Namibian scientist: Fossil fuels won't be replaced in our lifetime

Senior Shimhanda is a trailblazing Namibian PhD student making academic and scientific waves in Japan and elsewhere in the world. The University of Tokyo student, who previously graduated and worked at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), recently spoke to Namibian Sun editor Toivo Ndjebela about his prowess in the science world.Q: What did you study at NUST and when?A: I obtained my Bachelor of Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering from NUST in 2016. I then proceeded to do my Master of Environmental Engineering, also at NUST, in 2020.Q: What did you do in Namibia after finishing your studies at NUST?A: First I worked as a research assistant in the department of civil and environmental engineering at NUST before I worked as a researcher at the Namibia Energy Institute in 2017. I also represented Namibia as part of her first cohort in the Newton Fund’s Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy Training in Namibia, South Africa and Botswana – also in 2017. In 2018 I attended the 5th Biennial African School of Fundamental Physics and Application (ASP2018) at the University of Namibia.Q: When did you go to Japan and for which study programme at which university?A: In 2018 I was awarded the Africa Business Education (ABE) Initiative Scholarship by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to master the Space Engineering International Course (SEIC) at Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan. I completed SEIC in 2020 and returned home and briefly lectured part-time in the electrical and computer engineering department at NUST. I was also part of NUST’s research and development work stream within Namibia's Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) task force.Q: You've since switched scholarships. Which scholarship programme were you initially admitted to, and which one do you currently have?A: In 2022 I won the Japanese Government (MEXT) scholarship, recommended by the Japan embassy in Windhoek, and returned to Japan, joining the University of Tokyo (UTokyo), which is the top university in Japan. I joined UTokyo as a MEXT scholar, meaning I was funded by the Japanese government. However, in my first year I won the most prestigious fellowship in Japan, awarded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). This fellowship has a 20% success rate and its recipients become ‘JSPS Special Researchers’ at their host institutions. So, although the financier changed as I transitioned from a scholar to a fellow, the programme remained the same.Q: What are you studying currently and when did you start your current studies?A: Since 2022 I have been pursuing a PhD in Advanced Energy Engineering at the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences. I conduct electric rocket research in the Komurasaki-Koizumi Space Propulsion Laboratory. Rockets are like cars – some operate on chemicals while others run on electricity. I work on the electric ones and I presented my preliminary results at the 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC2024) in Milan, Italy and the 38th International Electric Propulsion Conference (IEPC2024) in Toulouse, France. In Milan, at the biggest conference in aerospace, I was one of the four young African professionals awarded the 2024 Emerging Space Leaders Grant by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF).Q: How relevant are your studies to Namibia's current energy pursuits?A: I am lucky to have expertise in electronics and telecommunications engineering, environmental engineering, space systems engineering and now advanced energy engineering. This diverse background makes me a multidisciplinary engineer, uniquely equipped with essential skills to address the lack of highly trained engineers and scientists in Namibia. Simply put, the experience gained from my studies is similar to a Swiss Army Knife.Q: What are your thoughts about the fact that Namibia is pursuing oil, gas and green hydrogen at the same time? Which one should we prioritise and why?A: In my opinion, you cannot practically drive two cars at the same time. Trying to do so indicates indecisiveness. So I think Namibia should decisively and wisely choose once and for all. Namibians need immediate solutions and there is not enough time to remain indecisive. Personally, I think fossil fuels cannot realistically be replaced in our lifetimes. The ideal replacement is probably nuclear energy, but we all know the risks. The rest are pipe dreams, futile like trying to replace the sun with the moon. I am not trying to be too pessimistic, but once Donald Trump withdraws the US from the Paris Agreement for the second time, it could suffocate the hysteria and induce some much-needed clarity into the world. Last but not least, we may want to take cues from nature and ask ourselves a fundamental question: hydrogen is a colourless gas by nature, so will it ever be ‘green’?Q: What are your future plans?A: I am currently working on an electric-powered rocket that is expected to transport astronauts and cargo to other planets in the distant future. These rocket types are called ‘electrodeless’ because they contain almost zero metals (electrodes) inside their chambers. This lack of metals is thought to prolong their lifetimes by eliminating most wear and tear problems associated with metallic rockets. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the technology readiness levels (TRL) of these rockets are presently low, requiring a united front to optimise their efficiency. Hence, my future plan is to simply devote myself to solving this problem and hopefully make a career out of it.Q: What can you tell us about Japan and what are some of the lessons that Namibia can draw from Japan?A: The Japanese society has many key attributes such as Kaizen (continuous improvement), Monozukuri (manufacturing engineering), efficiency, self-reliance, hands-on experiential learning and so forth. Incorporating some of these into our Namibian society could significantly make a difference. The sharpest contrast between developing and developed countries is always leadership and management. A country is like a home: if you wholeheartedly invest in your family, the results will speak for themselves.In contrast, if you neglect your wife and children, your neighbours will notice too. But the biggest lesson of them all is that a country does not necessarily need to be naturally rich to be one of the most prosperous on earth. Japan punishingly lacks natural resources, but it has polished human resources in abundance. By ‘polished’ I mean that their government aggressively invested in its people, consequently polishing their raw talents, elevating their artistry and unlocking their creativity. Interestingly, you often hear some of our leaders oppositely telling us to fend for ourselves.

Namibian scientist: Fossil fuels won't be replaced in our lifetime

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

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Namibian scientist: Fossil fuels won't be replaced in our lifetime

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

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