Research on World’s Largest Eagle’s Habitat Loss Came Out Top in 2021
A harpy eagle in its nest in the Amazon Forest.Click here for isiZulu version
Research by Dr Everton Miranda, PhD graduate from UKZN’s School of Life Sciences, made waves in 2021 for revealing the urgent need for forest conservation to preserve precious resources necessary to sustain the world’s largest eagle, the harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) in South America’s Amazon, and is among the top 100 ecology papers of the almost 2 000 published in Nature’s Scientific Reports journal last year.
Miranda, a lecturer at Mato Grosso’s State University in Brazil, graduated with his PhD from UKZN in May 2021 after conducting research through the Centre for Functional Biodiversity on building a conservation strategy for the harpy eagle in the Amazon Forest.
Miranda was supervised by Professor Colleen Downs, South African Research (SARChI) Chair in Ecosystem Health and Biodiversity in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape as well as Professor Carlos Peres of the University of East Anglia in England. Their research in Scientific Reports investigated factors that could lead to the extinction of the Amazon’s apex avian predator.
Titled: Tropical deforestation induces thresholds of reproductive viability and habitat suitability in Earth’s largest eagles, this research was the first of its kind to examine the impact of forest loss on the birds’ feeding ecology. Scarcity of prey often drives local extinction of predators, meaning that if the eagles’ ability to acquire prey is not protected, they are at risk of dying out.
After identifying prey bone fragments and using cameras to monitor 16 active harpy eagle nests in landscapes in Mato Grosso that had experienced up to 85% forest loss according to maps and satellite imagery, Miranda’s research revealed that under current rates of deforestation, the Amazonian “Arc of Deforestation” will not be able to support breeding populations of the important birds.
Breeding pairs have already seen a decline of more than 3 000 since the mid-1980s, and with a low reproductive rate, the future of this species is under threat.
Publicised on global platforms, including BBC News, the study found that the large-taloned eagles relied on vertebrates such as monkeys, sloths and birds which live in forest canopies as food sources. Once the canopy habitat was gone and the prey with it, the eagles could not switch to open-habitat prey in deforested areas. In places where 50% or more of the landscape was deforested, the birds simply could not access enough food.
In those areas, harpy eaglets were starving to death in their nests or could not be reared to a stage of independence to hunt for themselves, and areas where deforestation affected 70% or more of the landscape did not support nests and reproduction at all.
In the area under study, only around 65% of forest cover remains after intensive deforestation activity over the past three decades, a concerning figure as rates of deforestation have not abated.
If the harpy eagle is to be protected, researchers say an absolute minimum of 50% forest cover is needed in the Amazon. When scaling up results, they estimated that more than a third of the 428 800km2 “Arc of Deforestation” that comprised their study region would not be able to support these birds.
Miranda stated that the eagles’ slow life cycle meant that their chances of adapting were close to zero, and that maintaining forest connectivity, translocating juveniles and supplementing the diet of eaglets were essential to help the birds persist in anthropogenically altered landscapes.
Despite perceptions that the eagles threaten humans or their livestock, resulting in some persecution and killings detailed in other research by Miranda, there is little evidence that harpy eagles do take advantage of livestock availability in deforested areas, and this persecution complicates their protection further.
Decisive forest conservation action, urges the research, is urgently needed to protect harpy eagles, whose population is concentrated in the Amazon rainforest and whose geographic range has shrunk by 40% since the 19th century.
Words: Christine Cuénod
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Agrometeorology Alumna Impresses as Biotechnologist in New York
New York based biotechnologist, Ms Minenhle Mkhize.Click here for isiZulu version
Ms Minenhle Mkhize is fast-tracking her skills as a biotechnologist in the State of New York, United States, with the view to help eradicate hunger and poverty in Africa, and she says it is her training at UKZN that helped her find success in her career.
Originally from KwaMashu in Durban, Mkhize always felt at home in the natural world, finding it therapeutic and relishing its beauty. Disturbed by the anthropogenic activities that disrupted its health and having grown up on her grandfather’s timber farm in Empangeni where she witnessed the toll of a drought on farmers, she was drawn to studying earth and environmental sciences. She moved to James Nxumalo Agricultural High School for her final two years at school to take practical agricultural subjects and pursue her passion for plant sciences.
She chose to study at UKZN after her brother found studying there positive, and she was impressed by UKZN’s international reputation and research output. Mkhize enrolled at UKZN’s Westville campus before moving to Pietermaritzburg from her second-year onwards when she focused her degree on hydrology and soil science.
The process of studying involved self-discovery for her as she encountered different people and worldviews, leading her to develop her heightened self-awareness. Financial challenges also left Mkhize facing poverty: she would attend tutorials and lectures on an empty stomach and used residence curtains as a blanket, even at times sleeping on campus. These challenging experiences were, however, lasting memories for her and served as an impetus behind her drive to succeed.
She completed her Bachelor of Science, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Food Security, and in 2019, thanks to funding from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs, attained her Master’s in Agrometeorology on the evaluation of an aquaponic system in the face of climate change conditions for the next decade. She explored how to prepare farmers, policymakers and scientists for more sustainable farming methods.
‘I’m glad I went to UKZN because the quality of education I received opened international doors for me,’ said Mkhize.
After she completed her master’s, Mkhize worked in horticultural companies in South Africa before taking up an internship at Intergrow Greenhouses in the USA where she surpassed the requirements of an intern and was quickly promoted to biologist. She worked on sustainable approaches to pest control within greenhouses through biological and habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices, and use of resistant plant varieties. Her environmental science background equipped her to understand and solve many challenges.
Mkhize is now based at BioWorks where she works on safely executing company-wide research development programmes and generating new innovative biopesticides to reduce chemical usage on farms as a Research and Development Biotechnologist.
‘This opportunity is both an enormous achievement and a challenge - I am gaining formidable knowledge and skills, but I feel indebted to South Africa because the agricultural systems are far behind and there is a lot of work that needs to be done, and I feel I need to close that gap,’ she said.
Having acquired skills through her studies and in her travels to countries including India, Mkhize is driven to apply her knowledge to making South African farming techniques more reliable, safe and sustainable. She now works with some of the world’s most sophisticated greenhouse technology where parameters like air and water temperature, irrigation scheduling, solar radiation and nutrient availability can be controlled.
Mkhize is motivated to improve conditions for communities affected by climatic conditions and to prepare them for the future through the introduction of innovative systems that will enable adaptation, saying that climate change poses a serious threat to agricultural production and affects marginalised groups more severely as they struggle to recover from extreme events.
‘Due to climate change, environmental conditions are changing at an unprecedented rate and in most cases, this is bad for optimal crop growth,’ she said.
‘In the face of climate change, farmers need to maximise the parameters they can control to sustain productivity, and I would like to see more technology like this in South Africa that will operate inclusively in the unfavourable climate conditions we will face,’ she said.
Mkhize says her success can be attributed to the strength she draws from her faith in God, and she credited her parents, Mrs Busisiwe and Mr Mandlenkosi Mkhize, for their unconditional support. She said her master’s supervisors, Professor Alistair Clulow and Dr Simon Taylor ensured her academic success and made the journey easier, and acknowledged the role UKZN played in providing opportunities for growth and academic progress.
To current students, Mkhize advised the use of discomfort and failure to enhance one’s mental strength, and said students should use the critical thinking skills afforded by a degree and their unique talents to improve the world and achieve their dreams.
Words: Christine Cuénod
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Exploring the “How” and “Why” of Student-Supervisor Relationships: Postgraduate Students’ Reflections of Lived Experiences
.In this opinion piece, we draw from our lived experiences as postgraduate students and contribute our understanding on “how” and “why” student-supervisor relationships should unfold the way we think they should. Although postgraduate student supervision has no one formula, we begin by suggesting that setting out expectations and responsibilities for both the student and the supervisor from the onset of this relationship is crucial to avoiding frustration, conflict and confusion. We then introduce that student-supervisor relationships should be coupled with pedagogies of care which involve the supervisor keenly supporting the student in order to facilitate the academic success of the student. Thereafter, we turn to the heart of the opinion piece where we share our lived experiences as postgraduate students and offer more practical ways of maintaining good and healthy student-supervisor relationships that are based on progress.
Setting student-supervisor expectations and responsibilities
It is argued that one of the factors causing problems in this learning journey may be conflicting thoughts and ideas between a supervisor and a student if these are not ironed out at the start of the relationship. We, therefore, argue that as a starting point, it is of utmost significance that the needs, expectations and responsibilities of each party are set out at the onset of this relationship between a supervisor and a student.
Moreover, we argue that these can be avoided/minimised if supervisors make it their point to initiate such dialogues with their students in terms of helping them to outline needs, expectations and responsibilities. However, we also acknowledge that these roles may change over time during the course of this relationship. It is, therefore, critical that these roles are revisited and renegotiated from time-to-time.
Pedagogy of care
Constructive relationships between students and their supervisors in Higher Education Institutions of learning can serve as a critical predictor of academic/research engagement and success. Supportive student-supervisor relationships can be initiated in spaces where supervisors respond with respect, empathy and care on their students’ everyday engagements and interactions. This includes actively supporting the student with internal (academic) and external (non-academic) factors that touch their lives on their daily routines of living and interaction.
Furthermore, it is argued that the provision of psychological and non-psychological support in Higher Education can improve students’ ability to engage in academic activities that will enhance their growth (Xerri et al., 2017). Therefore, student-supervisor relationships can be better constructed in spaces where supervisors create room for their students to believe in themselves, at the same time keeping in mind that their supervisors are there to walk the journey with them.
Regular supervision meetings/cohorts
Based on personal lived experiences during the completion of our Master of Education (MEd) degrees in Geography Education (for Zamokuhle) and Teacher Development Studies (for Luthando), respectively, we argue that one of the effective ways of maintaining good student-supervisor relationships and progress is through regular supervision meetings/cohorts. For Zamokuhle, he met with his supervisor and fellow MEd and PhD students under the care of his supervisor once a month under the umbrella of what they termed as MEd/PhD cohort group. In the case of Luthando, he regularly met with his supervisor - together with fellow MEd students - in “critical friends’ teams” (Samaras & Roberts, 2011, p. 43) under the watch of his supervisor each week. Moreover, both of us were given, in our respective supervision groups, a chance by our supervisors to schedule meetings with them anytime we felt like we needed to consult on our research work.
For us, such conversations provided an opportunity to share and discuss progress as well as identify and address challenges and gaps. Furthermore, this allowed us room to exchange ideas with our fellow postgraduate students in our respective groups, in turn allowing them (students) to critique our work. Moreover, such an exercise allowed us the opportunity to have an agreed plan of action post supervision meetings. We, therefore, argue that regular supervision meetings/cohorts are at the heart of students’ development, learning, growth and success.
Although we acknowledge that different supervisors in various fields of specialisation, by nature, use various strategies to offer support, care and guidance to their different postgraduate students. We argue that one or two things can be learnt from our shared personal lived experiences/reflections with our own supervisors in the subject at hand.
Conclusion
In this piece of writing, we have offered our accounts as postgraduate students at a South African university of what effective and engaging student-supervisor relationships should look like in the present time and going forward. We argued that effective student-supervisor relationships in higher learning institutions should be centred, among other things, on the following aspects: setting student-supervisor expectations and responsibilities, pedagogy of care, and regular supervision meetings/cohorts.
If this is to be achieved, both supervisors and postgraduate students must play a critical and equal role in initiating and implementing such practices. Although this is the case, at the same time, we argued that supervisors, as experienced beings in their various fields of specialisation, must be at the forefront of building such effective student-supervisor relationships which are open to be revisited and renegotiated from time to time during the course of the relationship and beyond.
REFERENCES
Samaras, A.P. & Roberts, L. (2011). Flying solo: Teachers take charge of their learning through self-study research. Learning forward, 32 (5), 42-45.
Xerri, M. J., Radford, K., & Shacklock, K. (2017) Student engagement in academic activities: A social support perspective. Higher Education, 75(4), 589-605.
Mr Luthando Molefe is a lecturer in the Discipline of Science Education, within the Cluster of Science and Technology Education at UKZN’s School of Education.
Mr Zamokuhle Magubane is a Writing Place Tutor and PhD candidate in the Discipline of Curriculum Studies within the Education Studies Cluster at UKZN’s School of Education.
Photographs: Supplied
*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
author : .author email : .UKZN Professor Publishes Book on Doctoral Training and Higher Education in Africa
Professor Radhamany Sooryamoorthy (left) with a new book (centre) that he published with Dr Christine Scherer.Click here for isiZulu version
Sociology Professor Radhamany Sooryamoorthy in the College of Humanities joined Dr Christine Scherer of the University of Bayreuth, Germany, to co-edit the book: Doctoral Training and Higher Education in Africa.
The book is published by Routledge in New York and London.
This book explores in detail the history, present and future potential of doctoral training and Higher Education in Africa. Bringing together expertise from both research and practice, the book presents the frameworks and structures of the doctoral phase, and how institutions, supervisors, mentors and young scholars meet the challenges of training in real life. The book covers representative case studies of African countries.
Said Sooryamoorthy: ‘Regardless of countries and regions, the importance of doctoral training and the production of doctorates are growing. As an integral component of Higher Education, doctoral education cannot be neglected at the expense of the overall development and scientific and economic advancement of a nation. Africa is no exception to this rule. The focus therefore falls on what kind of training doctoral candidates are receiving and what kind of doctorates are being produced.’
Added Scherer: ‘As the type of training offered to doctorates has implications for the progress of nations, there have been renewed efforts made by the people who are responsible for it. In this process, the training and its epistemological, methodological and axiological dimensions come into prominence. Similarly, the context of the candidates, curriculum, structure, resources and partnership is relevant. Different models of doctoral training have been experimented with and have resulted in varying outcomes.’
Bringing together expertise from both research and practice, the book analyses the frameworks and structures of the doctoral phase, and how institutions, supervisors, mentors and young scholars meet the challenges of training in real life. The book covers issues such as access to education, proactive recruitment, funding issues, practitioner expertise, enrolment and drop-out across a range of countries including South Africa, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Benin, Ghana and Morocco.
This book will be a rich resource for Higher Education administrators and policy makers, as well as researchers and academics with an interest in Higher Education in Africa.
In an endorsement, Stellenbosch University’s Professor Johann Mouton said: ‘The book contains extremely valuable and up to date information on doctoral statistics in selected countries - a challenge that has been highlighted in many previous publications. The editors of this book should therefore be congratulated with putting together both an impressive collection of new “country case studies” as well as incisive thematic discussions that are transversal across the continent. The book should become compulsory reading for Higher Education scholars and managers in Africa as well as anyone who has an interest in this topic elsewhere in the world.’
Copies of the book can be bought from: https://www.routledge.com/Doctoral-Training-and-Higher-Education-in-Africa/Scherer-Sooryamoorthy/p/book/9781032025667.
Words: Melissa Mungroo
Photographs: Supplied
author : .author email : .UKZN Hosts Seminar on Medical Sustainability
Dr Amy Booth.Click here for isiZulu version
The School of Clinical Medicine hosted a seminar under the theme: First, DO NO HARM. But what about the planet?
The seminar was organised in collaboration with undergraduate research students Mr Mohamed Suleman, Ms Zinhle Mzobe and Ms Rivona Harricharan; Dr Munira Motala, School of Clinical Medicine Academic Leader for Teaching and Learning; Dr Reratilwe Mphahlele, Lecturer in the Paediatrics and Child Health Department; Professor Ncoza Dlova, Dean and Head of School.
A thought-provoking seminar was presented by Dr Amy Booth, a Medical doctor who completed her degree, summa cum laude, and gold medalist from the University of Cape Town. Booth gave a South African perspective on the environmental impact of health systems, how the work of health professionals contributes to climate change, and what they can do to practice more sustainable medicine.
‘The reality is that climate change is here and real and will become more and more visual in months, not years. We’ve experienced many extreme weather events in South Africa over the past few years, from droughts, floods, fires to temperatures more than 40°C in some areas… We all need to take responsibility for our contribution to climate change and the impact of health systems on the environment is a vital issue which has been under researched and unaddressed,’ said Booth.
Health systems have a massive carbon footprint, contributing approximately 4-5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. They also produce huge amounts of plastic and hazardous medical waste and make use of pharmaceuticals which leak into environmental sources. The healthcare supply chain (including pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, patient food, cleaning supplies, etc,) is a complex entity and the largest contributor to health systems carbon footprint.
Booth concluded the presentation by advising medical professionals to think sustainably, change their organisational culture, practice green behaviour, engage in preventive medicine, create awareness, be an advocate to industries to supply sustainable products, engage in research on this issue and to think innovatively.
Currently working towards obtaining her PhD at Oxford University, she hopes to use her research to bring awareness and advise health systems, governments, organisations such as the World Health Organization, healthcare industries, and health professionals on how they can continue to provide good clinical care sustainably both in South Africa and globally.
The School of Clinical Medicine is hoping that this seminar will introduce what will be a lasting conversation on different topics, particularly those not specifically outlined in the curriculum. This platform will be led by undergraduate students for students and help develop engaging students who go on to become better researchers, academics and health service providers.
Words: Mandisa Shozi
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Humanities Student Wins Best Research at MKI Research and Innovation Awards
Mr Mphathesithe Mkhize, doctoral student in Public Policy with his award.Click here for isiZulu version
PhD student in Public Policy, Mr Mphathesithe Mkhize won first place in the Research Category at the Moses Kotane Institute (MKI) Research and Innovation Awards held at the ICC, Durban recently.
He won for his master’s research.
‘I believe this award will inspire many people to do great things, especially young people who are passionate about conducting impactful research and are committed to positively affecting change. The youth inspire greatness. That’s why they need to be recognised for their great work too,’ he said.
His research on Localising the Sustainable Development Goals in Rural Municipalities through Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships: A Case Study of Nkandla Local Municipality investigated the role of local government in localising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through multi-stakeholder partnerships to achieve long-term municipal objectives.
He strongly believes that the global problems confronting society can be solved through efficient application of public policy. ‘My research contributes to research on the SDGs and to the growing area of research on localising them as United Nations goals through partnerships.’ He recommends that small municipalities improve such partnerships in order to achieve the goals of Agenda 2030.
Mkhize is also grateful to his supervisor, Dr Cheryl Mohamed Sayeed who enabled him to grow as an emerging researcher to conduct impactful research.
Speaking about his achievement, Mohamed Sayeed said: ‘This award is a true reflection of Mphathesithe’s dedication and perseverance to undertake a research endeavour that is of the highest quality and that has the potential to be impactful. He approached every consultation as an opportunity to learn. This openness to different ways of thinking and approaching research made it easy to guide him.’
Offering advice to other scholars, Mkhize said: ‘Budding researchers should ensure that they develop passion for research so that they achieve the best in what they research on.’
Words: Melissa Mungroo
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Putting UKZN on the Literary Map
Accomplished author and publisher at the helm of UKZN Press, Dr Phindile Dlamini.Accomplished author and academic, Dr Phindile Dlamini has been appointed the Acting Publisher for UKZN Press with effect from 15 March 2022.
Professor Mosa Moshabela, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, welcomed Dlamini and commended her on a stellar career in academia and publishing.
Dlamini is honoured by the University’s confidence in her and reaffirmed her commitment to UKZN Press and the furthering of scholastic and linguistic endeavours in partnership with authors within the University and the broader writing community.
‘Honestly, I thought I had closed the publishing chapter of my life but some things have a way of weaving themselves into one’s life. I am honoured by this secondment to UKZN Press. Considering where we are as a country in terms of current narratives, research and the promotion of young academics, as well as intellectualisation of indigenous languages; University Presses have a major role to play. UKZN, therefore, is the perfect home for UKZN Press; for mutual benefit,’ she said.
‘UKZN Press prides itself on the quality of each book published for more than 65 years. Our titles include scholarly monographs, edited collections and scholarly-trade cross-over books, mainly in the humanities. We also publish titles in indigenous languages and we want to be recognised as leaders in the production of material promoting languages and the intellectualisation of indigenous languages. It is our aim to make our mark in the publishing space and in ensuring UKZN Press is the publishing house of choice for the UKZN community and beyond.’
She expressed gratitude for the support from the Research Office; College of Humanities and other strategic units at the University.
UKZN Press welcomed her into the fold and expressed confidence in her management and publishing capabilities. The team acknowledged the exemplary work she has done recently in co-curating one of the oldest South African book festivals, Time of the Writer in 2021 and 2022.
In a communique to the University community, Moshabela outlined Dlamini’s extensive work experience. Her academic career was forged at UNISA, she then cut her teeth in publishing for the next 15 years. During this time, some of her products scooped a number of awards, including the PanSALB Multilingualism and Nation Building Publication of the Decade Award (2008) as well as funded visits to international bookfairs. She also served as a Deputy Chairperson for the Publisher’s Association of South Africa. Dlamini was also involved in the South African Literary Awards (SALA) in 2007 and 2008 and led the publishing of SALA’s debut anthology of 2005-2007 winners titled Band of Troubadours.
In 2013, she registered for her PhD at UKZN and subsequently got a position as a lecturer in July 2014 in the African Languages Discipline. She obtained her PhD in 2016. During her tenure as a lecturer, she took over a number of responsibilities, including School of Arts Language Champion where she led a number of language policy implementation initiatives. She facilitated the publishing of the prescribed book for the Basic isiZulu module and became the book editor.
In 2018, she received a National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) grant which saw her spending a month in the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in China as a visiting researcher. She successfully facilitated collaboration between UKZN SOA and Msunduzi Museum in holding a Youth Day Career Expo and celebration of Africa Month events in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
In 2019, she was trained as a facilitator for Entrepreneurship in the Arts and worked closely with UKZN InQubate in running the pilot programme. She has worked closely with the Centre for the Creative Arts (CCA), from 2021, as a co-curator of the African Languages programme. She is also the editor of the PhD abstracts that are translated into isiZulu.
From October 2020, she acted as a Cluster Leader for the African Languages, Linguistics and Development modules. She is currently involved in two major funded projects as a researcher in one which focuses on the intellectualisation of isiZulu and as a principal investigator in the other which is a Human Language Technology project.
She is also an accomplished author and has published more than 50 isiZulu children’s books; her uGwajo series of 15 titles is prescribed in schools nationally. Her latest publication is her monograph titled, Avoiding Potholes in Translation: A Practical Perspective on Translation between English and isiZulu, published by UKZN Press in 2021.
Words: Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer and UKZN’s Research Office
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Aerospace Systems Research Group Piques Young Women’s Interest in Space Technology
Participants at the Girls fly programme in Africa (GFPA) camp in Gauteng.UKZN’s Aerospace Systems Research Group (ASReG) in the Discipline of Mechanical Engineering recently promoted careers in aerospace technology to young women at an Aviation and Space Technology Camp hosted by the Girls fly programme in Africa (GFPA).
The six-day event - held at the Grand Central Airport in Gauteng for rural or disadvantaged learners from Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo - was attended by 40 learners and mentors. The GFPA is planning two further camps in 2022 that will open the programme to other provinces.
The GFPA programme, founded by South Africa’s first Black female helicopter pilot, Ms Refilwe Ledwaba, developed these innovative camp programmes in 2013 as part of the effort to encourage increased female participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers to close the gender-based income and employment gap between men and women in these fields.
The camp included space technology activities at the South African National Space Agency, leadership and team building, design thinking challenges, drone demonstrations and data analytics, activities to promote cultural understanding, airport tours and more.
At the event, Mr Thabang Mdhluli, ASReG postgraduate student completing his master’s degree on gelled rocket propellants, delivered a presentation on the group’s research activities in aerospace propulsion research.
Supported by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), ASReG is driving the development of satellite launch vehicle technologies for Africa.
In the presentation, Mdhluli described different kinds of rockets and their design, and how UKZN builds and tests the vehicles. The presentation included video footage of ASReG’s various test campaigns.
Following the presentation, which generated considerable interest, Mdhluli engaged with participants as they posed questions about rocketry and aerospace engineering.
Speaking of ASReG’s work, co-founder Professor Michael Brooks emphasised the importance of investing in the education of young engineers to meet national objectives of advancing South Africa’s space engineering capabilities.
ASReG is supported by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) in their quest to develop satellite launch vehicle technologies for Africa and to train the next generation of engineers to meet this goal. The group has an active outreach programme designed to bring the story of rocketry and STEM to the public.
‘ASReG is delighted to have participated in this technology camp and to showcase our activities,’ said Brooks.
‘We want to see the next generation of bright young South Africans choosing engineering careers, and specifically careers in mechanical and aerospace engineering, and we hope that our engagement with the participants in the space camp inspires them to become engineers and scientists and to build South Africa’s space engineering economy.’
He emphasised that initiatives like UKZN’s Space Propulsion Programme make careers in space and rocket technology attainable for young South Africans, with cutting-edge research bringing young engineers into the fold where they can investigate rocket propulsion (engine design), airframes, turbomachinery, and flight dynamics.
‘Space technology has rapidly become integrated into most aspects of our lives, from satellite TV, to the GPS capabilities in cell phones, to advances in telemedicine, environmental monitoring and disaster management - all of these things and more are made possible by the carrier rockets that place satellites in orbit,’ said Brooks.
‘It all starts with the rocket!’
‘The support we received from you and the ASReG was instrumental in enabling us to host this year’s first camp,’ said GFPA Project Officer Ms Malebo Modise.
‘We have been receiving wonderful feedback from the schools and learners regarding the camp and it is through your sponsorship and support that we were able to highlight the importance of education, and encourage learners to focus on their studies.’
Words: Christine Cuénod
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .The College of Law and Management Studies Continues to be the College of Choice for Top Achievers
Bright sparks Ms Sameera Esat and Mr Thembelihle Mthuli.The College of Law and Management Studies (LMS) welcomed 125 first-year students across its various degree programmes who achieved between six and eight distinctions and an Admission Point Score (APS) ranging from 46 points to 40 points in the 2021 National Senior Certificate (NSC) matric exams.
Bright sparks Mr Thembelihle Mthuli, Mr Thomas Kaztenellenbogen and Ms Sameera Esat, who all achieved an APS score of 46, said despite the challenges of studying during the COVID-19 pandemic, deciding on UKZN as their institution of choice was a no brainer.
For Mthuli, who aspires to become a chartered accountant, finding a university with vision, goals and objectives that align perfectly with his own led to him pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting at UKZN.
‘I had to take into consideration the course I intended to pursue and after I did some research and consulted current UKZN students at the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance, I was further put to ease about my choice and never looked back. Although the idea of being at UKZN excites me greatly, l still keep focused on my dreams and goals - the main one being the one I’ve had since I was a little boy which is to become a chartered accountant and this is the first step,’ he said.
For Bachelor of Laws student Katzenellenbogen, hearing from his older brother about his enjoyable experience when he was a Law student at UKZN, and the fact that the University is an affordable option for his family is what reaffirmed that the School of Law was the right choice.
‘My brother told me about UKZN’s renowned Law School and I hope to grow through the academic challenges and be even more passionate about my degree. I have faced challenges in my life such as my parents’ divorce and losing my father three years ago. These struggles, however, pushed me harder to achieve more at school,’ he said.
For Esat, while a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting was not her first choice as she was already pursuing a medical career, her aspirations of becoming a Chartered Accountant were too strong.
‘After matric, I completed four years of the MBChB degree at the University of Cape Town, after which I made the extremely difficult decision to transfer to BCom. This came after the realisation that I did not enjoy clinical medicine and no longer wished to pursue a career in the field of healthcare. I had multiple reasons, some of which included my disillusionment with the healthcare system, as well as struggling to deal with the immense suffering and death of patients. This was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. I enjoy Accounting and the degree offers a diversity of opportunities. I also find that it fits well with my personality type,’ she said.
Words: Thandiwe Jumo
Photographs: Supplied
author : .author email : .Farmer Support Group Webinar Examines Implications of Climate Change on Crop Production
The FSG has guided farmers in Msinga, northern KwaZulu-Natal, through activities including water management, soil preparation and contouring to adapt to flash flood and soil erosion conditions and produce a good harvest.UKZN’s Farmer Support Group (FSG) hosted the second in a series of webinars as part of a European Union (EU) co-funded project that is leveraging partnerships to raise new climate change initiatives and champions.
The FSG is an outreach arm of UKZN working with smallholder farmers and farmer cooperatives in communal areas in KwaZulu-Natal. It is one of five implementing organisations in a four-year project that began in March 2021. Other consortium members are the Association for Rural Advancement (AFRA) as hosts of the Land Network National Engagement Strategy, Indigo Development and Change, the Institute for Natural Resources and Heifer Project South Africa.
These organisations are strengthening the capacity of civil society organisations (CSO) to develop a united and cohesive national civil society strategy to address climate change impacts on the land tenure and farming systems of small-scale farmers in South Africa.
At the webinar, Mr Tom Lebert from coordinating partner AFRA welcomed guests and introduced the project. Project objectives included ensuring that CSOs in land and agriculture comprehend the causes of climate change and its impacts on small-scale farmers, women and youth. Partners also seek to identify, strengthen and promote adaptation and mitigation strategies employed by small-scale farmers, and advocate for change in relevant policies to strengthen these strategies.
The consortium strengthens CSO networks for enhanced information sharing, input and engagement with policy processes and the Climate Justice Charter. The ultimate beneficiaries are South African small-scale farmers who will face the challenge of adapting to the impacts of climate change. Its activities include capacity building on climate change, youth learning exchanges, multi-stakeholder learning journeys, and action and policy research.
Mrs Avrashka Sahadeva, a Project Coordinator and Researcher at the FSG said the webinar would describe the effects of climate change on crop production, list the leading causes of climate change, and promote understanding of the difference between mitigation and adaptation. There was discussion of the risks and impacts of climate change on agricultural production and its effects on food security, and identification of local coping strategies.
Professor Paramu Mafongoya, South African Research Chair of Agronomy and Rural Development at UKZN gave a presentation on the implications of climate change on crop production and rural development using experience from his research. He outlined the importance of agriculture in Southern Africa, and described climate change and what trends are being observed, highlighting the significance of climatic variability and the contributions of agriculture to the phenomenon.
He also drew attention to South Africa’s contributions to greenhouse gas emissions that comprised half of the continent’s emissions.
Mafongoya discussed the temporal impacts of these changes on agriculture, touching on weather disruption, adaptation and mitigation measures, as well as the impacts of projected climate change on crop production.
Mafongoya also described studies that examined farmer perceptions of climate change, concluding that climate change would have a sobering effect on natural resource management and humanity’s long-term ability to feed itself.
Mr Bongumusa Mbatha, a senior facilitator at the FSG discussed the organisation’s work in climate change adaptation and mitigation with rural communities in the Msinga Local Municipality. He described two groups of farmers that the FSG worked with, beginning with the Nhlesi-Siyathuthuka garden group with whom the FSG conducted climate-smart sessions on soil and water management, conservation, soil fertility using organic manure, climate change awareness, and climate-neutral mitigation strategies. In KwaGuqa, the FSG worked with a group to achieve water conservation, conducting sessions on water conservation, soil fertility, changing irrigation patterns, and planting appropriate seasonal crops.
Upcoming webinars on the project’s findings and innovations around adaptation strategies with rural communities would be conducted between June 2022 and February 2023.
Words: Christine Cuénod
Photographs: Supplied
author : .author email : .UKZN Biotechnology Expertise Contributes to Africa’s First Cultivated Chicken Meat
Dr Celia Snyman (left) and Professor Carola Niesler.Stem cell and skeletal muscle research emerging from the laboratories of biotechnology researchers in UKZN’s School of Life Sciences (SLS) has played a key role in the release of Africa’s first cultivated chicken meat as part of a partnership aiming to provide sustainable and affordable animal protein to meet the dietary needs of Africa’s growing population.
Using an advanced cell culture process, a consortium known as MeatOurFuture (MOF) that includes UKZN’s Professor Carola Niesler and postdoctoral researcher, Dr Celia Snyman, with colleagues from Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Cryowild and cellular food technology company, Mogale Meat has applied cultivated meat technology to develop a chicken breast prototype in only eight months.
This effort is part of MOF’s participation in the global $15million XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion competition. In the three-year competition, they are the only semi-finalist from Africa pitted against 30 other international teams to produce a chicken or fish alternative that outperforms conventional poultry or fish meat production in terms of environmental sustainability, animal welfare, nutrition, and health, while meeting consumer taste and texture preferences.
Electing to work with chicken as the most widely eaten meat worldwide, and particularly in Africa, the MOF group has met the competition goal of developing their prototype and is on track to compete late in 2022 when 10 finalists will be selected. The resulting chicken breast comprises real chicken muscle and fat cells blended with a mushroom matrix.
‘This has been an amazing team effort,’ said Niesler, an Associate Professor of Biochemistry with more than 20 years’ experience in stem cell research and application.
Spearheaded by Dr Paul Bartels, the MOF group, a registered non-profit organisation and partnership mobilised cell-cultured meat production is using CryoWild’s BioBanking platform, UKZN SLS’s skeletal muscle and fat stem cell biology expertise, TUT’s Biotechnology and Food Technology edible biomaterial chemistry expertise, and Mogale Meat’s end-to-end technology platform.
Snyman, who has extensive primary culture and stem cell knowledge, has contributed significantly to the realisation of this cultivated chicken meat and plays a key role in mentoring young scientists within Mogale Meat.
The MOF efforts are part of the global momentum towards technologically-driven and sustainable sources of nutritious, sustainable animal protein to contribute to food security and the alleviation of the environmental impacts of conventional meat production. As part of its remit, MOF aims to develop a framework for training scientists, engineers and food technologists to advance cell-cultured meat technologies for Africa.
Aiming to make the product accessible throughout Africa as the population and the demand for nutritious protein grows, the company is exploring unique production plants that would allow meat to be cultivated where people are. Current challenges to cultivated meat production include reducing the cost of manufacturing the meat at scale and navigating regulatory approval of this novel means of production.
Words: Christine Cuénod
Photograph: Supplied
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