New Crop of Maths Boffins in Training
Top maths brains from local schools attended the Siyanqoba Maths Experience Day on the Westville campus.The South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF), in partnership with the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science at UKZN, has been training bright high school students to achieve success in the South African Mathematics Olympiads (SAMO) since 2011.
Hundreds of learners have benefited from the programme, with past students having been placed in the top 10 in the country, following their performance in the final round of SAMO.
In 2015, schoolboy Aaron Naidu from the programme came first in the junior competition ahead of more than 30 000 pupils from across the country. Two others, Arthur Qampi and Glenda Watt, were in the team of six that represented South Africa in the Pan African Mathematical Olympiad held in Nigeria in July.
This year invitations were sent to 50 schools to send their top learners ranging from Grade 7 to Grade 12, to write a selection test for placement in the programme. The end result was that 135 students competed for 70 places, 35 in the junior section and 35 in the senior category.
Professor Poobhalan Pillay delivered the main address, titled: “Power of Logic and Mathematics”, while Professor Dharms Baboolal, Dr Paran Pillay and Mr Shan Pillay, all staff members of the Maths Department, assisted by Mr Shalin Singh, a masters student in the School, marked the papers.
The College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science graciously sponsored the mid-morning snacks.
The participants, who the School hopes will be potential graduate students at UKZN, enjoyed their first exposure to the University. Those selected will continue to meet on Saturday mornings to hone their maths skills in preparation for SAMO 2016.
Poobhalan Pillay
author : .author email : .School of Engineering Welcomes Top Matriculants
Top 2015 matric achievers, Ewan Slabber, Connor Gons and Nkyle Bisseru, all of Durban, are among the new cohort of Mechanical Engineering students at UKZN.The School of Engineering is extremely proud to welcome Nikyle Bisseru and Arivind Arunakirinathar of Durban High School and Ewan Slabber and Connor Gons of Glenwood Boys High, who have all chosen UKZN’s Discipline of Mechanical Engineering as the starting point for their tertiary education.
Bisseru was placed 6th in KwaZulu-Natal and first overall in the Umlazi District in the 2015 matric examinations. With Maths, Physics and Engineering as his favorite subjects, this high achiever is undoubtedly heading in the right direction. Nikyle’s older brother, Kashmeel Bisseru will graduate with a Chemical Engineering degree summa cum laude this year.
Nikyle hopes to follow in his brother’s footsteps. ‘Mechanical engineers are involved in construction, design and the management of various items that require any mechanical/moving part. They are also broad thinkers, risk takers and realistic problem solvers, which the world needs. I also did research into mechanical engineering and I spoke to students who were studying Mechanical Engineering,’ said Nikyle.
Arivind has done Durban High School proud, being third in South Africa for Mathematics and first overall in KwaZulu-Natal.
Mechanical Engineering seems the right route for Arivind as his curiosity knows no bounds. ‘I chose to study Mechanical Engineering because I hope that it will provide me with explanations for the many mechanisms which operate daily. I would also like to gain the necessary knowledge to create some of these mechanisms,’ said Arivind.
Glenwood Boys are thrilled with the results of Connor Gons who left the school last year with a string of awards to his name, including the Academic Honours Award, M. J. Sjolander Prize for combined Maths and Physics, the J. B. Colam Memorial Prize for Physical Science, the Margolis Harvey Prize for Life Sciences, the Waltons Stationary Prize for Geography and the Dux Proxime Access IT award. Connor not only excels in academics but is also a keen sportsman with interests in hockey, running and off-road motorbiking.
His interest in Mechanical Engineering stemmed from the fact that this degree does not limit one when it comes to choosing a career. ‘Mechanical Engineering is a degree that allows one to follow many different careers which can take you to incredible places around the world. The field of Engineering matched up with many of my interests and is primarily why I chose to study for this degree,’ said Connor.
Another high achiever from Glenwood Boys High School is Ewan Slabber who also won numerous awards at his school, including the HR Hawkey Memorial Prize for Engineering Graphics & Design, the Music Award, and the JH Snow Memorial Prize for Dux of Glenwood High School.
He scored seven distinctions in his matric examinations, earning him the No 1 spot at Glenwood High.
Mechanical Engineering was a natural choice for Ewan, ‘I want to stretch myself with my studies, and use problem-solving skills to engineer new ways to improve everyone’s quality of life.’
Ewan is also passionate about playing the piano and was a finalist in the Hennie Joubert National Piano Competition at the International Piano Symposium, playing with the Stellenbosch Symphony Orchestra. He will continue with his piano studies under UKZN’s Dr Liezl Maret-Jacobs.
Prashina Budree
author : .author email : .Three Medical Science Students Receive NRF Scholarships
Medical Science scholarship winners (from left) Ms Arishka Kalicharan, Ms Bianca Roelofse and Ms Sundika Ishwarkumar. Three students in UKZN’s Discipline of Clinical Anatomy have been awarded National Research Foundation (NRF) scholarships to pursue postgraduate qualifications in the Medical Sciences.
Ms Sundika Ishwarkumar and Ms Arishka Kalicharan received NRF Scarce Skills Scholarships for their PhD studies while Ms Bianca Roelofse scooped the NRF Innovation Scholarship for her masters work.
Ishwarkumar said: ‘I am thrilled about receiving the scholarship. Anatomy research fulfills my inquisitive side as no two people are identical - there are many variations that exist within the human body, much of which has not yet been established.’
Her masters research examines the prevalence of impacted third molars among people in the greater Durban Metropolitan population.
Once she has completed her PhD, she plans to venture into academia and research.
‘It feels great knowing that the NRF acknowledged my proposed study,’ said Kalicharan, who is excited by the prospect of starting her PhD and contributing to medical diagnostics and treatment in the field of orthopedics.
Kalicharan was awarded a College of Health Sciences research bursary for her masters degree which examines the anatomy of the plantar aponeurosis – a ligament under the foot. She is in the final stages of submitting her dissertation and will soon start her PhD work.
Roelofse received the College of Health Sciences research bursary for her masters in 2015. Her on-going Masters research involves anatomical investigation of the suprarenal vasculature. ‘The suprarenal gland is a very tricky and interesting gland in the human body. It has many major functions that some tend to forget and I wanted to investigate the anatomical aspect rather than the physiological importance of this gland,’ she explained.
‘It feels amazing to have been awarded the NRF Innovation Scholarship. I am truly blessed and grateful that my study was chosen. I never thought it would be a big deal but to be honest I feel quite proud of myself. I would like to complete my Masters degree and then apply to do my PhD at UKZN,’ she added.
‘We’re very proud of our junior colleagues and wish them all the best in their studies,’ said Clinical Anatomy Lecturer, Mrs Pamela Pillay.
Lunga Memela
author : .author email : .Health Sciences Research Unit in Line to Receive New Equipment Sponsorship
Professor Thavi Govender at the Catalysis and Peptide Research Unit. UKZN’s Catalysis and Peptide Research Unit (CPRU) is a finalist for Seeding Labs 2016-17 Instrumental Access programme (http://seedinglabs.org), the international organisation has announced.
‘Our judging committee was impressed with the level of excellence and the calibre of the applications that we received from all of the semi-finalists,’ said Seeding Labs Acting Executive Director, Mr Robin Watters, in a congratulatory letter.
‘We look forward to working with you as we build the shipment for your institution and provide you and your students with the tools necessary to conduct life-changing research and train the next generations of scientists,’ Watters said.
Applicants must demonstrate the value of their research, the need for specific equipment, and the potential impact and outcomes of their work. To ensure that donated equipment supports the largest possible number of scientists and their students, each shipment is directed to entire departments or programmes, not individual researchers. ‘And we thoroughly vet each institution that applies,’ the organisation said
Seeding Labs assesses the stability of an institution and the country as a whole, their educational and scientific track record, the strength of their physical infrastructure, and their ability to install and maintain the equipment they receive.
‘Once we have connected tools and talent, we make sure those scientists have the infrastructure, training, manuals, journals, and available answers to get the highest and best use of the equipment.’
The interests of UKZN’s CPRU research group span the disciplines of organic synthesis, asymmetric catalysis, peptide drug design and computational chemistry. Their current projects include: synthesis and evaluation of inhibitors targeting HIV and TB of classes of chiral ligands and catalysts, experimental and theoretical research about the fundamental aspects of peptide folding, and various computational projects into mechanistic effects of our synthetic projects.
Research Professor, Senior Lecturer and Head of the CPRU, Professor Thavi Govender, said: ‘During the nine years of my academic career, having worked with many students and researchers from across the world, I have found that its not intelligence that limits them but the access to infrastructure and proper training. I believe that in order to facilitate dynamic research, we must have advanced equipment.
‘The purpose of us applying for the Seeding Labs’ grant was to equip the Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences with much needed essential equipment as well as provide our Unit with missing pieces for our drug discovery projects.
‘The equipment is chosen from a “shopping list” provided that all fits into a 6,5m shipping container. It includes high end equipment such as LCMS and low end like refrigerators. This equipment will benefit the 400 undergraduate pharmacy students, the 40 researchers at CPRU as well as the 30 researchers at the Antimicrobial Research Unit and the BioResource Unit,’ he said.
Lunga Memela
author : .author email : .UKZN Staffer to Pursue Business Administration Doctorate in the UK
Ms Metse Serumula. UKZN’s College of Health Sciences (CHS) Technical Operations Manager, Ms Metse Serumula, has been selected to read for a specialised Business Administration Doctorate in Higher Education (DBA-HEM) at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom.
The DBA-HEM is a part-time research degree in which students undertake original research related to key topics in contemporary Higher Education (HE).
Serumula, originally from Limpopo, was nominated by CHS leadership for the DBA-HEM in response to a national project funded by a Department of Higher Education and Training Collaborative Teaching Development Grant and led by the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) in partnership with the University of Bath, to develop the capacity of HE managers.
She will travel to the UK and NMMU for residential and contact sessions, completing four papers and a thesis before graduating from the programme.
Serumula said it was ‘humbling and exciting’ to be selected into the programme.
‘I have learned and grown a lot since I started in this position at UKZN,’ she said.
While her research interests are in drug discovery and synthesis in pharmaceutical sciences, Serumula holds a Master’s degree in Medical Biochemistry where she investigated the presence and potential impact of mould and fungal toxins in the blood and placental tissues of pregnant women with high blood pressure.
‘What makes me passionate is seeing the potential impact the research could have on improving the health of individuals.’ Her Master’s research highlighted the exposure of pregnant women to fungal toxins in their food which in turn threatens the unborn child.
‘The issue of maternal health is very important and close to my heart because there are a lot of women who still do not have access to antenatal care and therefore end up dying from preventable conditions,’ she said.
‘I have been juggling family time and my studies for the past 11 years,’ she chuckled. ‘I have a great family support structure which has made it possible for me to get this far.’
Lunga Memela
author : .author email : .UKZN Signs MOU with State University of New York to Improve Optometry Services
UKZN-SUNY delegates after signing the MOU. UKZN has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with its international partners from the State University of New York (SUNY) to improve the provision and accessibility of optometry services to all South Africans.
The signing took place the UKZN’s Westville campus where South African Optometric Association (SAOA) President, Mr Patrick Mawila, said to avoid later regrets, 2016 was the year for academics, government and SAOA to make the availability of quality optometric services to all citizens a priority.
Previously, only those trained as ophthalmologists (specialists in medical and surgical eye problems) could prescribe ocular therapeutic drugs to patients in South Africa.
The SUNY-UKZN partnership recently produced its first cohort of graduates from a first-of-its-kind ocular therapeutics programme where nation-wide optometrists advanced their skills.
‘The significant move to introduce optometry services into the public sector will require optometrists to work in remote areas and more often than not without the backing of ophthalmic medical officers or ophthalmology services,’ said UKZN Academic Leader for Optometry, Ms Vanessa Moodley.
‘South Africa faces a host of public eye health challenges. Enhancing patient care and reducing avoidable blindness means a lot to us at UKZN,’ she said.
The signing was attended by UKZN’s Executive Director of Corporate Relations, Mr Lesiba Seshoka, and the Dean and Head of the School of Health Sciences, Professor Mahmoud Soliman.
Studies indicate that about 49 million people in the world are blind, and in South Africa, causes of blindness and visual impairment include cataracts (66 percent), glaucoma (14 percent), refractive error (10 percent) and 10 percent due to other conditions, including trachoma.
SUNY partners, Dr David Heath and Dr Richard Soden, delivered presentations on Health Care, Optometry and Education at SUNY’s College of Optometry, highlighting various areas of possible collaboration in research, teaching and learning.
Lunga Memela
author : .author email : .Memorial Service for Dr Sphesihle Luvuyo Ngubane
Medical Schools bids farewell to its fallen alumnus, Dr Luvuyo Ngubane.‘There are many things in life we cannot understand but we must trust God’s judgement and be guided by his hand,’ fifth-year Medical student, Mr Senzo Nkosi, said in an address at the memorial service held for the late UKZN alumnus, Dr Sphesihle Luvuyo Ngubane, at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine.
Ngubane died tragically in a car accident after having completed just two weeks of his internship at the George Mukhari Hospital in Pretoria.
Reading from a message of condolence from Ngubane’s friends and colleagues at Gearge Mukharo Hospital, Nkosi said God was greater than everything. ‘If we hold on to faith, whatever may befall us, God will be waiting to help us bear our pain and sorrow, our suffering and our loss. For no pain or suffering is ever too much to yield itself to God’s merciful touch.’
Dean and Head of School of Clinical Medicine, Professor Richard Hift, thanked the Ngubane family for agreeing to share their grief with the University community. He expressed how important it was for students to celebrate a colleague’s life and to remember what they shared. ‘All my students are special and some more special because of their selflessness,’ said Hift.
SRC President, Mr Makabongwe Magudulela, said they were devastated by Ngubane’s death. ‘We were so blessed to have such a soul. He was undoubtedly one of the best. We wish UKZN will continue to produce great and dedicated people. Sphe indeed inspired greatness,’ added Magudulela.
Ngubane’s friend Mr Lulama Sontangane, described him as a leader and a God-fearing man. He said Ngubane was a member of a religious group, Disciples of Christ.
Lizwe Buthelezi, who had been friends with Ngubane since their first year at Medical School, said he could not believe the news when he received the call about the death. ‘We had plans and dreams,’ he said. ‘That call gave me an awakening and a reminder that life belongs to God not us,’ he added.
Buthelezi recalled how they studied and recited poetry together. He said Ngubane use to say: ‘Live a life that is worth writing about’ and ‘Time heals all wounds’.
‘Those are words that are hard to accept for all of us. We understand that one day we too will move on but for now we are aching in disbelief at the precious friend and colleague we’ve just lost,’ said Buthelezi.
Senior Clinical Executive Intern Co-ordinator, Dr Andrew Sewanya, spoke on behalf of management and staff at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital and the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at Sefako Makgatho Health Science University, ‘Sphe was given to us briefly. We were looking forward to getting to know him better and helping him realise his dreams of a medical career. However, it was not to be. Please accept our deepest sympathy as we mourn with you this great loss. May his soul rest in peace.’
Nombuso Dlamini
author : .author email : .UKZN Professor Examines Bioethics in Africa
Professor Sylvester Chima.UKZN’s Professor Sylvester Chima in partnership with several African and international researchers have published a series of 12 peer-reviewed research articles as a supplement in the Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice.
The articles emanated from the 4th Ethics Human Rights and Medical Law Conference (EHRML) – an annual Bioethics conference held as part of the Africa Health Congress and Exhibition in Johannesburg.
Chima, who has chaired the conference since 2013, said participants included researchers and others from all over Africa as well as medicolegal professionals, and presenters from as far afield as England and Canada.
The Conference examined ethical issues and moral dilemmas around palliative care, late stage cancer, clinical negligence and medical errors in developing countries. There were also papers on challenges in regulation of biomedical research in Kenya, and on the ethics of physiotherapy practice in terminally ill patients in Nigeria.
Also under the spotlight were issues on the right to mental health care in South Africa and the United Kingdom, as well as ethical, moral and psychosocial issues surrounding abortion and the late termination of pregnancy in South Africa and other countries with restrictive abortion laws.
The Conference dealt with complexities of African and global bioethics with particular reference to ethical and moral challenges affecting African countries and communities and how there could be an improvement in the quality of life of African people through applying African moral philosophy i.e. African moral traditions and basic human philosophy and ethical principles such as Ubuntu in health care practice in Africa.
One of the articles written by Chima and colleagues is titled: “Religion, Politics and Ethics: Moral and Ethical Dilemmas facing Faith-Based Organisations and Africa in the 21st Century”. In it the authors argue that: ‘African people value social order and peace as essential and sacred. This is because of the traditional communalism of African societies. To maintain this sense of community and solidarity and avoid disintegration, there are many laws, customs, rules, and regulations constituting the ethics and moral code of African communities. These are believed to be instituted by God or derived from ancestors. This idea gives sanctity to these customs and morals, which are enforced by the traditional leaders, priests, or elders of the community. Any breach of this code of behaviour is, therefore, considered evil, wrong, or bad because it tends to destroy the accepted social order and must be punished by the corporate community. Therefore, traditional African life is dominated by religion, morals, and ethics.’
Nombuso Dlamini
author : .author email : .UKZN to host 1st International Bow Music Conference
UKZN Lecturer and well-known township jazz exponent, Dr Sazi Dlamini.The Music Discipline within UKZN’s School of Arts is hosting the 1st International Bow Music Conference from 24 to 27 February.
Convened by a team led by UKZN Lecturer and well-known township jazz exponent, Dr Sazi Dlamini, the event has sparked a wave of passionate interest from local and international bow music practitioners, ethnomusicologists, and music researchers from as far afield as the United States, Brazil, Europe, and neighbouring SADC countries Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Dlamini said: ‘The Bow Music Conference is an academic gathering that will be open to the public and will feature at paper presentations, workshops and discussions focusing on diverse topics on global bow musical practices.
The Conference acknowledges the widespread indigenous occurrence of musical bows both in Africa and in far-flung areas of the globe as well as the expanding research and public interest in bow music.’
The Conference keynote address will be given by Professor David Dargie, a retired monk, who brought to the world’s attention the sounds of the Xhosa women’s umrhubhe mouth-bow and the mesmerising overtone singing by the women of Ngqoko village in the Lady Frere area of the Eastern Cape.
The Bow Music Conference will include a programme of musical performances showcasing Southern African musical bows such as uhadi and ikatari (Xhosa); the Sotho lesiba, sekhankuri and thomo; the chizambi and chipendani mouthbows of Mozambique and eastern Zimbabwe as well as sitolotolo, makhoyana, umqangala and makhweyana of the Zulu and Swati Nguni.
Some of these musical bows will be on display at the KZNSA Gallery during the conference week.
A significant instrument at the Conference will be the berimbau, the Afro-Brazillian calabash-resonated musical bow that is used in capoeira, the worldwide popular physical game-dance-martial-art that resulted from the presence of African slaves in Brazil.
Several scholarly presentations will focus on the berimbau’s African origins as well as the instrument’s relationship to widespread Bantu bow cultures of Africa’s sub-Saharan region. The programme also includes screenings of director Richard Pakleppa’s documentary film Jogo de Corpo [Body Games] – which traces the roots of capoeira and of the berimbau to Angola and Salil Sachdev’s documentary Tradtitional Music of Mali, West Africa.
Conference presentations will take place at UKZN’s Innovation Centre (Gate 9, Rick Turner Road) on 24, 25 and 26 February. Entrance is free upon registration.
The film and concerts series take place at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre on the Howard College campus from 25 - 27 February. Tickets will be available through Computicket.
Daytime events at the KZNSA on Saturday 27 February include a workshop on musical bow-playing, a berimabu orchestra workshop, a musical bow instrument exhibition and a capoeira Angola roda conducted by Mestre Cobra Mansa from Salvador, Bahia-Brazil.
* The 1st International Bow Music Conference is a Sources of Creativity Catalytic Project, funded through a research grant from the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Melissa Mungroo
author : .author email : .Education Symposium Tackles ‘Objects, Things and Stuff in Educational Research’
Professor Claudia Mitchell of McGill University in the United States and Professor Kate Pahl of Sheffield University in England.UKZN’s School of Education recently hosted an International Research Symposium and Exhibition, titled: “Not Just an Object: Making Meaning of and from Everyday Objects in Educational Research”.
The Symposium was funded by the South African National Research Foundation (NRF) UK-South Africa Researcher Links Grant for Travel and Hosting of Scientific Events.
The interactive Symposium and Exhibition was the brainchild of education academics Dr Daisy Pillay, Dr Inbanathan Naicker and Dr Kathleen Pithouse-Morgan. The focus was on better understanding the personal and social meanings of everyday objects and the significance of this for educational research.
Keynote speakers at the event were Professor Claudia Mitchell of McGill University in the United Sates, and Professor Kate Pahl of Sheffield University in England, who hosted various interactive workshops and public seminars on making meaning of and from everyday objects in educational research.
Mitchell spoke on: “Object as Subject: Productive Entanglements in the Study of the Everyday in Educational Research”.
Building on work across a variety of disciplines that looks at objects, things and even ‘stuff’ and drawing on case studies where objects have been the subject of social inquiry, her talk sought to contribute to deepening an understanding of their significance to several approaches to participatory research, including autoethnographic studies in Higher Education.
Pahl examined: “Dialogic Objects: Material Knowledge as a Challenge to Educational Practice”, considering the potential objects have for unsettling academic boundaries and ways of knowing by exploring the qualities of objects as they travel across diasporic contexts, to come alive speaking in multiple languages and materialising new practices.
‘Everyday knowledge in communities is often hidden in the encounter with university knowledge structures,’ said Pahl. ‘Drawing on the idea of the ‘dialogic object’ from Bakhtin, objects can speak with two voices. Objects become things to think with, and the making of them materialises new ideas and enables boundaries to be crossed. The moving of objects across sites also de-centres relational boundaries, and communicational structures. The object comes alive in a new place, and sings with a new voice,’ explained Pahl.
The Symposium included a poster exhibition where participants presented visual images that are connected to an object or objects that are meaningful to their educational research.
Melissa Mungroo
author : .author email : .New Language Laboratory for Edgewood Campus
Language and Arts cluster staff being trained by Mr Craig Dahl, on how to use the Study 1200 software.A new language laboratory recently completed on the Edgewood campus will support learning of all languages offered by the College of Humanities to the University community.
The language laboratory is equipped with SANAKO 1200, a software-based teaching solution that combines the use of multimedia with a suite of essential classroom management tools.
Academics from the Language and Arts cluster on the Edgewood campus attended a training workshop, hosted by the IT Director from Digital Voice Processing, Mr Craig Dahl, on how to use the Study 1200 software and how to incorporate it into the classroom and the curriculum.
‘Study 1200 helps teachers deliver effective instruction in any subject area and it does not need additional hardware thus being easy to install and maintain. The software has various activities such as homework, screen control, model screen to students, web browser, white board and chat,’ said Dahl.
He believes this is a new concept that will accelerate language learning, making it easier for both staff and students to better grasp and understand the language they are being taught.
A participant in the workshop, Mr Eugène P. Marais, said: ‘I hope to effectively use this software with students and within my curriculum. I think this software is crucial for students as it is one way of building their vocabulary and their confidence in learning and speaking an additional language.’
This project began in January 2012 as part of the strategic initiatives for the College of Humanities’ Teaching and Learning Office. The project is also being supported by infrastructure and efficiency funding from the Department of Higher Education led by the College Dean for Teaching and Learning, Professor Nobuhle Hlongwa, and the Dean of the School of Applied Human Sciences, Professor Nhlanhla Mkhize.
Melissa Mungroo
author : .author email : .#FatKidOnABike Cycles from Cape Town to London!
UKZN alumnus Mr Ron Rutland who cycled across two continents on a bicycle. UKZN alumnus Mr Ron Rutland is back in South Africa after an epic journey from Cape Town to London on a bicycle!
Rutland, who visited 75 countries, cycled 43 000km in 840 days during which time he had dozens of punctures and met hundreds of ‘incredible people’.
Rutland, who holds a BCom degree from UKZN, had always wanted to explore Africa, a ‘great continent of adventure’, so after deciding to follow his dreams, he sat down with a map and plotted his trip using a black felt-tipped pen.
After countless visa applications and selling or giving away all his possessions, he enjoyed lots of farewell lunches with family and friends in Cape Town, putting on a significant amount of weight, hence the #FatKidOnABike tag. But on the journey from Cape Town to London, he lost a whopping 25kg!
He cycled through 45 countries in Africa and 30 in Europe, ending his trip at the infamous Springboks vs Japan game at the 2015 Rugby World Cup in Brighton, London.
‘There is no better way to explore than on a bicycle,’ he said. ‘It is simple and cheap and powered by the most efficient engine there is – the human body. It is almost silent, emits zero carbons, and doesn’t require fuel, tax discs, paper work, or space to park,’ said Rutland.
‘It’s the only vehicle that truly allows you to experience a place with all your raw senses. On a bicycle you can’t escape the sounds, the smells, the heat, the cold, the flies and mosquitoes, the dust, the mud, the mountain climbs and valley descents, the wind and the rain – that’s living, that’s experiencing.’
Rutland faced many challenges on his trip including overcoming language barriers, avoiding four countries due to Ebola, finding alternate routes because of war, more than 48 °C of sweltering heat, and his tent burning down soon after he set off on the epic journey.
He also experienced a generosity of spirit throughout the trip, with strangers offering him water, food and a place to pitch his tent. One of the most memorable moments was when he thought a soldier was asking for a bribe, but was actually giving him money to buy something to drink!
He dedicated the journey, known as ‘Lettie’s Ride’, to a dear friend, Nix ‘Lettie’ Haynes who died from cancer while he was on the trip.
Rutland paid tribute to all those who supported him on his journey, including Big Eye Branding (which has just launched in SA) ABSA and DHL, among others.
He also acknowledged the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), former South African Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Mac Maharaj, and the Department of Home Affairs for making the journey easier.
To find out more about Rutland’s adventures, visit http://fatkidonabike.com/
Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer
author : .author email : .UKZN hosts Colloquium on Traditional Medicine
Delegates in conversation at the Traditional Medicine colloquium at UKZN’s Westville campus.A colloquium on Epistemologies and Research Methodologies associated with Toxicity and Safety of Traditional Medicines was held on UKZN’s Westville campus.
The gathering was opened by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Health Sciences, Professor Rob Slotow, who emphasised UKZN’s commitment to the initiative and said the University was a ‘piece of the puzzle’, along with Government and other role players.
The event was co-hosted by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the National Research Foundation (NRF), the Centre in Indigenous Knowledge Systems (CIKS), and the DST-NRF South African Research Chairs in Chemistry of Indigenous Medicinal Plants and Indigenous Healthcare Systems.
Academics and researchers from universities and research institutes across the country, professionals from modern and traditional medical practices and role players from the pharmaceutical industry gathered to discuss perspectives on toxicity and safety of traditional medicines in the drive for better public health care.
The Director of CIKS, Professor Hassan Kaya, provided background to the colloquium by emphasising the need to establish platforms for interaction between the different stakeholders of traditional medicine industry for better public healthcare. Kaya spoke about the varying approaches towards the knowledge and use of traditional medicinal material - while modern medicine focused on isolation and classification of pure active constituents in plants, traditional medicine was a combination of active compounds in plant extracts.
He also highlighted the significance of the complementarity of knowledge systems for the further development of traditional medicines.
The Chairman of the National Heritage Council, Professor Muxe Nkondo, reaffirmed the significance of the case study approach in analysing knowledge and power in the medical industry saying so called traditional medicines were not seen as a scientific fact but as projections of Eurocentric bias, as a justification for domination and the silencing of the African voice, and as a reflection of the complex interaction between Europe and Africa.
Academics, researchers and traditional medicine practitioners presented on a variety of topics related to the traditional medicine industry. A traditional health practitioner (THP), Mr PA Masilompana, presented on: “The Perspectives of Traditional Medicine Practitioners on Traditional Medicine”, speaking on the need of the conventional medical system, including researchers and the pharmaceutical industry, to understand and appreciate the holistic nature, especially the spirituality, of the public healthcare system from the perspective of THPs.
Masilompana said the existing regulatory frameworks, including the intellectual property rights (IPR) regimes, were inadequate to cater for the integrated nature of traditional medical practice. He said THPs were willing to work in conjunction with traditional medicine researchers and pharmaceutical industry to improve healthcare in the country.
The Chair on Traditional and Alternative Medicine at the Public Health Association of South Africa (PHASA) and Executive Member of American Public Health Association (APHA) Committee on Alternative and Traditional Medicine, Professor Gail Hughes, focused on the use of case studies and case series as part of observational research methodology to facilitate hybrid/multidisciplinary understanding of TM use and practice.
She recommended that in order to move the traditional medicine industry forward for improved public healthcare, a synergistic collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry was required. The areas of emphasis were the robust development of research with a focus on innovation, creativity, invention and discovery; and the training of the next generation of scientists, including the identification of hybrid models of engagement with the pharmaceutical industry.
Professor Josef de Beer of the University of the North West examined the role of Indigenous Knowledge in Science and Technology education, highlighting the potential of building capacity among science educators to strengthen understanding and performance in primary and secondary science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
Chief Director: Science Missions at the Department of Science and Technology, Professor Yonah Seleti, and Kaya outlined the way forward with Kaya strongly recommending constituting a team which would drive the process.
In his closing remarks, UKZN’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Professor Jonathan Blackledge, supported the view that there was a need to increase capacity in natural products research. He thanked participants for contributing ‘in the interest of better public healthcare’.
Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer
author : .author email : .Law and Management Studies Academic Proud Recipient of UKZN Distinguished Teachers’ Award
Ms Rose Quilling.For Information Systems and Technology Lecturer, Ms Rose Quilling, receiving the prestigious 2015 UKZN Distinguished Teachers’ Award was an acknowledgement of her 20 years of dedication and commitment to Higher Education.
The award recognises exceptional and outstanding contribution to Teaching and Learning at UKZN.
Quilling, currently pursuing her doctorate in Education focusing on the use of social computing in Higher Education teaching at UKZN, constantly strives to be innovative in her teaching so was thrilled by the acknowledgement.
‘I view the award as recognition of the sacrifice required to continually innovate in my teaching while maintaining a deep-seated commitment to my students,’ said Quilling.
‘The essence of my teaching is thus grounded in who I am and what I believe. This award does not change my view of my teaching; rather it validates my sense of myself as a teacher.’
Quilling’s long list of impressive teaching and learning innovations and interventions includes:
* Using active learning strategies, such as ink shedding, in large classes. This involves activities modelled from TV shows such as quiz shows with teams competing against each other in a classroom with a variety of scoring and penalty strategies, and also shows such as The Apprentice and Survivor for developing group-based interventions.
* Using international curricula to construct the ISTN101 curriculum and the associated pedagogy on the Open Learning System (OLS) learning management system (LMS) when they were piloted over the period of the merger.
* The use of technological tools in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching.
* Incorporating virtual world learning as part of a constructionist paradigm at honours level in IS&T which is still relatively new in South Africa
College of Law and Management Studies Dean of Teaching and Learning, Professor Kriben Pillay, said in the many years he had known Quilling, he had always been impressed by her use of technology to enhance teaching.
‘Rose was one of the first College academics I contacted when I became Dean to present at one of our teaching and learning forums. She was unable to do so at the time because of her PhD studies and her plans to take a sabbatical.
‘I trust that she will present to the College now that she has received this prestigious award which was well deserved,’ he said.
Thandiwe Jumo
author : .author email : .Law Academic to Serve on Medicines Control Council Exco
Professor Yousuf Vawda.Recently-appointed Executive Committee member of the Medical Control Council (MCC), UKZN’s Professor Yousuf Vawda, says his priorities as a representative are to contribute to regulations which ensure that medicines are safe, efficacious and of good quality.
Vawda, who is also the Chair of the Legal Committee, was appointed to the five-year position by South Africa’s Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi.
The role of the Committee encompasses reviewing reports from its expert committees on aspects such as scheduling, clinical trials, approvals, and legal matters, and making decisions based on these reports.
Vawda said being part of the Council would enrich him with new knowledge which he would share with his students.
‘I have long been involved in teaching, research and outreach work to make medicine affordable and accessible for all citizens, and I hope to extend this commitment in the Council. Academically, the insights gained from this appointment will enhance my teaching and research in this discipline to the benefit of my students and colleagues,’ he said.
Since his appointment, Vawda has attended four meetings with the Legal Committee and will attend his first Executive Committee meeting this month.
His role as the Chair of the Legal Committee is providing oversight on the legal aspects, including the legality of notices issued by the Council as well as litigation on behalf of and against the MCC.
Thandiwe Jumo
author : .author email : .UKZN Law Academic Appointed Acting High Court Judge
Professor Karthy Govender.Professor Karthy Govender of the School of Law has been appointed by the KwaZulu-Natal High Court Judge President Achmat Jappie to serve as an Acting Judge of the High Court.
Govender made history in 2012 by becoming the first academic in the School of Law to be appointed as an acting judge of the High Court.
During his tenure at the Pietermaritzburg High Court in the last session of 2015, Govender heard appeal cases as well as civil and administrative cases.
‘Being a judge is a difficult job as it involves a significant amount of reading and you have to make a fair decision on the facts and the law as you are dealing with people’s lives. You have to keep your emotions in check because it is important to be impartial at all times. An acting judge has the same power and responsibilities as a permanent judge,’ said Govender.
As challenging as the experience was, Govender is grateful that he got an opportunity to sit the Bench and be involved in the judicial process as it had ignited his passion for the law and more importantly teaching it.
‘I enjoyed the judicial role which can be challenging and intense. Sometimes the motion court roll has about 30 matters which have to be considered in one session. No one knows all of the law but getting an opportunity such as this empowers one and hopefully will make me a better teacher,’ said Govender.
Thandiwe Jumo
author : .author email : .Discovery Scholarship for Academic to Train in Pulmonology
Dr Dilshaad Fakey.Dr Dilshaad Fakey of the College of Health Sciences has been awarded a Discovery Scholarship to train in Pulmonology and Critical Care.
Said Fakey (30): ‘I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to train in the sub-specialty that I am passionate about, especially given the shortage of jobs because of the current budget cuts by the Department of Health.
‘I elected to do my under graduate and postgraduate study at UKZN after being inspired by academic giants counted among alumni of the University,’ said Fakey. She qualified with an MBChB in 2008 and a Fellowship of the College of Physicians (FCP) in 2015.
Her aspiration for the Department of Pulmonology is to make services more accessible to peripheral hospitals and to be more involved with research.
‘I am especially interested in researching the various factors that promote a better outcome in patients admitted to an intensive care unit,’ said Fakey.
Her greatest source of inspiration are her parents, ‘They have made numerous sacrifices to ensure that I received the best education and for that I am extremely grateful.’
Clinical Medicine Dean and Head of School, Professor Richard Hift, congratulated Fakey and welcomed her to the Department.
Nombuso Dlamini
author : .author email : .Mazisi Kunene’s Collection to be housed at UKZN
Dr Albert van Jaarsveld signs a Memorandum of Understanding with Mrs Mathabo Kunene.UKZN has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Mazisi Kunene Foundation to create a repository for Mazisi Kunene’s collection.
The Mazisi Kunene Centre for IsiZulu Language and Culture, which will physically archive the collection, will create teaching and research activities and programmes.
Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, said the University was delighted with the partnership which ensures the preservation of Kunene’s work.
Van Jaarsveld said the University was committed to KwaZulu-Natal and growing isiZulu as a language and hoped the work became part of the curriculum.
He said that besides safeguarding the collection, the aim was for it to be available for academic and research purposes as well as becoming accessible to the broader community.
Born in KwaZulu-Natal, Kunene began his literary journey as a child, writing poems and short stories in his home language, isiZulu.
He was the Professor of African Literature at the University of California for almost two decades, returning to South Africa in 1992.
His wife, Mrs Mathabo Kunene, who is Executive Director of the Mazisi Kunene Foundation, thanked the University for its support saying she had become despondent about the future of the collection. ‘I was at a point of losing my mind because I thought I was sitting in a house full of useless papers.’
She thanked her husband’s best friend, Mr Andries Botha; her children; Mr John Charter and Mr Bruce Soutar; her friend, Mrs Lindiwe Dlamini, and Mr Ntsika Gumede for their continued support.
Botha said Kunene’s collection would allow the younger generation to understand the connectivity between the past and the present.
Van Jaarsveld said an implementation plan would be established and taken forward.
About 3 000 nursery rhymes and more than 10 000 handwritten poems in isiZulu are contained in the collection which is housed at 8 Delville Avenue in Glenwood. It is open daily from 08h00 to 16h30.
Sithembile Shabangu
author : .author email : .New Nuclear Medicine HoD
Dr Nozipho Nyakale.UKZN’s College of Health Sciences has welcomed Dr Nozipho Nyakale as the new Head of the Department of Nuclear Medicine.
Said Nyakale: ‘I have been blessed with the opportunity to be able to push myself and be in a position to make a greater impact while at the same time give back and pass on, but there are definitely some sleepless nights ahead for me.’
She said her appointment presented one of the biggest challenges she has had to face in her life.
Nyakale (40) says even before she understood what it meant to be an academic, she knew that she would be involved in a career which required a constant search for new knowledge and implementation of an ever-growing body of knowledge.
‘I have always wanted to be a doctor, and when I achieved that, I wanted to specialise and Nuclear Medicine was a natural choice for me. I achieved that, but knew there had to be more. I become restless if I feel redundant and stagnant. So by virtue of this trait I had to keep progressing and keep doing more,’ she said.
Her research interests are in brain imaging. ‘In the time I have been in KwaZulu-Natal, I have also started developing a fascination for infection imaging and plan to do some work in that area,’ said Nyakale.
‘The Nuclear Medicine Department, although established in Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital, has made great headway but is still in the development stages and yet to produce its first graduate in UKZN. I will be very happy if I can play even a small part in ensuring that the Department grows in UKZN as it has in other academic institutions in our country and the world, and demonstrate the significant contribution Nuclear Medicine makes to the Medical field and the impact it can make to patient management if used appropriately.’
‘I hope we can create an awareness that molecular imaging and targeted radionuclide therapy are key to effective minimally invasive patient management and can play a significant role in the development of drugs and other treatment methods to combat many currently untreatable diseases.’
Nyakale’s postgraduate qualifications include a MMed Nuclear Medicine (University of Pretoria), FCNP (SA), and a Fellowship training in PET/CT imaging from the University of Pisa Medical School in Italy.
Nombuso Dlamini
author : .author email : .Greenbury High Matric Star Opts to Study Chemical Engineering at UKZN
Mr Thesan Appalsamy.Greenbury High School 2015 matric achiever Mr Thesan Appalsamy has registered to study for a Chemical Engineering degree at UKZN this year.
Appalsamy was placed fourth in the Pinetown District and fourth overall in KwaZulu-Natal in the 2015 National Senior Certificate (NSC) matric examinations. He achieved 94% for English, 94% for Afrikaans, 96% for Maths, and 97% for Physics.
Appalsamy says UKZN staff, including Dr Megan Govender (Dr G) and Mr Ajay Bisessur, served as role models for him. ‘Dr G ignited the passion for science in me at the tender age of seven when I attended his science classes,’ said Appalsamy. ‘He always encouraged us to be inquisitive and to discover more.’
Appalsamy took his interests to science fairs where he met Bissessur. ‘He was always willing to help me with my projects.’
Appalsamy faced a tough choice between Chemical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. However, with a deep interest to discover and design new ways of generating energy, he decided on Chemical Engineering.
He enjoys playing and watching sport but when he’s not doing that, he looks for ingredients at home to make explosive experiments!
Prashina Budree
author : .author email : .NRF B-Rating for UKZN Health Sciences Professor
Professor Per Arvidsson.The National Research Foundation (NRF) has awarded Professor Per I Arvidsson of the College of Health Sciences a B-rating for his impressive high impact research output.
The NRF rating system is a highly respected tool for benchmarking the quality of researchers against the best in the world.
Arvidsson was congratulated by his colleague, the widely published Head of UKZN’s Catalysis and Peptide Research Unit, Professor Thavi Govender, who said: ‘Professor Arvidsson has been my mentor since 2005 and I am extremely glad that we have his expertise and prestige at UKZN to assist us in creating world class scientists.’
Arvidsson was appointed as an Honorary Professor in Pharmacy and Pharmacology at UKZN in September 2010 and became a Fractional Professor in the College from 2013.
He is the Executive Director for Drug Discovery and Development at the Science for Life Laboratory in Sweden, and Executive Director of the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics at the Karolinska Institutet also in Sweden.
Arvidsson is the Founding CEO for Retort AB, a consultancy related to the organisation of larger research infrastructures, research projects and life science companies.
He is the named inventor on over 15 patent applications and co-author of more than 95 publications, two of which have won Most Cited Paper awards.
Arvidsson’s accolades include several professorship positions at Uppsala University in Sweden and postdoctoral studies at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. He joined AstraZeneca – one of the 10 largest pharma companies in the World – in March 2006, quickly climbing from the position of team leader to Director for Neuroscience Drug Discovery Projects in late stage pre-clinical and clinical development.
UKZN College of Health Sciences Dean of Research, Professor Moses Chimbari, said: ‘Professor Arvidsson is a fine example of what we expect of fractional professors - his contribution to the College far exceeds what is expected of the 20% contract he has signed.’
Lunga Memela
author : .author email : .UKZN Educationists Launch Book on Academic Autoethnographies
From left: Dr Daisy Pillay, Dr Inbanathan Naicker and Dr Kathleen Pithouse-Morgan.Academics at the School of Education - Dr Daisy Pillay, Dr Inbanathan Naicker and Dr Kathleen Pithouse-Morgan - have launched their insightful book: Academic Autoethnographies: Inside Teaching in Higher Education (Sense Publishers, 2016).
The book invites readers to experience autoethnography as a challenging, complex, and creative research methodology that can produce useful understanding of teaching and researching in Higher Education on personal, professional, and social levels.
Pillay explained: ‘The idea for Academic Autoethnographies was inspired by conversations about our lives and work as academics in Higher Education Institutions. We realised that we wanted a deeper, more nuanced understanding of autoethnography and, in particular, its potential as a self-reflexive research methodology for higher education academics such as ourselves.
‘We would particularly like to acknowledge support and grant funding for the book from the UKZN University Teaching and Learning Office (UTLO).’
The book will be useful to specialists in the field of Higher Education and to those in other academic domains who are interested in self-reflexive and creative research methodologies and methods. The sociocultural, educational, and methodological insights communicated by this book will be valuable for scholars both within and beyond South African university contexts.
Discussing the book, UKZN's Professor Nithi Muthukrishna said: ‘This compelling book foregrounds autoethnography as an innovative and creative research methodology to generate reflexive sociological understandings of teaching and researching across disciplines in Higher Education.’
The book can be ordered directly from Sense publishers online at http://tinyurl.com/zshru2b for US$ 54.00. Alternatively it can be ordered through book stores.
Melissa Mungroo
author : .author email : .Splendid Win for Our Impi
UKZN Impi team.On Monday, 15 February, UKZN Impi played host to the University of Fort Hare (UFH) at the Peter Booysen Rugby Stadium in front of thousands of spectators including UKZN students, Student Leadership (SRC), alumni, staff, and members of the Executive who were there to cheer the team on. The Vice Chancellor, Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, together with the Executive Director: Student Services Dr Sibusiso Chalufu and the President of the KZN Rugby Union, Mr Graham Mackenzie, were amongst the VIPs who attended the match to support our Boytjies.
UKZN started the game with all cylinders firing as they put on the pressure from the kick off. Great backline play resulted in winger Thobekani Buthelezi scoring the opening try of the game which was followed by 3 tries from our Impi with Kerron van Vurren, Thobekani (brace) and kicker Tristan Tedder all going over the line. Tristan Tedder was able to convert all 4 tries in the first half whilst UFH managed to get 2 points through a penalty and ending the first half with UKZN leading 32—2.
Michael Horak’s boys continued their outstanding offensive play and this resulted in 4 additional tries for our Impi coming from Tristan Blewett, Kerron (brace), Shayne Makombe and Pierre van der Walt. UFH were able to fight back and secure a try before the end of the game taking the score to 58—10 at final whistle.
UKZN were able to convert 7 out of the 8 tries and kicker Tristan Tedder earned himself the Player That Rocks Award for the second match in a row.
A special word of gratitude goes to the thousands of students, the SRC, UKZN alumni and all the friends of UKZN who came out in numbers to support our UKZN Impi in Pietermaritzburg.
Our Impi will be travelling to the nation’s capital, Tshwane, to take on the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) on Thursday 18 February 2016.
The Sport Administration Department and the Student Governance and Leadership Development Department will be sending a delegation of registered students and student leadership to TUT to go and support our Boytjies.
Sibusiso Chalufu
author : .author email : .First Year Medical Students Take the Hippocratic Oath
UKZN’s first-year Medical students take their Hippocratic Oath.College of Health Sciences’ First-year Medical students pledged to be ethical medical practitioners during their orientation at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine.
Dean and Head of the School of Clinical Medicine, Professor Richard Hift, led the students in saying the Hippocratic Oath, pledging they would conduct themselves according to the ethics of the medical profession upon completion of the intensive six-year programme. They pledged to serve humanity and committed themselves to lifelong learning.
During the Orientation, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences (LMMS) Principal Programme Officer, Nokozo Mngadi, told the students they would spend the first three years of their Medical degree under LMMS, headed by Acting Dean and Head of School, Professor Musa Mabandla, and progress to their clinical training component doing programmes in Family Medicine, Public Health, Rural Health, Psychiatry, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Paediatrics offered by the Schools of Clinical Medicine and Nursing and Public Health, all within the College of Health Sciences.
College leadership, the College Student Support Services team and the Medical Students Representative Council (MSRC) congratulated the students for making it through into the first-year MBChB programme.
The event also served as an opportunity to orientate students on their six-year journey through Medical School.
Hift told the students that in six years they would be professionals qualified in ethical and legal practice; communication and interpersonal skills; patient and population focused care; team work and collaboration; information technology; leadership and management; cultural sensitivity; diversity management; continuous learning, and safety.
Nombuso Dlamini
author : .author email : .New Development Medical Officer for Occupational and Environmental Health
Dr Pheliwe Mazula-Kironde.The UKZN’s School of Nursing and Public Health, Occupational and Environmental Health has welcomed Dr Pheliwe Mazula-Kironde as its new Developmental Medical Officer.
Mazula-Kironde said she was grateful and happy to be associated with UKZN which had a good academic record as well as outstanding research output, ‘It is a great platform for professional development. I am feeling as nervous as can be as I am venturing into the unknown. I have moved from a comfort zone and have to adjust and learn.
‘But if your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough. You have to have absolute conviction in your dreams and believe in yourself,’ she said.
‘My plan is to create more awareness about environmental factors as they impact negatively on our lives if not addressed properly. If we don’t make time to care for our environment, sooner or later we will have to make time to deal with outcomes such as disease and disability, directly or indirectly.’
Mazula-Kironde grew up with a vision of being a doctor with her family engraving in her mind that: ‘You are so clever, you should be a doctor’.
She says she only realised she had a role to play in academia after she experienced challenges in her academic life.
‘A multi-disciplinary approach is essential as we all have a role to play in order to improve the education system at all levels,’ said Mazula-Kironde.
She said Occupational and Environmental Health was in the area of health promotion. ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Having relatives with occupational and residential-related diseases has opened my eyes and this personal experience will continue to be the driving force in my field of study.
‘Research findings inform us about preventive measures for better health outcomes. Absenteeism and diseases which can complicate and lead to disability and death can be prevented or minimised if necessary caution is exercised or routine screening is done. Good health translates into a nation’s productivity, economic growth and development.
She said good working conditions helped maintain a strong workforce and resulted in less compensation for disabilities/deaths. ‘It’s disturbing to lose economically active people as some are breadwinners who leave children behind to struggle when there are identifiable environmental factors that can be modified.’
Mazula-Kironde obtained her MBHCB at Walter Sisulu University and her postgraduate Diploma in HIV/AIDS Management at UKZN.
Nombuso Dlamini
author : .author email : .Ucwaningo Ngokutholakala Ezitshalweni Lushicilelwe Ejenalini Yamazwe Ngamazwe
Ongasekho emhlabeni, uSolwazi Cephas Musabayane, noDkt Hlengiwe Madlala ngenkathi ethweswa iziqu.Click here for English version
Igalelomlando likaSolwazi Cephas Musabayane lisaqhubekela phambili, kusho owayengumfundi wakhe ongumcwaningi eNyuvesi YaseKapa uDkt Hlengiwe Madlala emva kokushicilelwa kocwaningo olwenziwa yilabacwaningi bobabili ejenalini ebukezwe ezinye izifundiswa: i-PLOS ONE.
Lolu cwaningo, i-"The study, Vascular Endothelium-Dependent and Independent Actions of Oleanolic Acid and Its Synthetic Oleanane Derivatives as Possible Mechanisms for Hypotensive Effects", lwaqala ngenxa yemiphumela eyatholwa yilabacwaningi kolunye ucwaningo ababelwenza e-UKZN. Imiphumela yakhombisa ukuthi i-khompawundi etholakala ezitshalweni i-oleanolic acid nezithako zayo abazihluza, inciphisa umfutho wegazi ezilwaneni ezinomfutho wegazi osezingeni eliphezulu ngokuthuthukisa ukusebenza kwezinso.
'Sasifuna ukuhlola ezinye izindlela ezisetshenziswa yilamakhompawundi ezinemiphumela enciphisa umfutho wegazi,' kusho uMadlala, ‘ngaphezulu kwezinso, sihlole nemiphumela yalamakhompawundi kwezinye izingxenye zomzimba okuyinhliziyo, nemigudu yegazi – kokubili okwaziwe nge-cardiovascular system.’
Lolu cwaningo olushicilelwe lukhombise ukuthi ngaphezu kokukhulisa ukukhiqiza ama-ilekthrolayithi kwezinso, lamakhompawundi ahloliwe abuye abe nomthelele ekuncipheni komfutho wegazi okwenza igazi ligijime kahle emithanjeni. ‘Le miphumela ikhomba ukuthi lamakhompawundi angathathwa njengendlela eshibhile yokulapha ukwenyuka komfutho wegazi.’
‘Lolu cwaningo belusemqoka ngoba okutholakala ezitshalweni kade kwaqala ukusetshenziswa yizizwe ezahlukene eminyakeni eminingi eyedlule ngenxa yokutholakala kalula ngakho ucwaningo luyadingeka ukuze luqinisekise ukusebenza nezindlela okusebenza ngayo.’
UMadlala uthe kuyakhuthaza ukushicilelwa kwalolu cwaningo kukhombisa izingabunjalo leziqu ze-PhD azithola elulekwa uMusabayane – owayenguSolwazi Ogcwele ezifundweni zokuSebenza Kwezitho Zomzimba Womuntu eSikoleni Sezifundo Zokuxilonga Imithi Nokwelapha odlule emhlabeni ngonyaka wezi-2015, wabizwa “ngesifundiswa soqobo” ngokukhombisa ukusebenza nomoya wokufundisa ohambelana nobizo lwakhe.
‘Kube yisibusiso ukwelulekwa uSolwazi Musabayane ngoba ubenothando lomsebenzi wakhe okuyingakho ebesebenzisana nabanye ososayensi e-KU Leuven ebalwa namanye amanyuvesi aphambili eYurophu.’
UMadlala usanda kuqeda unyaka wakhe wokuqala eneziqu zobudokotela esebenza eMnyangweni WezeSayensi Yokuzivocavoca Nezokwelapha Kwezemidlalo eNyuvesi yaseKapa futhi angathanda ukusebenza njengososayensi wezocwaningo lwezokwelapha ukuze enzele uMnyango WezeMpilo ucwaningo nge-HIV ngomuso.
nguLunga Memela
author : .author email : .Quantum Technology Researcher Champions STEM Careers
Dr Yaseera Ismail (right) with the Director of UKZN’s Quantum Research Group, Professor Francesco Petruccione.A young Postdoctoral Research Fellow in UKZN’s Centre for Quantum Technology, Dr Yaseera Ismail, has made headlines for her promotion of careers in the Science, Technology and Mathematics (STEM) fields, being featured in an issue of the Science Stars magazine, a publication of the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
Ismail, who attended UKZN from undergraduate studies through to her honours degree in Physics and went on to do a masters and PhD in Quantum Technology at the Institution, speaks highly of the University’s role in propelling her into Nanotechnology.
She has been exposed to international research as during her masters’ studies she spent time at the Photon Science Institute at Manchester University in England and during her PhD studies she visited the Physics of Structured Light and Matter Group at the University of Napoli in Italy.
UKZN is home to the largest dedicated quantum research group in the country, making it the institution of choice for those interested in seriously pursuing careers and research in quantum technology and related fields.
Ismail describes her field of study as the manipulation of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Advances in Nanotechnology contribute to translating properties of quantum mechanics into practical applications in Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
The advancements being made in this field require bright minds to engage with the science, however, many young people feel discouraged in this arena as they find Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects very difficult.
Ismail, who has worked extensively with UKZN’s Science, Technology and Engineering Centre (STEC), counters this bleak view of STEM subjects by describing how inspiring a career in this field is. Through STEC, Ismail has been part of initiatives which see scholars from disadvantaged schools visit the University, take part in practical demonstrations and hear more about what students and professionals do in this field.
In Ismail’s case, her career has led her to her current work on quantum communication, looking at the security of information through various methods of encryption. She has presented her work at 25 conferences, won six awards for these presentations and had the opportunity to attend the International Year of Light opening ceremony in Paris in 2015 on the invitation of the DST-NRF and UNESCO.
She also worked for the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) at their Pretoria-based National Laser Centre, while completing her master’s degree through the Quantum Research Group on the topic of the development of novel laser beams for the application of optical trapping.
Ismail spoke of her passion for science, and for seeing young people exposed to mentors in STEM fields. Ismail, who increases her engagement with young scientists through being a judge at the annual Eskom Expo for Young Scientists, urged fellow scientists to engage with one another and with up-and-coming science students about their work to demystify the field and encourage increased participation and learning.
‘For a scientist the ultimate goal is improving the knowledge base of the scientific community, making a difference to civilisation and attaining international recognition,’ said Ismail.
Christine Cuénod
author : .author email : .UKZN Water Research Commission Project Creates Strong Links with Biowatch and Small-Scale Farmers
Biowatch farmers and staff with UKZN staff and students at the legume trial at Ukulinga Research Farm.UKZN’s Agriculture campus and Ukulinga Research Farm recently played host to a group of small-scale farmers from Tshaneni in northern KwaZulu-Natal, thanks to research being undertaken on farmer-selected landrace seeds of neglected and underutilised crops.
The farmers, who work in Biowatch South Africa’s Sphiwinhlanhla Gardening group, visited UKZN to meet with staff and students who have been using the farmers’ landrace seeds for research on describing agronomy and water use of indigenous cereal and legume food crops.
The current research is being undertaken as part of a Water Research Commission (WRC) funded project led by UKZN’s Professor Albert Modi.
The group of farmers broke into song at the start of the meeting, singing uThandolukababa, lubanzi lujulile in unison.
The visit kicked off with tea and introductions as well as a presentation by postgraduate student Mr Lindah Hlukayo covering the results of the characterisation and performance assessment of the pigeon pea seeds.
The group visited the University’s Seed Technology Laboratory in the Rabie Saunders Building and the Controlled Environment (CEF) facility on the Agriculture campus, before proceeding to Ukulinga Research Farm to see various legume trials being done using seed provided by the farmers.
Postgraduate students Ms Slindile Miya, Mr Sandile Hadebe and Ms Nokuthula Hlala guided the visit, which included the viewing of the WRC trials being conducted by postgraduate students in the Crop Science research group headed by Honorary Research Fellow, Dr Tafadzwa Mabhaudhi.
The seeds are landraces which were donated by the farmers for use as part of the WRC project on ‘determining water use of indigenous cereal and legume food crops’. The on-farm selection by farmers under often unfavourable conditions has resulted in several of these landraces acquiring tolerance to several abiotic stresses, chiefly drought stress. However, there is little documented information describing how to grow these crops and supporting such drought tolerance.
This hypothesis and research gap has been at the centre of research being carried out by Modi’s group with on-farm and on station trials being conducted.
The visit to UKZN was part of knowledge sharing and capacity building, important aspects of the WRC study.
The farmers’ method of agricultural production is based on agroecological farming which aims to conserve and protect their land and agrobiodiversity. However, there are challenges in developing best practice management recommendations that will allow farmers to improve yields as well as documenting evidence of successes in using agroecology.
Biowatch South Africa assists these farmers, and promotes agroecology techniques in the training they give to the farmers, while also valorising the traditional farming knowledge put into practice by these farmers on their household and communal plots.
The Director of Biowatch, Ms Rose Williams, said the visit was important because the farmers were able to see what happened to the seed, and also because it emphasised that the knowledge they have to contribute was as important as academic and technical knowledge in institutions.
The visit was enlightening for both the UKZN and Biowatch participants, with exclamations of interest emerging from farmers in the laboratory, and postgraduate students receiving lessons on how best to grow their trials from the farmers during the Ukulinga visit.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) document being developed between Biowatch and UKZN will see partnerships between the University and the NGO grow as they work together to reach farmers, share knowledge and make UKZN’s research capacity useful to this sector of society.
Modi said that he was excited that the WRC project led to not only strong relations with small-scale farmers but it also allowed for a long term collaboration with a renowned institution, Biowatch. This outcome of the project would be a legacy beyond the term of the project.
Christine Cuénod
author : .author email : .Astrophysics and Cosmology Research Unit Welcomes Cryostat
Members of the Astrophysics and Cosmology Research Unit with the cryostat.With great excitement, UKZN’s Astrophysics and Cosmology Research Unit (ACRU) recently welcomed, cryostat, a new instrument into its department.
The pulse-tube cooled cryostat will be used as a reconfigurable, low-temperature test bed for developing instrumentation subsystems for microwave and radio telescopes. The project is headed by Senior Lecturer and Astrophysicist, Dr Cynthia Chiang of the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, who is excited about the new arrival.
‘The cryostat is essentially a fancy refrigerator,’ Chiang explained. ‘The device provides a test volume that is held under vacuum and that is cooled to 4 K with a pulse-tube mechanical refrigerator.’
The full test bed system will eventually house a helium sorption refrigerator - currently on order and scheduled to arrive later this year - that will allow cooling to sub-Kelvin temperatures. ‘I think this might just be the coldest temperature on campus!’ quipped Chiang.
The cryostat was manufactured by High Precision Devices and was funded by an NRF National Equipment Programme grant valued at about R5 million. When the test bed is fully operational, the research group will use it to develop hardware for SPIDER, an international experiment based in Antarctica that studies the earliest moments of the universe’s creation.
Last year, the project launched six telescopes into the stratosphere with a giant helium-filled balloon (roughly the size of Durban’s Kings Park Stadium) to observe the leftover heat from the Big Bang.
Prashina Budree
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