Fond farewell to Medical School’s ‘Dr Gan’
Dr Gan Govender.'Thank you for allowing your father to be our father,’ UKZN Medical School SRC President, Mr Gift Malinga, told the bereaved family of Dr Gan Govender.
Speaking at the memorial service for Govender, Malinga said: ‘Dr Gan, as we affectionately called him had a patriotic commitment. He was a people’s person who raised progressive arguments and taught us to be independent thinkers.
‘He exercised his duties with diligence believing it was important to train people rather than trick them. He improved lives, African lives in particular – Dr Gan is an irreplaceable figure.’
Said Dr Margaret Mathews: ‘Dr Govender served the Medical profession and the community with great dignity for close to four decades in the fields of general practice, HIV medicine, medical education, family medicine and clinical skills, always making his contribution in a quiet and unassuming way.’
Matthews said Govender was one of the longest serving doctors in the teaching of clinical skills, which he did diligently, always keen to impart his knowledge and experience to young doctors in training.
‘He was as a friend to all. As a doctor, he helped staff and students at the Medical School with advice on medical matters. The students also turned to him for help with their learning and he gave this assistance willingly and unstintingly, even coming in for teaching or revision on weekends and holidays where necessary.
‘His knowledge and kind nature made many turn to him and he would respond positively and with an open heart,’ said Matthews.
‘Dr Gan was always a very humble man who made a difference in my working environment,’ said Dr Reina Abraham. ‘He motivated me to complete my masters in one year - he will be missed by many.’
‘The spirit of Gan lives on,’ said Professor Ahmed Simjee. ‘He was a terrific friend. He always stepped in to help. He was a great uncle to the students,’ he added.
Third-year student Ms Gugu Ngubane sang the song ‘When Jesus is in control’ as a tribute to Govender. She said she sang to assure Govender’s family and the entire student body that their favourite uncle and teacher was in a better place.
Govender is survived by his wife Rada, and their three sons, one of whom graduated in Medicine through UKZN.
Nombuso Dlamini
author : .author email : .R2 million donation to UKZN
From left: Mrs Shaheda Asmal, SANZAF Durban Accountant; Mr G H Suleman and Mr Lesiba Seshoka.The South African National Zakáh Fund (SANZAF) has donated R2 million to UKZN for the 2015 academic year – the money has been earmarked to assist deserving students with fees.
SANZAF, a social welfare and educational organisation which operates through 29 offices nationally, is involved in assisting the poor and needy to become self-sufficient and self-sustainable through a variety of projects and programmes including feeding schemes, bursary programmes, skills development and training programmes, including a hospitality course during which participants are trained to be chefs.
Provincial co-ordinator of SANZAF, Mr G H Suleman, said the organisation focused on development and relief in an effort to break the cycle of poverty through its skills training programmes.
‘We want to change the lives of people. We don’t want to make the poor dependent on handouts throughout their lives,’ said Suleman.
‘Consequently, by ploughing more resources and funding into the skills training and development programme, the children in underprivileged families can acquire academic skills or pursue other careers.’
Executive Director of Corporate Relations at UKZN, Mr Lesiba Seshoka, said the University was grateful for the ongoing support and that the donation would empower people for life.
* To contribute to a SANZAF project or programme, phone 0861 726 923 or visit www.sanzaf.org.za, like SANZAF on Facebook or follow @SANZAFSA on Twitter.
Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer
author : .author email : .iSpot at UKZN
Students and members of the public who attended a course on iSpot held at UKZN.The Bews Herbarium, in collaboration with the Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW) programme of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), organised an iSpot training workshop at UKZN.
iSpot is a website (http://www.ispotnature.org/communities/southern-africa) which assists in identifying any aspect of nature. Users upload observations of wildlife, help each other identify them and share and discuss findings.
The course was organised by Dr Benny Bytebier of the School of Life Sciences (SLS) and Mrs Suvarna Parbhoo of SANBI at the SLS Honours LAN in Pietermaritzburg. The instructor was Dr Tony Rebelo of SANBI in Kirstenbosch, who is the site administrator.
Several SLS honours students as well as members of the public attended the course and all were enthusiastic about using the site, either as a professional and educational tool or for sheer interest and fun.
UKZNOnline
author : .author email : .Fulton School for the Deaf Pupils Visit UKZN Science Centre
Pupils at Fulton School for the Deaf in Hillcrest enjoy building air-powered bottle jets at the UKZN Science Centre.More than 40 young learners from the Fulton School for the Deaf in Hillcrest were hosted by UKZN-STEC for a day.
It was an interesting and fascinating experience for the Science Centre staff who got to learn a bit of sign language and were given sign names based on their character, behaviour and appearance.
The programme for the older children in the group included building an air-powered bottle jet using 2 litre cold drink bottles which they raced outside. Younger pupils and those with special needs were given the task of constructing dinosaur puppets which they then took home as gifts.
The day’s events ended with a tour around the Science Centre for the youngsters who showed their appreciation by tapping their index fingers on their thumbs.
Thembane Mlambo
author : .author email : .UKZN’s Law Academics make the top finalists list of first time presenters at Law Conference
Top four finalists: From left: UKZN’s Mr Lee Swales and Norman Mpya, NWU’s Mr Phillip Botha and Ms Suellen Glazer from Varsity College.School of Law Academics, Mr Norman Mpya and Mr Lee Swales excelled at the Society of Law Teachers of Southern Africa Conference recently held at Varsity College as they made it to the top four finalists to compete for the First Presenters’ Prize out of 73 presenters.
The Conference gives South African Legal Education Specialists access to both emerging and established Law Academics providing an opportunity to exchange ideas and research findings.
Mpya who presented a paper titled: “The Application of John Ruggie‘s Guiding Principles in the Tricky Business of Human Rights: The Assessment of "Walmart Stores Inc and Massmart Holdings Ltd Case" which deals with the transcendence of human rights into the domain of competition law whilst addressing issues of mergers and acquisitions as they relate to economic development said he has learnt a lot from this experience.
‘For me the conference has been something I have been waiting for, for a year. Hence, I tried my level best to prepare myself and with the help of very supportive colleagues I managed to make the top four! I have learned a lot from all three plenary sessions and more especially about academic presentations. I will definitely improve on my presentation skills and academic writing as I am currently busy with my doctorate on Multinational Corporations and Human Rights,’ he said.
For Swales, the experience has fuelled his research drive as he is currently working on publishing the paper he presented at the conference which is on service of legal process via Facebook. He is also working on publishing a paper on spam e-mail and the new Protection of Personal Information Act and will be presenting a paper on unlawful debt collection which deals with the most vulnerable of our society who are preyed on by unethical attorneys and debt collectors using emolument attachment orders at Probono.org at the end of the month.
‘It was a wonderful experience, particularly being my first conference. The speakers were engaging and insightful and the conference and evening functions were well run and managed. The presentation on unlawful debt collections is inspired by the a recent High Court judgment by the Cape High Court in which certain provisions of the Magistrates Court Act were declared unconstitutional. As I am supervising a masters student, Ms Abongile Swana in this area I have become quite involved in the latest developments here,’ said Swales.
Thandiwe Jumo
author : .author email : .Helping Umlazi’s elderly celebrate Mandela Day
Senior citizens enjoying Mandela Day at the centre in Umlazi. Food, song and dance were part of the festivities for Umlazi senior citizens when UKZN’s HIV Pathogenesis Programme (HPP) visited Bahle Help the Aged Care Centre to celebrate Mandela Day 2015.
With the help of colleagues from K-RITH and in line with its ‘Sponsor-A-granny’ motto, HPP’s Social Committee exceeded its target of R4 000, raising an impressive R6 700 which made the day a resounding success.
The elderly were treated to lunch, massages and received gift packs including blankets, cooler bags and much-appreciated rechargeable lights for their homes.
Giving back to this community was a collective of HPP scientists, researchers, students and the community advisory body. HPP clinic staffs were also stationed at the centre doing routine health evaluations for weight, blood pressure, HIV and referrals.
HPP PhD candidate, Mr Katlego Sojane, said previously HPP had visited a children’s home as part of its on-going community projects with the youth, so this year they decided to target the elderly. ‘Ideally people set aside 67 minutes to do good on this day but we decided to spend much longer here,’ said Sojane.
The aged flock to the centre on a daily basis for meaningful engagement including business and recreational activities such as music, art, sewing, baking, cooking, gardening, sports and to participate in awareness campaigns.
‘They’re very involved and recently won the Golden Games,’ said Chairperson, Mrs Phumelele Mtshali.
Gogo Thembi Chili (60) said she loved the centre because it kept them active. ‘We gym, bake and we’re taken care of in many ways,’ she said.
‘Walking to the centre gives us exercise and helps us shed a bit of weight,’ Gogo Catherine Dlamini (77) chuckled. She said she enjoyed engaging with the youth who came to volunteer at the centre.
‘It’s a beautiful day,’ said Mr Simon Madondo (71) who said he was happy to see more men present at the centre during the HPP visit.
‘It’s great to be involved in community outreach because most of the time we just do research, said prolific Scientific Director of HPP, Professor Thumbi Ndung'u. He said coming into a community, learning about the people’s lives and the challenges they faced was always insightful. ‘It is very important to give them a reason to smile,’ Ndung'u added.
Lunga Memela
author : .author email : .Inhlangano yabafundi bezokwelapha ivule igatsha e-UKZN
Amalunga egatsha i-SAMSA (kwesokunxele, abamile) Mnu Lwazi Mjadu, Nkz Shi-Hsia Hwa, Mnu Sihle Nyawose, Mnu Bahle Tshoba, Nkz Jessica Hunter, Dkt Leila Mansoor, Nksz Isabel Khan, no Mnu Vikkar Singh; (abahlezi) Nkz Mathapelo Mpotoane no Mnu Kumeren Govender.Click here for English version
Igatsha elisha lenhlanganio yabafundi bezokwelapha eNingizimu Afrika ebizwa ngokuthi i-South African Medical Students Association (SAMSA) selivuliwe esikoleni sezokwelapha sase UKZN iNelson Mandela School of Medicine (NRMSM). ISAMSA, inhlangano eholwa ngabafundi bezokwelapha ephinde ibe ngeyabafundi bezokwelapha kanye nomphakathi, yasungulelwa ukumela ezokwelapha, ukufundisa, ukuxhumana kanye nezinhlelo zokwelekelela. Ihlose ukunikeza isisekelo sokuthi abafundi bezokwelapha bakwazi ukuletha ushintsho olufanele kumazinga ezwelonke, e-Afrika kanye nasemhlabeni jikelele.
Igatsha elisha le-SAMSA e-UKZN ligubhe umcimbi walo wokuqala ngesonto lapho kugujwa khona usuku lokuzalwa kukaMandela i-Mandela Week, lokhu kudonse kwaze kwaphela izinsuku ezine kuxoxiswana, usuku nosuku kwenzeka izinhlelo ezikhethekile.
Umcimbi uqale e-ICC eThekwini lapho amalunga e-SAMSA ebebambisene nenhlangano elwisana nendlala ebizwa ngokuthi i-Stop Hunger Now Foundation kupakishwa ukudla ukuze kunikezwe abaswele, lokhu kwalandelwa wusuku lokuqwashisa nge-HIV kanye ne-TB esikoleni sezokwelapha i-Medical School kuhloswe ekwakheni ukucwaninga okudlondlobele kwabezempilo bakusasa.
Abamele izinhlangano ezimbili ezihlonishwayo kwezokucwaninga – i-Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) ne KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV (K-RITH) - bazihlanganise nabafundi bezokwelapha.
Usuku lwesithathu lwalubhekiswe ekunikeleni ngegazi kuhlangenwe nabe-South African National Blood Service (SANBS), usuku lokugcina lwagujwa ngezinhlelo ezijabulisayo njengokufutha izinwele ngemibala ukuze kutholwe imali yesikhwama sekhensa kubanjisenwe nenhlangano i-UKZN-Golden Key.
Umengameli nomsunguli we-SAMSA-UKZN, ongumfundi wezokwelapha owenza unyaka wesine, uMnu Kumeren Nadaraj Govender, uthe: ‘umcimbi waloluhlobo oholwa ngabafundi akusiwo umsebenzi olula kodwa ngibonga iqembu lami ngokunikela ngesikhathi namandla abo ukuqinisekisa ukuthi lenhlangano iba yimpumelelo. Kubalulekile ukuthi abafundi bazibandakanye nezinhlelo zemiphakathi besabancane ukuze babe ngamalunga emiphakathi enza umehluko.’
UMnu Lwazi Mjadu wekomidi le-SAMSA uthe: ‘ uNelson Mandela ngeke azigqaje ngokuthi ikhampasi yethu iqajwe ngokuhlonipha yena kodwa futhi nangokuthi abafundi bazimisele ukuba ngabenza ushintsho oluhle emphakathini.’
Nombuso Dlamini
author : .author email : .Raising Brain Awareness in Young Minds
UKZN’s Ms Rivona Harricharan and Dr Veneesha Thaver with Atholton Primary School learners and teachers.Increasing brain awareness among Durban primary school children is the goal of UKZN academic, Dr Veneesha Thaver, and masters student, Ms Rivona Harricharan.
The pair launched their school-visiting programme during Brain Awareness Week 2015 where they did a fun, interactive presentation at Atholton Primary School which sensitised the learners about the important daily functions of the brain.
They said it was an enriching experience to witness the ‘overwhelming excitement and curiosity’ sparked in primary school children when they learned about the brain.
As academics, it was important to remain locally relevant and target youngsters in the Durban community with such interventions, they explained.
Thaver said it was important to educate young minds to discover and explore the exciting world of the brain, spinal cord, neurons and the senses. ‘The aim is to teach them that the brain is a marvellously complex and intricate organ of the body.’
Thaver’s research interests include cancer, tuberculosis and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder while Harricharan recently competed with masters and PhD students, scooping the Emerging Young Scientist Award for an Honours project she presented at the 42nd Physiology Society of South Africa Conference 2014.
Harricharan also impressed adjudicators with the same study looking at HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder at the 2014 School Research Symposium where she was awarded Best Oral Presentation in the category: Human Body: Form & Function. Harricharan said a lot of stigma and stereotypes surrounded mental health, especially in South Africa, which they hope to reduce through education.
Both researchers are part of the School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences (LMMS) Neuroscience Group which was established at UKZN in 2008 by the Dean and Head of School, Professor William Daniels, together with its Academic Leader for Research, Dr Musa Mabandla.
The group recently hosted the 12th International Meeting of the Society of Neuroscientists of Africa.
Lunga Memela
author : .author email : .UKZN Hosts High-Profile Astronomy Meetings
Delegates at the Astronomy Town meeting.UKZN recently hosted two national Astronomy meetings which attracted a variety of prominent local and international scientists.
The University’s Research Office hosted the National Research Foundation (NRF) Astronomy Advisory Council (AAC) meeting on the Westville campus. The Council is responsible for providing scientific advice to the NRF astronomy sub-agency with the aim of growing this field of Science, thereby benefiting both the local and international community.
The AAC meeting was followed by the Astronomy town meeting jointly organised by the NRF and UKZN, at which UKZN’s Vice-Chancellor, Dr Albert van Jaarsveld welcomed the delegates who represented various facets of Astronomy.
The town meeting focused on the national strategy for multi-wavelength Astronomy and its implementation which is to be finalised in the next few months, after a final round of discussion with all stakeholders. Delegates also provided updates on major projects, such as the construction of MeerKAT and the African VLBI Network.
There was also much discussion of public engagement and development projects at the meeting, including an update on Cape Town's bid to host the general assembly of the International Astronomical Union in 2021, and a proposed consolidation of various astronomy outreach efforts at the national level.
Strini Rajgopaul
author : .author email : .UKZN Alumnus new host of hit TV show
Our Perfect Wedding host Ms Ayanda Mpama.UKZN Music and Drama graduate, Ms Ayanda Mpama, is the new host of the popular TV show Our Perfect Wedding, taking over from comedian, Tumi Morake.
The hit show airs every Sunday at 7pm on Mzansi Magic (Channel 161).
Affectionately known as Aya, Mpama of KwaZulu-Natal finished in the Top 6 during SA Idols (2005), going on to release her debut album in 2007.
Since then she has performed as a musician and worked as an MC at numerous corporate functions around South Africa.
Having also worked as an actress and radio DJ, Mpama is thrilled with her new role.
‘I was invited to audition for the show among others and two rounds of auditions later, I received the great news! I am expecting to learn a lot and grow in my craft while travelling around our beautiful country, meeting fabulous couples,’ she said.
Mpama believes her UKZN BA degree in Music and Drama equipped her with the base skills to be able to tackle any job in her craft with confidence and respect.
Her advice to aspiring musicians and artists at UKZN is: ‘Practice more, learn as much as you can, work your butt off, start building professional relationships while still studying, hone your craft, have fun, cherish your student life and dream.’
Her future plans include getting an MBA in Music and Entertainment, producing in television and releasing an album and doing a great job on #OPW.
Our Perfect Wedding draws huge social media commentary as fans exchange their opinions on each episode. To join the conversation, use the hashtag #OPWMzansi.
Melissa Mungroo
author : .author email : .Humanities Student Helps 101-year-old Home Fire Victim
Masters student in Development studies, Ms Alice Morrison. Masters student in Development Studies, Ms Alice Morrison, recently took up the challenge of helping 101-year-old Mrs Victoria ‘MaMkhize’ Ntuli rebuild her home in Cinderella Park, Pietermaritzburg, after it was destroyed in a fire.
Morrison, who read about Ntuli’s plight in a newspaper, set up a website to help raise funds for her to have a prefabricated wooden home erected on the property in which her house burned down.
‘I find that people often want to help each other but don’t know how to go about it so I decided to see what I could do,’ said Morrisson. ‘I thought setting up an online crowd funding campaign would be an efficient way of accessing money for Ntuli from the Pietermaritzburg community as well as perhaps nationally and internationally.
‘I decided on Indiegogo as a friend of mine had used their website for a fundraising campaign a few years ago. After setting up the campaign and sharing it on Facebook, I also contacted the newspaper to get Ntuli’s details,’ explained Morrison.
With over R9 000 raised and hopes of more donations in the pipeline, she will meet with Ntuli soon to hand over the money.
‘Financial assistance is probably the most efficient means of helping Ntuli as funds can then be used for what she needs. Sharing the fundraising campaign on Facebook or email and helping to publicise it further will help to generate more funds.
‘Let’s turn Ntuli’s luck around and help raise funds to rebuild her home and replace the possessions she lost in the fire,’ said Morrison
For now, Ntuli has to share the only room left standing after the blaze with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Anyone willing to assist can contact Alice Morrison via email 212557767@stu.ukzn.ac.za
Melissa Mungroo
author : .author email : .DIFF Project #Stars4Change project launched
South African actress Ms Xolile Tshabalala is involved in the #Stars4Change Project.The 36th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) in the College of Humanities, recently launched the #Stars4Change project, spearheaded by Festival Director, Mr Pedro Pimenta, and renowned South African actress, Ms Xolile Tshabalala.
‘The #Stars4Change Project intends to bring together several of the continent’s great acting talent as well as a few international stars, to collaborate in empowering the communities during the Festival and establish another level of connection of the festival with audiences,’ said Pimenta.
‘This is an attempt to realise gradually that the success of a film industry is always closely linked to talent that makes audiences dream and aspire to a better world through story-telling.
‘Actors are at the core of the success of this business. With the intention of connecting with and empowering the community from a grassroots level, the actors and artists involved spent several days giving back to the communities of KwaZulu-Natal’ he added.
The actors involved in the project include legends such as Janet Suzman, Thoko Ntshinga, Desmond Dube and Vusi Kunene, and the new generation of African acting talent including Fulu Mugovhani, Ntathi Moshesh, Kenneth Nkosi and Nigerian actor OC Ukeje (all starred in opening night film Ayanda), Nomzamo Mbatha and Maps Maponyane of Tell Me Sweet Something by Akin Omotoso, as well as Tunisian actress Anissa Daoud of Tunisian Spring.
Hlubi Mboya, Kgomotso Christopher and representatives from the successful star system from Nollywood, graced DIFF with their presence. #Stars4Change also had the honour of hosting international film actress and producer Terry Pheto, as well as Uzalo talent, Dawn Thandeka King and Nay Maps.
The actors were at events alongside the eThekwini Municipality officials on Mandela Day, including a handover of blankets to the elderly and outreach screenings in Claremont at the Sizakala Centre.
Some of the stars co-hosted with well-known radio personality Zookey Zarling on her Teatime to Lunchtime show on Gagasi Fm .
‘It’s imperative that actors support each other and engage with the community, particularly reaching out to the audiences who have been a pillar for their careers over the years, said Tshabalala. ‘DIFF is doing a stellar job in enabling the artists’ community to give back to the greater Durban community.
‘With a host of talent coming together from across our shores and beyond, #Stars4Change made a great impression at this year’s festival.’
Melissa Mungroo
author : .author email : .UKZN Academics Deliver Addresses on Pertinent Education Issues at Conference in Seychelles
Michael Samuel and Dr Maheshvari Naidu.Professor Michael Samuel of the School of Education and Dr Maheshvari Naidu of the School of Social Sciences delivered presentations at the inaugural International Education Conference hosted by the University of Seychelles.
The education conference was aimed at bringing together researchers, academics, professionals, policymakers and educators from around the world to exchange knowledge and experiences and to discuss current issues, recent developments, challenges, theories and good practices in education, with an emphasis on education in Small Island Developing States.
Samuel, who was invited to deliver one of three keynote addresses, spoke on: "New Forms of Intimacy and Narrative Possibilities. Negotiating Relationships within Small Island States and Partners: Lessons from Mauritius and South Africa."
The paper reported on a three-year collaborative research project of documenting an institutional biography of the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE), pointing to the specific characteristics of insular local politics and practices in a small island developing state (SIDS).
Through a lens of decolonisation theory, the project unfolded the complexities, complementarities and contradictions of transformation over different historical eras of a changing, post-independence Mauritius.
The paper relooked at ways in which local participants negotiate their national and international intimacy; how they adopt new relations and how to interpret their responsibilities (new forms of connectivity) with their colonial/cross border partners and their internal agents in an increasingly educational globalising world.
‘The intersection between personal, institutional, national and colonial/ international agendas points to new theoretical interpretations of negotiated intimacies: deferent intimacy, strategic intimacy and contested intimacies,’ said Samuel.
The paper is a forerunner to a forthcoming book to be published later in the year.
‘Pioneers’, ‘managers’ and ‘foot soldiers’ have each contributed to reformulating the conceptions of the role of a teacher education institution within a small island developing state. The international audience was particularly interested in the formulation of a third generation of SIDS research, beyond simply defining or refining existing research patterns of vulnerability and deficiency.
Drawing from the partnerships between the MIE and UKZN, the paper elaborated how intricate qualitative analysis of the education system of a small island could provide an insightful research lens into understanding the shifting terrain of internationally higher education systems.
Dr Maheshvari Naidu delivered a paper entitled “Gender and Curriculum: Allowing Research to Feed into Teaching”. Naidu’s paper drew from her experiences of teaching the first year Anthropology class. Her paper spoke to issues of using gender based research to feed into curriculum design in the context of the Anthropology undergraduate module.
‘Entitled "Culture and Society in Africa" (ANTH 102), this entry level undergraduate module is traditionally meant to introduce students to particular anthropological material and to acquaint them with the various religion-cultural, kinship et al. elements of African societies,’ said Naidu.
She stated that ‘research into gender and issues in feminist anthropologies allows one to apply a critical feminist lens in recognising how particular colonial curricula and content privileges older canonized anthropological work that, although important, is far removed from local contexts’.
Naidu’s paper pointed out that using a feminist perspective allows one to populate the curriculum with intellectual and empirically based content that reflected previously muted and marginalised categories of African societies and to more authentically reflect the intersectional and diverse spectrum of societies referred to as ‘African’ within sub-Saharan Africa.
Working through the notion of ‘troublesome knowledge’, Naidu said that she aimed to ‘decolonise’ earlier versions of the entry level Anthropology curricular which had sought to privilege particular canonized (male) and Western Anthropologists and Ethnographers, and their work on Africa and African societies. Much of this early Ethnography, in turn silenced the realities of women, who are largely absent in the ethnographic records, she said. African societies were in turn treated as static entities and refracted through functional and structural lenses of the early, so called seminal thinkers.
‘In the final analysis, this curriculum exercise allowed me to ‘trouble’ and destabilise previous ‘colonial’ (hetero) normative epistemologies and pedagogical approaches embedded in aspects of the older curriculum for a more ‘situated’ context linked and feminist guided teaching and student learning experience,’ Naidu said.
Naidu has been invited back to the University of Seychelles to run Gender workshops with the staff in the Social Work Department and to host teaching seminars with students.
Melissa Mungroo
author : .author email : .Audiology Team Receives MEC Award for Service Excellence
UKZN audiologists being congratulated on their award by Ladysmith Hospital CEO, Dr Rampane Moeketsi.A team of Audiologists led by UKZN masters candidate, Ms Karen Pillay, has received an MEC Award for Service Excellence after improving best practices for auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing at the Ladysmith Hospital.
Health MEC, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, applauded the team for an innovation that is putting paediatric patients undergoing the tests in the uThukela District less at risk. The ABR test provides information about the inner ear and brain pathways for hearing.
‘Ladysmith Hospital is the first government hospital in KwaZulu-Natal to conduct ABR testing in the operating theatre, putting patient safety above everything else,’ said Pillay.
Pillay was employed at the hospital from 2007 to May this year, being the first permanent Audiologist there and later Chief Audiologist. She said the team grew to four permanent Audiologists and one community service Audiologist; making it the biggest Audiology department in KwaZulu-Natal.
Previously children who had to undergo the test needed to take an oral sedation which has associated health risks. ‘The test takes about an hour during which the patient is in a deep state of sleep. Audiologists are not trained to monitor sedated patients nor are they trained in paediatric resuscitation if an emergency occurs with these patients,’ Pillay explained.
After evaluating the risks involved, Pillay approached the anaesthetic and paediatric teams, including hospital management, to consider conducting these assessments in an operating theatre where these patients would be closely monitored.
‘The method of conducting objective hearing assessments in the theatre setting was bench marked from Audiologists working in the private sector as well as in first world settings. Audiologists from developed countries have moved away from oral sedation of ABR patients due to the high risks involved,’ Pillay said.
Their project highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and allowed other stakeholders to identify that they had the ability to practise First World methods within under-resourced communities, putting the patients’ safety first.
Pillay said: ‘It was a great privilege to win this award. This project, although not directly related to my thesis, allowed me to conduct objective hearing assessments on paediatric patients with inherited deafness.’
Pillay said she was passionate about Audiology, helping patients with hearing loss and pursuing a PhD. Her Masters research, co-supervised by Dr Colleen Aldous and Dr Neethie Joseph, is focused on inherited deafness.
Lunga Memela
author : .author email : .UKZN Supports 50th Annual GSSA Congress
Professor Kevin Kirkman, Professor Roland Schulze, Professor Scott Collins, Professor Albert Modi and Dr Tony Palmer on the opening day of the Congress.The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) showed its support for the Grassland Society of Southern Africa (GSSA) on the occasion of the Society’s 50th annual Congress, held in Pietermaritzburg from19th to 23rd July at the Royal Agricultural Showgrounds.
The GSSA, founded in 1966, held its first Congress in that year in Pietermaritzburg, with a Congress being held every year since then, with the exception of one year when two Congresses were held.
On the opening morning of the Congress, Professor Albert Modi, Dean and Head of UKZN’s School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences (SAEES) addressed delegates, some of whom had come from as far afield as the United States of America and the United Kingdom, with many flocking to the auspicious occasion from countries all over the African continent.
Modi, who is also Chairman of the South African Agricultural and Life Sciences’ Deans’ Association (SAALSDA) and a Senior Fellow of GreenMatter, congratulated the Society on reaching this milestone and applauded those who founded the Congress. He also touched on the feelings of leadership and community shared by the Society and the University, especially given that the first Congress was conceived in and hosted in Pietermaritzburg by GSSA members who were part of or linked to the then-University of Natal.
Many current and past members and students of the School of Life Sciences and SAEES at UKZN attended the Congress, with some presenting their research and posters. Professor Emeritus Roland Schulze gave a plenary presentation on the opening day of the Congress on the topic of climate change, considering the effect human activities have had on the climate and, in turn, the consequences of these effects on humans and on important systems like grasslands.
Professor Scott Collins of the University of New Mexico and Professor Heather Throop of Arizona State University were two of the special international guests at the Congress, giving presentations on topics concerning the use of trends in grassland science to predict its future and carbon cycling in dryland grasslands of the future.
The Congress included tours to various examples of grasslands, one of which was to the University’s Ukulinga Research Farm, where visitors were given an overview of the renowned long-running mowing and burning trials and veld fertilisation trials which were initiated in 1950 and are still being maintained.
The University also lent support by way of contributing the services of its Friends of UKZN Agriculture alumnus association to the organising committee of the Congress, which was headed by College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science Director of Professional Services, Professor Kevin Kirkman and included GSSA members from UKZN, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife.
‘It is an honour and a privilege for the University to host the Congress in this province,’ said Modi, ‘and it continues in the tradition of the love and wisdom of those who first conceived the Congress; long live the GSSA!’
Christine Cuénod
author : .author email : .Congress Delegates Revisit Famed Ukulinga Trials
Professor Kevin Kirkman showing GSSA delegates around the Ukulinga trials.During the Grassland Society of Southern Africa’s (GSSA) 50th annual Congress held recently at the Royal Agricultural Showgrounds in Pietermaritzburg, Congress delegates took time to visit the renowned long-running mowing and burning trials and the veld fertilisation trials which were initiated in 1950 and are still being maintained today.
Kevin Kirkman, Professor of Grassland Science and Director of Professional Services in the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science (CAES) took a group of around 40 visitors from the annual Congress along to the trials and guided them through the unique project. The tour was one of a few mid-Congress tours intended to give delegates an overview of various types of grassland and biodiversity projects underway in KwaZulu-Natal.
‘Research conducted on the Ukulinga long-term trials has contributed critically to the core knowledge of sustainable management of humid grassland in South Africa,’ said Kirkman.
The tour was particularly special, given that the first annual GSSA Congress was held in Pietermaritzburg in 1966, where many Society members at the time were linked to the then-University of Natal, whether as lecturers, students or collaborators. Two of the tour delegates, Professor Winston Trollope and Mr Koos Kappeyne van de Coppello, were at the University during the 1960’s, and had fond memories of time spent at Ukulinga as students. Trollope remarked on how the fire exclusion plots had changed, with distinct bush growth and alien plant invasion.
Professor James Donald Scott, the first Dean of what was then the Faculty of Agriculture, started the trials in 1950, with the veld fertilisation trial set up as the Masters project of Peter Booysen, who would later become a Professor in the Faculty and Vice-Chancellor of the University. The trials were set up to run indefinitely, and the visitors were impressed with the infrastructure of the trials and the professional manner in which they had been managed.
Kirkman commented on the benefits of having delegates visit the trials, saying that attendees had put forward the useful suggestion of a reversal experiment where the veld fertilisation trials are split in half and only half fertilised to observe the effects on nutrient reduction. He added that the visit had sparked conversations about potential collaborative research that could take place.
The trials are still extensively used in teaching and research, with second and third year Biology students doing practicals based on the trials, and a number of Honours, Masters and PhD students undertaking research on site.
As for the future of the trials, Kirkman outlined the plans of the Discipline of Grassland Science to expand the trials’ international exposure and recognition through the publication of research papers in prestigious international journals and by registering the trials on the International Long-Term Ecological Research Network (ILTER).
Christine Cuénod
author : .author email : .Science and Arts Shed Light on their Matter
Academics and artists at a meeting in Durban.Academics in the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science (CAES) have embarked on a project that sees artists and scientists working together in pairs to produce an artistic work inspired by a scientific concept. This project is being undertaken in collaboration with the artSPACE gallery in Durban, where the works produced by the artists and scientists will be exhibited.
This project was spearheaded by Professor Thomas Konrad of UKZN’s School of Chemistry and Physics and Durban-based artist Pamela Benporath, who are collaborating on a project. Konrad was inspired to pursue the idea after hearing a young artist explaining his exhibits at the gallery ArtSPACE that captured his impressions of artificial light and music. Karen and Claus Bradtke, the owners of the gallery, had previously organised an exhibition of scientists and artists in 2012 and were keen to feature an exhibit on the topic of light that resulted in another such collaboration.
Other participants from UKZN include Dr Giuseppe Pellicane, Professor Mark Tame, Dr Tanja Reinhardt, Dr Neil Koorbanally, Professor Werner van Zyl and visiting PhD student Benjamín Perez. Each of the eight resulting teams will have a wall in the gallery to utilise for their piece.
The project is making the most of the fact that 2015 is UNESCO's Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies and the pieces being produced by each pair are intended to speak to this theme. They will make light and its physical characteristics comprehensible through presenting scientific concepts in aesthetically appealing ways to try and encourage more dialogues between the sciences and the arts.
Konrad believes that this project can provide a unique blend of science and art to produce a comprehensive picture of views on light in general and its artificial or technological use in particular.
He also hopes that this project will show visitors to the exhibition that there is a highly creative and fun element to science, with both art and science requiring lateral thinking in order for there to be results. He mentioned that the project may even spark off new ideas about light, both scientifically and artistically.
'Immanuel Kant, the German philosopher, said there are three important questions: What can we know? What should we do? And what may we hope?' explained Konrad.
'Science aims to answer the first question, while arts try to answer the last. If Kant is right, it may be a good idea to take into account what we know in order to answer what we may hope for. Ultimately, only arts and science together can give a complete picture of what we think about the world.’
The exhibition of the resulting pieces, called "Reflections on Light in Science and Arts" at ArtSPACE opens on Monday 10th August, with a soirée with artists and scientists and a brief talk on the subject by scientist Dr Hermann Uys from the University of Stellenbosch. It can be seen there until the end of August.
Konrad acknowledged support from the CAES College and the School of Chemistry and Physics.
Christine Cuénod
author : .author email : .Nursing Students Empower Youth in Cato Crest
Second year Nursing students with their lecturer Mrs Silingene Ngcobo.Second-year Nursing students from UKZN recently gave a talk to about 60 grade seven to grade nine learners from Mayville Primary and Mayville Secondary School at Cato Crest Library. The aim was to educate these learners about the consequences of teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, HIV and AIDS, intergenerational relationships, personal hygiene and various HIV prevention methods, with special emphasis on dual protection condom use.
The students presented the programme as part of their community engagement. Student nurse Ms Skye Lee Crouch told learners: 'Alcohol and drug abuse can lead to increased risky behaviours, which can affect your studies and your entire life.'
The youngsters were surprised to hear that people who start drinking before the age of 15 were four times more likely to become alcoholics than those who did not.
Crouch said they had been working in the community since February. They had started by doing community assessments in order to identify community needs, and from those identified needs they were able to implement a community intervention that would be relevant.
She said educators from both schools had agreed with the students’ discovery that alcohol abuse and teenage pregnancy were prevalent among children aged 13 to 16.
The 22 nursing students showcased the different consequences of reckless behaviour through various role-plays. Student nurse Mr Berlin Ngwevu taught the children about teenage pregnancy, substance abuse and intergenerational relationships (more commonly known as sugar daddies and sugar mamas). The play portrayed many aspects of self-destructive behaviour, such as how taking drugs and getting high can make one feel falsely confident, less inhibited and more willing to indulge in risky sexual behaviour.
'When you are under the influence of drugs, you are more likely to have unprotected sex,' explained Ngwevu. 'This will increase the risk of unwanted pregnancy and the spread of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI).'
'Alcohol and drug abuse may also cause you to be expelled from school. There is then a higher probability of your falling into criminal ways, such as theft and violence,' he added.
Through the role-plays the learners were made aware of how dropping out of school can make unemployment very real. They were also made to realise that employers would not want to hire someone with no education because that person would not benefit the business.
'Not finishing high school means that you might not be able to have a steady income. You can miss out on the luxuries of life, such as a nice car or a beautiful house. You will be stuck in one position,' Couch explained at the end of the play.
Student nurse Mr Njabulo Khumalo taught the kids about dual protection and the correct use of condoms for both males and females. He used real models to demonstrate the condoms to the learners.
'In South Africa, 40% of teenage girls get HIV before they turn 20, and most of these girls get it from having sexual intercourse with older men,' he said.
'Many people may look healthy on the outside, yet the HIV virus is breeding inside their bodies. So regardless of how good a person looks on the outside or what they may tell you about their status, always use a condom. Unprotected sex can lead to HIV infections and pregnancy,' Khumalo warned.
The students also promoted hygiene. They cleaned the learners’ toilets and repainted them using paint bought from funds specifically raised for this project. They designed and printed A2-size posters that they donated to the two schools, with visual instructions on how to maintain hygiene.
Nombuso Dlamini
author : .author email : .Local Recognition for the GSB&L’s Local Economic Development Project
A KZN Top Business Award for the GSB&L’s Regional and Local Economic Development Initiative.The Regional and Local Economic Development Initiative (RLEDI) housed under the UKZN Graduate School of Business and Leadership (GSB&L) received recognition at home when it was awarded a KZN Top Business Award last week at a Gala Dinner hosted by the KZN Top Business Portfolio.
The awards aim to celebrate and recognise business and organisational success across the economic sectors in both private and public arenas. Out of 14 categories the RLED Initiative was applauded for reflecting the importance of the effective inter-agency collaboration and partnership it has with KZN Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) - this was an encouraging endorsement for the GSB&L and EDTEA.
According to the RLEDI Project Manager, Dr Jennifer Houghton, the programme arose from the realisation that, despite good socio-economic policies and strategies, provincial and local governments are marked by a minimal capacity in driving these policies forward. This compounds RLED challenges in the province.
Houghton said that in order to develop and deliver a more systematic, professional and institutionalised capacity-building competency in RLED in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, a Capacity Building and Institutional Development plan had to be developed. The result was the design and development in 2009 of two multi-disciplinary postgraduate programmes focusing on LED.
Houghton said: ‘We are a small team which pulls together with great enthusiasm to work on a suite of projects and activities that are intended to build capacity for economic development within KwaZulu-Natal. This recognition from within our province has meant a great deal to the RLED team because it reflects that we are making a difference which is becoming increasingly evident in the regional economy.’
Currently, the RLEDI Team is completing a four year phase of the project and a proposal has been made to EDTEA to extend the current initiative for a further four years. It will also expand its projects to include a stronger emphasis on entrepreneurship, small businesses, and the formation of an information network to support economic development in the province - in line with the goals of both the Province and the University.
The Dean and Head of the GSB&L, Professor Theuns Pelser said: ‘We are delighted to have received this Top Business Award in the Private Public Partnership category. All credit however, must go to Dr Jennifer Houghton and her team for driving this partnership with the EDTEA. I am very proud of the RLEDI under the leadership of Dr Houghton, for this very important ambassadorial role it is playing.’
For the RELD Initiative to be recognised at home was a humbling experience for the GSB&L as well as EDTEA - the initiative has already been recognised by the International Partnerships Network in 2014 for the best partnership in Africa in the development of entrepreneurship and enterprise skills development.
Hazel Langa
author : .author email : .UKZN Scientists Changing the Face of Histopathology in South Africa
Quantitative analysis of brain tissue homogenates including images of the mass spectrometry imaging.Four Health Scientists from UKZN’s College of Health Sciences are changing the face of Histopathology in South Africa.
Histopathology is the science concerned with the cytologic and histologic structure of abnormal or diseased tissue.
‘Traditionally, radiolabelled compounds have been employed for imaging in drug distribution studies by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), autoradiography, X-ray computerized tomography (CT), and Positron Emission Tomography (PET),’ said UKZN’s Professor Thavi Govender.
‘However, these methods are expensive and only show total drug-related materials.’
Govender explained that matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometric imaging (MALDI MSI) is a label free technique, which offers the advantage of determining the distribution of the parent drug and metabolites simultaneously.
Govender in co-operation with Dr Sanil Singh, Dr Linda Bester and Professor Gert Kruger have recently shown that a combination of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with MALDI MSI provides better correlation than PET imaging technique.
The researchers recently co-authored two papers visualising the time-dependent distribution of TB drugs, Rifampicin (Assay and Drug Development Technologies) and Pretomanid (Xenobiotica), in rats using this new specialised technique. The aim of this study was to establish methods for the preclinical evaluation and localization of antibiotics in the rat brain and understand its potential to neuroprotection.
They are continuing to expand the study to include other antibiotics and the technique they are using has received interest from other disciplines.
Dr Nirmala Gopal from the College of Humanities is interested to establish which areas of the brain are affected by street drugs and whether the current treatment regimen provided by rehabilitation clinics also target those areas while Professor William Daniels of the Neuroscience Research Group wants to understand whether improvements can be made to formulations of drugs for Alzheimers disease.
The researchers paired the LCMS/MS technique with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI MSI) to show the time-dependent manner in which the antibiotics are able to enter and leave the brain.
Without any requirement for complex pre-processing, the researchers were able to produce images with a relatively improved resolution and localisation compared to those acquired using more complex imaging methods in the study, showing MALDI MSI to be an invaluable tool in drug distribution studies.
Lunga Memela
author : .author email : Documentary reveals how lions are ‘bred for the bullet’ in SA
Blood Lions.Blood Lions, a hard-hitting documentary that lifts the lid on canned hunting, premiered at the 2015 Durban International Film which completed its run last weekend.
In the film, Environmental Journalist and Safari Operator, Ian Michler, and an American hunter, Rick Swazey, put the focus on South Africa’s multi-million dollar canned lion hunting industry.
Michler, who with the film makers attended several DIFF screenings, said an estimated 800 to 1 000 lions were killed in canned hunts every year in South Africa. More than half of the hunters are from the United States with the balance from Europe and other countries.
Hunters pay up to US$48 000 (R580 000) to shoot a lion in captivity, with the highest fee being paid for male lions with black manes.
The film also reveals the distressing conditions the lions are kept in, and lucrative practices including cub petting, volunteer recruitment and lion walking.
Visitors from around the world pay about R24 000 to spend two weeks ‘looking after’ lion cubs - aged between a few days and a few weeks old - who have been taken away from their mothers.
The cubs are separated from their mothers to ensure the lionesses go into estrus (reproductive cycle), enabling another litter of cubs to be born quickly. In the wild, lion cubs spend up to 24 months with their mothers.
As these lions grow older, they are often used for canned hunting. ‘These practices have no conservation value whatsoever,’ said Michler.
The film includes distressing footage of lions being shot for sport and confrontations with South African lion farmers.
The film makers gave various role players in the industry, including those for and against canned hunting and predator breeding, a platform to air their views. Trophy hunters and breeders, lion ecologists, conservationists and animal welfare experts were among those who took part.
The film also documents steps taken by authorities in Australia and Botswana to combat the controversial practices. The South African government has so far not introduced any similar measures, according to the documentary.
‘This industry is damaging Brand South Africa and change has to come,’ said Michler.
Blood Lions was produced by Pippa Hankinson and CEO of Wildlands, Jeremy Nathan, while UKZN alumnus, Dr Andrew Venter, was the Executive Producer. The film was directed by Bruce Young and Nick Chevallier, and edited by Dave Cohen with Fabian Sing providing the scoring.
The 36th Durban International Film Festival was hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts in UKZN’s College of Humanities from July 16-26.
Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer
author : .author email : .UKZN and eThekwini at one on MILE
Partner institutions sign the MILE MoA at Moses Mabhida Stadium. UKZN’s Dr Albert van Jaarsveld is on the far right.UKZN has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with eThekwini Municipality cementing the University’s commitment to the Municipal Institute of Learning (MILE).
Started in 2009, MILE is the first local government-driven, practitioner-based institute of learning.
Driven by eThekwini, MILE aims to develop the professional and technical capacity of local government professionals on the African continent by leveraging partnerships with tertiary institutions to promote collaborative research programmes to improve the effectiveness of local government.
UKZN’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, said the University and the other Higher Education Institutions should be seen as a resource and as ‘responsible citizens of the city’.
Citing Singapore’s trade objectives used to develop their world class economy, van Jaarsveld underscored the importance of people achieving goals.
He echoed DUT’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ahmed Bawa, saying ‘we need to start breaking down the silos in the way that we function and operate.
‘A collective vision would give us a competitive edge to make a global impact into the future.’
The project at UKZN is driven by UKZN’s Pro Vice-Chancellor: Innovation, Commercialisation and Entrepreneurship, Professor Deresh Ramjugernath, and University Dean of Research, Professor Urmilla Bob.
The MoA was signed at Moses Mabhida Stadium with other partner institutions including UKZN, the Durban University of Technology, Mangosuthu University of Technology, the University of Zululand, the Human Sciences Research Council, UNISA and eThekwini Municipality.
Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer
author : .author email : .Enactus UKZN – they are the CHAMPIONS!
Enactus UKZN celebrates being chosen as the best in South Africa.UKZN is the winner of the 2015 National Enactus Competition and its team will represent South Africa at the World Cup in Johannesburg later this year.
Led by the General President, Mr Sizwesihle Gumede, Enactus UKZN competed against 19 other university teams from around the country.
Gumede said it was the team’s commitment to making a difference in communities that set it apart from the rest. ‘UKZN is known as the team that never sleeps, we take our time in addressing the needs of the communities and we put them first. To us winning the competition is secondary. It’s more about making a difference and providing innovative, entrepreneurial solutions to different social problems. So winning nationals was a bonus!’
Gumede said the 2014/15 executive had a variety of primary objectives. ‘We want to increase membership, toughen our stakeholder relations and focus on delivering in projects. But to be honest, reclaiming our glory was something we all wanted.
‘We have achieved our objectives and the team is excited and looking forward to winning the World Cup.’
Enactus is a global student organisation which brings together a community of students, academics and business leaders who are committed to harnessing entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world.
Team UKZN presented the following projects at the competition:
- Go-Recypro Project: A project using an incentive-based recycling programme, it is sponsored by CHEP SA and situated in Underberg.
- Karabo Beracah Agric Project: An agro-processing project which farms moringa, yellow maize, melon and various veggies, and from the produce makes farm commercial products, including Moringa Meal, melon jam and vegetable juices.
Enactus UKZN has started prepping for the World Cup from 14 to 16 October.
Gumede acknowledged all those who had contributed to the team’s success: ‘The support from the University has been amazing. Student Services and Dr Sibusiso Chalufu’s support have been wonderful. We also thank the University Teaching and Learning Office, Student Governance and Leadership Development, Corporate Relations, UKZN Foundation and our external main sponsor, CHEP.’
Executive Director of Student Services, Dr Sibusiso Chalufu congratulated the team for ‘the incredible work done in uplifting and changing the lives of our people and for flying the UKZN flag high’.
‘It is young people such as those in UKZN Enactus who inspire confidence in the future of our country, our continent and the world in general,’ said Chalufu.
Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer
author : .author email : .Visiting US scholar conducts workshop for Population Studies students
Visiting scholar Professor Winfred Avogo of the United States conducting a mixed methods workshop.Visiting Scholar, Professor Winfred Avogo of Illinois State University in the United States, conducted a workshop at UKZN examining integrating theory and mixed methods in family demography.
Speaking at the workshop hosted by the School of Built Environment and Development Studies , Avogo said: ‘The 21st century has seen overall, a remarkable number of studies that identify as mixed-methods. Even demographers, who generally shun annthropological methods such as participant observation and ethnography have embraced and collaborated with interviewers. But this is also an area of research still in its formation and fraught with ambiguities and challenges.’
The seminar looked to build a working definition of a mixed-methods study, the motivations for using such an approach and the challenges that emerge. The second part of the workshop discussed practical ways to integrate theory and mix-methods in social demography, especially research on gender socialisation and demographic outcomes.
PhD student Ms Reesha Kara says through the workshop she developed a greater understanding of how the mixed methods approach could be applied to research, allowing her to think more about the theoretical aspect of the approach and the manner in which she planned to incorporate it in her own study.
‘I plan on adopting a mixed methods approach with my PhD research. Attending the workshop provided me with some insight of the philosophical and theoretical ideas associated with the two methods and a perspective on how these two approaches can be used together,’ she said.
Kara believes that workshops of this nature provide students with a more in-depth look at specific topics in the research arena. ‘It also helps to keep abreast with new research methods being employed by social science researchers and it is always refreshing to be exposed to a different method of teaching and gaining an expert's perspective on the subject matter.’
Melissa Mungroo
author : .author email : .The UKZN Griot Of Cost to Company
.Keyan G Tomaselli
Universities generate funds thus: state subsidies based on student throughput, academics increasingly being required to raise their own research funding, the perish syndrome, registration of patents, and so on. An individual academic’s value is now calculated as cost-to-company rather than contribution to society. Are we simply profit potential (or loss) centres irrespective of social impact?
Apart from student subsidy, the one consistent but variable factor is publication in so-called “accredited” journals and books. Here is how this works in South Africa: research and publication is incentive-led, rather than curiosity-led (as it is elsewhere). The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) pays universities R120 000 for every article published in approved lists of academic journals. Universities allocate these funds differently - some put them in a general pot to be applied for by researchers, others top slice a percentage to be used by the author for further research, while some permit their authors to bank a sub-portion as taxable income. Most universities pay for their research infrastructure thus payouts to authors range from zero to R50 000+, depending on employer policy.
Research should not be about income but about finding something out. Method is the way that the finding happens. Theory is the framework that interprets the data popped loose by method. The purpose of research is to explain something. Once explained, then the outcome is communicated via publication. Apart from students and peers, few articles are read by professionals, policy makers or the general public.
Academic articles are primarily read by other academics, and thus have low readerships. Comparatively few get cited, though well-read papers can secure hundreds, even thousands, of mentions. The majority of articles get no citations at all. Many contemporary students resist reading, so even prescribed articles may have little impact. It’s always a pleasure then, when students are first introduced to me that they actually connect the name to a book they have read. Regrettably, much top class work simply disappears in the cacophony of journals - both legitimate and predatory - that have appeared to meet the demand for publication.
If so few are reading academic articles what’s the point? Simply this – academic work is often done for its own blue skies sake. That’s how DNA was discovered, that’s how conceptual advances occur. Publications do emanate from planned projects and other activities also. Some journals do popularize this research and discoveries as do the researchers themselves.
Legitimate journal and book publishers have spawned massive international empires that sport profits that make Apple seem like a backyard operation. Where Apple has to pay for its labour, plant and innovation, however, it’s the public that pays academic salaries. Journals and books would simply not be affordable were the publishers to pay for their labour and research costs also. Even with free labour in the form of voluntary editors and reviewers, the cost of publication of a single article in an international journal is about USD 5 000 (usually absorbed by the journal and/or publisher). The articles that hit the download and citation jackpots cross-subsidize the majority that don’t, as intellectually valuable as they may be potentially.
It is bemusing when earnest young academics accuse the big multinational publishers of making excessive profits. Universities and authors have been doing the same for years by milking the DHET subsidy. If the publishers are to waive their profits then so should authors decline their research incentives? Either way, we are all implicated in the publication value chain. The ethical way to managing it is to do research that counts rather than just counting the research that is done.
The big publishers issue guidelines on how to market one’s own articles, supported by their own campaigns. But few South African authors bother with these support mechanisms. For most, publication is the end product as it popped loose the research incentive subsidy. Where journalists write for readers, academics largely write for themselves (or for meeting their performance management [PM] units). And, when academics publish mainly for their academic auditors, they tend to forget the investment made by the public (that includes students) in their work, whether as research subjects or as taxpayers.
Some preeminent scholars will publish but a few papers during an entire lifetime, but their impact will be of Nobel Prize proportions. My recurring example is Peter Higgs’s whose low publication output was an embarrassment to his own university, notwithstanding the significance of his discovery of ‘the God particle’. Other scholars do meet their PM targets by simply engaging in conveyer belt publishing that is meaningless in the larger scheme of things. This is where the NRF ratings assessment really do work: often, in assessing the self-selected top ten outputs submitted by an applicant, one realises that they are often just number crunching repetitions with difference. Since curiosity-led research is unpredictable, time consuming and costly, run-of-the-mill by-the-numbers research and publication prevails. This is what university auditors want: subsidy not significance - after all, they have got bills to pay.
Academic research does matter. Such work is not ‘academic’ in the lay sense of the term. That is, it’s not irrelevant. Academics do impact policy, planning and the ways in which ordinary people make sense. Some well-known commentators also offer endless sound bites on radio and TV – which creates the impression that very few such commentators are accessible. These usual suspects will comment on anything, from African studies to African locusts. To the media, I say, get some new, more diverse and refreshing voices.
Beyond the university research economy is the public, taxpayers who support researchers. How to bridge the readerships? Newspapers often précis research articles, and many academics do write stories on their research in ordinary, entertaining language, in popular media. If the public is paying for the research then academics should also speak to it in every forum possible from Nature to Your Family. Many do – in magazines, newspapers, as broadcasters and as public intellectuals. But this activity is not incentivized by universities, even as community engagement, which is considered but an add-on to our duties. If the public pays the bills it should be told what we are doing. That's how research becomes relevant. The web-based weekly The Conversation, inaugurated in South Africa in May, is doing just that in ordinary English.
Previously, publish or perish simply meant loss of esteem within the research community; in the neoliberal age when academic auditors know the cost of everything but the value of nothing, it means that academics who fail to balance their cost to company will simply perish. That is, they will be denied promotion or be retrenched, or their departments closed, or they will be referred to "counselling" to mend their ways. We all need to become intellectual entrepreneurs if we are not to actually cost the company. But the company also needs to realise the negative cost of costing conveyer belt production and losing sight of significant intellectual work that can take a lifetime to materialise. The Higg's are the backbone of the academy.
Keyan Tomaselli is Distinguished Professor, University of Johannesburg and Professor Emeritus at UKZN. He can be grioted or garroted at tomasell@ukzn.ac.za, whichever is the preferred method.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are the author’s own.author : .author email : .