Future Researchers embark on NITheCS 2026 Winter Internship

The NITheCS 2026 Winter Virtual Internship Programme has officially begun this month, providing a select group of promising postgraduate students across South Africa with an opportunity to gain valuable research experience under the guidance of NITheCS Associates.

The programme again attracted strong interest, with 165 student applications received. Following a selection process, 33 students were chosen to take part in the 21-day virtual research internship programme.

The internship is designed for Honours and early-stage Master's students, offering participants the opportunity to engage in research projects while receiving mentorship from experienced supervisors and their appointed tutors. The selected interns are being hosted by 12 supervisors representing eight South African institutions: the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), University of Venda (UNIVEN), Sol Plaatje University (SPU), Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), University of Johannesburg (UJ), University of Fort Hare (UFH), Nelson Mandela University (NMU), and Stellenbosch University (SUN).

The 2026 cohort reflects a strong commitment to developing South Africa's future research talent. Of the 33 selected interns, 22 are Honours students and 11 are first-year Master's students. The group includes 18 male and 15 female participants, while 32 of the interns are South African citizens and one is an international student.

Among the host institutions, UKZN will supervise the largest number of interns (seven), followed by Stellenbosch University (six). UNIVEN and SPU will each host five interns, while UJ will host four, NMU three, CPUT two, and UFH one. The distribution highlights the collaborative nature of the programme and the commitment of institutions across the country to nurturing emerging researchers.

The Winter Virtual Internship Programme continues to play an important role in strengthening South Africa's research pipeline by exposing students to research environments and helping them develop the skills required for postgraduate study and future careers in science and innovation.

NITheCS congratulates all selected participants and wishes them a productive, rewarding and inspiring internship experience.