School of Applied Human Sciences - Community Engagement Symposium
School of Applied Human Sciences representatives at their Town and Gown Symposium. As part of its Community Engagement endeavour, the School of Applied Human Sciences (SAHS) held a Town and Gown Symposium at a beachfront hotel on 9 September. Sixty staff members, post-doctorate and doctoral students were joined by external stakeholders from industry and NGOs who are associated with the School’s Disciplines of: Communication and Media (The Centre for Communication, Media and Society, CCMS), Criminology and Forensics, Psychology and Social Work. The overall theme was: Preparing for the Future: Academic and social capital for work and community engagement.
The symposium was addressed by Professor Nhlanhla Mkhize, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Humanities. The day was divided into three segments, the first being a session of short keynote addresses chaired by Professor Donal McCracken. The speakers included Mmamitse Thibedi (Uzalo executive producer); Sabelo Gumedze (PSIRA); Bheki Zondo (Department of Health) and Eric Apelgren (eThekwini Municipality). The common recommendation from industry is that graduate’s soft skills need to be a focus if they are to make a positive impact on South African society. The idea of thought leadership is imperative for graduates to move into the different sectors and be committed transformation.
A round table discussion relating to community initiatives with NGO/NPO representatives was then chaired by Professor Ruth Teer-Tomaselli. Speakers included Chalone Savant (Public health communication consultant); Mary Lange and Bheki Dlamini from the ARROWSA NGO, Siyanda Biyela of Youth Crime prevention KwaZulu-Natal, Monty Thomas of Zoe-Life and Mzwakie Mosery of MATCH. As tempting (and important) as it is to focus outward on “social change” and structural constraints and opportunities, the discussion here reminded us of the more immediate layers of influence in society. For example, research and community engagement initiatives should seek to support “family” structures and creative school programmes. The issue of mental health was a hot topic, and a number of the presenters impressed upon the group that mental health is the single most important factor for adherence to HIV treatment.
The afternoon session was a lively panel discussion chaired by CCMS PhD candidate, Sanele Gamede – the theme being Community Engagement and the Role of the University. PhD presenters included Thomas Gumbo, Mkhonzeni Gumede, Shannon Landers, Nosipho Makhakhe, Nstika Mlamla, Tigere Muringa, Patrick Nyamruze and Sanele Shabane.
General sentiments that emanated from this group was that we need to avoid the often-criticised “smash and grab” approach of researchers entering a community and extracting information with no reciprocity or feedback to the people that participated in the research. The need for research relationships to be sustained and ways in which this could be done was widely discussed, with many interesting cases shared. Another key discussion is that although most research is problem-based our engagement with community partners needs to also foreground their resilience and solutions found within the community. With our dynamic times in mind, Landers ended her presentation with the wise words that, ‘The role of research in SAHS goes hand-in-hand with community engagement and it is necessary that efforts are made to bridge the gap in South Africa’s dual economy and ensure a smooth transition towards the fourth industrial revolution.’
Ruwayda Petrus ended the day with the message that as people committed to community engagement we need to hold the door open and allow multiple views, sectors, communities and paradigms positively influence our prosocial engagement with South African society.
This combination of academic staff, senior students and representatives of industry and NGOs proved an important stage in the School’s drive to break down barriers between scholarship and communities, and marks the first major activity of the recently established discipline stakeholder committees.
Words: Melissa Mungroo
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .UKZN Student Drives Mentorship in the Park Programme
Scenes from the Mentorship in the Park programme.PhD student in Social Sciences and motivational speaker, Mr Sanele Gamede hosted the 7th session of a free Mentorship in the Park programme at the Durban Botanic Gardens.
The monthly programme, which he has also successfully launched in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Gauteng provinces, targets people between the ages of 15–35, creating a platform for them to be empowered through information sharing.
This is done through giving participants an opportunity to get to know each other and find solutions to youth-related issues during each session. There is also a WhatsApp group where people can share ideas and stay connected to each other.
‘The park is a suitable space where young people can share ideas without having to dress or try to meet a certain standard,’ said Gamede. ‘It is a space where young people can be free and refreshed. It promotes unity, Ubuntu, love and caring among young people through bringing them together to help each other. Education and success among young people are encouraged through career coaching sessions,’
Gamede is a lecturer at Varsity College, the author of the books: The Graduate Pack, A Practical Guide for Job Seekers, and Finishing your Qualification in Record Time, a Guide for Students.
He is also the Founder and CEO of Ilada Holdings, a Personal Development and Training Company.
The next Mentorship in the Park programme is this Saturday.
For more information, email Gamede gamedesanele@gmail.com.
Words: Melissa Mungroo
Photographs: Supplied
author : .author email : .Young Leaders Academy Workplace Readiness Programme
Advocate Mahomed Vahed (centre) with UKZN students and lecturer Dr Heidi Matisonn (back row, far right).Students from the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics participated in the Young Leaders Academy (YLA) Workplace Readiness Programme led by the CEO of Iqraa Trust Dr Mahmoud Youssef-Baker, and YLA’s Advocate Mahomed Vahed.
‘The programme comprises core coursework, together with team-building activities, to enhance participants’ problem-solving and critical thinking skills,’ said Vahed. ‘We use the internationally acclaimed Habitudes Leadership Development Programme material and topics covered include effective communication, managing finances, and effective CVs,’ said Vahed.
Due to the high level of unemployment in the country, UKZN lecturer Dr Heidi Matisonn believes the programme is important as job seekers need more than a degree to find employment. Matisonn says the YLA programmes provide students with employability skills and graduate attributes.
‘The programme encourages self-reflection so students are able to assess their strengths and weaknesses and find ways of overcoming obstacles. It also emphasises teamwork and creativity, which are often undervalued in an academic environment but essential in the contemporary workplace. Combining this programme with academic study provides students with a very well rounded and balanced set of skills,’ she said.
Words: Melissa Mungroo
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .UKZN Hosts Annual Mafika Gwala Lecture
The scene at the Fifth Annual Mafika Gwala Lecture.Award-winning author and journalist, Mr Fred Khumalo delivered the fifth annual Mafika Gwala Lecture on the Howard College campus.
Hosted by the College of Humanities together with South African History Online (SAHO) and the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS), the lecture coincided with the fifth anniversary of the death of Gwala and was part of a research programme led by SAHO to critically evaluate the role of the Arts in the struggle against apartheid.
Speaking at the event, Dean and Head of the School of Arts, Professor Nobuhle Hlongwa, said: ‘The lecture is fitting as it dovetails into UKZN’s strategic plan in which research excellence and transformation are key.’
The CEO of SAHO and good friend of Gwala, Mr Omar Badsha, said the lecture series ‘seeks to reclaim and popularise the work of Gwala and his contemporaries’ who shaped the discourse on issues of race, gender and the aesthetic sensibility of so many of today’s artists.
In the lecture, Khumalo shared anecdotes and fond memories of being mentored as a writer by Gwala, known for his books: Bitches Brew and Dancing the Death Drill.
‘Gwala had explained to me in detail how the writing game worked,’ said Khumalo. ‘You don’t just become a writer. You have to live, before you can write. The best entry point into the writing game, he suggested to me, was to start out as a journalist,’ said Khumalo.
He immediately understood that for Gwala, writing and political activism were the two sides of the same coin. ‘In Gwala’s hands, literature (his poetry and essays) was a weapon, a tool to carve a future for his people,’ said Khumalo. ‘You could argue that his stance was simply that: you cannot write normal poetry in an abnormal society.’
Khumalo said he viewed Gwala’s work and that of his contemporaries as a direct response to the socio-political conditions of his time - ‘his work will continue to appeal to the discerning literary historians interested in the complex interconnections between history and literature.’
In later years, as Khumalo’s confidence as a writer grew, Gwala would every now and then ask him to write about Hammarsdale. ‘He had enjoyed my autobiography Touch My Blood, which paid tribute to the township. But he expected a bigger book, a more ambitious tome. He said that by writing such a book, we would begin to unshackle ourselves from the monster of apartheid. While he agreed that the system of apartheid was dead, our minds, our souls were still in the clutches of the ghost of apartheid. In order to free ourselves from those clutches, we had to free our history.’
Khumalo said cultural reclamation was imperative for him as a writer and was a lesson he had learned from Gwala, adding: ‘He taught me how to write from a Black Consciousness perspective.’
In October this year, Khumalo began a walk from Johannesburg to Durban to commemorate 7 000 Zulu men, women and children who had walked from Johannesburg to Durban during the Anglo-Boer war.
Khumalo’s walk - aligned to his recently published book The Longest March - started at Wits University in Johannesburg. He said during the journey he thought what his friend and mentor Gwala would have thought of the walk and told the story in his book ‘from the Black perspective to bring a semblance of justice and closure to the narrative.
‘Thanks to the inheritance left to us by Gwala, we have made the choice to continue with the journey towards finding and celebrating, through our literature, the elusive human spirit. The choice we have made today projects itself backwards and changes our past actions and inactions. This is the time for our redemption,’ said Khumalo.
Words: Melissa Mungroo
Photograph: Yola Ndzabe
author : .author email : .International Conference Addresses Antimicrobial Resistance in Africa
Delegates and conference organisers.UKZN’s College of Health Sciences hosted an international conference on Antibiotic Stewardship and Conservation in Africa.
The conference – organised by South African Research Chair (SARChI) in Antibiotic Resistance and One Health, Professor Sabiha Essack – highlighted research on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and stewardship (AMS) in Africa, showcasing the results of the project funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation on Antibiotic Stewardship and Conservancy in Africa.
The gathering also explored more broadly the unique African face of AMR and AMS in the One Health approach.
Antibiotics, the drugs used for fighting infections caused by bacteria, reduce illnesses and even death from infectious diseases, however, although they have many beneficial effects, their overuse may result in the problem of antibiotic resistance: a global pandemic that needs global solutions.
Essack, who established UKZN’s Antimicrobial Research Unit, said antibiotic resistance occurred when bacteria were unaffected by the antibiotics used to treat the infections they cause. The bacteria survive and continue to increase in number, causing complications.
‘The project has an overarching aim of human capital and research development in a global health priority – the optimal management of infections in the context of antimicrobial stewardship and conservation – by conducting research and generating evidence on the nature and extent of AMR to inform context-specific interventions for its containment in the One Health Approach,’ said Essack.
The aim of the four-day conference held on the Westville campus was to bring together both local and international leaders in the field to showcase novel and innovative research and solutions to AMR.
A variety of international and South African delegates attended.
Words: Nombuso Dlamini
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .A New Theory of Granular Flow for SA Mining Industry
Professor Indresan Govender.During his inaugural lecture in 2017, UKZN’s Professor Indresan Govender, argued that a theory published in Nature Letters [NATURE Vol 441] failed to match the high-quality nuclear imaging measurements that his Particle Technology Group (PTG) were obtaining for complex industrial flows typical of South African mining systems.
The argument was settled when Govender co-published an article this year in the prestigious Physical Review Letters [123, 048001 (2019)] on a new granular flow theory.
Unlike the theory published in Nature Letters that works only for a limited and simplified range of flows, the new theory is valid for wet, dry and multidirectional flows that span industrial, natural and even biological flow systems.
‘Since its publication, the attention has been overwhelming and has culminated in several invited lectures, most notably to the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP) at Cambridge University in England,’ said Govender.
During the various invited lectures he gave around the world – including in China, North America and Europe – Govender said he became aware of two interesting facts: (i) this was the first time a South African chemical engineer had published in Physical Review Letters, and (ii) there were sadly no other research groups on the continent working on granular flows at the continuum scale.
‘These simple observations speak volumes about the lack of homegrown technologies for maximising local benefit from a rich, naturally resourced continent,’ said Govender.
Govender, however, is very positive about the future and notes that the new theory, underpinned by a new dimensionless number, will ‘reshape the way we think about mixing, flow and size reduction in the mining, pharmaceutical and agricultural processing industries’.
According to Govender, this is only the beginning of a long road to testing the theory rigorously and proving its value to industry. Fortunately, the PTG is uniquely positioned to make in-situ measurements of complex flows using the nuclear imagine technique of Positron Emission Particle Tracking.
Govender’s laboratory is the only one in the world with the ability to measure non-invasively the flow of complex, often opaque, granular systems to sub-millimetre accuracy at sub-millisecond sampling resolutions.
The PTG is funded almost entirely through generous partnerships with the mining, pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries across the globe, and Govender expects those partnerships to grow with the recent theoretical breakthrough.
Beyond the excitement of developing a new theory, Govender argues that the theory can be used to improve the energy efficiency of mining equipment, such as tumbling mills, which currently consume up to 10 percent of South Africa’s power.
Optimistically, it might even be possible to design new equipment that produces paradigm shifts in energy efficient mining and extraction of precious metals for the South African economy.
Words: Ndabaonline
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Research Day a Platform for Student Research and Innovation
Staff, students and guests gather for the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science’s ninth annual Postgraduate Research and Innovation Symposium on the Westville campus.Innovative research projects being undertaken by masters and doctoral students were on show at the annual Postgraduate Research and Innovation Symposium (PRIS) staged by the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science (CAES) on the Westville campus.
Hosted by the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science (SMSCS) in collaboration with the College Public Relations team, the symposium’s theme was on Big Data and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).
There were more than 700 delegates, including students from across the College’s five Schools, University staff and industry partners.
‘At UKZN, we want our research to be cutting-edge, at the forefront of innovation,’ said Professor Neil Koorbanally, who highlighted that research was being done collaboratively with a variety of supervisors, partners, technicians, and industry representatives, among others.
In his welcome address, Chair of the organising committee, Professor Henry Mwambi said: ‘Our activities and lifestyles are becoming more and more dependent on the application of science and technology. This is precisely where the importance of research lies – it is only research that can produce new knowledge and new methods and procedures to change the lives of people, and specifically to face the challenges of the 4IR.’
Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Professor Deresh Ramjugernath, welcomed delegates saying: ‘This event has been extremely successful in growing the research endeavours of the College, which is one of the main contributors to the research outputs of UKZN.’
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s NextGen Enterprises and Institutions’ Executive Manager Professor Fulufhelo Nelwamondo delivered a keynote address in which he challenged and inspired the audience, offering an industry perspective on how the world is changing in an era of big and small data in the 4IR.
Students delivered 60 oral presentations in parallel sessions, while 191 posters were on display with students available to inform guests about their research and its importance.
A record number of more than 250 abstracts were accepted for the event.
On display were a variety of research projects from the Schools of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences; Chemistry and Physics; Engineering; Life Sciences and Mathematics, Statistic and Computer Science, with prizes for students who delivered the best presentations in their category.
‘This event highlights the world class research being done by our postgraduate students and provides them with an opportunity to present their work to peers, academic staff and research partners,’ said UKZN Vice-Chancellor Professor Nana Poku. ‘Written and verbal communication are critical skills required by scientists in order to make their work relevant and accessible. This day presents an opportunity for students to develop and refine their communication skills.’
The UKZN InQubate Technology Transfer Office Intellectual Property and Commercialisation workshop ran concurrently with the main programme promoting a culture of innovation. Presentations were made by the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), Adams and Adams Attorneys, Elsevier, Anonaya Gardens, the South African National Energy Development Institute, the South African National Accreditation System, ARTsolar, and DataQuantify.
In addition to this programme, 31 companies and organisations exhibited information about their organisations and products to inform students about career options available to them.
Also on show as part of the Science Meets Art initiative were displays from the Neptune Project, a creative initiative of the South African Research Chair in Waste and Climate Change that uses art to draw attention to the effects of pollution on the environment and to convey ideas for solutions emerging from high-quality scientific research conducted under the Chair.
Closing the symposium, Professor Francesco Petruccione highlighted the work of UKZN’s Research Flagships, particularly Big Data projects, which he said helped achieve the goals of the other research flagships. He thanked the 49 UKZN and 31 other sponsors who helped make the day a success.
The Postgraduate Research and Innovation Symposium – a major highlight on the University’s calendar - is a collaborative effort between almost 30 internal research units, groups, centres, Schools, Research Chairs and about 50 individual researchers. The organising committee comprises 20 staff members, with between 10 and 15 staff from each of the five Schools assisting with judging duties. External stakeholders and sponsors include 2Cana, Amazon.com, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (KZNDARD), TIA and Umgeni Water.
Awards went to the top PhD and masters oral and poster presentations from each School. The value of each PhD award was R16 000 to be used towards attending an international conference, while masters awards were R8 000 towards attendance at a local conference.
*Award winners:
SAEES (KZNDARD award):
First prize oral category PhD candidate: Phindile Ndlovu
First prize poster category PhD: Hillary Mugiyo
First prize oral category Masters: Sinegugu Shude
First prize poster category Masters: Lateef Bello
Engineering:
First prize oral category PhD candidate: Mduduzi Khumalo
First prize poster category PhD: Abha Dargar
First prize oral category Masters: Divina Govender
First prize poster category Masters: Ernest Igbineweka
School of Chemistry and Physics:
First prize oral category PhD candidate: Oluwafisayo Akintemi
First prize poster category PhD: Gregarious Muungani
First prize oral category Masters: Shriya Misra
First prize poster category Masters: Aishwarya Bantho
Life Sciences:
First prize oral category PhD candidate: Ashrenee Govender
First prize poster category PhD: Oluwatosin Adu
First prize oral category Masters: Thando Maseko
First prize poster category Masters: Kareshma Doolabh
School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science:
First prize oral category PhD candidate: Chevarra Hansraj
First prize poster category PhD: Ashenafi Yirga
First prize oral category Masters: Nina Grundlingh
First prize poster category Masters: Asad Jeewa
Words: Christine Cuénod
Photographs: Albert Hirasen
author : .author email : .Kugqame Ubungxube kuMakhempasi ase-UKZN
Amazwibela angeSonto Lobungxube abafundi bekhangisa ngokudla nangamasiko abo.Click here for English version
I-International Office ibihlele umcimbi wesonto lonke obugqugquzela ubungxube, abafundi bakwamanye amazwe bathola ithuba lokukhangisa ngokudla namasiko abo kuwo wonke amakhempasi asenyuvesi.
Ngokuhlanganyela ne-UKZN Psychology Clinic ne-Master Health Promotion Class yawezi-2019, ikhempasi yase-Howard ibigxile kubunye nobungxube, yaba nemashi ephikisana nokucwasa abantu bokufika nokuhlukunyezwa kwabantu besifazane.
UDkt Kemist Shumba wase-UKZN unxuse bonke abantu ukuthi bayeke ukubona abantu njengabanye abaseceleni (okusho ukuthatha umuntu njengohlukile kuwena), bazise zonke izinhlobo zabantu ukuze iNingizimu Afrika izofeza iphupho lokuba yisizwe sothingo lwenkosazana.
UNks Jes Foord, umsunguli we-Jes Foord Foundation, unxuse abantu abahlukunyezwa ngokocansi ukuthi babike amacala ukuze kuzosuswa izigilamkhuba emphakathini. UNks Foord unxuse abazali ukuthi baqale ukufundisa izingane zabo ukuthi zingabi ngabadlwenguli kunokuthi bazifundise ukuthi zingagilwa. ‘Sidinga ukuba ngabantu abangenekayo ezinganeni zethu ngokuletha ushintsho ngoba ukudlwengula okuningi kwenzeka ngasemakhaya. Kumqoka ukufundisa izingane zethu ukuthi zisho uma abantu bezenza izinto ezingazithandi,’ kusho yena.
UNks Ronel Msomi, owumeluleki wabafundi kukhempasi i-Howard College, ubegxile endabeni yokuvumelana nokuthi ‘ucha’ usho ‘ucha’. UNks Msomi uchaze intambo yokuhlukumezeka, ukuthi usizo lutholakala kuphi nezinto ezingenziwa wumuntu ohlukumezekile nezinhlobo ezehlukene zokuhlukumezeka njengokwasemzimbeni, okocansi, okwemizwa, okwezimali nangokwenhlalo.
Iqembu labafundi elizibiza ngoSiko Lethu linandise ngesicathamiya. E-Edgewood bekunesigcawu sokudingida izihloko ezinjengokungafani kwezizwe, izilimi namasiko, kwathi e-Westville kwanedili lengqephu, umculo, ingoma nemibukiso yabafundi beseKenya, eGhana, eNigeria, eSudan naseCongo.
Ekhempasini yaseMgungundlovu bekunombukiso wesiko lokushada lwaMaasai Mara aseKenya, aBaganda base-Uganda nabaFulani, ama-Igbo namaYoruba aseNigeria. Bekukhona ukudla kwesintu kule micimbi yomshado.
Kuchazwe amasiko okuganana njengokukalwa kwezinyawo kwamaMasai nokwakha izicathulo zakhelwa umakoti okukhomba ukuqala kwempilo yakhe njengenkosikazi nomvusi wekhaya, kwachazwa nokugida kwama-Igbo okukhomba inzalo.
ABaganda bakhangise ngezingubo zomshado zendabuko i-gomesi (kamakoti) nekanzu (yomkhwenyana).
Amagama: uHlengiwe Precious Khwela
Isithombe: Izithombe: nguSethu Dlamini noAndile Ndlovu
author : .author email : .UKZN Student Law Review Journal Covers Variety of Topical Issues
The team behind the UKZN Student Law Review journal.Gender-based violence (GBV), Domestic Violence, Occupational Health and Safety, Access to Justice by the Less Privileged, Laws and Transnational Terrorism, are some of the issues examined in the latest issue of the UKZN Student Law Review journal.
The academic journal was founded in 2012 by students for students to provide a platform for undergraduate and postgraduate Law students to develop as legal professionals, scholars and academics.
‘Contributing to the already vast pool of knowledge in relation to these issues becomes necessary in the changing society in which we live,’ said Editor-in-Chief Mr Muzi Mgabhi.
‘We as the Student Law Review therefore seek to question the status quo and contribute to the growth of the knowledge pool. Without criticism, review and critical analysis, we cannot grow and develop. This is therefore our aim.’
The article on GBV considers the extent of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), beyond border lines. It considers what the international legal fraternity has done to mitigate the harsh effects of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and investigates the responses of the international Criminal Court (ICC) to this issue facing, not only South Africa, but the whole of Africa.
The article on domestic violence offers a pragmatic analysis of the impact and effects of domestic violence on children in homes, the place where they are most exposed to aggressive or threatening acts between parents and other adult parties, as well as the legal protection granted to these children.
The article on Transnational Terrorism seeks not only to provide for a necessary source of reference of how such a threat may be ameliorated, but rather to also identify the steps taken within the International, regional and national levels to address this growing threat.
‘What was said on Domestic Violence or Gender-Based Violence or even on Terrorism in the 20th century cannot relate to the issues of today,’ said Mgabhi.
‘It is our hope that our readers will be enriched from the offerings. A lot still needs to be done to address the issues discussed and practically, we have a long way to go! But practicality must first be theoretically and empirically tested. And with these offerings, our authors have gone the extra mile to enrich our readers with empirical data they need to grow their knowledge base. It is therefore our hope that our offerings will encourage our students to write more.’
The journal is available at: https://ukznstudentlawreview.wixsite.com/home/third-issue
Words: Thandiwe Jumo
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .MACE Workshop Brainstorms Ideas to Raise Status of KZN Universities
From left: Ms Hazel Langa, Ms Taweni Gondwe-Xaba and Mr Sibongiseni Magwaza.Representatives of Higher Education Institutions including UKZN, the Durban University of Technology (DUT), Berea Technical College, the University of Zululand and the Mangosuthu University of Technology attended a Marketing, Advancement and Communication in Education (MACE) regional workshop held in Durban.
The workshop provided an opportunity for MACE members to meet, learn from each other and share ideas on how to leverage business opportunities, which will enable them to improve their marketing of KwaZulu-Natal institutions.
Chief Marketing Officer of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry and 2019 Global Women in Marketing Awards nominee Ms Taweni Gondwe-Xaba inspired delegates with her talk on how to raise the status of KwaZulu-Natal universities.
Gondwe-Xaba encouraged institutions of higher learning to put more emphasis on building relationships with local businesses to help address the issue of negative perceptions in the region. She also advised MACE members to proactively participate in various KZN Business Chamber events and programmes.
‘We need to work towards changing the perception that KZN is not a place for businesses to partner with. We want people to speak about our institutions like they do about international institutions,’ she said.
‘Universities need skill training programmes for students that are relevant for the work environment and in return get those graduates to advocate for the institutions. Many students are doing exceptional work but we don’t know about it because of the negative press that clouds our institutions. We need to come up with a strategy to get positive stories out there,’ she said.
New office bearers were elected for MACE in KwaZulu-Natal. Mr Sibongiseni Magwaza from Berea Technical College was chosen as Chair, Ms Noxolo Memela of DUT as Deputy-Chair and Ms Xoliswa Zulu of UKZN as Regional Secretary.
Outgoing Chair Ms Hazel Langa of UKZN was elected as an honorary member and mentor to the newly elected team.
Langa thanked Gondwe-Xaba for accepting the invitation to address the forum.
‘Your acceptance is an indication that local businesses see value in partnering with local institutions of higher learning,’ said Langa. ‘We operate in turbulent environments characterised by a poor economic climate, unemployed graduates, corruption and many other factors, so a concerted effort is required in order to address challenges facing our region.’
She further encouraged all universities to take part in the annual MACE Excellence Awards to be held during the Association’s Congress in Port Elizabeth towards the end of this month.
Words: Lungile Ngubelanga
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Brother and Sister Admitted to Prestigious Golden Key International Honour Society
Top performing brother and sister duo Mohamed and Naeema Suleman.Click here for isiZulu version
First-year Medical students, brother and sister Mr Mohamed Hoosen Suleman and Ms Naeema Suleman, have been admitted into the prestigious Golden Key International Honour Society – the world’s largest collegiate honour organisation with membership by invitation only.
Membership, limited to the top 15% of degree students from all disciplines who have completed at least one year of study, is based solely on academic merit.
The sibling duo have a history of achieving excellence. Last year, Mohamed completed a Bachelor in Pharmacy degree summa cum laude. In the same year, he was awarded the UKZN 50th Anniversary Endowment Scholarship which is based on academic merit and awarded to one student in the College of Health Sciences.
‘I am very grateful for having my efforts recognised and rewarded by UKZN,’ said Mohamed. ‘Hard work and dedication pay off in the end and it is encouraging to note that students are rewarded for the effort they put in. I intend to work even harder through persistence and perseverance as a Medical student.’
Mohamed is passionate about health advocacy and has joined the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) as a research placement. ‘I hope to capitalise on the expertise of senior academics and facilitate my growth in research and maximise outcomes,’ he said. ‘Having completed an article on The Challenges Faced by HIV/AIDS Patients in the Management of their Condition, I believe I have a solid grasp of scientific rigour coupled with curiosity and passion. I want to exploit my potential to the full in order to make a contribution in the field of research and ultimately improve the health and well-being of our people.’
Naeema, also pursuing a Medical degree, is highly motivated to achieve. In 2018, she was awarded the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship for her achievement of being among the top five students in the College of Health Sciences. The Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship is the highest-ranking scholarship offered at UKZN.
Mohamed and Naeema completed their secondary education at the Orient Islamic High School in Durban.
Golden Key is an internationally recognised, non-profit organisation affiliated to over 400 universities in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, South Africa, India and the United States.
Words: MaryAnn Francis
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .USolwazi WezeSayensi YezeziLwane Uthole Ukukleliswa Kwe-NRF I-B Rating
Umcwaningi ohlonishwayo emhlabeni uSolwazi Michael Chimonyo.Click here for English version
I-National Research Foundation (i-NRF) iklomelise uSolwazi Michael Chimonyo womKhakha wezeSayensi yeZilwane e-UKZN nge B-rating, imhlonipha njengomcwaningi ovelele emkhakheni wakhe.
Lolu hlelo lokuklelisa luqhathanisa izinga labacwaningi baseNingizimu Afrika, luthuthukise uhlelo lwezesanyensi ezweni oluqhudelana nolomhlaba nikukhuthaza ukukhiqizwa kwemiphumela esezingeni eliphezulu kumajenali aphambili kanye nokuqeqshwa kwesizukulwane esisha sabacwaningi.
Lokhu kukleliswa luhambisana nokuhlolwa abacwaningi abaseqophelweni elifanayo basekhaya nabasemhlabeni jikelele futhi lusebenzisa izingabunjalo nomthelela wocwaningo lomcwaningi eminyakeni eyisishiyagalolunye edlule.
UChimonyo waqala emkhakheni wezeSayensi yezeziLwane e-UKZN ngoNhlangulana wangonyaka wezi-2010 ngemva kokufundisa iminyaka emihlanu e-University of Fort Hare, efika nolwazi lokukhwelisa izingulube kodwa futhi egabe ngolunye ulwazi lokuzalanisa ezinye izilwane ngezindlela zasembonini nezasemphakathini.
Ucwaningo lukaChimonyo lunomsebenzi omningi wokuthi imfuyo iphila, ibhekane kanjani nezikelemu nokuthi ikhiqizwa kanjani inyama yenkomo neyembuzi engakhulisiwe ngemijovo. Wake wenza umsebenzi wokubheka isimo samachwane engulube nasanda kuzalwa.
Wafunda e-University of Zimbabwe kwelakubo, lapho athola khona i-MSc kwi-Animal Physiology neziqu zobudokotela ekuzalisaneni izilwane.
Ucwaningo lukaChimonyo lwamanje lugxile emiphakathini yasemakhaya, abalimi abancane nokuthi imfuyo ibhekana kanjani nezimo zesimo sezulu esinzima njengesenza ukuzalela kwamakhizane, ukuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu, ukuncipha kwamanzi nokudla ngenhloso yokuphucula impilo yemfuyo. Wake wenza ucwaningo ngesimo solibo ukuthi sinaliphi iqhaza emfuyweni, wabheka izindlela ezihlukene eziveza isimo somsoco kakolweni ekudleni kwezingulube nasemsocweni wezingulube ezisakhula.
UChimonyo ubekhona kwi-list of top published researchers ngowezi-2011, owezi-2014, owezi-2015 nowezi-2017, kwathi uthando lwakhe lokuba ngovelele ekufundiseni lwamenza wenza i-Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education and Training e-University of Fort Hare.
Ngenkathi ezwa lezi ndaba, uChimonyo ubonge izitshudeni zakhe, wathi kuhle ukusebenza nabantu abavumayo ukuphoselwa inselelo yokuthi babe ngcono kunaloko abayikona.
Amagama nezithombe: ngu-Christine Cuénod
author : .author email : .Inaugural Lecture Presented by Renowned Microbiologist and Biotechnologist
Professor Evariste Bosco Gueguim Kana.Microbial Factories and Artificial Intelligence - Fixing Global Bugs with Tiny Bugs – was the subject of an inaugural lecture presented on the Pietermaritzburg campus by UKZN Microbiologist, Professor Evariste Bosco Gueguim Kana.
Gueguim Kana, who holds a BSc in Pure and Applied Biology, an MSc in Biotechnology and a PhD in Microbiology from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in Nigeria, explained that microbial factories generated an array of biopharmaceuticals, biofuels and biochemicals with the potential to revolutionise the bioeconomy of the world and address key global challenges highlighted in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
However, Gueguim Kana emphasised that companies faced increasing pressure to maximise the return on their capital investments and reduce the time required to take new products from design to full-scale production, while the complex multivariate space and the nonlinear nature of these microbial systems challenged the development of viable bioprocesses.
‘Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning provide opportunities to generate models for the rapid development of economically viable bioproduction systems,’ said Gueguim Kana.
During the inaugural lecture, he spoke about his decade-long journey of harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence to develop bioprocesses for biofuels such as biohydrogen, biomethane, bioethanol and other novel bioproducts, using microbial factories powered on industrial and agricultural waste.
Gueguim Kana compared machine learning capabilities with existing algorithms for effective bioprocess development; highlighted knowledge extraction from existing data using machine learning models for microbial processing; and detailed low cost technologies for bioprocess research and development. In so doing, he unravelled the prospects of mitigating key global challenges through Artificial Intelligence in microbial factories.
Gueguim Kana, currently serving as Academic Leader for Research and Higher Degrees within UKZN’s School of Life Sciences, is an Adjunct Professor at the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences in China. He is also one of UKZN’s top published researchers being on the University’s Top 30 Researcher List in 2017.
As an NRF C-rated scientist, his research focused on microbial process technology with an interest in the biorefinery of agricultural and industrial wastes for biofuels and bioproducts; the application of Artificial Intelligence in bioprocess development, and bioreactor design and nanobiotechnology.
Gueguim Kana has produced approximately 90 publications in national and international peer-reviewed journals and book contributions. His current Google Scholar h-factor is 26 and he has been cited more than 1 500 times.
He was also the recipient of a UKZN Distinguished Teachers’ Award in 2017.
Words: Sally Frost
Photograph: Albert Hirasen
author : .author email : .UKZN Forum on Gender-Based Violence
Clockwise from top left: Ms Pinky Mnyaka, Ms Eleanor Langley, Ms Silungile Mavundla and Ms Funeka Thabethe.UKZN’s Campus HIV and AIDS Support Unit (CHASU) organised a forum to discuss issues of gender-based violence (GBV).
Supported by the HIV and AIDS programme, CHASU has a presence on each campus and helps to implement interventions and campaign awareness.
UKZN’s Health Promoter and Acting Co-ordinator of the HIV and AIDS Programme Ms Eleanor Langley, welcomed guests and observed a moment’s silence for a student who died on campus, Mr Simukelo Zondi.
Langley said the HIV and AIDS programme focused on prevention and urged students not to be afraid to report any form of abuse to someone, whether a friend or a roommate. ‘We need to have a call to action because GBV is hitting us like a tsunami and we need to do something about it.’
Ms Silungile Mavundla, author of Owesifazane Onamandla: Killing Half a Women – the Woman of Resilience - a book based on her experience as a survivor of rape - encouraged rape victims to talk about their experiences, educating others and helping them to deal with issues. ‘To get through pain you need to talk about it and forgive whoever hurt you, because things that are hidden have power over you but once you bring them out into the open, they lose that power,’ said Mavundla.
Director of TB and HIV Investigative Network (THINK), Pastor Siya Nzimande, urged all South Africans to stand up against GBV “because the government can’t do it alone”. Nzimande challenged every man in the country to provide safe places for women in South Africa, and as a father pleaded with men not to violate or abuse the children of others.
Manager of the Gender Office under the eThekwini Municipality, Ms Funeka Thabethe spoke on various initiatives the municipality was working on to help prevent GBV, including a seminar next month looking at South Africa’s justice system and why it seems to favour perpetrators. ‘We want to be accessible to the public forming partnerships and fighting the scourge of GBV,’ said Thabethe.
UKZN student and member of the African Emancipation Student Movement (AFRI-ESM), Mr Siphele Ngidi, spoke on how the oppressed were more prone to GBV exposure, linking that to class, race and gender. ‘Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie once said: “It is the culture of Africans to oppress women” - and it is in our culture to change that,’ said Ngidi.
UKZN’s HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) Counsellor, Ms Pinky Mnyaka, and Student Governance and Leadership Development Officer, Mr Mandla Ndaba, addressed the audience on issues of raising young women and men.
Words: Hlengiwe Precious Khwela
Photographs: Andile Ndlovu
author : .author email : .UKZN Students Take a Stand Against Violence
Images from the Students Against Violence march on the Howard College campus.Several University organisations and bodies recently united to form an initiative against xenophobia and gender-based violence, titled Students Against Violence.
Masters students in Health Promotion, International Relations and Clinical and Counselling Psychology organised a march on the Howard College campus, followed by a convention.
‘The convention started with an enjoyable performance by a UKZN student band followed by a variety of speeches,’ said Ms Hannah Elsner, one of the event organisers.
Trulife, a non-profit organisation that stages theatrical performances to create awareness around social issues including human trafficking and justice, gave a powerful dramatic performance around diversity.
‘The event was a resounding success which would not have been possible without several generous sponsors,’ said Elsner. ‘We thank the UKZN Psychology Clinic for educational pamphlets on trauma; the SA Depression and Anxiety Group for their support; International Relations at UKZN for the provision of eats; Trulife for their performance; and to Aaron Folkard for giving of his time and skills as a photographer,’ said Elsner.
Words: Melissa Mungroo and Hannah Elsner
Photographs: Aaron Folkard
author : .author email : .Geometric Structures in Smooth Manifolds Subject of Inaugural Lecture
From left: Professor Fortuné Massamba, Professor Albert Modi and Professor Delia North.An academic specialising in differential geometry at UKZN’s School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, Professor Fortuné Massamba, presented his inaugural lecture on the Pietermaritzburg campus on the subject of geometric structures in smooth manifolds.
Massamba obtained his doctoral degree, which focused on differential geometry, from the Institut de Mathématiques et de Sciences Physiques (IMSP) at the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin. IMSP is an affiliated centre of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy.
Massamba’s research interests are in Riemannian and semi-Riemannian geometry, geometric structures on manifolds, CR-submanifolds of almost complex manifolds, contact and symplectic geometry, lightlike geometry, and the geometry of submersions.
His past research focused on moduli spaces of connections in which he enriched the family of metrics on moduli spaces by constructing a class of non-degenerate metrics using the Narasimhan-Ramanan universal connection. His present research topics include Goldberg Conjecture and locally conformal geometry.
Massamba’s inaugural lecture focused on four specific structures - Sasakian, Kenmotsu, cosymplectic and symplectic structures.
‘The contact and almost contact structures are two of the most interesting examples of differential geometric structures,’ explained Massamba. ‘Their theory is a natural generalisation of so-called contact geometry, which has important applications in classical and quantum mechanics.
‘Almost contact metric structures are an odd-dimensional analogue of almost Hermitian structures and there are many important connections between these two classes.’
Massamba proved there are leaves of some distributions of null hypersurfaces in indefinite Sasakian settings which are extrinsic spheres.
He also showed there are foliations on almost Weyl null hypersufaces which are Einstein-Weyl with scalar curvature of constant sign.
‘A solution of the Goldberg conjecture by Sekigawa is that there are no Einstein metric with non-negative Ricci curvature satisfying an invariant on compact symplectic manifolds that admit no Kähler structure,’ said Massamba.
Massamba, who is Congolese, is married with three children.
Words: Sally Frost
Photograph: Albert Hirasen
author : .author email : .UKZN Student to Represent SA at Conference in Puerto Rico
Ms Tasneem Fareed Karani.UKZN masters student in Speech-Language Therapy, Ms Tasneem Fareed Karani has won the Sponsor-A-Student programme to attend the 2020 Dysphagia Research Society (DRS) Annual Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The DRS will provide Karani with R12 000 to help cover some of the costs involved in the trip.
Karani thanked the DRS Community and the public for voting for her while the Education Director of the DRS Ms Allison Tilque, congratulated her for being among the winners.
Karani’s master’s degree study is titled: Crispy, Crunchyand Crackly: An Exploration of the Food Acoustic Properties on the Swallow Mechanism. Her research study, supervised by Professor Mershen Pillay, is located in a larger, novel research project which is motivated by the need to deliver viable solutions to those at risk of swallowing-related aspiration pneumonia in vulnerable communities, such as South Africa.
‘The outcomes of my study may contribute to the (re)engineering of food sensory properties towards improving swallowing for those suffering with swallowing disorders. Such foods will be immensely useful where there are reduced or no swallowing rehabilitation services. This will assist in proposing a solution to alleviate the burden of disability for a very common disorder in South Africa,’ said Karani.
‘It’s been a dream of mine to attend this prestigious dysphagia conference and to initiate conversations with professionals from all across the world who are also passionate about sharing information on swallowing disorders and providing possible solutions to this common dilemma,’ said Karani.
Karani obtained her undergraduate degree cum laude in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at the University of Witwatersrand. She has won numerous accolades including the AB Clemons Research Award, awards for the best student in both Speech-Language Pathology (academic and clinical) and Audiology (academic), Golden Key Award for four consecutive years, and the Faculty Dean’s Medal Award (awarded for the most distinguished performance in a professional degree).
She has presented her research both locally and internationally, completed her community service at Stanger Hospital in 2018 and this year was the flag-bearer for South Africa at the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics (IALP) conference in Taipei, Taiwan. Upon completion of her master’s, Karani aspires to further her studies by registering for her PhD.
Words: Nombuso Dlamini
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .PhD Candidate Receives International Mathematical Union Fellowship
Mr Adeolu Taiwo.A doctoral candidate in the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science (SMSCS), Mr Adeolu Taiwo is one of three recipients of a Fellowship from the International Mathematical Union (IMU) Breakout Graduate Fellowship (BGF) Programme, intended to aid them complete their PhDs.
The grants are made possible thanks to donations from winners of the Breakthrough Prizes in Mathematics, and are provided by the IMU with the assistance of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and the Friends of the IMU (FIMU) to postgraduate students in developing countries pursuing PhDs in mathematical sciences.
According to the IMU, the limited number of grants recognise highly motivated and mathematically talented students in various developing countries, with selections made through nominations received from professional mathematicians, who nominate candidates with consistently good academic records who are interested in pursuing a career of research and teaching in mathematics.
Taiwo was recognised alongside students from Vietnam and Ukraine, and was nominated by his supervisor Professor Temitope Mewomo.
Originally from Nigeria, Taiwo is pursuing his PhD at UKZN on the topic of the generalised mixed pseudomonotone equilibrium problem and split equality fixed point problems in Banach spaces and their applications. According to Taiwo, this research is important in the field of mathematics as it serves as a unified framework for studying many other related optimisation problems, and has potential applications in other branches of mathematics, industry, physics, medicine, economics, and more.
‘I feel very happy and highly privileged to receive the award,’ said Taiwo. ‘I strongly believe it will make things easier and enable me to focus more on my research for more meaningful output.’
Taiwo thanked Mewomo for nominating him for the Fellowship.
Words: Christine Cuénod
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .I-UKZN Ibe Nomhlangano Wokucobelana ngoLwazi Wabelaphi Bendabuko
Amazwibela esithangami se-Recognition of Prior Learning ophikweni lwase-Westville.Click here for English version
I-UKZN noMnyango wezeSayensi nokuqamba iziNto eziNtsha ibinesithangami sesonto sabelaphi bendabuko ababeyingxenye yekomiti lokuhlela elasungulwa uNgqongqoshe wezeMfundo ePhakeme, ezeSayensi nezobuChwepheshe uDkt Blade Nzimande.
Leli komiti lamalungu ali-13 lizogxila ku-Piloting the Recognition of Prior Learning (i-RPL) of Indigenous Knowledge Practitioners, ikakhulu ukubhaliswa kwabahloli nezitifiketi zongoti ezintweni zendabuko.
Ekhuluma ngaphambi kwesethulo, uNgqongqoshe Nzimande uthe: ‘Ukusungulwa kwezindlela zokuhlonipha ulwazi lwendabuko njengomkhakha ohlonishwayo onezinhlaka zawo nezindlela zokuqikelela izinga yigxathu elimqoka ekuhlonipheni ulwazi lwendabuko njengomkhakha ozimele ngokwawo.’
USihlalo weNdlu yabaHoli beNdabuko Inkosi PhathisizweChiliza uthe kunesidingo sokwenza ihlambo ngemuva konyaka wezi-1994.
UChiliza uthe abantu abayibamba empini badinga usizo lwabaholi bendabuko njengoba bona beqonda izinto zemimoya. Inkosi Chiliza ithe ukuhlaselwa kwabantu bokufika kuwuphawu lokuthi kukhona okonakele, yagcizelela ukuthi kube nemibhidlango ezoqalwa yikomiti elihlelayo ezosiza ukwelapha isizwe nezwe.
UMqondisi oMkhulu wemiSebenzi yezeSayensi eMnyangweni wezeSayensi nobuChwepheshe uSolwazi Yonah Seleti uthe umthetho i-Protection, Promotion, Development and Management of Indigenous Knowledge Act Nombolo 6 wangowezi-2019 uzolungisa ‘ukungalingani nokungabi bikho kobulungisa okwasehlela kuleli zwe iminyaka eminingi’.
IKomiti eliHlelayo lizobheka uhlelo lwe-Discipline of Competence for the Traditional Health Practice ukuhlola izindlela zokusebenza kwalo nokubheka izinga lomsebenzi esimweni somsebenzi sangempela.
Izindlela zokusebenza nezokubheka izinga lomsebenzi emikhakheni yabahlahli, izinyanga, ababelethisi nabelaphi zaqalwa KwaZulu-Natal, e-North West naseLimpopo. Umsebenzi weKZN yiwo ohambe phambili ngokwezinga labelaphi bendabuko.
Uhlelo luzohlolwa iminyaka emithathu ngaphambi kokuthi ludluliselwe kwezinye izifundazwe.
Amagama: u-Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer
Izithombe: u-Itumeleng Masa
author : .author email : .