Annual Research Colloquium 2022 Highlights

The DSI-NRF CIMERA hosted its Annual Research Colloquium at the University of Johannesburg on the 21st and 22nd of November, 2022. The two-day hybrid event brought together 60+ students and academics from across our 12 university partners in South Africa. We were also pleased to welcome non-CIMERA-affiliated individuals interested in our research and outreach projects.

Prof Nicola Wagner (CIMERA Director) and Prof Judith Kinnaird (CIMERA Co-Director) opened the event, and Prof. Reinout Meijboom (Research and Postgraduate Studies and Professor of Chemistry) furnished our guests with a welcome speech.

Presentations

  • A total of 37 presentations were given:
  • 28 oral presentations (27 students and research fellows) and one staff member
  • 9 poster presentations

We were honoured to be in the presence of two knowledgeable and respected keynote speakers, Mr Douglas Silver (a USA-based mineral economist and exploration geologist who joined the Colloquium online) and Prof Nic Beukes (Research Professor of Geology at the University of Johannesburg and former Director of CIMERA). Brief biographies can be accessed in the 2022 ARC abstract book here.

Networking event

Our students, research fellows and academics enjoyed an evening of great company and excellent food and drinks at our networking function on the 21st of November 2022. The function aims to concentrate partnership synthesis amongst our cohort and allows students, normally dispersed across the country, to familiarise themselves with each other.

Student Writing Competition Winners

Our annual Science Communication Competition was launched in August 2022. The competition is open to all CIMERA-affiliated students and research fellows, challenging them to translate their research for a non-geology audience.

We received 9 entries in 2022. The winners were announced at the closing session on Day 2 as follows:

  1. Merrily Tau (PhD, UCT)
    Finding a needle in a haystack


  2. Minenhle Maphumulo (PhD, UJ)

    Answering a question you did not ask me- where do NYF pegmatites come from?

  3. Robyn Ormond (PhD, UJ)
    The life (and death?) of a mountain – the case of the Damara Belt

2022 ARC Best Presenters

This year, CIMERA invited staff members to score all student presentations at the Colloquium. The winners were announced at the closing session on Day 2 as follows (with research titles):

Best Oral Presenter:
Robyn Ormond (PhD, UJ)
Collision or collapse? What the rocks of the Namibfontein-Vergenoeg dome can tell us about the thermal and structural evolution of the Damara Orogen

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best Poster Presenter:
Bruno Bartolomeu (MSc, Wits)
Mineralogy and Ni potential of the Molopo Farms Complex in the area of the Jwaneng-Makopong shear zone
Bruno’s supervisor, Dr Marina Yudovskaya, accept the award on his behalf.

 

 

 

 

 

Note of thanks

We thank the DSI-NRF CIMERA team at large (students, research fellows, academics, Administrative Officer, Manager and Directors) for making the 2022 Colloquium a success.

We thank our two keynote speakers and Prof. Meijboom for their time.

We also thank the University of Johannesburg APK Campus Library for hosting us and providing an excellent technical team.

Lastly, we applaud our caterer and staff for their impeccable hospitality.