Professor

Malik Maaza

FRSC FAAS OMS
Born1963 (age 60–61)
Algeria
Alma materUniversity of Oran
Pierre and Marie Curie University
AwardsNSTF-GreenMatter Award
José Vasconcelos World Award of Education
ICO's Galileo Galilei award
UNESCO's Spirit of Abdus Salam Award
Scientific career
FieldsNanosciences and nanotechnology
InstitutionsUniversity of South Africa
University of the Witwatersrand
ThesisEtude theorique et experimentale de reflecteurs multicouches interferentielles pour neutrons : supermiroirs (1991)
WebsiteUNISA

Malik Maaza (born 1963), also written as Mâaza,[1][2] is a African physicist and UNESCO Chair in Nanosciences and Nanotechnology. He has made significant contributions to the field of physics, particularly in nanosciences and nanotechnology. Maaza has received several prestigious awards, including the Order of Mapungubwe and the Spirit of Abdus Salam Award, and recognition from the World Cultural Council for his contributions to education and research in physics.

Biography

Early life and education

Malik Maaza was born in Algeria in 1963.[3][4] He attained a bachelor's degree in solid-state physics from the University of Oran in 1987. He pursued a master's degree in photonics at Paris VI (today's Pierre and Marie Curie University) in 1988, followed by a PhD in neutron optics at in 1991 at the same institute.[5][6]

Career

After working across universities in Europe and Asia, Maaza joined University of the Witwatersrand in 1997 as a senior lecturer and later led the Advanced Nano-Materials and Nano-Scale Physics Lab. He co-found the African Laser Centre and South African Nanotechnology Initiative that was launched in 2001 and spearheaded the Nanosciences African Network.[7]

Maaza is a professor at the University of South Africa since 2013,[8] and member of iThemba LABS since 2005,[9][10] a scientific research centre known as the National Accelerator Centre, and specialises in the use of particle accelerators.[11] He is the UNESCO Africa Chair in nanoscience and nanotechnology since 2013.[12][13]

Maaza was appointed a member of the National Council for Scientific Research and Technology in 2021.[1] He is an editor for the Scientific African journal.[14]

Research

Maaza specialises in nanomaterials research, exploring their manipulation and properties at the nanoscale.[5] His research spans photonics and nano-scale materials science, targeting diverse applications like selective solar absorbers, nanofluids for enhanced heat transfer in solar power, and renewable energy technologies.[7]

His focus extends to advanced materials, including nanocomposites and biogenic-based materials, aiming to uncover their applications and characteristics. Investigating nanophotonics and photo-active nanomaterials, Maaza examines their optical properties for potential use in photonics and light-based technologies. Additionally, he pioneers smart coatings, seeking functionalities surpassing traditional coatings, potentially involving stimuli-responsive or specialised properties.[6][15] His extensive publications were cited 26,655 time as of November 2023, and his h-index is 95.[16]

Awards and honours

Maaza was nominated as a Fellow of several academics including the African Academy of Sciences in 2009 and the Royal Society of Chemistry.[17] He received the African Union's Kwame Nkrumah Award in 2018,[18][19][20] National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF)'s GreenMatter Award in 2018,[21] on 8 November 2018, he received the José Vasconcelos World Award of Education by the World Cultural Council,[22] International Commission for Optics's Galileo Galilei award in 2019,[6] and he also received the UNESCO's Spirit of Abdus Salam Award in 2022.[9][23]

In 2019, he received the Silver Order of Mapungubwe, a South African civilian honour awarded by the President of South Africa.[24][25][26]

References

  1. 1 2 AE, Rédaction (2021-12-21). "Conseil national de la recherche scientifique et des technologies: Belgacem Haba, Miriam Merad et des PDG d'entreprises parmi les membres". Algerie Eco (in French). Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  2. ↑ Journaliste 1 (2019-04-29). "Le chercheur Algérien Malik Maâza distingué par le président Sud-Africain". Algerie360 (in French). Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  3. ↑ "Son of the African continent honoured by world body". Yiba. 2018-06-13. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  4. ↑ "World Cultural Council acknowledges NRF Physicist with the World Award of Education". Department of Science and innovation. 2018-06-05.
  5. 1 2 "M. Maaza". IEEE. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  6. 1 2 3 "Prof Malik Maaza". www.unisa.ac.za. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  7. 1 2 "Prof Malik Maaza: South Africa". Africa and International Use of Energy. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  8. ↑ "Malik Maaza". Loop. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  9. 1 2 "Malik Maaza awarded the Spirit of Salam". iThemba LABS. 2022-02-05.
  10. ↑ "Prof Malik Maaza". World Science Forum. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  11. ↑ Mafika (2014-07-08). "Africa's first accelerator mass spectrometry lab unveiled". Brand South Africa. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  12. ↑ "UNESCO - UNISA Africa Chair in nanoscience and nanotechnology". www.unisa.ac.za. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  13. ↑ "Prof Malik Maaza". World Science Forum. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  14. ↑ "Showing the Way to Young Researchers Scientific African's Physical Sciences editors, Dr. Maaza and Dr. Eisa, share years of wisdom with African scientists - Editor Profiles - Scientific African - Journal - Elsevier". www.journals.elsevier.com. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  15. ↑ "Malik Maaza | University of South Africa | 660 Publications | 20205 Citations | Related Authors". SciSpace - Author. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  16. ↑ "Maaza". scholar.google.co.za. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  17. ↑ "Fellow | The AAS". AAS Fellow: Maaza Malik. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  18. ↑ "African scientists awarded the prestigious Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Excellence Awards by the African Union with the support of the EU | EEAS". www.eeas.europa.eu. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  19. ↑ "IAS » Professor Malik Maaza FIAS received the African Union prize of scientific excellence: "Kwame Nkrumah 2017"". ebasi.org. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  20. ↑ "Algerian, South African scientists scoop AU accolades". sunatimes.com. 2018-01-31. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  21. ↑ "iThemba LABS Researcher Wins NSTF Award". NRF. 2018-06-29.
  22. ↑ admin (2018-06-01). "Prof. Malik Mâaza". World Cultural Council. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  23. ↑ "Professor Maaza garners international award". www.unisa.ac.za. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  24. ↑ "National honours for outstanding 'Unisans'". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  25. ↑ "National Order for UCT's Ari Sitas". www.news.uct.ac.za. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  26. ↑ "A most prolific innovator at Unisa in 2019". Yiba. 2020-04-09. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
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