Change the world

23/08/2021

Reasons to be Proud - #R2bP: Professor in Computing Sciences at Mandela University, Jean Greyling, has been selected as one of ten winners in the Future Learning category of the international, Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year 2021.

Falling Walls is a unique international platform for leaders from the worlds of science, business, politics, the arts and society. The Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year will be announced on 15 September, and should Jean’s project be awarded the title Breakthrough of the Year 2021 in Future Learning, he will be invited to present his work to a global audience at the Falling Walls Conference in Berlin on 9 November.

Jean’s project was selected as one of the ten winners from over 70 finalists in this category.

The key question asked at Falling Walls is: "Which are the next walls to fall in science and society?" All contributions to Falling Walls 2021 carry the theme of breaking walls. Jean’s entered project, the coding app, TANKS (developed in 2017 by one of his former students, Byron Batteson) will be breaking the wall of needing a computer to learn how to code. The app introduces coding to learners between the ages of 10 and 14 using tangible tokens and image recognition, without the need for a computer.

“The outstanding quality and relevance of your research impressed the international Falling Walls Jury“ said Chairman of the Board, Prof Dr Jürgen Mlynek.

The fall of the Berlin Wall marked the dawn of a new era of freedom by breaking barriers both physical and imaginary in Germany and around the world. Three decades on, the night of 9 November 1989 has become a symbol of changing status quos and overcoming divisions of all kinds.

Drawing inspiration from this historic moment, the Falling Walls Conference is driven by the desire to find out: which are the next walls to fall in science and society.

Since its inception, the conference has become a unique global platform connecting science, business and society through a shared commitment to create breakthrough solutions to challenges across borders and disciplines.

The ten Science Breakthroughs of the Year 2021 will be presented live on stage in Berlin and broadcast via livestream to a global audience.

Contact information
Prof. Jean Greyling
Head of Department & Associate Professor
Tel: 27 41 504 2081
jean.greyling@mandela.ac.za