The Centre for Space Research (CSR) at the North-West University (NWU) recently hosted a highly successful Radio Astronomy Advancement Programme (RAAP) workshop – an annual initiative funded by the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) and the National Research Foundation (NRF).
The multi-day workshop brought together emerging radio astronomers from across the African continent, focusing on specialised training, collaborative science and hands-on experience with powerful observational tools such as the recently refurbished Ghana Radio Astronomy Observatory (GRAO) telescope.
According to workshop lead Dr Fanie van den Heever of the CSR, the motivation to host the event was rooted in both capacity-building and advancing scientific use of African radio astronomy infrastructure.
“The RAAP workshop chooses certain topics that should be addressed, and any astronomer or engineer interested in those topics can apply for funding,” he explained. “I applied for the funding before I even started at the NWU, and the motivation for hosting this workshop was two-fold: to train African students from Square Kilometre Array (SKA) partner countries, and to train them to use the telescope in Ghana that was recently refurbished by the SARAO.”
The workshop aligned strongly with the strategic goals of the CSR as well as the broader research agenda of the NWU. Dr Van den Heever emphasised that achieving these goals will help build strong research collaborations within Africa. The event was hosted by the CSR at the NWU, further illustrating the university’s growing influence in radio astronomy training and continental scientific development.
Funding from the SARAO and the NRF played a pivotal role in the success of the workshop. Their support ensured that students from across the continent could participate in specialised training that might otherwise have been inaccessible.
“Their support is crucial in order to reach as many students as possible,” said Dr Van den Heever. “Not only through workshops like this, but also to financially support African students in pursuing postgraduate studies.”
Participants represented a diverse collection of African partner states, including Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, Botswana and Madagascar, alongside South African students. Dr Van den Heever highlighted that all participants represented the discipline of radio astronomy in some capacity, creating a strong sense of scientific cohesion despite their varied backgrounds and home institutions.
The scientific focus of the workshop centred on high-mass star formation, one of the most dynamic and evolving areas of modern astrophysics. Students were trained to use multiple observing techniques – ranging from single-dish observations to linked-array techniques used by MeerKAT, along with Very Long Baseline Interferometry.
These modalities allow astronomers to explore star-forming regions at different spatial scales, offering a richer understanding of the environments in which massive stars are born. Dr Van den Heever explained that the programme was designed so that every presentation and practical session had maximum educational impact. “Every session was as good as the next,” he said. “I designed the workshop so each presentation and practical session would have the most impact.”
The role of the NWU in hosting and coordinating initiatives like RAAP places the university in a strong position in South Africa’s research and innovation landscape. “It will strengthen its position by becoming one more place where students will want to come and study to join the South African effort to do groundbreaking science in radio astronomy,” Dr Van den Heever said.
He added that partnerships between the NWU, the SARAO and the NRF are vital for scientific progress, especially when it comes to training the next generation of researchers.
Looking towards the future, the RAAP workshop is expected to attract new talent to the CSR and the NWU while fostering long-lasting African research partnerships. “The first thing will probably be the attraction of students to the CSR and the NWU, and building lasting collaborative relationships,” Dr Van den Heever said.
The workshop also represented a personal milestone for him. “This was a personal growth moment that gave me a lot of confidence in my abilities,” he reflected. “It gave me inspiration to keep on expanding my influence on the global scene.”
He also encouraged young scientists and students interested in astronomy and data-driven research to take advantage of the opportunities emerging across Africa. “You are only limited by your motivation and drive,” he said. “There are so many opportunities due to the SKA – it is up to you to take them.”
In addition to his work with the RAAP programme, Dr Van den Heever is part of the Maser Monitoring Organization (M2O), an international scientific collaboration founded in Italy in 2017. Since its inception, the M2O has contributed to several discoveries, and he believes that integrating the Ghana telescope into this monitoring network will be highly beneficial to ongoing global research efforts.
Dr Fanie van den Heever
