Technology Advancement Progression and Engineering Education through Vehicles
.The Discipline of Mechanical Engineering seized the opportunity to represent UKZN when it displayed two of its vehicles at the 40th annual Cars in the Park event, hosted by the Pietermaritzburg Vintage Sports Car Club on 17 May 2015. The event showcased over 1 200 exhibits to more than 12 000 attendees on the day. Exhibitors set up displays of vintage cars, exotic cars, motorcycles and machinery such as steam engines and tractors. The Academic Leader of Mechanical Engineering, Professor Glen Bright, appointed a team consisting of academic and support staff to work on the full restoration of a 1926 Ford Model T in December last year. The restoration involved an overhaul of the engine valves and cylinder head as well as the complete stripping, preparation and spraying of the vehicle’s body panels.
The convertible roof and floorboards were also restored. The vehicle was displayed at the event alongside the University’s Solar Car which was developed in 2012. The aim of the display was to highlight the contrast in the technology used to design and produce vintage vehicles with the highly computerised design methods currently available to the final-year students in Mechanical Engineering at UKZN. The advancement of the technologies used in the development of the vehicles was taught to students during their four-year degree. Such technologies included the use of 3D simulation, CNC manufacturing and the use of modern materials for high strength and low-weight applications.
Professor Bright and the academic representative, Mr Shaniel Davrajh, praised the efforts of the technicians involved namely, Strinivasen Govender, Yushan Reddy, Danesh Singh, T Chander and Nkululeko Mazibuko (all of whom are pictured below).
Mr Shaniel Davrajh.
author : .author email : .Masters Graduate to continue her TB research in Johannesburg
Ms Lavania Joseph.Ms Lavania Joseph will complete her internship at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in Johannesburg after obtaining her Masters degree in Medical Sciences at UKZN.
Joseph, whose masters thesis was titled: Mutation Frequencies in Drug-Susceptible Clinical Isolates of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis under Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditions, said drug resistance was one of the major obstacles threatening the success of tuberculosis (TB) control programmes, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal.
‘Little is known about the ability of M. tuberculosis – the causative agent of TB – to acquire mutations leading to drug resistance.’
Her study provided much-needed information on the mutational capacity of M. tuberculosis, with potential implications for anti-tuberculosis therapy.
Joseph said: ‘Completing my masters has undoubtedly been my most significant achievement to date. It’s extremely rewarding to have accomplished this after many hours sacrificed in the lab.
‘My decision to pursue a TB-based project was largely influenced by the fact that I live in KwaZulu-Natal, where the disease is a major health concern. To me, it’s essential that data generated in the lab can be translated clinically into improved healthcare and patient-driven interventions. I believe that medical science can help to bridge that gap.’
Joseph obtained her Bachelor of Medical Science Honours degree summa cum laude.
‘My greatest support throughout the years has been my father. He supported my decision to pursue my passion for science since year one of my undergraduate studies, and has always provided that extra motivation when it was needed.’
Joseph is currently completing her National Institute for Communicable Diseases internship in Johannesburg with the aim of registering with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) as a scientist.
She said it was rewarding to work among ‘high-calibre researchers’ at UKZN and being able to present her research at several symposia.
‘My future plans are to continue work as a medical scientist, where I can participate in various research and surveillance projects. I would also like to eventually pursue my PhD,’ she said.
Lunga Memela
author : .author email : .UKZN Academic attends Public Administration Conference at the United Nations
CEPA member Professor Allan Rosenbaum (left) with Professor Purshottama Reddy at the conference.School of Management, Information Technology and Governance academic, Professor Purshottama Reddy was among the public administration experts who critically examined measures to promote good governance globally at the recent 14th Session of the Committee of Experts of Public Administration (CEPA) held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The aim of the Session was for the experts to share knowledge and exchange ideas on the issue of building trust in government. This is in pursuit of the sustainable development goals in preparation for the adoption of the new Sustainable Development Agenda at the Special Summit scheduled to take place in September 2015.
The key theme that dominated the 14th Session this year was building the trust of the citizenry in government and the issues highlighted in this regard were accountability, ethical leadership, participatory governance; responsive public service delivery and nurturing innovation.
‘It clearly emerged during the paper presentations and the discussions that followed that a public administration that was functionally responsive, efficient and effective in the broader context of good governance, can be construed as the building blocks of sustainable development. Globally, governments have a critical development role in creating an enabling environment to facilitate economic growth; environmental protection and of late, social cohesion,’ explained Reddy.
According to CEPA Chairperson, Ms Margaret Saner, the fact that the vital role of public institutions is built into the sustainable development goals, highlights the need for ‘effective, accountable and inclusive public institutions at all levels in promoting peaceful and inclusive societies and access to justice for all.’
CEPA meets annually in New York and it seeks to promote the development of public governance globally by supporting the work of the UN Economic and Social Council.
Thandiwe Jumo
author : .author email : .Cervicovaginal Bacteria May Increase the risk of HIV Acquisition in Women
International Renowned HIV Scientist, Professor Thumbi Ndung’u.UKZN’s Professor Thumbi Ndung’u, renowned HIV scientist, recently published a paper with local colleagues and collaborators from the United States that found a specific bacterial community in the genital tract of healthy South African Durban women that is highly pro-inflammatory; thereby possibly increasing the risk of HIV acquisition.
The ground-breaking study, recently published in the prestigious journal Immunity was conducted on a cohort of HIV negative, 18-23 year old Black South African women enrolled in a study in Durban called FRESH (Females Rising Through Education, Support and Health).
The scientists began assessing the baseline bacterial microbiome in the participants and found that only 37% of participants had Lactobacillus dominant cervicovaginal communities. This is in contrast to published reports of White and Black women in developed countries in which 90% and 62% of women respectively demonstrated Lactobacillus dominance.
Lactobacillus is a type of bacteria with multiple different species in the genus. Most Lactobacillus in humans are considered unharmful and are possibly effective for preventing diarrhoea in children, or a bacterial vaginal infection. Inflammatory reactions in the female genital tract can prevent or eliminate many sexually transmitted infections however the activation of the immune system paradoxically increases the risk that exposure to HIV will lead to infection.
The study found that apart from low-Lactobacillus cervicovaginal communities, the bacterial community structures seen in these young South African women were characterised by a predominance of communities with high ecological diversity. The researchers also measured levels of the immune system signaling molecules called cytokines and found significant individual differences. Cytokine levels among the cervicotypes revealed that the low-Lactobacillus, high-diversity communities were more than four times as likely to have elevated genital inflammatory cytokines.
Previous studies have indicated that seroconversion is associated with raised genital inflammatory cytokines. That is, the risk of HIV acquisition is significantly higher in women with evidence of genital inflammation, defined by at least five of nine inflammatory cytokines being raised.
The study also found that women with the highest levels of cytokine inflammation had active Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s). Chlamydia trachomatis was the most prevalent STI in this cohort, with 13% of women testing positive at the first visit. However, the cause of elevated genital inflammation in the majority of women remains unexplained. It was not associated with sexual behaviour, contraceptive usage or demographic characteristics.
The scientists concluded that women with elevated genital inflammation may be three times more likely to become HIV-infected suggesting that generally targeting the genital microbial population may reduce risk. The findings also assist in the development of effective microbicide vaginal gels in HIV prevention for women.
Ndung’u commented on the results, ‘This study provides a clear mechanism for increased genital inflammation in some women, which has been associated with higher risk of HIV infection. However, it is important to note that the more diverse community with low lactobacillus abundance, may not be necessarily “bad”. Although it is clearly associated with more genital inflammation and possibly increased HIV risk, there may be advantages to this microbiome in South Africa, such as better host defense against genital pathogens that are more specific to this region. Further research will be required to advance this work to interventions but an important finding is that “normal” is geography specific.’
Scientists that collaborated with Ndung’u and his UKZN colleagues on this study are from Harvard Medical School, Washington University School of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Ragon Institute in the United States.
MaryAnn Francis
author : .author email : .UKZN Assists in Assessing POMR Globally
.UKZN staff based in the Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Trauma Unit, recently participated in a study supported by the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery entitled, “Toward a standard approach to measurement and reporting of perioperative mortality rates (POMR) a global indicator for surgery”. Assessing POMR within a country provides valuable information and is regarded by many clinicians and governments as a credible indicator of quality.
Public health surveillance methods rely on standardised metrics to evaluate the burden of diseases and the health performance system. Such metrics have not been developed for surgical services despite an increasing volume, substantial cost and high rates of death and disability related to surgical procedures.
The Lancet commission on global surgery aims to analyse a range of metrics that could be included as a core global surgery metric with POMR being one of them. POMR is defined as the proportion of patients that die either during or immediately after surgery. This particular study focused on analysing the collection of total annual surgical volume and all-cause mortality rate before discharge among post-operative patients as an indicator of realised access and surgical safety.
This study analysed datasets from two high-income countries namely New Zealand and Australia as well as a low-income country, Papua New Guinea and middle-income South Africa. The datasets analysed included 1.362.635 patient admissions involving 1.514.242 procedures. A total of 8 655 deaths were recorded within a 30 day period and results indicated that 8-20% of in-hospital deaths occurred on the same day as the first operation.
POMR varied by both age and urgency. Among emergency cases, POMR was two-three fold greater than non-emergency cases. The study also found that emergency cases in patients over the age of 65 had greater POMR. Adjusting for variables such as increasing the hospital stay of patients had little effect on the POMR between the sites as well as high income and low income countries. The study also found that the procedures varied between the sites with Pietermaritzburg admitting 38.1% of patients for emergency laparotomies which only accounted for 0.1% of admissions in New Zealand.
The introduction of a safety checklist in participating centres resulted in a decrease in POMR from 1.5 to 0.8 deaths per 100 procedures. However, the researchers suggested that in order for POMR to be adopted as a core global surgery metric, a better understanding is needed on how various measurement and analytic issues affect its accuracy and usefulness for monitoring and guiding improvements in resource-poor settings.
The feasibility of data collection varied as in first referral hospitals in resource-poor countries, written entries are made in logbooks of the operating theatre and are often the only source of information.
Research suggests that as much as 11–30% of the global burden of disease requires surgical care as a core indicator. Reporting on POMR will essentially assist to strengthen health systems through the delivery of safe, effective, and accessible surgical care.
Commenting on the study, Dr Damian Clarke, president of the Surgical Research Society of Southern Africa and Lead Trauma Surgeon and Academic Head of the Area 2 Trauma Service in the Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan area said: ‘Global surgery is an exciting new field of research. It takes as a starting point the realization that surgery is an integral cost effective part of a public health strategy. The initial area on which global surgery research focused was in quantifying the burden of surgical disease in the developing world and the resources available to deal with this burden.’
‘Recently the focus has moved on to developing a metric which can be used to quantify the quality of a surgical service. This has been difficult as surgical disease is often diverse. The use of POMR has been suggested as a useful marker? global surgery movement is trying to get this metric to be adopted by the WHO.
‘The current study arose out of a meeting between staff from Pietermaritzburg and Professor Gruen from Monash University in Australia. The Pietermaritzburg hospital complex has developed a Hybrid Electronic Medical Registry (HEMR) which captures data on all surgical patients. The HEMR has accrued a great deal of data and the obvious thought was to use our data to see if POMR could be collected and used as a research tool in our environment. This data was then compared to data from a number of other registries in the Southern Hemisphere. The data provided by the HEMR was of sufficient quality to allow for meaningful comparison and it is hoped that data from the HEMR will continue to be used in the future for ongoing research both locally and internationally.’
MaryAnn Francis
author : .author email : .Farewell to UKZN’s QI Star
Dr Jennifer Ramamah Reddy-Moodley.The UKZN community celebrated the life of Quality Improvement Star, Dr Jennifer Ramamah Reddy-Moodley at a memorial service organised by UKZN’s Center for Rural Health (CRH).
Reddy-Moodley joined UKZN in 2008 as a Project Director for 20 000+ partnership, a programme which sought to reduce mother -to-child transmission of HIV and AIDS. She was one of the pioneers of Quality Improvement (QI). QI is the method by which health systems are improved in a specific context to implement generalisable medical evidence.
20 000+ has since been incorporated into the Centre for Rural Health. She died on May 2 2015 at age 58. She is survived by her husband Robin Moodley and their two children.
Family Medicine Head of Department, Dr Bernhard Gaede, who previously worked with Reddy-Moodley at CRH expressed the College of Health Sciences’ deepest condolences to the Moodley family and loved ones.
‘Jennfer had great qualities and was committed to her life of service. She was passionate about improving services, particularly for children,’ Gaede said.
He described Reddy-Moodley as a caring and engaging woman who engaged fully with communities, ‘She formed the 20000+ partnership team well and her life was much bigger than her work,’ added Gaede.
He urged the former 20000+ staff, now the CRH staff members to find strength in the memories they all shared with Reddy-Moodley, ‘May the memory of her be a blessing to us.’
US Consulate (Durban), PEPFAR Provincial Liaison, Chalone Savant said the US Government was happy to have been a part of Reddy-Moodley’s life.
‘She was one of the greatest people I ever met. She was a real person. She always responded. What an amazing legacy she has left behind. She saved so many lives of women and children. We are proud to have been part of her life and work.’
Speaking on behalf of 20 000+ partners, Ellen Ntswe recalled Reddy-Moodley as a very polite but strict and firm boss who went beyond the call of duty.
‘Jennifer was not only our boss, but a mother to us too’, said former 20 000+ partnership employee, Lungi Mdikeli.
‘Today we are celebrating Quality Improvement as a country, thanks to Jennifer who is the Quality Improvement Hero.’ she added.
Sandra Reid shared Reddy-Moodley’s time at 20 000+ through a moving photo slide presentation which brought tears to many eyes. Meanwhile, Mc Cord Hospital CEO, Dr Mannie had no words for the loss of Reddy-Moodley whom he knew since medical school. Instead he sang a song “I know that I can make it” accompanied on his guitar. The Congregation joined in and sang along with Mannie. At the close he said Reddy-Moodley was the epitome of love, humility, compassion and grace.
The Memorial service was also addressed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI) Senior Vice-President, Professor Pierre Barker who reflected on the important work Jennifer had done. Barker is a QI International expert based at the University of North Carolina in the United States and worked closely with Reddy-Moodley over the past 8 years.
Robin Moodley said: ‘With Jennifer, we experienced grace that carries. What gives us hope is that Jennifer understood legacy. She capacitated her staff and she saw potential in everyone, which was a testimony of her leadership. Jennifer always embraced people and only saw hope. We need to see hope even if the situation is bleak. Finish strong and die empty,’ he said.
Reddy-Moodley qualified as a doctor in 1978. In 1980-1992 she worked as a principal medical officer in the Department of Pediatrics. From 1992-1999 she was employed by the Durban City Health department as a clinical medical officer. She played a role as a local government representative on the KZN Therapeutics Committee. She was also a chairperson for the Research Committee at eThekwini Municipality. In 2001 she was a manager for the HIV and AIDS programme. From 2003-2008 she worked as deputy head for Clinical services - eThekwini Health Services.
Nombuso Dlamini
author : .author email : .Africa Unites through Music & Dance Concert by School of Arts
African Music and Dance (AMD) students perform on stage. In light of the recent spate of xenophobic attacks in the province, the African Music and Dance (AMD) discipline within the School of Arts recently hosted an ‘Africa Unites through Music and Dance Concert’ at the Howard College Theatre.
Director for the African Music Project at UKZN Dr Patricia Opondo saiid that the timing of the concert coincides with South Africa’s decision to declare May, Africa Month. This was in line with the African Music and Dance Program’s (AMD) ethos of ‘standing together in common purpose to celebrate our diversity, yet commonalities as descendants of our blessed continent, Africa’.
Said Opondo : ‘The music and dance items in our Lunch Hour Concert are composed and choreographed by Team AMD to celebrate that diversity which is reflected in both our staff component and student profile. Team AMD came together to make a joyful noise in celebration of South Africa, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya.
‘Through our creative talents we are able to come together and build bridges, expressing our purpose and vision through our voices, our choreograpy, playing instruments, and through spoken word.’
Opondo added that as part of their social responsibility, Team AMD also visited the camp set up in Isipingo for those that were affected by the xenophobic attacks. ‘We listened to their laments and desire for peace. Their struggles make us appreciate that we all have a need for shelter, warmth, food and community, so in the spirit of Ubuntu and Harambee, we joined hands to sing UMoja – Africa Unite.’
The concert also saw AMD students perform onstage alongside their lecturers’ with the concert showcasing a marimba band, Congolese dance, Gumboot dance and Ngoma dance, poetry and percussion.
AMD students Mr Sibonelo Ndlovu and Ms Thobile Mbanjwa were also excited to get involved in the concert and to perform alongside their lecturers. ‘The concert was a good way to raise awareness about xenophobia and to unite us as brothers and sisters,’ they said.
Lecturer Brother Clement Sithole who teaches students how to play the Umakweyana Bow performed onstage with them stating that getting involved in the concert was a highly memorable moment for him and was for a good cause.
‘To be on stage with my students made me very happy, especially since we were performing together against xenophobia. I hope that those audience members that came to see us are able to view the concert as Africans uniting as one through our music and dance.’
Gumboot dance lecturer Mr Gibson Mtshali expressed his delight at being on stage with his students and being a part of a worthy concert. ‘I am proud of the way the students performed but I am even more proud of them for creating awareness about xenophobia through music and dance.’
‘I got involved with this concert; because I too believe that with this art form we will be able to create understanding about this issue and change mind-sets. We all are the same; we have the same blood and should be working alongside each other to build a better Africa.’
Both AMD Lecturers and students were grateful to Dr Opondo for pioneering the concert and allowing them to express their feelings and to educate the public about Xenophobia and the collective power and harmony of Africa in Unity through their performances.
Melissa Mungroo
author : .author email : .Education Seminar Addresses Contemporary Issues in Inclusive Education
Participants in the Inclusive Education seminar. Students from the School of Education along with guest speakers recently participated and shared their research knowledge in a seminar entitled “Contemporary issues in inclusive education: Partnerships for possibilities”. This seminar was organised by both the students and their Lecturer, Dr Fumane Khanare, and is part of the inclusive education theory and practice module.
‘It is important for us to share and learn from experts in order to improve our understanding of the module and to identify niche areas for research (individual and collaborative), said Dr Khanare. ‘It is through existing partnerships, mobilising partnerships or even creating new ones that the goal of building an inclusive society can be achieved.’
UKZN PhD student Mrs Sella Terrie Kisaka looked at the challenges of implementing inclusive education in universities in Kenya. ‘Inclusive education seeks to address the learning needs of all students, young people and adults, with a specific focus on those who are vulnerable to marginalisation and exclusion.’
‘Universities have a department dealing with Special Needs education, a student affairs division, academic division etc. However the good policies that are in place are rarely adhered to on the ground due to bureaucratic hurdles, financial constraints, and poor implementation.’
She believes that universities should accommodate all students, regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic or other impairments. ‘They should provide for disabled and gifted students, street and working students, students from remote or nomadic populations, students from linguistic, ethnic or cultural minorities and students from other marginalised areas or groups.’
Educator Mr Samuel Abogunloko discussed his research on Inclusive Education in Nigeria based on his experiences in the educational industry as a contributory and active stakeholder who started his teaching career in 1991.
‘Inclusive education policies and practices do exist in Nigeria but do not necessarily follow/adopt the South African’s nomenclature. There is greater capacity building and self-reliance principle inbuilt into larger populations of Nigerians but there is limited or no reliance on government for economic survival. Currently unique inclusive educational platforms exist in Nigeria such as Nomadic education and even Almajiri schools.’
He believes that some of the drawbacks such as politics, terrorism and population problems need to be addressed in order to facilitate inclusive education.
Chief Education Specialist: Special Needs Education Services at the KZN Department of Basic Education Ms Cynthia Busane spoke about Partnering for Inclusive Education in South Africa highlighting that such partnerships will scale up support for learners with disabilities.
One such partnership that she spoke about was one with hospitals. ‘We plan activities with hospital partners by identifying out-of-school children during community outreach and forward assessment reports to DoE offices, assessing in-school learners and forwarding to DoE to facilitate reports for care dependency grant applications ‘We thereby conduct training for educators to empower them on early identification and support, provision of workshops to follow up on identified learners and the direct intervention by therapists in special cases.’
Other partnerships with NGO’s, parents and businesses were also addressed. ‘Partnerships are complex issues. You interact with different people and consequences cannot be predicted. The approach must be flexible depending on the context and the specific demands of the situation at hand. Small actions count and a positive attitude from individuals,’ said Busane.
With the positive response from participants and those that attended the seminar, Dr Khanare hopes that the seminar becomes an annual event.
Melissa Mungroo
author : .author email : .UKZN Selected to Host Carnegie African Diaspora Fellow
Professor Mark Laing with Dr Charmaine Naidoo upon her arrival at the Pietermaritzburg campus.The School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences (SAEES) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) was selected by the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program (CADFP) to host an African Diaspora scholar from the United States. The scholar will be involved in a collaborative project focusing on a curriculum co-development of a research mentoring programme in Plant Pathology, and developing an international agriculture experiential programme. Professor Mark Laing will lead the project, together with Dr Charmaine Naidoo, a Fellow from Langston University in Langston, Oklahoma.
The CADFP will support 17 projects in Africa pairing African Diaspora scholars with Higher Education Institutions and collaborators in Africa. They will work together on curriculum co-development, research, graduate teaching, training and mentoring activities in the coming months. Naidoo is one of 110 African Diaspora scholars who have been awarded Fellowships to travel to Africa over the first two years of the programme. Naidoo’s visit will last for seven weeks, during which time she will be based at SAEES.
Laing and Naidoo’s project aims to review and develop a Plant Pathology curriculum and the practical aspects of the programme. The scholars will also review the postgraduate research programme in Plant Pathology and initiate a teaching grant proposal to review the management of postgraduate throughput. Additionally, their activities will include the writing of a draft research proposal in Plant Pathology/Crop Science that can be initiated in parallel at both institutions.
The objective of this collaboration is ultimately to produce graduates who will succeed globally by developing well-aligned curricula.
‘Dr Naidoo is keen to enhance international content of curricula at her institution and an exchange of students and faculty will be proposed in a teaching grant proposal,’ said Laing.
Naidoo and Laing envision that the project will have impact at both institutions through the development of a curriculum alignment matrix that can be used at UKZN and Langston University. This kind of strengthening of relationships between the institutions will have immediate impact, leading to longer-term exchange agreements.
Naidoo hopes to contribute her expertise and research acumen in crop/plant biology, as well as her experience in accreditation and knowledge regarding curriculum and assessment reviews.
Several institutions in Africa are hosting Carnegie Diaspora Scholars on various projects, with three host institutions in Ghana, two in Kenya, seven in Nigeria and 4 in South Africa. The projects span an impressive range of fields across the arts and humanities, social sciences, education, sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics. This innovative fellowship programme facilitates engagement between scholars born in Africa who are now based in the United States or Canada and scholars in Africa on mutually beneficial academic activities. The programme is managed by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in collaboration with Quinnipiac University, through Dr Paul Tiyambe Zeleza, and is funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Zeleza highlighted the importance of diaspora knowledge networks like this that bring together academics across disciplines and help to facilitate scholarly collaboration, exchanges, and networking opportunities. The unique programme aims to contribute to capacity building in home and host countries.
The CADFP has been recognised by scholars as a catalyst for ongoing collaboration, with many scholars continuing their collaborative work after returning to their home institutions.
Christine Cuénod
author : .author email : .Leadership & Management in improving NSC Results discussed at Seminar
ELMP staff with KZN district officials Mr Nhlanhla Mngomezulu (front row, first left) and Dr Perumal Naicker (front row, second left). The Educational Leadership, Management and Policy (ELMP) Discipline in the School of Education recently hosted a seminar that investigated the implications for leadership and management in improving the National Senior Certificate (NSC) results. This was critically analysed by prominent KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) district officials Dr Perumal Naicker and Mr Nhlanhla Mngomezulu.
The seminar focused on the 2014 NSC results that showed the province’s results had declined from 77, 5% in 2013 to 69, 7% in 2014, placing KZN in the eighth spot out of the nine provinces in the country.
In light of the declining results, the ELMP Discipline saw the need to create a platform for engagement with various stakeholders on practical issues affecting education provision.
This is one of many events being hosted by the School of Education to provide a space for debate and dialogue on what various stakeholders are doing to turn the tide and enhance the quality of the learning experience offered to learners in schools.
Dr Naicker and Mr Mngomezulu - both graduates from UKZN, discussed with teachers and students what they were doing to address the situation by highlighting the strategies that Districts have in place to improve NSC results. Also discussed were the concrete actions Districts and schools have regarding NSC results and the overall role that District and School Leaders were playing in turning the tide.
Mngomezulu stated that they have a threefold strategy that incorporates the Circuit Management Centres, Secondary Schools and general Education and Training. He emphasised that both Grade 10s and 11s should be treated as if they were in Grade 12 so as to inculcate the importance of excelling academically.
‘We’ve noticed that some schools aren’t utilising the workbooks provided. This situation should change and the workbooks be used in daily preparation. Each school must have an Annual Academic Improvement Plan. Schools should not be preoccupied only with administrative tasks but be focused on continual monitoring and implementation of the curriculum.’
He singled out teachers who hid behind the notion of “extra classes” as a means for them to complete the syllabus on time. ‘As teachers, you should be conducting extra classes as subject intervention strategies and as a way of improving learners’ understandings of a subject better and to provide feedback sessions,’ he said.
His colleague, Dr Naicker emphasised that the core business of schools should be teaching and learning. ‘In this country there is a fixation on Matriculation results. The Department of Education produces more policies each year but there is less activism on the ground to improve on our NSC results. There are ill-conceived projects, the same number of teachers, an increase of learners and the mushrooming of independent schools,’he said.
He said that the Department of Basic Education had varying degrees of success in the form of scholar transport, providing meals and even the exemption of school fees but Naicker believes that schools are becoming consumed with daily operational tasks and have moved away from quality education.
With teachers and ELMP students at the seminar, Naicker told them that they needed to cultivate a good attitude and become agents of change at schools. ‘Convert these policies into action and take into account local specifics. These policies are there to support you, develop that leadership capacity and establish a culture of teaching and learning.’
He noted that stakeholder ownership is important and that schools should strengthen partnerships with the respective communities in order to achieve better results.
The ELMP Co-ordinator Dr Siphiwe Mthiyane believes the inaugural seminar is important. ‘This was a tangible, structured mechanism in which our postgraduate students are exposed to real life debates on educational leadership and management issues relating to education,’ he said. ‘In this exercise we shared ideas as the University community with colleagues inside and outside the University. An attempt is being made to integrate theoretical and practical perspectives for our students.’
‘Outcomes for the Seminar’, said Mthiyane, entailed obtaining insider perspectives about what can work in addressing the current situation.
‘Generating ideas is our main focus rather than anything else at this stage.’
The seminar further explored other issues such as the feasibility of the strategies they have embarked upon given various complex dynamics on the ground with stakeholders such as teachers, parents, learners and teacher unions sharing their opinions on the same issues of Grade 12 performance.
English teacher at Gugulesizwe High School and ELMP Masters student Mrs Yasmeen Malik believes that the seminar gave her the opportunity to pose questions on curriculum evaluation and has equipped her to handle her curriculum matter better. ‘Listening to the strategies on how we can assist and improve on our results has motivated me to go back to my Matrics and incorporate these ideas into my classes.’
PhD student and Chief Education Specialist for Teacher Development in the Umlazi circuit Ms Boshiwe Magubane stated that she is aware of the challenges associated with improving NSC results and in turn welcomed the seminar, speakers’ opinions and strategies. ‘It is good to know that there are strategies in place that we are all working towards. But there is still a lot more that needs to be done and it all starts with the attitude of teachers’
Melissa Mungroo
author : .author email : .UKZN Student named Mr Commonwealth Finalist
UKZN student Mr Trevor Xaba, finalist in the Mr Commonwealth pageant. Mr Trevor Xaba, a second-year Economics and Supply Chain Management student, is a finalist in the Mr Commonwealth pageant.
Xaba set his sights on the modelling industry after he won two pageants in a row - Mr New Res and Mr UKZN. ‘These were my very first two, ever. Thereafter, I decided this is where my heart is,’ said Xaba.
Twenty-year-old Xaba is from Kokstad and has made the most of his time at the University. ‘I come from a small agricultural town where one’s dreams are quite limited.’
When he got to the city he said to himself, ‘This is it! Trevor it’s either you sleep and miss the opportunity presented to you or you take your share from this river of wealth.’
Xaba is grateful for the support he has received. ‘First and foremost, I thank God. I also thank and acknowledge my parents for the undying support they’ve given, and Mthobisi Mhlongo for his council and keeping me on track.’
Future plans include breaking into television, as either a presenter or actor. ‘I also have a couple of business concepts that I’m working on and hope to bringto life next year.’
When he isn’t on the runway or attending lectures, Xaba is at gym, jogging, attending business seminars or working in a voluntary capacity for the Durban Children's Home focusing on rehabilitation and community outreach projects, rehabilitation and community outreach centre.
The Mr Commonwealth finals will be held on 12 September in Johannesburg at Gold Reef City.
The winner is selected on the fulfillment of a set criteria, i.e. obtaining sponsorship, working with a non-governmental organisation, securing votes through an SMS line, and finally stage presence on the evening of the gala.
A panel of judges will determine the winner during the final gala, however people can vote by texting “Trevor Xaba” to 35554, SMS messages cost R3.
Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer
author : .author email : .Humanities Staff Undergo Moodle Training
School of Built Environment and Development Studies (BEDS) staff attend a Moodle Training workshop. Staff from the School of Built Environment and Development Studies (BEDS) recently participated in a Moodle Training workshop in an effort to better assist their students. This comes in the wake of the University adopting Moodle as its on-line learning management system which is currently being utilised by some staff and students.
To maximise the teaching and learning potential of this system, Moodle will be phased in for all modules progressively over the next 3 years.
Interim Dean and Head of the School Professor Betty Mubangizi urged her staff to undergo the training. She said: ‘Having used Moodle for the past three years myself, I am aware of its benefits in teaching and learning. This is particularly mindful of the fact that our students are techno savvy.
‘I thus wanted the staff of BEDS to derive the benefits that Moodle offers. I encourage, and will continue to encourage all academics to use Moodle in their teaching. It saves time, saves paper and increases interaction between students and lecturers – all of which enhances both the learning and teaching experience.’
Mrs Priya Konan from Research and Higher Degrees at the School stated that Moodle is a powerful teaching and learning tool for academics and students and is a platform to make the educational environment more interesting.
‘As support staff we must be familiar with software that can improve our working environment and since support staff support students and academics we must learn these programmes to keep up with the changing technical environment.’
Ms Bridget Horner, a lecturer in Architecture further added, ‘Moodle is a lot more user friendly than originally thought. It saves time in uploading info each year as it can be saved and reused and added to and in printing saving costs and time. Next semester watch this space.’
Another Architecture Lecturer Mr Sibusiso Sithole believes that the Moodle platform is also very popular with the younger and more technologically savvy generation and is a powerful and effective program if utilized accordingly, thereby encouraging student engagement and peer learning through group chats and the ability to receive submissions remotely, ‘This makes a sustainable contribution tothe decrease of printed media, saving paper and ink.’
‘In Architecture, the platform is more suited to the theoretical courses where there are set reading lists, tutorials and the modules that do not require as much contact time as the design courses. When setting the course outline and the readings, the entire module for the semester could be uploaded on to the system and the information released to students as needs be.’
‘There can be group discussions on critical matters the students did not grasp and the chats could be used as an extension of the class teaching time. This adds to the whole concept of peer learning, as the platform could be used to debate and further elaborate on certain material prescribed in their module at that particular time.’
Melissa Mungroo
author : .author email : .Fountain Hill Estate Provides Sustainable Agriculture Experience to UKZN Students
Mr Ed Gevers addressing students at Fountain Hill Estate.Mr Ed Gevers, an alumnus of UKZN with a Master’s in Horticulture, is the manager of the Fountain Hill Estate in Wartburg. Gevers generously hosted the Field Crop Management class from UKZN during their recent field trip.
According to Professor Albert Modi, who teaches the module, the farm is an ideal representation of a complex agroecosystem that includes conservation farming. The module aims to provide students with knowledge of management practices involved in the production of field crops.
Visiting the Estate gave the students the opportunity to learn about sustainable agriculture, an important aspect of the module, from someone who has not only had similar academic experience to the students, but has practical experience as a farmer and farm manager.
The major components of the Fountain Hill agroecosytem are sugarcane, avocadoes and pastures for beef and game. The farm has a well-managed irrigation system using eight dams, but relies largely on dryland production. The students had the opportunity to observe a management system that includes crop rotation, green manuring and sustainable crop protection practices. In their reports, the students indicated that they were very impressed to learn about the challenges associated with farm management. They learned that farming involves continual learning about new strategies and innovations. It also requires accurate record keeping.
‘The Fountain Hill Estate farm has a long-term goal of achieving a sustainable integrated agroecosystem, and would like to work with researchers and students,’ said Mr Gevers.
Professor Albert Modi
author : .author email : .UKZN’s Cricket Club’s Stellar Performance Celebrated
The Cricket Team, Student Leadership and supporters at the celebratory lunch on the Westville campus. The University of KwaZulu-Natal hosted a banquet in honour of the Cricket Club’s exceptional performance in the Castle Challenge League. The Cricket Club are the Castle Challenge League 50-over Champions and the Castle Challenge League 20/20 Champions and remained unbeaten throughout the 2014/15 season in both formats.
Captain Devon James, who has played cricket at the University for 11 years, said something ‘sparked’ in the team about two years ago. ‘There was a sense of urgency and drive within the squad,’ said James.
He acknowledged Coach Fabian Lazarus’s professional approach to the season and the games and thanked the team for their hard work and dedication and the University for their support.
Coach Fabian Lazarus, awarded the Best Club Coach for the Season in the Castle Champion League, said hard work and buy-in from all the players and the support staff paid dividends.
KZN Cricket Union’s Jay Naidoo congratulated the team and Coach Fabian Lazarus and commended their performance, ‘To go the season unbeaten is amazing – it doesn’t happen often!’
Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, Vice-Chancellor and Principal at UKZN, congratulated the cricketers and reaffirmed his commitment to sports, academia and research at the University.
Dr Sibusiso Chalufu, Executive Director of Student Services, said he was pleased at the strategic decision to focus on and drive sports at the University.
Chalufu thanked the support staff, UKZN Cricket Union’s Mr Jay Naidoo, Student Health and Sports’ Mr Mark Bashe and the Sports’ Administration team. He paid special tribute to the players and along with Dr van Jaarsveld, committed to attending cricket games when the next season started.
Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer
author : .author email : .The UKZN Griot. Of Quotas and Science
.Keyan G Tomaselli*
Government (mis)communication causing panic and raising stress levels is the subject of this column. Weather and earthquake forecasters in some countries are subject to imprisonment for causing alarm and despondency if they get their predictions wrong. Employees at the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) should be subject to the same chastisements. Thanks to poorly written legislation, wrong information communicated by a member of the Department, and the varying assumptions made by a number of university research offices, for a memorable March and April editors, publishers and research managers chased their tails. All kinds of directives were offered by different institutions on a matter that is going to have profound effect on the DHET publication incentive system.
This story relates to new DHET rules issued in mid-March. One of the new rules in question is the 75:25% asymmetry. Previously, an accredited journal was permitted to publish 50% of its articles in a single volume from the same university; from 2016 it’s 25%. It was initially assumed by some that this new rule would be applied retrospectively, even backdated to 2014. However, was the asymmetrical calculation to be by volume, by single issues, by page lengths, by numbers of authors, would it include ISI and IBSS journals published elsewhere? No-one knew. So the rumours grew, with some journals seized in panic. I asked a few questions and contacted a number of university research divisions, while publishers tried to get clarity from the horse’s mouth. And, unlike Home Affairs, DHET does reply – but in contradictory increments.
Here’s the problem: Basically, if the 25% is applied per issue number (rather than volume), this will seriously discourage authors at large universities from publishing as South African journals will be required to limit their selection to no more than 3.2 authors from the same institution where eight articles are the norm per number. This may not be a problem where a small university with fewer authors is concerned, but it will seriously affect mega multi-campus institutions that have large or multiple departments where more people are publishing in the same disciplines.
The Law of Unintended Consequences means that the new rules:
· Will put paid to special issues where a group of even multidisciplinary scholars from many departments and campuses from a single institution like UKZN working on unique long- term projects are concerned. The conceptual critical mass generated by such projects will be lost as a scattering effect will occur as individual authors try to place their articles across a wider and perhaps lower impact range of journals that can absorb them. It can take a guest editor two to three years to compile a theme issue, perhaps involving writing and development workshops with prospective authors, conventional peer review, and other forms of evaluation.
· Will create a knock-on effect which could delay publication of single general articles as editors of South African journals juggle multiple incoming papers from specific institutions across a number of issues over a longer period of time so as not to fall foul of the new 25% rule. Or, editors might horse trade articles between journals.
· Will result in overseas journals simply not bothering with this lottery if it applies to them also. Why should they?
· Will create a situation in which editors who should be accepting submissions on scientific merit being now required to act as gatekeepers for DHET's quota system.
· Will mean the numbers of papers that might get (quickly) published may well decrease, affecting universities’ bottom lines.
· Will be particularly disruptive for journals which have a largely South African authorship. Obviously, the intention is to fracture the recurring incestuousness of so many local journals. But this new rule also indicates a residual positivist ideology that assumes that ‘quality’ can be best ensured by the imposition of quotas. We all saw what happened to the Proteas in the Cricket World Cup when this kind of logic was applied.
· May have the effect of yet more journals being set up and applying for accreditation, thus spreading the risk for authors. However, in some disciplines, as is suggested by a recent Research Letter published in the SA Journal of Science and in ASSAF journal evaluations, some disciplines are oversupplied with journals. Some titles might now disappear as they may be unable to secure sufficient submissions to satisfy the 75:25% rule.
· May, if the 75:25% rule applies, negatively affect throughput from South African authors, delaying publication, even delaying journal publication schedules as editors struggle to get the balance right. The implication for production schedules and indexing agencies could be serious.
There are many less disruptive ways of achieving the same result including:
* calculation of the ratio over a longer cycle, by volume, even perhaps one or even two years
* stricter periodic evaluations by the ASSAF panels, but which take into account merit of guest edited issues and articles and not just disparate institutional percentages.
The objective should be to encourage good impactful research, to discourage bad research and opportunistic submissions and publishers, and to persuade authors to publish in higher impact local and international journals.
This, after all, is the point. The incentive was never meant to be a cash cow for universities or authors. But that is what it has become.
* Tomaselli is a UKZN professor emeritus and UJ Distinguished Professor who is editor of two ‘accredited’ journals. See his previous comment on the SAPSE system: http://ccms.ukzn.ac.za/files/articles/Griot/ukzndaba%20may%202011.pdf
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are the author’s own.
author : .author email : .Medical Microbiolology Hosts Update on Diphtheria
.jpg "Medical Microbiolology Hosts Update on Diphtheria")
Dr Melissa Lawler updates clinicians about case management of suspected diphtheria.Eight confirmed cases of Corynebacterium diphtheria have been recorded thus far in the province of KwaZulu-Natal following the recent outbreak of this highly contagious bacterial disease.
A full-house of medical practitioners and the nursing fraternity from the province attended Laboratory and Clinical update on diphtheria which took place at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, organised by UKZN and National Health Laboratory Service’s Department of Medical Microbiology headed by Professor Koleka Mlisana.
The patients infected with this bacterium were from the eThekwini and Ugu districts, alarming doctors because while diphtheria was once a major cause of childhood illnesses and mortality in the early 90’s, the global incidence dropped dramatically with improved health interventions such as childhood immunisations.
Mlisana said there was a pressing need to raise awareness about the disease to hospitals and clinics across the province so that clinicians would know how to manage a patient presenting with symptoms of the condition timeously.
‘As far as we know, the organism only has a human reservoir,’ said Dr Melissa Lawler a compassionate paediatrician subspecialised in infectious diseases, who updated clinicians about case management of suspected diphtheria.
Lawler said children who were unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated until the age of six as should be reflected in the Department of Health (DoH) endorsed “Road to Health Chart” were at the highest risk of presenting with diphtheria, and all these children needed to be urgently vaccinated.
Attendees were alerted to infection and prevention control considerations for suspected diphtheria and Dr Zodwa Seme said it was very important that clinical symptoms were picked up early and treatment was not delayed so as to improve morbidity in these patients. ‘Immediate treatment is imperative,’ she said. Management of close contacts of cases as well as other health practitioners exposed was included in the detailed discussion.
Four of the confirmed cases of diphtheria were presented in detail by Dr Sharana Mohamed at the seminar, and noticeably, each of the patients had not been vaccinated as scheduled at the age of six. This triggered a robust discussion focused on essential measures to take at the clinics and hospitals moving forward.
It was also reported that doctors were dealing with six pending cases of CD in addition to a final case of strong clinical suspicion.
The medical practitioners agreed that more public health interventions were needed to encourage mothers of new-born babies to ensure that their children are vaccinated as stipulated by the DoH because diphtheria is a preventable disease.
Lunga Memela
author : .author email : .Momentous Partnership for UKZN & Department of Correctional Services
From left: Mr KG Mmutlane (DCS), Dr M Plaatjies (Director of Correctional Programmes), Prof Sultan Khan (Sociology), Mr EJ Sihlangu (Deputy Director Offender Profiling), Prof Shanta B Singh (Criminology and Forensic Studies). An interdisciplinary Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Learnership Programme with the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has finally come into fruition. This was initiated by Professor Shanta Singh in the School of Applied Human Sciences and Professor Sultan Khan in the School of Social Sciences.
Professor Singh described the implementation of the Experiential Learning Project as an historical moment for the University and the College of Humanities. ‘It is the first experiential learning project between DCS and UKZN. The Project is an initiative that originated between the Disciplines of Criminology and Sociology at the University and DCS in 2012 and was finalised in May 2015.’
‘Negotiations on the intricacies of the implementation of such a major project had to be discussed in detail and after several meetings with representatives from DCS and staff at UKZN this initiative emerged,’ she said.
A recent meeting to introduce the MOU took place on the Howard College campus in which the DCS, represented by the Directorate’s Correctional Programmes and Risk Profile Management, made a formal presentation to students on the Experiential Learning Project.
The presentation covered Implementation of the Project, Monitoring and Evaluation, Legal Matters, Student Guidelines and best practice from other institutions.
The response to the presentation by DCS was excellently received by both Honours and Masters Students in Criminology and Sociology, with many students indicating enthusiasm and a keen interest in undertaking this project.
Speaking further on the Project, Professor Singh stated that both students and academic staff would be provided with the opportunity to conduct comparative research on identified and relevant contemporary issues in partnership with the Department.
‘DCS will provide training to post graduate students on how to conduct assessments. Mentors, identified in correctional centres will supervise and coach the students to ensure that there is compliance in terms of the department’s policies and procedures, rules and regulations. Besides gaining practical experience students will be able to add this to their CV as part of their experiential work experience.’
In addition, this partnership will assist DCS with assessments, profiling and Correctional Sentence Plans (CSPs) and presenting correctional programmes to sentenced offenders. The compilation of the CSP will indicate which rehabilitation programmes are suitable for the specific offender.
‘This function performed by the Humanities students will be of great value to DCS as it will directly address the core function of the Department as stated in the White Paper i.e. rehabilitation of offenders,’ added Professor Singh.
Both Professor Singh and Professor Khan will serve on the National Board of DCS in order to oversee the implementation of this project.
Melissa Mungroo
author : .author email : .UKZN’s 2015 Convocation AGM
Pictured at the AGM are (from left: Dr Pravin Thakur (graduate and former Convex member), Mr Lesiba Seshoka (Executive Director of Corporate Relations), Mr Fanle Sibisi and Dr Albert van Jaarsveld. Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, UKZN’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal, delivered the keynote address at the 2015 Convocation Annual General Meeting on the Westville campus.
Van Jaarsveld said he planned to drive excellence and transformation, jointly, and listed the University’s flagship achievements including the establishment of the KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV, and CAPRISA.
He highlighted the University’s rankings and noted the exceptional performance by Development Studies, a disciplinary area ranked in the Top 100, worldwide.
‘I want this University to be not just a great institution in Africa, but a great African institution,’ said van Jaarsveld.
He congratulated Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim who was announced as an A-rated scientist by the National Research Foundation and acknowledged former Vice-Chancellor Professor Malegapuru Makgoba and his team’s efforts in establishing the University as one of the most transformed in the country.
He encouraged alumni to be brand ambassadors and said it was a ‘rare privilege to be leading this university.’
Mr Fanle Sibisi, President of Convocation, noted the impact of UKZN alumni, many of whom are in leadership positions in government and the corporate world. ‘Twenty five percent of the Commissioners of the National Planning Commission are alumni of UKZN; a sizeable percentage of our country’s Cabinet are alumni of UKZN, including the President who was once honored by the student leadership as an organic intellectual,’ said Sibisi.
He welcomed Dr van Jaarsveld to the University and acknowledged the work done by Professor Makgoba. ‘On behalf of the Executive Committee of Convocation we wish to extend our gratitude to the former Vice-Chancellor, Solwazi Makgoba siyabonga izandla zidlula ikhanda. Sikufisela unwele olude ukhule ungakhokhobi.
Sibisi condemned the xenophobic attacks that swept across the country, ’We are all human beings and we must behave in a manner that seeks to portray the correct image of South Africans, let the spirit of ubuntu prevail.’
‘As graduates and members of this alma mater let us be part of shaping our society in a more positive way,’ said Sibisi.
Treasurer Ms Thembeka Dlungwane, presented the 2014 Financial Statement, and encouraged alumni to contribute to the Alumni Bursary Fund.
Dlungwane, who serves on Council, said without the support of bursaries from the National Research Foundation and the University, her career would have taken a completely different path.
Programme Director and Deputy President of Convocation, Ms Bavelile Hlongwa, echoed Dlungwane and encouraged alumni to play a role in fundraising at the University.
The evening was rounded off with a buffet dinner, musical entertainment and networking among alumni and friends of the University.
Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer
author : .author email : .European Union celebrates Europe Day at UKZN
European Union (EU) Ambassador to South Africa, Mr Roeland Van De Geer, DVC and Head of the College of Humanities, Professor Cheryl Potgieter and KZN MEC for Finance, Ms Belinda Scott, at the recent Europe Day celebrations.‘The current global situation shows that peace and security require hard work, commitment to diplomacy and the ability to build bridges.’ These were the words of the European Union (EU) Ambassador to South Africa, Mr Roeland Van De Geer.
Van De Geer was speaking at the recent Europe Day celebrations held at UKZN’s Killie Campbell Collections in Morningside, where Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Humanities, Professor Cheryl Potgieter and KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Finance, Ms Belinda Scott, were special guests.
Europe Day marks the day in 1950 on which the then French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman presented his ideas to create a European institution that would pool and manage coal and steel production. A treaty creating such a body was signed just under a year later. Schuman’s proposal is considered to be the beginning of what is now the European Union.
Van De Geer highlighted that the relationship between Europe and Africa continues to grow, reflecting developments on both continents, including Africa’s sustained economic growth that lifts millions out of poverty and enables the EU and Africa to step up their economic ties.
‘This year South Africa celebrates 21 years of democracy and much has been achieved. While Europe sees South Africa as a main international partner, we do of course fully recognise that South Africa itself continues to face considerable challenges. Poverty reduction and job creation remain priorities, while improved service delivery in areas such as education will require much investment and full engagement by all concerned.
‘There is much work to do, both in South Africa and in the European Union,’ Van De Geer added. ‘Jobs will need to be created, growth will need to be increased, peace and security will need to be enhanced dramatically and, possibly above all, the EU and South Africa will need to stand shoulder to shoulder to fight xenophobia in our societies and work towards a world in which people are no longer so desperate that they trust their lives to criminals to cross seas, desserts and borders in a too often disastrous attempt to provide their children with a better future.’
Professor Potgieter, who welcomed guests, stated that UKZN, was honoured and privileged to host the EU.
In June, said Potgieter, UKZN, in partnership with the EU, will be hosting a seminar that will highlight the issue of inclusivity in Higher Education, locating it within the recent attacks on foreign nationals.
‘We can talk at length about developing cultures of inclusion which includes issues of teaching and learning, our curriculum and engaging with our students in particular ways. Post the 2008 xenophobic attacks the University has continued to do research, train and engage with the issues that will lead to a peaceful society,’ she said.
She also thanked the EU for the continued support that it has given UKZN in an effort to boost its vision of being an African-led research university.
‘UKZN would like to thank the EU for its continued support which has been given to us to conduct research, for mobility of staff and students and essentially knowledge production which contributes to our goal of being an African-led research university. I thank the EU for your continued commitment to the strategic partnership, which you have with our government and how it has benefitted the UKZN, specifically higher education in SA.’
MEC Belinda Scott, stated that the EU’s motto of “United in diversity” signifies how Europeans have come together, in the form of the EU, to work for peace and prosperity, not only on the European continent but across the globe, including South Africa.
‘It is from within this spirit “United in diversity” that South Africa has had a cordial and stable partnership with the EU since the advent of democracy in 1994.’
UKZNdabaOnline
author : .author email : .Accounting Research Leads to Publication for UKZN Academics
Dr Surendran Pillay.A passion for accounting research has resulted in School of Accounting, Economics and Finance academics Mr Surendran Pillay and Mr Riaz Dhai having their articles published in journals.
Pillay’s paper titled: “Investigating the Impact of Carbon Tax on Socially Responsible Corporate Governance: The Case of South African Motor Vehicle Manufacturers” was published in the Corporate Ownership and Control (Volume 12 Issue 2) in February 2015.
The paper investigates the impact of the carbon tax on socially responsible behaviour as measured in the CSI spend of motor vehicle manufacturers before and after the implementation of carbon tax.
The second paper entitled: “The impact of Clean Development Mechanism projects on sustainable development in South Africa” will be published in the International Business Economics Research Journal. This paper investigates the impact of an environmental instrument known as a clean development mechanism on sustainable development in South Africa.
‘Most of accounting is rule based and linear in nature and the complexity arises in extracting subject matter that adds to existing body of knowledge in accounting which is already vast. These, papers are part of ongoing research into environmental instruments. I am currently looking at the financial performance of sustainability vs non-sustainability reporting companies on the JSE,’ said Pillay.
‘A comparison of the performance of the FTSE South Africa Islamic Index to the conventional market (JSE) in South Africa’ is the title of Dhai’s paper published in the latest edition of the South African Journal of Accounting Research.
The paper explores the relationship of the performance between shares on the stock exchange meeting the Islamic investment criteria and the market as a whole.
‘This is one of the first publications in South Africa dealing with Islamic finance to date and represents a new and emerging global field of research. While South Africa has been a leader in the development of Islamic banking and finance in practice, there has been to date, a limited contribution to academic literature in the field,’ said Dhai.
For Dhai whose research interest is in Islamic finance and Islamic accounting as well as financial reporting under IFRS and integrated reporting conducting research in this area, is proof that there is always an opportunity to create new knowledge in any field.
‘As accountants, our focus in academia and in practice tends to be on the technical aspects of the profession. We have limited exposure to research throughout our undergraduate and postgraduate studies as well as in practice which makes it challenging for us to commence the research journey,’ he said.
Thandiwe Jumo
author : .author email : .International recognition for UKZN’s Emeritus Professor in Medicine
Professor YK Seedat, Emeritus Professor in Medicine at UKZNUKZN’s Emeritus Professor in Medicine, Yackoob Seedat, has been recognized by the World Hypertension League for having made a notable achievement in hypertension prevention and control in sub-Saharan Africa. This award will be published in the Journal of Clinical hypertension.
The announcement was made by President of the World Hypertension League (WHL), Dr Norm Campbell, who said, ‘The WHL looks forward to working with you on the daunting task to prevent and control hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa. I thank you for your kind support of the Fact Sheet on hypertension and congratulate you and South Africa on the world -leading programme to reduce dietary salt.’
Hypertension is more common in Black people living in sub-Saharan Africa than any other racial group, and only around 5 percent to 10 percent of the population had adequate control of their blood pressure.
There were multiple factors which caused hypertension, including excessive salt intake, obesity in middle aged Black Africans, and stress. Hypertension was a key cause of strokes, heart failure and kidney failure in people from sub-Saharan Africa.
This prompted Seedat to publish the 6th South African hypertension practice guidelines last year, which is a simplified approach to assessment and treatment that can be implemented by medical practitioners, nurse practitioners and pharmacists to diminish the impact of Hypertension and related cardiovascular disease risk in this country. Currently in South Africa, 30.4% of the population has hypertension.
The evidence-based approach of the guidelines also includes the management of children with hypertension as well as people with Diabetes and HIV and Aids. The guidelines reiterate that prolonged highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is associated with a higher prevalence of systolic HPT,40 and it is essential that BP is monitored in patients receiving HAART.
Reflecting on the recognition by the World Hypertension League, Seedat said, ‘I am humbled to receive this recognition however Hypertension was in sub-Saharan Africa in 2010, the leading cause of death increasing 67% since 1990. It was estimated to cause over 500,000 deaths and 10 million years of life lost in 2010. Whilst it's humbling receiving this recognition, there is still a lot of work to be done.’
Last year, Seedat was awarded the ISH Developing World Award by the International Society for Hypertension for his contribution to medicine and especially in recognition of his research in the field of hypertension in Africa.
Seedat, who attended Sastri College in Durban as a high school pupil, studied in Dublin as an undergraduate and returned to South Africa as a qualified doctor. He was Head of Medicine at the former University of Natal Medical School from 1978-1994.
Seedat’s research on hypertension and renal medicine spans 400 articles, 41 chapters in books and over 200 presentations in international congresses.
MaryAnn Francis
author : .author email : .Umenyelwe Ukuzophatha Umhlangano Wokucobelela Ngolwazi Mayelana Nokusentshenziswa Kwezidakamizwa eHawaii
.jpg "Umenyelwe Ukuzophatha Umhlangano Wokucobelela Ngolwazi Mayelana Nokusentshenziswa Kwezidakamizwa eHawaii")
Mnu December Mpanza. Click here for English version
UMnu December Mpanza uzophatha umhlangano wokucobelela ulwazi ngokuhlukunyezwa kokusetshenziswa kwezidakamizwa okuselwe ocwaningweni lwakhe alwenze la eNingizimu Afrika kwikhomfa ebizwa nge- 41th Annual National Association for Rural Mental Health Conference eHawaii, phesheya kwezilwandle (USA).
Ixhaswe iKolishi Lezifundo Zezempilo esekelwe nguMeluleki wakhe, uNkk Pragashni Naidoo. Lo msizimfundisi omkhulu wezifundo zezokwelulamisa emsebenzini uthe uzwizwa ehloniphekile futhi ethobekile ukuyoba ingxenye yekhomfa waphinde wanikezwa nethuba lokukhuluma ngokwengeziwe kunalokho abekulindele.
’Ngiyawubona umusa kaNkulunkulu emsebenzini wami,’ kusho uMpanza. ‘Into engiyithokozela kakhulu ngomsebenzi wami ukubona ukuthi ngibambe iqhaza ekwakhiweni kolwazi. Ngizizwa ngisendaweni efanele e-UKZN.’
UMpanza ubesanda kwethweswa iziqu ze-Masters kwizifundo zezokweLapha Emsebenzini e-UKZN emuva kokuqeda isifundo sesihloko esithi: "Substance Abuse Rural Realities, Experiences ?of Service Providers, South Africa".
Isifundo sikhanyise izehlakalo nemiphumela yokuhlukumeza ukusebenzisa izidakamizwa KwaZulu-Natali kwisifunda saseMkhanyakude lapho, izimpilo zabantu abasha nabantu ababaseduze nabo bekhungethwe ingcindezi, ukucindezelwa ngontanga, izidakamizwa ezingenamkhawu, ubumpofu kanye nokweswela imisebenzi. Lokhu kucindezeleka kudala inqwaba yezehlakalo zabagula ngokomqondo.
Lokhu kubeka ingcindezi enkulu kwabanikezeli bosizo lwezempilo ekubeni le nkinga inganqandeka kumsuka wayo,’ kusho uMpanza.
UMpanza ukuvumile ukuthi kukhona abanikezeli bosizo abazikhandlayo ababhekelene nokusetshenziswa kwezidakamizwa baphinde baqikelele ekuthuthukiseni izimpilo emiphakathini edinga usizo.
Kepha ukuphiliswa ngokomqondo kwakunganakwa, ngokubona kwaMpanza, futhi bekungabi yingxenye yezempilo ezimqoka. Ukholelwa ekutheni lokhu kudinga ukuthi kubhekwe ngokushesha iminyango kahulumeni efanele.
Isifundo sakhe siphakamise ukuthi iKwaZulu-Natali inezindawo ezimbalwa zokuhlenga abasebenzisa izidakamizwa ezivuleleke kwamalunga omphakathi. Iningi lazo zizimele, okusho ukuthi abantu abahlala emiphakathini yasemaphandleni banemali engenele yokuthi bakwazi ukungena kuzo nokudala ukuthi abasebenzisi bezidakamizwa badikibale bangazisebenzisi lezi ndawo.
Bekunohlelo lokunakekela obelungagculisi. ‘Lokhu kubiza ukuthi kubenoguquko kwizinsiza zabahlukumeza ukusebenzisa izidakamizwa kube nohlelo oluzogxila futhi lutholakale khona emphakathini okwenzela ukuthi iningi likwazi ukuthola usizo,’ kusonga uMpanza.
UMpanza ushayelwe ihlombe ngesikhathi ethula isifundo sakhe ekuqaleni konyaka eMedical Research Council’s South African Coummunity Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (SACENDU), enikezela ngolwazi nge-alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD), kanye nezinto zesimanje, ubungozi obuhlobene nokusebenzisa i-ATOD, inani labantu abasebenzisa lokhu, kanjalo nemiphumela ye-ATOD eNingizimu Afrika.
UMpanza uyilungu le-Rural Rehab South Africa ngaphandle kokhuthi asebenzele ukuthi amanye ama-athikhili awabhalile ashicilelwe kususelwa ocwaningweni lakhe, usezinhlelweni zokusungula imodeli yabasebenzisa izidakamizwa ngokungalungile ezogxila emphakathini nesihehe imnyango yezempilo nokuthuthukiswa komphakathi.
UMpanza uthe ubenenhlanhla yokwaziswa nge-OT profession (Izifundo ngezokwelulamisa emsebenzini) esasebangeni lesishiyagalombili (grade eight) ukulangazelela ukuqhuba izifundo zakhe ze-PHD emgqeni ofanayo nalo awusebenzayo.
Lunga Memela
author : .author email : .Imbizo Yempilo-Men’s Health Discussion
Mr Lungisani Gcumisa at the UKZN AIDS Programme and Men’s Health Forum discussion.UKZN’s HIV and AIDS programme and the Howard College Men’s Forum co-hosted Imbizo Yempilo (Men’s Health discussion), a Medical Male Circumcision awareness event at the Howard College campus.
Mr Thulani Shusha, eThekwini Municipality’s HIV and AIDS Youth Co-ordinator outlined the benefits of medical male circumcision, including a reduction in STI’s and cervical cancer in female partners.
Shusha said: ‘while studies have shown that circumcised males have a 60% reduction in HIV infection, men should still safeguard themselves using further protection, e.g. abstinence and using condoms.’
Ms Nomonde Magantolo, UKZN AIDS Programme Co-ordinator, said that the event aimed to inform students of the benefits of medical male circumcision, as well as educate, raise awareness, promote a healthy life style amongst students and ensure that students Graduate Alive.
Magantolo acknowledged the Men’s Forum for initiating the dialogue. ‘It is critical that young people champion this cause, and make the changes that are necessary,’ she said.
Mr Lungisani Gcumisa, HC Men’s Forum member, challenged other students to be aware of their status. ‘I am proud to know my status, do you know yours?’
Gcumisa called for unity to reduce the impact of HIV and AIDS at the University and around the country, and encouraged students to take an active role in HIV prevention. He said: ‘Get educated, get involved, get tested and be circumcised.’
Mr Zamokuhle Manqele, the Howard College SRC President, said that he was pleased to have forums of this nature.‘Most of our young brothers have lost direction’ ,he said.
He encouraged young men, as the future heads of families, to be involved in discussions that impact upon their future.
Entertainment was provided by Ms Zinhle Madela, Howard College peer- educator; Ms Nonhle Mkhize; Mr Siboniso Mdalose and Mr Brian Gwamande; Buya Africa Student cultural organisation and Atez group.
Miss Khanyi Khubeka and Mr Mnikeni Phkathi were the programme directors.
Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer
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