33-yr-old computer scientist is the first to obtain a PhD in Astrophysics in Botswana
Dr. Kushatha Ntwaetsile, a native of Tsamaya village in Botswana's North-East District, has forged a remarkable path from computer science to the field of astronomy.
After earning an undergraduate degree in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Sunderland and an MSc in Computer Science from Botswana Institute of Science and Technology (BIUST), she recently achieved a groundbreaking milestone by obtaining a PhD in Astrophysics from the University of Hertfordshire in the UK, becoming the first Motswana to hold such a degree.
The astrophysicist, before attaining her PhD spent some of her early years in academia. She served as a graduate teaching assistant at the Department of Academic Literacy for over two years and worked as a Lab Demonstrator in the University of Botswana's Computer Science Department.
Her academic journey extended to the UK, where she worked as an online tutor for the University of London, providing support for the BSc Computer Science and MSc Data Science programmes for more than three years.
She currently serves as a Software and Data Processing Engineer at BIUST.
In a recent interview about being Botswana’s first to obtain a PhD in Astrophysics, she is quoted by local news media Meggi Online saying, “I applied for a PhD in the United Kingdom got a scholarship, and started my PhD in Astrophysics at the University of Hertfordshire, UK. My thesis was on machine learning in Astronomy, and I successfully defended it in February this year, making me the first Motswana to hold a PhD in Astrophysics.”
‘’I believe we need to invest in science and research as well as make policies and strategies that support the development of space science. We should also benchmark countries like South Africa, whose investment in Astronomy has stimulated the country’s economy as well as boosting their tourism and creating jobs. We should increase general interest in science and encourage public engagement,’’ she added.
