OUR STAFF

Francesco Petruccione is a physicist and academic leader, serving as both a professor of Physics at Stellenbosch University and the Director of NITheCS. Prior to his appointment as Director, he served several years as the Interim Director of NITheCS.

With a wealth of experience in his field, he previously held the position of professor and Pro Vice-Chancellor of Big Data and Informatics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). He is also a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa and a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa.

Born in Genoa, Italy, he pursued his undergraduate studies in physics at the University of Freiburg, Germany, where he earned his first degree in the field. He continued his academic journey at the same institution, earning his doctorate in 1988 and his Habilitation degree (Dr. rer. nat. habil.) in 1994.

In 2004, he became a professor of Theoretical Physics at UKZN. A year later, he was awarded an Innovation Fund grant to establish a Centre for Quantum Technology. Prof Petruccione went on to hold the position of South African Research Chair for Quantum Information Processing and Communication Technology in 2007.

In addition to his role as interim director of NITheCS, Prof Petruccione also held an adjunct professor position at the Korean Advanced Institute for Science and Technology. In 2018, he was appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor of Big Data and Informatics at UKZN. Four years later, he moved to Stellenbosch University as a professor of Physics and Quantum Computing in the Physics Department and the School of Data Science and Computational Thinking.

He has published more than 190 papers in refereed scientific journals. He has co-authored a monograph on ‘The Theory of Open Quantum Systems and co-published a monograph with Maria Schuld on ‘Supervised Learning with Quantum Computers’.

Prof Petruccione is the editor of several proceedings volumes and special editions of scientific journals. He also serves on the editorial board of the journals ‘Open Systems and Information Dynamics’, ‘Scientific Reports’, and ‘Quantum Machine Intelligence’.

Prof Petruccione is highly regarded in his field. In 2023 he was honoured with the title of Cavaliere della Stella d’Italia, or Order of the Star of Italy, at a function at the Italian Embassy in Cape Town for his groundbreaking work in physics and quantum computing.

In May 2024, he was appointed as the Director of NITheCS.

René holds a BA degree from UNISA and has been with NITheCS (formerly NITheP) since 2010, where she served as the Communications Officer. In this role, she facilitated communication between NITheCS and its diverse stakeholders, including the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), the National Research Foundation (NRF), the Steering Committee, Associates, students, and bursary holders. She was appointed as the Institute Manager in 2024.

René brings a rich and varied background to her position, with experience spanning the travel industry, HR management, public relations, marketing, and temporary staffing. She has worked as a game lodge reservation agent, international tour guide, leasing agent for international clients, and HR and PR consultant.

Deeply passionate about theoretical and computational sciences, René is committed to encouraging young people – especially in Africa – to pursue careers in STEM. She draws inspiration from Prof Neil Turok’s vision that “the next Einstein can come from Africa” and is particularly moved by a video from the Next Einstein Forum that highlights the challenges faced by young African scientists and addresses key gender issues in science.

Farah-Naaz, the Senior Administrative Assistant for the NITheCS Gauteng node, is located at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) in Johannesburg. She manages our projects, finances, and administration. Prior to this, she obtained an Honours Degree in Psychology through WITS.

Mbali is an Administrative Officer at NITheCS, based at Stellenbosch University. She brings over a decade of administrative experience across finance, operations, and customer service. Mbali holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from MANCOSA and is known for her strong organisational skills, attention to detail, and dedication to service excellence. She provides comprehensive support to the Institute Manager, coordinates events and workshops, and assists with HR and finance processes.