National Science and Technology Foundation Awards for 2002

Alfred Tsipa received the coveted NSTF Award for the most outstanding contribution to Science, Engineering and Technology by a not-for-profit organisation on behalf of the University of Zululand Science Centre. This award honours the achievements of the Unizul Science Centre (USC) over the last 3 years. The citation acknowledged that the USC has provided a model for Science Centres in developing areas by demonstrating that at a fraction of the cost of more sophisticated facilities, a significant impact can be made with ingenuity and application in the field of Science Education. The USC is the only body in South Africa to have been awarded two of these sought-after awards (in 3 years!) with the Director, Derek Fish, having won the award in the individual category in 2000.

Alfred Tsipa with the impressive award from the NSTF.

The second award went to Professor Mike Bruton, for the prestigious 'Life Time Achievement Award' in Science and Technology. This award recognizes the contributions of a scientist in the fields of original research, practical application of science, national and international recognition of the relevance of his research to the people of South Africa, promotion of public awareness of science, and the commercial impact of his research. Mike has been instrumental in promoting science, as Director of the JLB Smith Institute for Icthyology in Grahamstown, through the development of the Two Oceans Aquarium at the Cape Town Waterfront, and latterly through the creation of the MTN Sciencentres, starting at Century City in Cape Town. Mike is also current President of SAASTEC, where he plays a very active leadership role.

In addition, the MTN ScienCentre was named as a finalist in the NSTF Award category "Not-for-profit Organizations in Science Education'.