Development of multi-wavelength astronomy in South Africa on the pathway to the SKA, LSST and CTA.

在21世纪，天体物理学是一个多学科的领域。与传统的单个天文学家通过望远镜用肉眼观察的图像不同，天文学涵盖了整个电磁频谱，包括光学和电子工程、高速信号处理、用于处理庞大数据集的高性能计算和先进的数值模拟等相互依存的活动范围。所有这些都是复杂的智力活动；所有这些对于解决现代天文学的物理问题都是不可或缺的；除了基础研究的核心价值外，它们在培养年轻科学家和发展先进技术方面都有巨大的社会效益。平方公里阵列（SKA）将是世界上最大、能力最强的射电天文台。它是南非的一个旗舰项目，是在该国建造的第一个国际科学设施。它被强调为将年轻的南非人带入高科技领域的项目。南非SKA，通过NRF和RSA政府，正在提供从工程到操作和天文学研究的所有层次的就业培训。在这种背景下，南非的天体物理学社区从一个主要集中于传统光学天文学的小基地迅速发展起来。我们为博士生提出了一个交换项目，在这个项目中，他们将体验天体物理学的各种各样的多波长技术和观测方面，以及大数据分析、理论和模拟。在我们的交流项目中，来自牛津大学的10名学生和来自RSA大学的同等人数的学生将由他们的接收院校和合作院校的学者共同指导。每个学生将花六个月的时间，通常是在他们博士学位的中期，在合作研究所直接与他们的共同导师一起工作。我们亦会安排导师互访计划，以及每年在牛津和南非举办网络工作坊，以建立两个社群之间的长期合作关系。

In the 21st century, astrophysics is a multidisciplinary field. Far from the traditional image of the lone astronomer viewing though a telescope with the naked eye, astronomy covers the whole electromagnetic spectrum with an interdependent range of activities including optical and electronic engineering, high-speed signal processing, high-performance computing for processing huge data sets, and advanced numerical simulations. All are sophisticated intellectual endeavours; all are integral to addressing the physics questions of modern astronomy; and all have huge societal benefit in the training of young scientists and development of advanced technologies, in addition to their core value of fundamental research.The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be the world's largest and most capable radio observatory. It is a flagship project in South Africa, being the first international science facility built in the country. It is being highlighted as the project to bring young South Africans into high-tech areas. The South African SKA, through the NRF and RSA government, is providing training across all levels of employment, from engineering through operations and astronomy research. In this background the astrophysics community in South Africa is growing rapidly, from a small base concentrating mostly on traditional optical astronomy. We propose an exchange programme for Ph.D. students in which they will experience the wide variety of multi-wavelength technical and observational aspects of astrophysics, along with big data analysis, theory and simulations. In our exchange programme ten students from Oxford, and a matching number from the RSA universities, will be jointly supervised by academics at their host institution and at the partner institution. Each student will spend six months, typically in the middle part of their Ph.D., at the partner institute working directly with their co-supervisor. We will also arrange a programme of supervisor exchange visits, and annual network workshops in both Oxford and South Africa, to build up the collaborative ties between the two communities for the long term.