Welcome to the School of Life Sciences, which is located on the Pietermaritzburg and Westville campuses. The School has a staff complement of 144 academic and support staff; houses approximately 1600 undergraduate students; and boasts a postgraduate component of 514, engaged in Honours, Masters, PhD and Postdoctoral research.
CAES Catch-Up newsletter
This newsletter details activities, events and news from the college from the first semester of 2021.
Places still available for first-year students
The College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science still has places available in its first-year programmes for funded or self-funded students for second semester
Open Day Information
Take a look at all the information that was discussed at our virtual Open Day webinar.
Fishy Behaviour Discussed at International River Connectivity Conference
Dr Céline Hanzen, a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Life Sciences’ Centre for Functional Biodiversity (CFB) presented a talk at the international Fish Passage Conference on research on telemetry for management and conservation, waterway connectivity and fish passage. Hanzen was invited to discuss the development of fish behavioural research in South Africa for management and conservation at the online
Postdoctoral Researcher Takes on the Scourge of Marine Litter
Postdoctoral researcher in the School of Health Sciences, Dr Refilwe Mofokeng has made a name for herself in marine conservation through her research, advocacy and organising of beach clean-ups, and her efforts have not let up despite the limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic. With a background in marine and estuarine ecotoxicology, Mofokeng is a scientist
SARChI Chair Drives Conservation of South Africa’s Only Endemic Parrot
The work of South African Research (SARChI) Chair in Ecosystem health and biodiversity in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape Professor Colleen Downs is a touchstone for efforts to conserve South Africa’s only endemic parrot species: the Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus).
Supporting Good Governance and Improved Service Delivery
The ability to monitor and evaluate implemented projects is particularly crucial for employees in the public sector, as their activities affect the lives of those in their surrounding communities. Civil servants need to have a relationship of trust with the community they serve. In community development, good intentions are not enough; accountability is necessary to
Plant Variety Design for Emerging Markets in Africa
A dialogue to strengthen plant breeding and to make the case for investing in demand-led plant breeding in Southern Africa
World Oceans Day
Come celebrate world oceans day with us as two countries come together to raise awareness against plastic pollution in our oceans. your contribution will be part of a documentary that aims to quantify and mitigate plastics abundance in South Africa