The Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) is thrilled to announce that Dr. Kushatha Ntwaetsile, a Software and Data Processing Engineer in the AVN/SKA Botswana department at the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), has been awarded the prestigious TWAS- DFG Cooperation Visit Award. The award is a joint initiative by The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and the Deutsche For schungsgemeinschaft (DFG) – the German Research Foundation, aimed at supporting postdoctoral researchers from sub-Saharan Africa.
Dr. Ntwaetsile will spend three months at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, Germany, beginning Sunday, 6 April 2025. The Institute is globally recognized for its expertise in radio astronomy, making it an ideal host for this collaboration. Her visit forms part of a broader mission to foster long-term partnerships between African and German scientists, with the potential to drive innovation in both astrophysics and machine learning.
During her visit, Dr. Ntwaetsile will focus on Pulsar Candidate Recognition Using Unsupervised Machine Learning. Pulsars—rotating neutron stars that emit periodic radio pulses—are key to understanding gravitational waves and the extreme physics of the universe. Her research will explore how unsupervised machine learning techniques can be applied to detect and classify pulsar signals, advancing scientific knowledge in both astronomy and artificial intelligence.
This research exchange also supports Botswana’s long-term goals in science, technology, innovation, and economic development, particularly through opportunities in data science, technology transfer, and astrotourism. Dr. Ntwaetsile’s work exemplifies the growing impact of Botswana’s investment in radio astronomy and highlights the country’s contribution to global scientific discovery
