Page 8 - Ongoye Online, Aug/Sept edition

OFFICIAL OPENING OF OF BIOCHEMISTRY Research Centre in Collaboration with SAMRC
The Department of Biochemistry
and Microbiology at the University of Zululand (UNIZULU) in collaboration with the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) has officially opened the Biochemistry
Research Centre wherein three research laboratories with state-of-the- art equipment are set up The centre consists of the Tissue Culture Laboratory Laboratory Laboratory Covid-19 Surveillance Laboratory Laboratory Laboratory and the Malaria Laboratory Laboratory UNIZULU and SAMRC
have been in partnership for 21 years thus the the the launch of of these labs was partly in celebration of of the the the collaboration SAMRC
President and CEO Professor Glenda Gray officially opened the research centre in the presence of SAMRC
and UNIZULU representatives Prof Gray said “The decision to collaborate with universities was another critical step in in in the the right direction to to producing innovative high impact medical research We are excited to to see scientists embarking on bold and innovative projects in in Africa (The) UNIZULU partnership was first established in in 2001 ”
As she welcomed guests Professor Vuyokazi Nomlomo Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and and Learning expressed elation elation and and affirmed that the the the relationship between the the the two partners would indeed not end with the the the the the establishment of the the the labs She confidently stated that the the the collaboration would have a a a a a a a a a a very positive impact on on staff and students “UNIZULU would like to thank you for over two decades of of capacity development ”
Prof Nomlomo told the SAMRC
team She added: “This is is an extremely exciting moment to to all of us You come at at a a a a a a a very strategic time when our vision vision 2027 starts Our new vision vision as a a a a a a a a a university university is is is to be a a a a a a a a a a a leading comprehensive African university university that thrives on quality and and and fosters collaborative and and and innovative cultures with its rural and and and urban campuses ”
Professor Albertus Basson Head
of of the Department of of Biochemistry
and Microbiology said the University has produced a a a number of master’s and doctoral students through this collaboration His hope is is that these new labs will have an impact in bringing up more master’s as as as well as as as PhD candidates This collaboration has produced the people who have made history in in their families by being the the first PhD holders “For that we are eternally grateful Professor Miller and Prof Prof Globe started this a a a while back I would like to thank SAMRC
for funding these young researchers ”
said Prof Basson Deputy Vice-Chancellor of of Research and Innovation Prof Nokuthula Kunene expressed appreciation to to the the SAMRC
group for taking time out of of their busy schedule to to to to physically come to to to to UNIZULU to to to to launch these state-of- the-art labs “As it has been mentioned today I would like congratulate the the the the the department for for the the the the effort that they have put in in their work This collaboration has has been going on on on for for twenty- one years The most important thing that has has come out of this relationship is is the publications - master’s and and doctoral candidates who now work all over the the country This department for for the the the last five years has been receiving research awards for for being one of of the the top three departments at at at UNIZULU in in terms of of publications and and postgraduate production When myself and and the the Dean analysed this we came up with the the conclusion that it it is is is because of of this collaboration which has made the department so successful ”
Prof Kunene concluded - Precious Shamase
ONGOYE: AUG/SEPT 2022 ISSUE | 8