IDIA warmly congratulates Professor Justin Jonas on being awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Engineering by the University of Pretoria at its ceremony on Thursday, 14 May 2026.
Professor Jonas has made an exceptional contribution to South African and international radio astronomy, engineering, and scientific infrastructure through his multiple roles of SARAO Chief Technologist, former HartRAO Director, and co-Director of Rhodes University Centre for Radio Astronomy Techniques and Technologies (RATT). While now retired from Rhodes University, he continues to serve as a Systems Scientist for the international SKA Observatory (SKAO).
Widely recognised as the key architect of MeerKAT, he played a central role in ensuring that South Africa did not merely host a major telescope, but built one of the world’s leading radio astronomy instruments. Through its innovative system design, engineering quality, and scientific performance, MeerKAT has become a globally recognised facility, enabling almost 700 peer-reviewed publications to date and many major discoveries in frontier radio astronomy.
His contribution extends well beyond the telescope itself. Professor Jonas helped build the scientific, technical, and engineering community required to make MeerKAT a success. His work in radio-frequency systems, digital signal processing, telescope instrumentation, and systems engineering helped establish South Africa as a serious global contributor to radio astronomy technology. Equally important has been his commitment to human capacity development, helping to produce a generation of world-class scientists and engineers who are now contributing to radio astronomy, data-intensive science, and advanced instrumentation around the world.
This recognition is particularly meaningful given Professor Jonas’s long association with and former Directorship of HartRAO, where the University of Pretoria shares a joint National Facilities Chair in VLBI.
IDIA extends its congratulations to Professor Jonas on this well-deserved honour. The award is a fitting acknowledgement of a career that has combined technical excellence, institution-building, and national service, with lasting impact for South Africa, the African continent, and the global radio astronomy community.
