WSU MASTERS STUDENT RECEIVE OVERALL AUDIENCE AWARD IN FAMELAB COMPETITION

A WSU Master of Science in Physiology and Anatomy student, Siphosethu Mgwili, received the overall audience award and first runner up award  in the highly competitive FameLab South Africa competition.

The FameLab competition, widely regarded as the world’s leading science communication contest, is designed to challenge young researchers to explain complex scientific concepts in an engaging and accessible manner within just three minutes.

Mgwili, whose research focuses on ground-breaking prosthetic leg inventions, has successfully demonstrated the ability to communicate complex scientific concepts to the public in an engaging and accessible manner.

“Participating in FameLab has been a game-changer for me. It has not only taught me how to communicate my research to different audiences, but has also reinforced the importance of making science accessible to everyone. Winning these awards is an incredible honour, but the real win is knowing that my message reached people and sparked curiosity,” said Mgwili.

She added that more than anything the win to her is for WSU because of the amazing support she received from the university.

“I recall the nights spent on Teams calls with Dr Phyliss Chembe, meticulously going over my presentation as she guided me until we both felt confident about it. I certainly wouldn’t have made it this far in the competition without the support of WSU,” said Mgwili.

Mgwili said that the competition helped her, as her invention is aimed at supporting people with disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. It enabled her to effectively communicate her invention to the intended audience.

“Explaining the invention to these groups requires a different approach than when presenting it to an educated audience, although even educated individuals sometimes struggle to grasp its purpose. This competition prepared me to bridge that gap and take the invention from the lab to the people,” said Mgwili.

Academic Affairs office of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Special Advisor, Kedibone Phyliss Chembe, said: “As a former participant in FameLab myself back in 2016, I have firsthand experience of the competition's transformative power. That experience gave me a deep appreciation for the value FameLab brings not just to individual participants but also to the university as a whole.

SHe added that her participation opened her eyes to the importance of effective science communication and how it bridges the gap between complex scientific concepts and public understanding.

Chembe concluded that the university’s performance in FameLab will enhance WSU's reputation on a national stage. She said that such performance will establish the university as a progressive institution, equipping students for the contemporary scientific environment that increasingly values clear and engaging explanations of complex ideas.

By Anita Roji