Speakers

Plenary Speakers

Prof Malik Maaza

Cape Town, South Africa

UNESCO UNISA ITLABS/NRF Africa Chair in Nanosciences & Nanotechnologies

Prof Malik Maaza

Cape Town, South Africa

Talk: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) for materials discovery while speeding up the process beyond conventional trial-and-error techniques _________________________________________________________________________________ Prof. M. Maaza is the UNESCO UNISA-ITLABS/NRF Africa Chair in Nanosciences & Nanotechnologies. He is a joint staff of UNISA and the NRF. His Hindex is 112 & i10 =608 with a total of 41145 citations. He is a fellow of various Academies, including the European Academy of Arts & Sciences, the New York Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Science of India, the Royal Society of Chemistry-London. the New York Academy of sciences , the Islamic Academy of Sciences & the African Academy of Science. Prof. M. Maaza has been bestowed several awards among which; the 2019- Galileo-Galilei award by the International Commission for Optics, the 2022-J. Vasconcelos award for education by the World Cultural Council-Hong Kong , 2024, the International Khawarizmi award, the 2024 International Union for Pure & Applied Physics (IUPAP)award & the 2018- A.U. Nkwame Nkrumah award for Excellence in Science & Technology. He has been bestowed with the prestigious Presidential Mapungubwe Order of the Republic of South Africa. Prof. M. Maaza has been the architect behind several continental & National ongoing platforms including the UNESCO-UNISA-iTLABS/NRF Africa Chair in Nanosciences & Nanotechnologies (U2ACN2), the African Laser Centre (ALC), the African Materials Research Society (AMRS), the African Light Source (AfLS), the Nanosciences African Network (NANOAFNET), the National Laser Centre (NLC) among others including the recently implemented African Centre of Competencies.

Prof Philani Mashazi

Makhanda, South Africa

Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation, Rhodes University

Prof Philani Mashazi

Makhanda, South Africa

Talk: Nanomaterials design for ultrasensitive biomarker detection _______________________________________________________________________________ Professor Mashazi is a Professor of Chemistry, an NRF-C Rated researcher, and Director of the newly established Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation at Rhodes University. Prof Mashazi currently leads an Institute in the diverse, inter- and multidisciplinary research activities seeking to address various national and international challenges. The Institute is nationally and globally acclaimed for its research in the use of nanomaterials for cancer treatment, water treatment and photovoltaic energy materials. Prof Mashazi was a leader of the nanoBiosensors Research that developed nanostructured signal transduction mechanisms for the ultrasensitive detection of disease biomarkers. Amongst several other roles, Prof Mashazi is an Associate Editor for the South African Journal of Science, a Board Member and Associate Editor of Chemistry for the Journal of Taibah University of Science. His research interest is in fabricating (bio)sensors nanotechnologies for disease biomarkers detection. Prof Mashazi has published research articles and books in (nano)biosensors and analytical (nano)chemistry. I supervise numerous MSc and PhD students in the various research areas covered within the Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation. I am a National and African Representative and Member of the Society of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines. I hold memberships in IEEE Sensors, South Africa Chemical Institute - Electrochemistry and Inorganic.

Prof Nosipho Moloto

Johannesburg, South Africa

Inorganic Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand

Prof Nosipho Moloto

Johannesburg, South Africa

Title of her presentation: Nanomaterials design for ultrasensitive biomarker detection ____________________________________________________ Nosipho Moloto is a Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and holds the NEDBANK–DSI SARChI Chair in Energy Materials. She completed her Master’s degree cum laude at the University of Zululand and the University of Manchester, followed by a PhD at CSIR/Wits. She conducted postdoctoral research at MIT and later served as a visiting senior scientist at ICFO in Spain. Professor Moloto has received multiple awards, including the Distinguished Young Woman in Science Award (2014), the NRF Research Excellence Award (2016), and the NSTF-South32 Award (2023). She has published over 140 papers, holds two patents, and serves as an Associate Editor for the South African Journal of Chemistry. In 2024, she was appointed Director of the ARUA Centre of Excellence in Materials, Energy, and Nanotechnology. She is currently a 2025–2026 Provost Visiting Professor of Nanotechnology at Imperial College London. She also serves on several high-level committees at Wits, including as an EXCO member of the University Council, its highest decision-making body.

Prof Suprakas Sinha Ray

Pretoria, South Africa

DSTI-CSIR Nanotechnology Innovation Centre Centre for Nanostructures and Advanced Materials, CSIR

Prof Suprakas Sinha Ray

Pretoria, South Africa

Talk: Nano-enabled Packaging Expanding Shelf-life of Spices and Meat Products – A Journey of Technology Development from Laboratory to Commercial Scale _____________________________________________________________________________ Prof. Suprakas Sinha Ray is a chief researcher in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Pretoria, South Africa. He was awarded a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Calcutta in 2001 and is the director of the DSTI-CSIR Nanotechnology Innovation Centre and the manager of the Centre for Nanostructures and Advanced Materials. He is also affiliated with the University of Johannesburg as a distinguished professor of chemistry. Prof. Ray's current research focus is on polymer-based advanced nanostructured materials and their applications. In 2011, he was recognised as one of the Top 50 high-impact chemists in the world (Feb. 2011, Thomson Reuters), making him the youngest researcher on the list among 1.2 million chemists. He has delivered more than 77 plenary/keynote/invited presentations at international conferences and has organised or co-organised several events. He authored 14 books, co-authored 13 edited books, wrote 15 book chapters on various aspects of polymer- based nano-structured materials and their applications, and published 587 articles in high- impact international journals. His work also includes 14 articles in peer-reviewed international conference proceedings and 30 articles in national and international conference proceedings. Additionally, he holds 9 patents (registered or pending) and has developed 13 new technologies, which he has shared with colleagues, collaborators, and industry partners. His team has commercialised several products and supported/hosted several SMMEs. Over the past 20 years, he has mentored 27 postdoctoral fellows and supervised 48 PhD and 17 Master's students. In 2016, he was honored with South Africa’s most prestigious NSTF Award.

Prof Ajayan Vinu

Callaghan NSW, Australia

Global Innovative Center for Advanced Nanomaterials (GICAN), University of Newcastle

Prof Ajayan Vinu

Callaghan NSW, Australia

Talk: Nanostructured Carbon-Based Materials for Energy and Environmental Applications ____________________________________________________________________________ Prof. Ajayan Vinu is a Laureate Professor and the Director of the Global Innovative Center for Advanced Nanomaterials (GICAN) at the University of Newcastle. Prof Ajayan Vinu is internationally known for his work on the advanced nanoporous materials with different functional elements prepared through innovative chemical approaches and their applications in carbon capture and conversion, energy storage and conversion, and catalysis. He discovered a series of novel nanoporous materials including world’s first nanoporous carbon nitrides, highly crystalline nanoporous fullerenes with different carbon atoms (C 60 and C 70 , etc) and nanoporous biomolecules including cytochrome c. Prof. Vinu’s research achievements have been recognized with numerous prestigious international awards, including the Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher recognition in 2024, JSPS Senior Invitational Fellow 2025, the Aether Industries Indian Chemical Society Centennial Jubilee Award 2025, the Asian Paints Padma Vibhushan Dr. R.A. Mashelkar Medal (2023), Dr. Ghanshyam Srivastava Memorial Award (2021), the Medal of the Chemical Research Society of India (2018), the KY NIEM CHUONG Award and Medal from the Vietnamese Academy of Sciences (2018), Scopus Young Researcher Award (2014), Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Award from the Humboldt Society (2010), JSPS Senior Invitational Fellowship (2014), Australian Future Fellowship at the Professorial level (2010), the Catalysis Society of India Young Scientist Award (2010), the Chemical Society of Japan Award for the Young Scientist (2008), Laureate of the Khwarizmi International Award (2008), and the ICYS Fellowship. He is a Fellow of several distinguished societies, including the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC, UK), the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (FRACI), the World Academy of Ceramics (FWAC), the Asia-Pacific Academy of Materials (FAPAM) and the World Academy of Art and Science (FWAAS). Prof. Vinu has authored ca 600 publications in high-impact journals, which have garnered approximately 46,000 citations, resulting in an h-index of 110. The commercial and innovative potential of Prof. Vinu’s research is highlighted by his portfolio of 32 national and international patents on novel mesoporous carbon, silica, and carbon nitride materials. He has secured more than AUD 32 million in research funding from industry and government agencies. He serves on the editorial boards of several prominent journals such as ACS Central Science, Carbon (Elsevier), Materials Today Nano (Elsevier), Materials Today Chemistry, Sustainable Energy and Fuels, and Small Science. Prof Vinu was also appointed as the Editor of Carbon which is one of the prestigious journals in the field of carbon materials.

Keynote Speakers

Prof Vincent O Nyamori

Durban, South Africa

Inorganic and Materials Chemistry, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Prof Vincent O Nyamori

Durban, South Africa

Talk: CARBON-BASED NANOCOMPOSITES FOR FOURTH-GENERATION SOLAR CELLS _______________________________________________________________________________ Prof Vincent O. Nyamori is a Professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). He is a BSc graduate from Egerton University, Kenya. He obtained his BSc (Hons) and MSc degrees from the University of Port Elizabeth and his PhD from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University; thereafter, he undertook a Postdoctoral Scholarship at the University of the Witwatersrand before joining UKZN in 2008 as an academic. Prof Nyamori is a former president of the South African Chemical Institute (SACI) and a Fellow of SACI (FSACI). Also a Fellow for both the Royal Society of South Africa (FRSSAf) and the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), United Kingdom. He is a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (MASSAf). He serves as South Africa’s representative to the Federation of Commonwealth Chemical Sciences Societies and also the Executive Treasurer of the Federation of African Societies of Chemistry (FASC). He is an Associate Editor for the RSC Sustainability journal. He is a recipient of the Merck Medal Award and the UKZN Vice-Chancellor Award. His research encompasses nanotechnology and green & sustainable chemistry. His NanoChemistry Research Group investigates advancing carbon-based nanomaterials and renewable materials, including biomass and organic-inorganic hybrid nanomaterials, particularly for fabricating solar energy devices.

Prof Omobola Okoh

Alice, South Africa

Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Fort Hare

Prof Omobola Okoh

Alice, South Africa

Talk: Chemical Toxicants In The Hydrosphere: Implications For Environmental And Human Health _________________________________________________________________________________ Professor Omobola Okoh is a Professor of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry in the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of Fort Hare, Alice Campus. She obtained her BSc (Hons) Degree in 2001 from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria and subsequently earned her MSc and PhD Degrees in Chemistry from the University of Fort Hare in 2008 and 2011 respectively. Her academic career took a start in 2003 as a Research Fellow at the Centre for Energy Research and Development Centre (CERD) at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria. In 2012, she was appointed Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Fort Hare and rose through the ranks to becoming a Full Professor in 2018. She was appointed as Head of the Department of Chemistry (2021-2025). Professor Omobola Okoh has received and attracted several grant awards such as NRF National Equipment Program grant (2025-2028). NRF Thuthuka Funding Instrument (2015-2018), ESKOM /Tertiary Education Support Program (2015-2024) and GMRDC research capacity seed grants (2013-2018). She is the Leader of the Synthetic, Environmental and Analytical Chemistry Research Group, a member of the Water for Sustainable Development Research Niche Area and the SAMRC Microbial Water Quality Monitoring Centre at the University of Fort Hare. Her research expertise falls within the fields of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry with strong focus on water/wastewater quality, chemical pollutants in water and their health risk assessment, natural products chemistry, renewable energy and nanotechnology. She has successfully supervised 15 Doctoral students, 10 Masters students and hosted 5 postdoctoral fellows. She is currently mentoring 2 postdocs, supervising 5 PhD students and 5 Masters students in perfect sync with the scarce skill capacity development aspiration of the South African Government. Professor Omobola Okoh has published 106 articles in reputable peer-reviewed journal as well as 5 book chapters and her works have been cited more than 6068 times with an h-index of 41. She has also presented more than 54 papers at national and international conferences.

Prof Eno Effiong Ebenso

Cape Town, South Africa

Centre for Material Science, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa

Prof Eno Effiong Ebenso

Cape Town, South Africa

Talk: Nanotechnology Principles and Nanomaterials in Next-Generation Corrosion Control: Bridging Sustainability with High-Performance Materials _________________________________________________________________________________ Eno E. Ebenso is a Distinguish Professor at the Centre for Material Science, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa. He has published extensively in local and international peer-reviewed journals of wide readership with over five hundred (300) publications. According to the Elsevier SciVal Insights Report (2010–2025), he has a citation impact 10% above world average; second most prolific author in the field of corrosion inhibition world-wide and fifth most downloads of his publications globally in the field of corrosion inhibition. His Google Scholar Citations since is over 46836 with an H index of 117 and i10-index of 511.He is a member of International Society of Electrochemistry, South African Chemical Institute (M.S.A. Chem. I.), South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) (Pri. Sci. Nat)., Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) , a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, UK (FRSC) and a fellow of African Academy of Sciences.

Prof Kwena Modibane

Sovenga, South Africa

Department of Chemistry, University of Limpopo

Prof Kwena Modibane

Sovenga, South Africa

Talk:Porous Polymers-Based Nanocomposites For Carbon Dioxide Capture, Energy Storage, Hydrogen Production And Wastewater Treatment _________________________________________________________________________________ Professor K Modibane, a C2 NRF rated Scientist, holds the DSI/NRF-SARChI Chair in Photoelectrocatalytic Hydrogen Production, and he works at the University of Limpopo (UL) as a full professor and leader of the Nanotechnology Centre for Renewable Energy and Water Sustainability (NanoCREWS). He received the University of Limpopo Vice Chancellor's established Researcher Award for 2019 in the school and best researcher in the Faculty of Science 2023. Prof Modibane is also an invited lecturer (since 2013) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) for MSc Nanoscience Programme, where he teaches electrochemical energy, kinetics and thermodynamics of hydrogen energy storage and conversion processes, and photophysical-chemistry. His current research outputs are on preparation of nanocomposites for various applications such as electrochemical hydrogen production, hydrogen storage, solar cells, supercapacitor and water treatment. He participates in several research activities aimed at keeping himself abreast with trends in his field, as reviewer for several journals that include Elsevier journals, Nature and Springer. His scientific output includes 94 research articles, 26 book chapters, 1 book and 4 conference proceedings, corresponding to 2941 citations (h-index 32) (google scholar, 15 April 2026).

Prof Dr Andrea Haase

Berlin, Germany

German Federal Institute for Risk Management

Prof Dr Andrea Haase

Berlin, Germany

Talk: TBA _________________________________________________________________________________ Andrea Haase studied biochemistry at the University of Tübingen, obtained a PhD from the University of Heidelberg, finished a postgraduate study in Toxicology at the University of Leipzig and completed her habilitation in pharmacology and toxicology at the Freie Universität Berlin. Since 2008 she is working at the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in Berlin, where she is the Unit Head of the “Fibre and Nanotoxicology” Unit and the Deputy Department Head of the “Chemical and Product Safety” department. In addition, she is affiliated as a private lecturer to Freie Universität (FU) Berlin and appointed as an extraordinary professor at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), Cape Town, South Africa. Her research is strongly focused on New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) and their application for human health risk assessments as well as for Safe-and-Sustainable-Innovation Approaches (SSIA). She has written more than 100 scientific publications and is involved in several large research projects such as GRACIOUS, NanoInformaTIX, HARMLESS, POLYRISK, NAMs4NANO. Furthermore, she is a national scientific expert in the EFSA Nano Network (Network for Risk Assessment of Nanotechnologies in Food and Feed) since 2024.

Dr Mpho Ngoepe

Gqberha, South Africa

Department of Chemistry, Nelson Mandela University

Dr Mpho Ngoepe

Gqberha, South Africa

Talk: Nanozymes and Nanocrystals as Next Generation Antioxidant Platforms for Sustainable Healthcare _________________________________________________________________________________ Dr Mpho Phehello Ngoepe is a nanoscientist and pharmaceutical scientist at Nelson Mandela University, South Africa, where he serves as a Nanomedicine Researcher and Pharmaceutical Sciences Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry. He holds a PhD in Chemistry from Rhodes University, with a research focus on nanomaterial design for advanced drug delivery, and an MSc in Pharmaceutics from the University of the Witwatersrand. Dr Ngoepe’s research expertise lies in sustainable nanotechnology for healthcare applications, particularly the design of nanopharmaceutical formulations such as liposomes, mesoporous silica nanoparticles, and pH responsive carriers. His work integrates experimental nanoscience with computational modelling approaches, including molecular dynamics and density functional theory, to develop innovative, clinically relevant solutions tailored to resource constrained settings in Africa. He has published over a number of peer reviewed international journal articles, book chapter and has supervised more than eleven MSc graduates, while actively mentoring senior undergraduate pharmacy students. His academic career includes postdoctoral appointments at the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of South Africa. Dr Ngoepe is deeply committed to capacity building, research quality, and the responsible development of nanotechnology that advances sustainable development and societal impact across the African continent.

Prof Philiswa Nomngongo

Johannesburg, South Africa

Chemistry, University of Johannesburg

Prof Philiswa Nomngongo

Johannesburg, South Africa

Talk: Waste-Derived Nanomaterials: Opportunities For Environmental Monitoring And Remediation _________________________________________________________________________________ Philiswa Nosizo Nomngongo is a professor of environmental analytical chemistry at the University of Johannesburg. She holds a Tier 1 DSI/NRF South African Research Chair in Nanotechnology for Water and an NRF rating. Her scientific career has been dedicated to Environmental Analytical Chemistry and Nanotechnology, aiming to solve environmental problems in water quality and environmental protection. Her most significant contributions have been in developing sample preparation methodologies using nanostructured materials as adsorbents for monitoring inorganic (toxic trace metals and metalloids) and organic pollutants (specifically emerging contaminants, including pesticides, endocrine disruptors, and personal care and pharmaceutical products) in water systems. Her current research includes the application of various nanomaterials in fields attracting increasing interest, such as wastewater treatment, groundwater remediation, water quality monitoring, the development of water quality sensors, and the treatment and recovery of precious metals, among others. Her research achievements have been recognised through numerous awards, such as the South African Women in Science award in the Distinguished Young Woman Research in the Natural and Engineering Sciences category in 2017, 2020/2021 NSTF-South23 Award for Engineering Research Capacity Development category and 2025 James J. Morgan Early Career Award (American Chemical Society), among others. Prof Nomngongo has supervised/ co-supervised several MSc and PhD students to completion. She has published over 150 peer-reviewed publications, 28 book chapters, and two peer-reviewed conference proceedings. She has presented 50+ keynotes and invited contributions at scientific conferences.

Prof Hulda Shaidi Swai

Arusha, Tanzania

Life Science and Bio Engineering, Nelson Mandela Institution of Science and Technology

Prof Hulda Shaidi Swai

Arusha, Tanzania

Talk: Nanomedicines for infectious diseases _________________________________________________________________________________ Professor Hulda Shaidi Swai is Associate Professor of Nanoscience and former Director of the Centre for Research, Agricultural Advancement, Teaching Excellence and Sustainability (CREATES-FNS) at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Tanzania. She currently holds the prestigious O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chair in Nanotechnology for Biomedical Health and Sustainable Agriculture. Prof. Swai is an internationally recognized expert in nanomedicine, drug delivery systems, biomaterials, natural products, and nanotechnology applications for diseases of poverty, including tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV. Prior to joining NM-AIST, Prof. Swai has worked as a Senior Principal Researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in South Africa, where she led the Encapsulation and Delivery Research Group for 11 years. She also served as President of the African Materials Research Society and led the Pan-African Centre of Excellence in Nanomedicine in South Africa. Throughout her career, she has mobilized and managed over US$10 million in research and institutional development funding, supervised more than 60 postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers, and received numerous awards for scientific excellence, innovation, mentorship, and leadership. Her work continues to advance African-led research, innovation, and capacity development.

Prof Arjun Maity

Cape Town, South Africa

College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET), University of South Africa

Prof Arjun Maity

Cape Town, South Africa

Prof. Arjun Maity is a Distinguished Professor in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET), University of South Africa (UNISA). He earned his B.Sc. (Hons.), M.Sc., and Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Calcutta, India. Prof. Maity began his research career at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), South Africa, in 2007 as a Senior Researcher, and was later promoted to Principal Scientist in 2014. His research lies at the intersection of materials science and environmental chemistry, with a particular focus on the design and development of polymer-based materials for water treatment, catalysis, and energy applications. Prof. Maity has authored over 201 publications including research articles, book chapters, and review papers, and has contributed to technology demonstrations and patent filings. His scientific contributions have been widely recognized, reflected in a Google Scholar h-index of 63, an i10-index of 140, and over 12,698 citations. He has received numerous awards and serves as a reviewer for leading international journals and academic theses. In addition, Prof. Maity has held several honorary appointments, including Research Fellow, Visiting Associate Professor, Visiting Professor, and Extraordinary Professor at various South African universities. He is also World’s Top 2% Scientists according to Stanford University’s 2025 report.

Prof Franklin Gregory

Poznań, Poland

Department of Plant Biology and Nanotechnology Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences

Prof Franklin Gregory

Poznań, Poland

Professor Franklin Gregory, FRSC, is Head of the Department of Plant Biology and Nanotechnology at the Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences (IPG PAS) in Poznań, Poland. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, he leads an interdisciplinary research group working at the interface of plant science, nanotechnology and sustainable agriculture. His research focuses on nano–bio interactions at the plant interface, with particular emphasis on nanozymes, nanomaterial-mediated regulation of abiotic stress responses, and nano-enabled strategies for climate-resilient crops. Professor Gregory coordinated the ERA Chair NANOPLANT project, through which he established a dedicated plant nanotechnology research platform at IPG PAS, strengthening the Institute’s capacity and visibility in this emerging field. His research bridges fundamental discovery and applied innovation, exploring engineered and green synthesised nanomaterials to improve plant performance, modulate secondary metabolism, enhance photosynthetic efficiency and increase biomass production. With more than 4,000 citations and multiple patents in plant biotechnology and nanotechnology, his current work focuses on next-generation nanoformulations that improve crop productivity and contribute to photosynthetic CO₂ equestration, supporting more sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural systems.

Prof Shankara Radhakrishnan

Pretoria, South Africa

Department of Chemistry, University of Pretoria

Prof Shankara Radhakrishnan

Pretoria, South Africa

Talk: Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 in Zero-Gap Electrolysers _________________________________________________________________________________ Prof. Shankara Radhakrishnan is an Associate professor at the Department of Chemistry at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Her research areas comprise of renewable energy comprising of ‘Liquid Sunshine from CO2’ via green hydrogen production (PEM-CO2RR), organic photovoltaics in which she has widely worked with fullerene based donor acceptor systems. She is also involved in working on Langmuir-Blodgett film surfaces and colloidal systems, DSSCs for energy applications. She completed her PhD at Indian Institute of Technology Madras and was awarded Best Thesis award. She is a Alexander von Humboldt Fellow from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. She has published book chapters, peer reviewed articles most of which have impact factors >7 and some of them with coverpages. Her publication from Nature Materials (IF = 41.2) was identified as the most cited for 2017. The other most notable publication is in Chemical Society Reviews (IF 60.62) targeting research students on energy conversion. With this she has a h-index of 20. She has hosted postdoctoral fellows, supervised PhD, MSc, Honours‘ students and students have won best poster and oral presentations on CO2 electroreduction in international conferences. She is a member of South African Chemical Institute, South African Council for Natural and Scientific Professions, International Soctiety of Electrochemistry.

Prof Usisipho Feleni

Cape Town, South Africa

University of South Africa

Prof Usisipho Feleni

Cape Town, South Africa

Talk: _________________________________________________________________________________ Prof Usisipho Feleni is a Nanotechnology Focus Area Leader in the Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability (iNanoWS). She is also a C2 NRF-rated scientist. Her research expertise is on electrochemical biosensors, electrocatalysis/catalysis for monitoring disease biomarkers (pathogens for SARS-CoV-2) and pharmaceutical contaminants in water. She has published more than 100+papers in the areas of various nanomaterials and their applications in electrochemical sensors, electrocatalysis and photocatalysis. Additionally, she is currently supervising/co-supervising MSc and PhD students. Her recent awards and recognition include: (i) 2025 ATUPA Award of Excellence in Research; (ii) 2025 South African Medical Research Council Bronze Award, (iii) 2024 NRF Excellence Award: Early Career/Emerging Researchers; and (iv) 2024 UNISA’s Women in Research Leadership Award; (v) 2022/2023 TW-Kambule NSTF Award: Emerging Researcher; (vi) 2023 South African Women in Science, Distinguished Young Women Researcher to name a few. She has made several keynote and guest speaker presentations at National and International Universities.

Invited Speakers

Dr Veshara Ramdas

South Africa

Senior Researcher: Bioprocess Technology Development

Dr Veshara Ramdas

South Africa

Talk: _________________________________________________________________________________ Dr Veshara Ramdas, a senior researcher at the CSIR Chemicals Cluster. Originally from Port Elizabeth I bravely ventured to Pretoria to start an internship at CSIR in 2016 in the Bioprocessing team. I obtained my PhD in Microbiology from University of KwaZulu Natal in 2021. I was a recipient for a number of awards including: “Ramdas was one of the young talents recently recognised in the postdoctoral category of the L’Oréal-UNESCO International Awards for Women in Science for her work on a bio-based road stabiliser product as an alternative to soil binders such as cement, lime or bitumen for road construction in rural areas”. Together with my team, R&D efforts to date have resulted in the establishment of a bio-additives research focal area centred on the development of high value products for industry. At the CSIR, I have been involved in several Industrial Biotechnology based R&D projects several of which were focused on microbial production technologies, which has culminated in several technical outputs, and technology demonstrators. She is the author and contributor of several peer reviewed papers in the fields of applied microbiology, bioprocessing and nanotechnology. I am also a programme facilitator for the African Biomanufacturing Workforce Training and Skills Development by the Bill & Mellinda Gates foundation and GIZ.

Prof Biplab Kumar Kuila

India

Banaras Hindu University, India

Prof Biplab Kumar Kuila

India

Talk: Nanostructured Conjugated Polymer Networks for Advanced Catalytic Applications _________________________________________________________________________________ Professor Kuila is a distinguished chemist specializing in conjugated polymers and their applications in catalysis, energy storage, sensing, and electronic devices. He earned his Ph.D. in 2008 from Jadavpur University with a thesis on Poly(3-Alkyl Thiophene) Nanocomposites. His career spans international research fellowships and academic appointments, including postdoctoral work at the University of Dayton, USA, and research at the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research in Dresden, Germany, where he was awarded the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship. Since 2010, Professor Kuila has held faculty positions in India, first at the Central University of Jharkhand and later at Banaras Hindu University, where he currently serves as Professor in the Department of Chemistry. His contributions include over 60 journal publications, three book chapters, and guiding numerous Ph.D. and postdoctoral researchers. He has completed nine major research projects, applied for patents, and actively participates in international conferences and academic councils. Recognized with honors such as the Ramanujan Fellowship and multiple Humboldt Fellowships, Professor Kuila is also a life member of leading scientific societies including the Materials Research Society of India, the Society of Polymer Science, and the Chemical Research Society of India. With more than 15 years of teaching experience across undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels, he continues to advance polymer science through both research and mentorship.

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