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In order to address national research, higher education and human capital development challenges pertinent to national goals the Department of Science and Technology (DST) initiated several national interventions, the National Integrated Cyberinfrastructure System (NICIS) being one of these. However, NICIS can only be exploited to the full if the requisitely skilled cohort of e-Researchers exist. The development of human capital with the necessary knowledge and skills to conduct cutting edge research in the field of e-Science in line with the South African Research Infrastructure Roadmap (SARIR), the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and other actions is the main objective of this programme.
As one of its interventions to help advance this objective, DST identified the establishment of a multi-institutional National e-Science Postgraduate Teaching and Training Platform (NEPTTP). The Platform is intended to develop a suitable qualification, curricula and pedagogic interventions to advance the training of postgraduate students in the rapidly developing cross-disciplinary fields involved in e-Science.
The implementation of the NEPTTP concept is championed by a Consortium of six South African universities: North West University (NWU), Sol Plaatje University (SPU), University of Limpopo (UL), University of Pretoria (UP), University of Venda (UniVen), and University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). From 2018, the Platform will be launching two Masters Programmes in the field of e-Science in collaboration of participating institutions.
Masters Programmes
MSc by Coursework and Research Report in the field of e-Science
This Masters programme aims to train postgraduate students in computational, mathematical and statistical methods to solve data-driven problems. The programme will create opportunities for students in the Computer Science, Statistics, Physics, Electrical Engineering or related fields to gain an interdisciplinary perspective on the emerging fields of Data Science.
MA by Coursework and Research Report in the field of e-Science
This Masters programme aims to train postgraduate students in the use of statistical methods to conduct data-driven research in the social sciences and humanities. The programme will create opportunities for students in the social sciences and humanities to develop an interdisciplinary perspective on the emerging fields of Data Science.