Johannesburg - University of Johannesburg (UJ) professor has made history as the first African woman to be elected as vice-president of the International Geological Sciences.
Professor Hassina Mouri, of the Medical Geology at UJ, became the first African female elected as the vice-president for the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), one of the world’s largest scientific organisations. She will be in the position until 2024.
Founded in 1961, with members representing over a million geoscientists, IUGS promotes and encourages international co-operation and participation in the study of geological problems, especially those of worldwide significance. It also supports and facilitates international and interdisciplinary co-operation in the Earth sciences.
On her appointment, Mouri said: “I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere gratitude for the confidence that the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa had in me to nominate me for this prestigious position and to all council members who supported my nomination.”
She has developed interest in medical geology since 2013, with a focus on issues related to the African continent, presented her work at several international conferences, and published in several international journals.
Mouri is the former chairperson of the South African National Committee for the IUGS (2017-2020) and member of the advisory board of the South African Journal Of Science (SAJS).
Meanwhile, UJ was recently once again ranked among the world’s best universities in the global top 400 at position 378 in the latest 2021 US News & World Report’s Best Global Universities Rankings (BGUR).
Nationally, UJ retained fifth position amongst the 13 South African universities that were ranked, six of which were ranked in the global top 500.
The Star