The official opening of the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences (NITheCS) headquarters at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) marks a milestone for South African science.
The three-day launch programme (9–11 September 2025) brought together researchers, policymakers, students and international guests for a series of scientific focus area presentations, workshops and public events, including a hands-on machine learning workshop and a theatre production.
Funded by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) via the National Research Foundation (NRF), NITheCS is the first of South Africa's new national research institutes. This initiative complements the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) and Centres of Excellence (CoEs), consolidating efforts into larger, integrated entities aligned with the 2019 White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation and the DSTI 2022–32 Decadal Plan.
NITheCS unites South Africa's 26 public universities and the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS). Its main hub is at SU, and it operates through five coordinating nodes – at the universities of Cape Town, KwaZulu-Natal and the Witwatersrand, as well as Nelson Mandela and North-West universities.
With mathematics as its foundation, NITheCS spans disciplines from astronomy and astrophysics to bioinformatics, data science, climate change modelling, quantitative finance, statistics and theoretical physics. Its network has grown to 400 associates nationwide.
Building capacity through collaboration
DSTI Deputy Director-General Imraan Patel described South Africa's science system as a “gem", and said science, technology and innovation must sit at the centre of government, industry, education and society. He stressed that the goal is not “small islands of excellence" but large-scale programmes that multiply impact.
SU Vice-Chancellor Prof Deresh Ramjugernath said NITheCS positions South Africa at the forefront of global science. “This hub is set to become a beacon of collaboration, outreach and innovation. It will inspire new research directions, engage young scientists, and expand our networks both across Africa and globally."
NITheCS Director Prof Francesco Petruccione said: “Today is a milestone, because it's not just about cutting the ribbon to our new offices, but about sharing our vision." He described the institute's “pan-disciplinary" approach as starting with real-world challenges and drawing in whichever disciplines are required.
The launch programme showcased ten flagship research areas – from quantum technologies and machine learning to climate modelling, complexity in biological systems and Afrocentric health.
Prof Langa Khumalo, Chief Director of the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources, emphasised the importance of ensuring African languages are not marginalised. The centre's work with NITheCS is aimed at developing infrastructure, datasets and tools to allow these languages to participate fully in science and technology.
Supporting the next generation
Petruccione described NITheCS as “a village to raise the next generation of students who will become the leaders of tomorrow."
Hybrid programming schools run with the Centre for High Performance Computing have already trained more than 800 students from nearly 50 institutions across Africa, said its Director, Mervyn Christoffels.
In 2024, NITheCS' online training offered specialised courses to 67 postgraduate students from 17 institutions. Its South Africa Theory and Computational School has become a world-class platform, preparing students for advanced research and global competitiveness.
From 69 applications, 23 students were selected for the 2024/25 NITheCS internship programme, hosted at various universities as well as the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.
Engagement activities during 2024 included 39 colloquia, 15 schools and mini-schools, 67 seminars and webinars, 11 workshops and two masterclasses. In the same year, NITheCS awarded MSc and PhD bursaries totalling R4,8 million.
New frontiers of discovery
NITheCS grew out of the earlier National Institute for Theoretical Physics, with its transition beginning in 2020/21. In 2023, the DSTI and NRF approved the Stellenbosch-led consortium to host the new institute.
Prof Sibusiso Moyo, Deputy VC for Research at SU, congratulated everyone involved “for the vision and energy in building this broad platform."
Guest speakers at the launch included Dr Maria Schuld, a researcher at Canadian company Xanadu, who argued that disruptive science requires freedom: “Greatness cannot be planned – the important thing is to follow a strong mission, a North Star."
Prof Matthias Troyer, Corporate Vice-President at Microsoft Quantum and an SU honorary professor, outlined how combining AI, high-performance computing and quantum computing is radically speeding up discovery.
Platform for the future
The new NITheCS headquarters in SU's Merensky Building provide offices, seminar rooms, student spaces and meeting facilities – but speakers emphasised that the institute's impact will not be measured in bricks and mortar.
As Patel put it: “We need to show the strength of our system by addressing the key societal challenges we face as a nation." He emphasised the idea of a “social licence to operate" – ensuring that institutes like NITheCS maximise their developmental benefits.
NITheCS is designed to meet that challenge by consolidating capacity in the basic sciences, fostering supervision and mentorship, strengthening historically disadvantaged institutions, and creating opportunities for young researchers.
?“The real challenges of NITheCS are not technical, they are human," Petruccione concluded. “We need to change our mindset, put ego aside, and work together. If we join forces, we can solve big challenges."
Photo: The name of South Africa’s new National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences in lights at the launch in Stellenbosch. PICTURE: Nina Laubscher/SCPS?
?
