African Underground Science Workshop

8 Sept 2025, 08:00 → 12 Sept 2025, 18:00 Africa/Johannesburg

Merensky Building (Physics Department, Stellenbosch University)

Johannes Jacobus Van Zyl (Stellenbosch University (ZA)), Shaun Metzler Wyngaardt (Stellenbosch University)

Africa's first deep underground science laboratory may become a reality in the next five to ten years with the establishment of the Paarl Africa Underground Laboratory (P.A.U.L.) in the Du Toits Kloof mountains in the Western Cape in South Africa, accessed via the existing Huguenot tunnel.

The PAUL project was officially launched in the aftermath of the first week-long international Symposium on the Science PAUL (SSP 2024), which was hosted at Du Kloof Lodge, 14 - 18 January 2024. 

The African Underground Science (A.U.S.) workshop aims to share the most recent developments at Africa's first underground research facility, and grow support from the regional support base in Southern Africa for the development of the PAUL facility, and the future research and development projects which could be pursued at the PAUL.  A strong emphasis will also be placed on the societal importance of PAUL to the local community and broader society. 

 

Monday 8 September

08:00 → 09:00 Registration

09:00 → 09:30 Welcoming and Introductions

Speakers: Prof. Bertrum Fielding (Stellenbosch University), Prof. Shaun Wyngaardt (Stellenbosch University)

09:30 → 10:00 Department of Science Technology and Innovation

Speaker: Mr Takalani Nemaungani (DSTI)

10:00 → 10:45 The story of the Paarl Africa underground Laboratory

Speaker: Prof. Shaun Metzler Wyngaardt (Stellenbosch University)

11:00 → 11:30 Tea Break

11:30 → 12:15 The Upgrade to the Huguenot tunnel

Speaker: Mr Tiago Massingue (SANRAL)

12:15 → 12:45 Report on the recent measurement at the Huguenot Tunnel

Speaker: Dr JJ Van Zyl (Stellenbosch University)

12:45 → 14:00 Lunch

14:00 → 14:30 Entangled in a Web of Science. Are we friends or foes?

Speaker: Mrs Allison Wyngaardt (Stellenbosch University)

14:30 → 15:00 Social sciences in a physics project: special guest or troublemaker ?

Speaker: Dr Laurent Vidal (CNRS (South Africa))

15:00 → 15:30 Tea Break

15:30 → 16:00 What cells do in the shadows

Speaker: Dr Randall Fischer (iThemba LABS)

Tuesday 9 September

09:00 → 09:45 Human DNA repair following Gamma-Ray irradiation - Measurements and Modelling

Speaker: Ms Tarryn Bailey (Stellenbosch University)

09:45 → 10:30 Radon and Gamma Measurements in the Tunnel

Speaker: Prof. Robert Lindsay (UWC)

10:30 → 11:00 Application of AI technologies in Underground facilities

Speakers: Dr Calib Buckton (Stellenbosch University), Dr Edward Nkadimeng (iThemba LABS)

11:00 → 11:30 Tea Break

11:30 → 12:15 The Botswana Center for Nuclear Science and Technology

Speaker: Prof. Gregory Hillhouse (BIUST)

12:15 → 12:45 Investigations related to the physics of neutrinos: A UWC prespective

Speaker: Prof. Smarajit Triambak (UWC)

13:00 → 14:30 Lunch

14:30 → 15:15 Technical Design aspects behind the PAUL facility

Speaker: Ms Amory Le Roux Aries (SKAO)

15:15 → 16:00 Design and Study report for the PAUL facility

Speaker: Mr Charles Warren-Codrington (SMEC)

Wednesday 10 September

09:00 → 16:00 Free day

16:00 → 19:00 Physics Department Open Day and Public Lecture

Thursday 11 September

09:00 → 09:45 Muography simulation at the Huguenot tunnel

Speaker: Mr Stephanus Jonker (Stellenbosch University)

09:45 → 10:30 Applications of Few Body Physics methods in Astrophysics

Speaker: Prof. Mantile Lekala (UNISA)

10:30 → 11:00 The Community outreach at the SAAO

Speaker: Dr Charles Takalana (SAAO)

11:00 → 11:45 Tea Break

11:45 → 12:15 Science and the Media

Speaker: Ms Wiida Fourie-Basson (Stellenbosch University)

12:15 → 13:00 Discussion and Reflection

13:00 → 14:00 Lunch

17:30 → 21:00 Braai at "Die Stal"

Friday 12 September

08:00 → 12:00 Visit to the Huguenot tunnel