UNIZULU MSc students return from transcontinental research journey

WHEN Simbonge Ngobese and Nkululeko Nyawo graduated in absentia with Honours cum laude degrees in May 2026, it was not out of disregard for the ceremony — they were busy carving out their futures on another continent.

- PRECIOUS SHAMASE

The two first-year MSc in Biochemistry candidates recently returned from an enriching 65-day research visit to the Universidad de Concepcion in Chile; proving that for University of Zululand (UNIZULU) postgraduate students, even continental borders are no limit.

Selected on academic merit and the specialised nature of their research, Ngobese and Nyawo are currently the only first-year Master’s candidates at UNIZULU focusing on cytochrome P450 enzymes. Operating under the rigorous supervision of Professor Khajamohiddin Syed and Dr Padayachee, alongside co-supervisor Professor José Antonio Martinez-Oyanedel in Chile, the duo spent more than two months immersing themselves within the cutting-edge realm of advanced computational biology.

Elevating bioinformatics skills