Page 31 - Science in Africa

World-first inventions

Doctor Sandile Ngcobo

octor Sandile Ngcobo graduated from
the University of Natal with a
Dbachelor’s degree in Physics in 2003
and an honours degree in Physics and
Computational Physics in 2004.
In August 2004, he joined Hartebeeshoek
Radio Astronomy (HartRAO) under the Space
Geodesy division as an assistant researcher
on a two-year contract, where, during this
period, he enrolled for a master’s degree in
Physics with the University of Stellenbosch.
At the beginning of 2006, he joined the
Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research (CSIR) under the National Laser
Centre unit, where he has been a full-time
employee from 2007 till today.
Over the last decade at the CSIR, he has
graduated with a master’s degree in 2010 and
a doctorate in Physics at the University of
KwaZulu-Natal in 2014.
He has invented a number of world-first
technologies such as the modal He has published a number of articles in Initiative of SA’s programme where he is
decomposition techniques for analysing international journals and international assisting and strengthening the new
unknown laser beams, digital laser that can conference proceedings. industrial physics course with the Tshwane
generate any laser beam in real time and the He is currently mentoring a PhD student University of Technology by spearheading
highest powered two-micron wavelength slab at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. experiential learning for the students at the
laser. He is also involved in the Photonics CSIR National Laser Centre.
SCIENCE IN AFRICA 31