Good News

BULLETIN 17 February 

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# South Africa’s West Coast is fast becoming a significant whale-watching destination, with year-round sightings of humpback, southern right, and Bryde’s whales. This resurgence follows the 1986 international whaling ban, leading to increased whale populations. Happywhale’s southern Africa data manager, Alex Vogel, says in just one month a supergroup of humpback whales spotted on the West Coast included an astonishing 297 individuals. This phenomenon offers unique opportunities for researchers, conservationists, and tourists to engage with these majestic marine mammals.

# Non-profit organisation, Hearo, is making significant strides in providing access to essential hearing care and rehabilitation in South Africa. Founded in 2023, Hearo aims to bridge the gap between limited government funding, and the critical need for comprehensive rehabilitation services, to ensure that all patients have access to the support they need. The organisation’s first fundraiser at the Cape Town Cycle Tour on the ninth of March invites participants to donate their old bikes for auction or sale to raise funds post the race.

# University of Johannesburg PhD candidate, Mosa Khasu, won the People’s Choice Award at the Universitas 21 International Three Minute Thesis competition. The competition challenges doctoral students from leading research-intensive universities worldwide, to present their research in just three minutes using a single static slide. Khasu’s award-winning PhD research, Towards a Signature Pedagogy for Playwriting as a Language Teaching Tool in the Primary School, explores how drama texts can be used to introduce primary school children to Sesotho and isiZulu vocabulary related to artificial intelligence.

# Four University of Cape Town researchers are among 30 scientists recognised in the Foundation L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Sub-Saharan Africa Young Talents Award programme. The three doctoral students and a postdoctoral fellow were awarded for their innovative work in tackling major scientific challenges including food security, public health and climate change. Recognised from a pool of nearly 800 applicants, the awardees received financial support, leadership training and skills development, including tools to navigate gender biases in the scientific field.

# And finally: Edward Berger’s Vatican-set thriller, Conclave, won four BAFTA Film Awards including best film and outstanding British film, the first time a movie has won both awards in the same year since 2019. It also won adapted screenplay and editing. The Brutalist, about a Hungarian modernist architect working in post-war America, scored four awards including best director for Brady Corbet, and leading actor for Adrien Brody. Mikey Madison won leading actress for Anora, while Emilia Peréz won best film not in the English language and supporting actress for Zoe Saldaña.

Stay tuned for more news………….