SKA: lack of local skills would be 'absolutely tragic'

According to defenceWeb, South Africa - who co-hosts the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope- is in desperate need of more local skills to ensure that the country as a whole enjoys the benefits of the project. Two of the three biggest components of the SKA will be built in Africa, with the remainder to be built in Australia. About 70% of the facility will be built in Africa, and South Africa is expected to become a global centre for information technology, fundamental physics, astronomy and high-tech engineering.

Commenting on the country's need for skilled scientists for the project, the Head of astronomy at the National Research Foundation (NRF), Nithaya Chetty said that "It is going to be absolutely tragic, if all we do is build up the infrastructure and we don't have sufficient African scientists to utilise the excellent facilities." NRF CEO Dr Albert van Jaarsveld agrees. "We have to train South Africans - many South Africans - so they can build careers and they can grow their career paths in the context of this huge instrument that's going to be on our doorstep," he told defenceWeb.

Read the full article on www.defenceweb.co.za.