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Sinazo Bali, 23, from the University of the Western Cape
(UWC), has become the first black woman in Africa to
earn an honours degree in biotechnology cum laude.
In a statement by the university, Bali said completing
her honours degree was difficult as she was unable to
secure funding for her studies.
"It's not easy to get funding because they
[scholarships] score you according to your marks and you
have to give feedback every now and then," she said.
Bali studied the physiological and biochemical responses
of the plant Salvia hispanica L., commonly known as chia.
Her supervisor, Dr Ashwil Klein, introduced her and
fellow students to the plant.
Chia, which is drought-resistant, is native to the
mostly arid and semi-arid environments of southern and
central Mexico. It is now, however, commercially
cultivated in Australia, which has similar climatic
conditions to South Africa.
Sinazo was among 635 honours graduates for UWC's autumn
2017 graduation season. She was also in the top three
for biotechnology at UWC.
Sinazo is currently studying toward her Master¡¦s degree
in biotechnology at the university.
"I am looking forward to this new chapter of my life,
but at the moment I am focussing on my Master¡¦s," she
said.
¡V Source: www.news24.com |
