOD (South Africa), PhD, Specialist Consultant: Environmental Sustainability, South Africa, Research focus: Water Policy and Governance in South Africa
Herr Dyllon Garth RANDALL (South Africa), PhD, University of Cape Town, South Africa, Research focus: Crystallization and Precipitation to Treat Waste Water
Frau Alanna Jane REBELO (South Africa), Master Student, Stellenbosch University, South Africa, Research focus: Conservation Ecology
“Green Talents” 2011
Herr Cristian Guillermo GEBHARDT (Argentina), PhD Candidate, National University of Cordoba, Argentina, Research focus: Numerical Simulations of the Aeroelastic Behaviour of Large-Scale Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbines
Frau Ana Paula BORTOLETO (Brazil), PhD, University of Sheffield, Great Britain, Research focus: Waste Prevention Policies
Frau GUAN Ting (China), PhD Candidate, Zhejiang University, China, Research focus:Environmental Policy and Governance
Herr LI Yangfan (China), PhD, Nanjing University, China and Cornell University, Ithaca, USA, Research focus: Urban Ecology
Herr XUE Bing (China), PhD, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang City, China, Research focus: Regional Industrial Ecosystems
Frau ZHOU Jin (China), MEng, MSc, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore,Research focus: Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment Models
Herr Ricardo Andrés IBÁÑEZ GUTIÉRREZ (Colombia), PhD Candidate, University of Hong Kong, China, Research focus: Eco-Productive Architecture
Frau Sandra Patricia ZAPATA PORRAS (Colombia), PhD Candidate, Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia, Research focus: Bioprocessing of Natural Products, Emphasis on Food Colorants
Herr Rajeev Pratap SINGH (India), PhD, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, Research focus: Land Application of Sewage Sludge
Herr Yatendra SINGH CHAUDHARY (India), PhD, University of Oxford, Great Britain, Research focus: Solar-Radiation-Driven Generation of Solar Fuels
Herr Nnaemeka Chidiebere IKEGWUONU (Nigeria), MSc, The Smallholders Foundation, Owerri, Nigeria, Research focus: Communication on Sustainable Development Practices for Rural Nigerian Farmers
Frau Maribel ZAPATER PEREYRA (Peru), PhD Candidate, Universidad del Valle, Colombia and UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands,Research focus: Sustainable Water Sanitation
Frau Liudmila NAZARKINA (Russia), PhD Candidate, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland,Research focus: Growth Strategies of Sustainability Entrepreneurs
Herr Victor SIM (Singapore), PhD Candidate, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, Research focus: Desalination and Water Re-Use
Herr Rafael LUQUE (Spain), PhD, University of Cordoba, Spain, Research focus: Biofuels and Valorisation of Biomass and Waste
Frau Najwa OBEID (USA), PhD Candidate, University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign, USA, Research focus: Sustainable and Integrated Water Resource Management
Herr Pham Van QUAN (Vietnam), PhD, Hanoi Architectural University, Vietnam, Research focus: Energy-Saving Techniques to Mitigate Climate Change
For more information about the competition, the winners and the places visited during the forum week, visit www.greentalents.de.