Media Statement from Prof Nqabomzi Gawe, DUT Deputy Vice Chancellor: Institutional Support
Durban University of Technology (DUT) is proud to announce that two scientists from the Centre for Advanced Computer Modelling and Manufacturing (ADCOMM) have been granted the prestigious CV Raman Fellowship Award, for the African Researchers’ Programme, by the government of India.
Professor Richard (Ramu) Naidoo and his doctoral research candidate Chanilall Dwarika, will collaborate with leading experts in the field of renewable energy, particularly in photovoltaic solar engineering, computer science and education.
Prof Naidoo is an esteemed academic and scientist locally and internationally and has been awarded the CV Raman Senior Fellowship award. His research areas include Advanced Computer Dynamics, Information Communication Technology and Education. He has published extensively in Peer Review Journals, has written and co-authored books and has delivered over 50 peer reviewed conference papers, workshops and reports. He has been involved in numerous research collaborations and community outreach projects.
Prof Naidoo is one of three successful candidates in Africa to receive the Raman Senior Fellowship. He also aims to establish links with various institutions in India and intends on collaborating with researchers, scientists and manufacturing experts. The fellowship provides a platform to collaborate with technology centres and to create academic relationships between Africa and Asia. Prof Naidoo said using the skills obtained from the fellowship students at DUT will guide business development in the field of renewable energy to create companies that will be geared to contribute to economic growth in South Africa. The fellowship will also improve research, design and manufacturing which will be beneficial in the development of a prototype manufacturing plant for photovoltaic cells.
Dwarika, an ADCOMM doctoral research candidate, received the fellowship as one of six candidates in Africa. His area of expertise is Photovoltaic Engineering. In the field of Television Engineering, he was employed at SABC from 1982 to 1996 where he gained experience with Opto Electro transducers and CCD structures with video cameras. Dwarika has extensive experience in the conversion of optical images into video signals. His field of research also embraces photovoltaic engineering and engineering and application of Opto Electro transducers such as photovoltaic solar panels.
Dwarika welcomed the research fellowship award which will give him the opportunity to study and explore his research interests. He intends using this opportunity to produce alternative and affordable solar power electricity, manufactured in South Africa using local material. He said: “It can be achieved using a photovoltaic generator as an alternative storage and will provide skills training and job creation. All this will be possible through thin film manufacturing of photo technology system”.
The fellowship will also enable the scientists to establish strategic business and research partnerships with India while developing new skills and knowledge in Solar Engineering which will be used to investigate solar power stations. During their visit to India, they intend on visiting and collaborating with the Centre for Mathematical Modelling and Computer Simulation in Bangalore, National Aerospace Laboratories Bangalore, Centre for Wind Energy Technology in Chennai, National Centre for Software Technology Gulmohar, Juhu Mumbai; Institute for Mathematical Sciences Chennai, Centre for Materials in Electronics Technology, New Delhi; Education and Research Network (ERNET), Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, Pune, Mumbai and Suarastra University in Rajkot, Gujarat.
For more information, please contact:
Prof Ramu Naidoo
Mobile: 082 252 5636
Office: 031 373 5590/5443/2371
Chanilall Dwarika
Mobile: 084 733 6290
Office: 032 533 5832
Issued by:
Bhekani Dlamini
Media Officer
Durban University of Technology
Office: 031 373 2845
Mobile: 083 299 7972
E-mail: bhekanid@dut.ac.za