Academic to Deliver Keynote Address at International Symposium
Professor Pratap Kumar Penumala.Emeritus Professor Pratap Kumar Penumala of the School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics (SRPC) will deliver a keynote address at the International Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy and Religion in Rome and the Vatican City from 31 March – 3 April.
The theme of the Symposium is The Promotion of World Peace through Interfaith Dialogue and Unity of Faiths.
Penumala’s address is on “the Difference as the basis for Interfaith Dialogue and Global Peace”.
Asked about his topic, Penumala said: ‘Often in our engagement in interfaith relations both at an academic level and more significantly at the level of communities, we tend to place emphasis on commonalities between religions and cultures.
‘While this may be a laudable task which cannot be under-estimated, the unique features and differences among religions and cultures get either secondary attention or most often get deferred and in the process ignored.’
For Penumala, true dialogue toward harmonious living among communities cannot take place unless one recognises and respects the differences in cultures and religious traditions. ‘Great people such as Gandhi and Mandela recognised the uniqueness in other people and respected them for who and what they were. We might take lessons from such illustrious and charismatic people who walked before us.
‘As Jacques Derrida notes, our differences might be what makes us unique, but they are also beacons of hope in our search of global peace through interfaith dialogue, and that it indeed is a distinct possibility but only deferred presently. As such, difference can mean a temporary deferment rather than something not possible at all.’
The symposium is being organised by the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy and Religion based in Berlin, Germany.
Penumala has authored several books and scholarly papers and has edited several publications. His recent publications include: Hinduism and the Diaspora: A South African Narrative, Rawat Publishers, (2013).
His edited volumes include: Classical and Contemporary Issues in Indian Philosophy and Religion, DK Print Publishers, (2013); and Contemporary Hinduism. Acumen (2013).
- Melissa Mungroo
author : .author email : .7th Talents Durban at this year’s International Film Festival
The 6th edition of Talent Campus Durban took place during the 34th Durban International Film Festival in July last year.Applications have opened for the 7th Talents Durban taking place from 18-22 July during the 35th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts at UKZN with support from Berlinale Talents.
Applicants can apply online at www.durbanfilmfest.co.za before the closing date of 31 March 2014.
Talents Durban is keen to continue its proud history of acting as a launch pad for filmmakers from Africa. Understanding the unique needs and challenges facing film makers on the continent, it aims to provide film makers with the tools to enable their careers to thrive in the international film industry.
The programme provides the selected participants with a unique opportunity to meet with international industry professionals, experts and mentors in various aspects of the filmmaking business through participation in a five-day programme of master classes, workshops and industry networking events.
This year’s theme of Continent of Contrast/ de Contrastes is an ode to the godfather of African cinema, Djibril Diop Mambéty’s, first film Contras'city (City of Contrast).
Breaking away from the stereotypical and homogenous narrative Africa, Talents Durban aims to highlight the truth that this continent is home to a myriad of cultures, colours, stories. It wants to not only highlight the stories of Africa, but create a culture of Africans telling their own stories.
This year’s Talent Campus Durban will offer three hands-on training programmes: Doc Station which will focus on documentary-making, Talent Press which is dedicated to film criticism and Script Station which will support story development.
Doc Station will offer three selected Talents the opportunity to refine and polish documentary projects for pitching at the 5th Durban FilmMart’s DOC Circle while Talent Press will mentor four African journalists in the art of film criticism with access to all the screenings of the 35th Durban International Film Festival, creating reviews to be published on numerous platforms.
Script Station will offer the opportunity to writers to develop their stories while pitching their ideas to a panel of industry experts. Talents will also have access to the networking events available during the film festival.
- Melissa Mungroo and Kwazi Ngubane
author : .author email : .UKZN Doctoral Student on Shortlist for Mars
UKZN student Adrianna Marais who hopes to be aboard a one-way space expedition to Mars.Thirty-year-old Quantum Biology PhD student Ms Adriana Marais is one of 25 South Africans on a 1 058-strong shortlist to go to Mars on a no return basis.
The Mars One expedition plans to establish a permanent human settlement on the red planet by sending crews of four every two years, beginning in 2024.
Marais, a member of the Quantum Research Group established by Professor Francesco Petruccione, says since a child she has imagined that if offered the opportunity to go into space to experience what was beyond what mankind had seen before, she would go - despite the prospect of not returning.
‘I decided that I wanted to be an astronaut, and planned to study astrophysics or aeronautical engineering at university. I was then drawn to physical studies on quite a different scale and became fascinated with quantum mechanics.
‘My research interests have led me via the field of my PhD to the famous question: What is Life? In my opinion, if life can exist on Earth, in an unimaginably large universe, it must also exist or have existed elsewhere.’
Marais is currently busy completing her PhD thesis, titled: ‘Quantum effects in photosynthesis’. It deals with those processes occurring in photosynthetic organisms where quantum mechanics plays a role. Recent research that she has been involved in has investigated the potential relation between magnetic field effects and mechanisms of protection against harmful free-radicals in photosynthesis. This research may have important implications for living organisms in general as the same free radicals are associated with ageing and disease.
Her early dream of going to space and her research into quantum biology led Marais to apply to be one of the 24 humans who will pioneer life on Mars after the final round of selections. The application process was lengthy, with the Mars One initiative looking for astronaut candidates who display resiliency, adaptability, curiosity, ability to trust and creativity/ resourcefulness. After applying, Marais said she believed she would be selected but receiving the news of her selection for the second round produced a feeling of terror as well as indescribable excitement.
‘For me, finding evidence of life on Mars would be one of the most important possible discoveries for humanity. I would be prepared to sacrifice my personal joys, sorrows and day-to-day life for this idea, this adventure, this achievement, that would not be my own, but that of all humanity.’
Discussing her research, Marais said: ‘The relatively new field of quantum biology has revealed how this area of study may contribute to the development of the kind of renewable energy technologies essential for continued existence on this planet, and perhaps others, as well as raising fascinating questions about the origins and nature of life itself.’
She said South Africa was an exciting place in which to do science because of the many opportunities and inspirational people in the field. ‘It feels as though there is a lot of room here to pioneer new areas of research like quantum biology, while in other parts of the world there may be less funding and more competition to do similar things.’
She says she is grateful for the unwavering encouragement of her supervisor, Professor Petruccione, as well as his participation in and facilitation of discussions both in South Africa and abroad without which her research would not have been possible.
‘I think I must be a kind of extremophile, thriving in challenging situations, and in this sense moving to Mars would be an ideal opportunity. As a researcher in physics and more recently biology, of course I have a number of scientific concerns about the mission, aside from questions of how habitable the living units will be.
‘There are serious concerns for the first Martians, including the effects of radiation exposure, reduced gravitational and magnetic fields, and the sufficiency of medical supplies and nutrition in dealing with the health implications of being there. Also, among other social issues, the ownership of and accountability for actions on Mars also need to be addressed.”
As for the next steps in the process, candidates are now awaiting further instructions after the submission of their medical reports next month. Marais said interviews with Mars One representatives may follow, which will be televised as part of the documentary broadcast through which the mission hopes to get its funding.
‘I think that with such an initially limited population, the first Martians will need to be multi-talented, quick-learning, extremophile-types. How these kinds of people will interact in close quarters will of course be the interesting part, and I look forward to meeting the other candidates, who I think must be among some of the most interesting people on Earth.’
- Christine Cuénod
author : .author email : .Visiting Academic Speaks on Agriculture and Food Production
From left: Emeritus Professor and a Vice-President of the SA Science Academy Council Patricia Berjak; Professor Louise O. Fresco; the Academy’s Executive Officer, Professor Roseanne Diab, and UKZN’s Professor Gerald Ortmann.Professor Louise O. Fresco of the University of Amsterdam in The Netherlands spoke on “Food and Agriculture: The Next Decades”, at a Public Lecture at UKZN.
The visit by Fresco, who also met key staff in the School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences (SAEES), formed part of a lecture tour facilitated by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), which each year hosts a distinguished visiting scholar from abroad to present lectures at various institutions around South Africa.
Fresco is an internationally recognised scholar who currently works extensively in the field of sustainable development in an international context in her capacity as Professor at the University of Amsterdam, a position tailored especially for her expertise.
She was recently appointed President of the Executive Board of Wageningen University in The Netherlands, a position equivalent to that of UKZN’s Vice-Chancellor. It is the same University where she obtained her PhD in Tropical Crop Science and then served as Professor of Plant Production Systems and Chair of the Department of Agronomy.
Her Public Lecture at UKZN focused on megatrends in the field of agriculture and food production which must be addressed in order to increase production and do so efficiently in a world facing climate change and population growth. Her presentation was informative and well-delivered, resulting in a thought-provoking discussion time with the audience of more than 80 academics, students and outside visitors.
Fresco said she had enjoyed her tour to South Africa, a country she has visited before, and was impressed with Pietermaritzburg. ‘It’s so interesting seeing how different all the universities are here. I love teaching, so I always enjoy presenting these talks.’
Fresco has an impressive CV, being member of a number of academic and non-academic international and national advisory and supervisory boards, councils, and committees, including the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), the Académie d’agriculture de France in Paris, the Strategy Experts Panel of the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the Corporate Responsibility and Reputation Committee at Unilever.
However, during her Public Lecture she stated that one of the most important experiences of her career was living in Africa for over 10 years, working in the Central African Republic (then still Zaire) and Zambia. She was passionate about getting to see Africa’s commitment to agriculture and food production increase.
Fresco has taught in Stanford, Stockholm, Leuven and Uppsala and has written extensively, both for academic journals and for the popular media. Her writings include three novels and a fortnightly newspaper column. She presented a TED talk in the United States in 2009 titled: “We need to feed the whole world”.
Professor Albert Modi, Dean and Head of SAEES, said: ‘Her visit to our School and University was a great honour. Her talk will be used as a lesson for academics and students from different disciplines at our School. Our University hopes to take advantage of knowing her to create linkages between UKZN and her University in future. We also thank ASSAf for selecting UKZN as one of few universities in South Africa to host Fresco during her visit to our country.’
- Christine Cuénod
author : .author email : .CCMS Students work with ARROW SA
ARROW SA Envirowalk representatives at Palmiet Nature Reserve with eThekwini Natural Resources and UKZN students.Postgraduate students at the Centre for Communication, Media and Society (CCMS) have joined forces with Art: A Resource for Reconciliation Over the World (ARROW) SA to conduct interesting and exciting workshops and research projects.
CCMS honours and masters students conducted workshops at Bechet High School and worked on an initiative linked to natural and cultural heritage programmes for schools at the Palmiet Nature Reserve. Some of the students have done honours research projects on the activities.
The partnership between ARROW and CCMS began several years ago when the Centre was approached by Mr David Oddie of St Marjon University in Plymouth in the United Kingdom to host ARROW.
The CCMS team agreed to take on the project and CCMS graduate Ms Mary Lange was employed as facilitator. After a few years ARROW SA became a self-funded independent organisation now formally affiliated with the Centre.
Professor Keyan Tomaselli of the CCMS pointed out that theory in practice via activities at and involving Bechet High School benefitted a community of learners, built educational capacity, and integrated participants into the wider world via the international organisation with the learners themselves then becoming the facilitators.
‘The partnership has been working well for nearly a decade and we hope that it will continue. Some of the Bechet learners who have participated in the ARROW programme have gone on to study at university level.
‘The programme facilitates their personal growth and self-confidence while CCMS students get to experience the joys of community development,’ said Tomaselli.
- Melissa Mungroo
author : .author email : .Young Researchers Attend Local Economic Development Seminar
Young researchers at the seminar.Researchers from the Regional and Local Economic Development (LED) section of the Graduate School of Business and Leadership recently attended a seminar hosted by the Durban Chamber of Business and Industry on finding innovative solutions to the challenges of unemployment facing the youth in South Africa today.
The researchers - Ms Zekhethelo Ndlovu, Mr Sinakhokonke Mpanza, Mr Sakhile Khumalo, Mr Methembe Mdlalose, Ms Nondumiso Khumalo, Mr Siyanda Mthuli and Ms Nasiha Soomar - are studying towards a masters degree at the School under the Regional and Local Economic Development Initiative (RLEDi) - a partnership between UKZN and the Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDT).
The seminar was attended by a variety of business people from Durban, lecturers from various higher institutions of learning and managers from the Department of Education, who listened to speakers - including Dr Nkosi Sishi, Professor John Volmink, Dr Valerie Hannon and Mr Anthony Mackay - address the participants.
Sishi and Volmink delivered presentations on education while Hannon presented on partnerships between KwaZulu-Natal and government. Hard hitting truths were addressed not only about the province but South Africa as well.
Local Economic Development Programme Lecturer and Co-coordinator Dr Jennifer Houghton said the issues of the relationship between radical innovation in education transformation and the rising unemployment rate interrogated at the seminar provided vital information for researchers.
Researcher Soomar said: ‘Nelson Mandela’s words “Education is the most powerful weapon that you can use to change the world” resonated in me through the entire presentation today. Being a young researcher it was the first of many I hope that would open my eyes to the windows of possibility that exist out there.’
Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Policy and Advocacy Manager, Dr Stan Hardman, said the discussions following the seminar highlighted the importance of reciprocal learning initiatives between school and industry.
‘We are convinced that the transition from an education institution to a business profession is vital for business growth and development. Learners and educators need constant sensitisation of the important contribution that self-development, sufficiency and motivations have on a growing economy. The challenge in Local Economic Development is to promote growth with development for the purpose of promoting inclusion and equity,’ said Hardman.
- Zekhethelo Ndlovu and Thandiwe Jumo
author : .author email : .The UKZN Griot. of Humanities and Charters
Keyan G Tomaselli*
The Humanities are on the national agenda. Those of us in the Humanities often feel like orphans, the marginalised, the forgotten. When I first got to UKZN in 1985 we Humanities scholars were often derided by scientists, engineers and mathematicians in Senate and resource meetings, scorned because our students earned less state subsidy, and scoffed at because we tended to be barefoot and wore tatty T-shirts. When students trashed the campus a Dean of Arts would remark in Senate that the students had good organisational skills. Must say, we weren’t our best self-promoters in those days.
But all that’s changed. We still feel like orphans, getting the downside of SAPSE publication incentive returns ‘cos our articles are philosophical and take much time and many pages to write. No matter, while the Humanities everywhere else are under threat, the national South African horizon has dramatically changed in recent years.
UKZN-linked professors contributed significantly to this change of fortunes. It helps of course that we have a UKZN sociological graduate at the helm of higher education. The Chair of his working group that resulted in the Humanities Charter was none other than Ari Sitas, a previously esteemed UKZN Professor who supervised the Minister’s PhD. Sitas’s national committee was ably supported by Mike Chapman and Nhlanhla Mkhize, amongst others.
But another earlier panel that had worked behind the scenes laid out the actual the philosophical ground work. This was the ASSAf Consensus Panel on the Future of the Humanities. ASSAf is not a rude acronym – it stands for Academy of Science for South Africa. The constitution of the panel reveals that UKZN does not always get lost in the hooked dog’s leg between the Wits-Pretoria-UCT-Stellenbosch axis. On that panel from UKZN was Pearl Sithole and we asked Derek Wang for some input regarding the relationship between science and indigeneity.
It was our panel that learned that Humanities graduates do get jobs; indeed they get jobs in the sectors in which they want to work. No only that, but they are hugely self-reliant, more often than not they work as consultants, being their own bosses. Bliss – no dreary school boards to attend! Humanities graduates might earn less than engineers but they are nevertheless greatly appreciated by scientists and engineers as attested to in their invitations to ASSAf membership. Even Bobby Godsell, that most reputable of UKZN social science graduates, an Anglo-American honcho, served on the panel for a while. If big business can release someone of his stature to work pro bono to shape the Humanities, well, that’s a very good omen.
The ASSAf panel addressed conceptual, employment and related issues, while the Charter wants to reorganise the Humanities. Man, does this exhausting and distracting reconfiguration/transformation/restructuring never stop? I recently found this take on change-mania:
We trained hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams we would be reorganised. I was later to learn that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganising and for a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress, its produces confusion, inefficiency and demoralisation.
This observation is sourced to Roman General Caius Petronius in AD66. I found it on a notice board at a Swedish university. It speaks volumes.
Here’s the “challenge” – to use current management-speak: universities post the Cold War have become intellectual factories serving business, policy, politics and global capital. Humanities scholars think of themselves as the last bulwark against capitulation to socially alienating neo-liberal technicist, ahistorical and economistic imperatives.
The humanistic high ground is claimed by Humanities scholars. They aim to protect the practice of critique, the dialectic, and thus democracy itself. Social issues are best resolved through research and dialogue. As the word ‘humanities’ suggests, critique should recognise that it is people (who feel, hope, love and fear) who occupy instrumentalist structures created by often alienating regulation and governance.
ASSAf recognises that the Humanities are in “crisis”, resulting from contemporary overemphasis on science and technology, career pathing and financial gain, in the context of the ‘developmental state’. Given the stark class disparities in South Africa, the Humanities are often, foolishly, considered a luxury.
ASSAF recommends the institutionalisation of the Humanities within national science policy. In calls for
· Revitalisation, better funding, and Humanities research output internationally published;
· An ageing academic workforce that needs to reproduce itself. Reproduction is best secured through PhD acquisition, a key UKZN objective;
· While temporary employment often occurs before settling into the full-time professional sector, a clear fit exists between graduates’ Humanities subjects and their professional work.
The DoHET Charter attracted sustained national media exposure. The significance of the unpublicised ASSAf report is that it directly dismisses popular myths that denigrate a Humanities degree vis-à-vis employment prospects.
The Charter speaks to policy-makers and institutions. The ASSAf study addresses student, parent, employer and Humanities lecturer concerns. The principle of academic autonomy assumed by ASSAf will be a factor to consider when the Charter is implemented.
Significantly, the Charter fractures the common-sense notion derived from the Berlin Conference of “Africa” as a homogeneous, isolated, entity. It proposes an open-ended definition that tactically locates Africa-in-the World. Wonderfully, it calls for recognition of the full spectrum of research output, including books and better staff- student ratios. Is this an illusion perhaps?
The Charter’s planning is in the detail, but the budgeting is in the realm of (a perhaps welcome) idealism that is going to test the neoliberal imperatives that are, ironically, pushing the academy in the opposite direction - towards instrumentalism, managerialism and massification.
The Charter aims to elevate our institutions into the global arena in which Africans will begin to think of their futures, and not just take refuge in imaginaries of “the past”. The two reports when read together provide both the analysis and the strategy. The “Year of the College” (2013) proposals intersected well with this imperative.
* Keyan G Tomaselli was a member of the ASSAf Consensus Panel on The State of the Humanities in South Africa: status, prospects and strategies (2011).
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are the author’s own.
author : .author email : .Neurosurgeon Probes Wellness and Performance
Consultant Neurosurgeon Dr Ian Weinberg during a presentation to Psychology staff and students. The enhancement of the physiology of wellness, performance and leadership through mind state optimisation was discussed at a presentation by consultant Neurosurgeon, Dr Ian Weinberg.
The presentation by Weinberg – a pioneer in the relatively new science of Applied Psychoneuro-Endocrinology (PNE) – was hosted by the Research Unit of Health and Wellbeing in the School of Applied Human Sciences.
Speaking at the event on PNE, Weinberg said: ‘Identifiable mind states are associated with the secretion of neuro-transmitters and neuro-peptides which then circulate in the blood stream and impact upon body metabolism. In this way, mind states influence wellness and performance in a profound way.’
‘The study of this mind-body chemical connection is referred to as psychoneuro-endocrinology. The challenge is to be able to access the core processes of consciousness and thereby move the individual into a resourceful neuro-chemical configuration.’
He went on to explain that our nature-nurture heritage gives rise to our world-view or subjective reality. If this heritage was comprehensive and free of deprivation, then a person could interact with the external environment as they saw things as they really are and consequently made accurate decisions.
‘This leads to success and we thus return with a positive feeling. Conversely, if the nature-nurture heritage is a product of deprivation, we will not see things as they really are and thus experience failure. We return with a negative feeling. These feelings, products of the external loop, drive our PNI chemistry from the feeling areas of the brain via the internal loop. This will determine ultimately our levels of wellness and performance.’
Weinberg, a pioneer of The Triangles Model, said the model formed the foundation for accessing the chemistry of wellness and performance. ‘The Triangles model is fully quantifiable by an online diagnostic which measures stress profiles, PNE resilience in terms of wellness and performance as well as risk of developing pro inflammatory cytokines that have been implicated in chronic conditions such as type2 diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis and even dementias. Due to the comprehensive quantification, the effectiveness of intervention may be evaluated on an ongoing basis.’
In his closing remarks Weinberg said the vast majority of individuals lived their lives in default mode, remaining unaware of their strengths and weaknesses and made no attempt to engage fundamental neuro-psychological processes.
‘If in fact they are the products of significant deprivation in their heritage, by not engaging and initiating appropriate intervention, they may remain victims of a less resourceful configuration. In this way they compromise themselves in terms of wellness, performance, quality of life and longevity. In this regard, the Triangles model can be viewed as a practical, empowering application supporting the enhancement of wellness and performance and thus personal efficiency and gratification.’
‘The application is not restricted to personal coaching of the individual. Rather, it should be viewed as providing a comprehensive framework for the implementation of multiple modalities of intervention, including leadership training, team-building, management re-structuring, and wellness enhancement.’
- Melissa Mungroo
author : .author email : .Management and Entrepreneurship Honours Students Prepare for Academic Journey
Management and Entrepreneurship honours students together with School of Management, Information Technology and Governance academics.The School of Management, Information Technology and Governance laid the foundation for entrepreneurial and managerial thinking for honours students during the postgraduate Orientation gathering held at UKZN’s Westville and Pietermaritzburg campuses.
The aim of the information sharing session was for academics in the Discipline of Management and Entrepreneurship to equip students with knowledge vital for success in their postgraduate studies.
The information shared included conducting research and research methodologies, student expectations and also featured talks from the business sector on the value of a postgraduate qualification in the competitive career world.
Academic Leader and Lecturer: Management and Entrepreneurship, Dr Ziska Fields and Lecturer, Mr Nigel Chiweshe, informed the students about a new initiative facilitated by the Discipline known as the eZone.
The eZone is a website for postgraduate students and academics to create a platform to write informative and practical articles to develop entrepreneurial and managerial thinking and competencies. The overall aim of the site is to get students and academics involved in sharing their academic knowledge with their communities and with each other, in an effort to enhance and stimulate entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial thinking, next generation managerial thinking as well as to build collaborative efforts between students, communities and academics.
The School’s priority is to enforce responsible management education and development of competent and ethical leaders and managers in large and small businesses.
Project Management Lecturer Dr Vannie Naidoo gave students guidance on how to go about their research, collect data for their research and balance their studies.
‘You must learn to open your mind to different modes of thinking out of the box when it comes to your research. Don’t only point to a problem you have identified, tell us how you came to that observation and what your recommendations are. The key to unlocking opportunities is to develop a style of critical thinking and writing,’ she said.
Dr Maxwell Phiri shared his experiences about entrepreneurship and management from his sabbatical during which he had the opportunity to travel to South Korea, while local entrepreneur and BCom Honours in Small Business Management graduate, Mr Bright Shange, shared with the students how the wealth of knowledge he acquired from his postgraduate qualification helped him succeed in the business world.
Business Partners representatives Ms Janeesha Perumal and Mr Eston Naidoo (a former student of UKZN) gave a presentation on financing small to medium enterprises. They told students the basis upon which they provide the capital and the general industries they focus on, and emphasised the concept of innovation in business, as their company was more likely to provide funding for such ventures.
Eston further shared his experiences from doing one of the Entrepreneurship modules as an elective and how the module was of benefit to him in his new career. Janeesha and Eston concluded their presentation by encouraging the students to adopt an entrepreneurial mind-set in order for them to come up with innovations that could be funded to create successful ventures.
Thandiwe Jumo
Click here for English version
author : .author email : .UKZN Law School Hosts Pledge Ceremony
Law student Ms Luyanda Mzulwini received a copy of the South African Constitution from Professor Managay Reddi.During a recent Pledge Ceremony, first year Law students committed to serve the law with integrity as students, legal professionals and UKZN alumni.
About 300 students took part, being formally inducted into the Law School through taking an oath to conduct themselves with decorum to respect fellow students and staff and to act with integrity.
In his address, School of Law academic Professor Karthy Govender, urged students to commit to realising the values of the constitution so that they could be instrumental in improving the quality of life of all South African citizens.
Govender said they needed to not only defend the foundational values of the Constitution but also actively promote and protect them. He described the attainment of the promise of the Constitution as a work in progress with each succeeding generation being required to contribute to this effort.
‘If you are effective and critical thinkers you will be more capacitated to advance the nation towards the promise of the Constitution. The nation by investing in your education in this empowering environment is endeavouring to free your potential to create a society in which individuals enjoy fundamental rights and freedom.
Govender urged students to postpone the quest for instant gratification and be disciplined and focused and asked them to adopt the adage that success is a habit.
Law student Ms Linda Dlamini said she felt privileged to be a part of a Law School committed to honouring and promoting the ethics of the law profession. ‘The pledge is very important as it symbolises that we have grown and that people can trust us with their rights. I am very excited to be part of this Institution and to be assured that I will realise my goals and visions of becoming a human rights lawyer.’
Fellow student Ms Andiswa Zungu said that by making the pledge she was committing to ensuring access to justice, a commitment she took very seriously.
After putting their signatures on the pledge to symbolise their commitment to the law profession students collected copies of the South African Constitution from the Schools Dean and Head Professor Managay Reddi.
- Thandiwe Jumo
author : .author email : .UKZN Academic and PhD Student Secures Prestigious Scholarship for Doctoral Studies
Ms Thea van der Westhuizen.College of Law and Management Lecturer and doctoral student Ms Thea van der Westhuizen's innovative approach to research has earned her a prestigious DAAD-NRF In-Country Scholarship for her doctoral studies.
The German Academic Exchange Service Scholarship is awarded to outstanding young students and academics in South Africa with the aim of qualifying young researchers and professionals with a spirit of tolerance and openness at the very best institutions around the world while promoting the internationality and appeal of Germany’s Institutions of Higher Education.
Van der Westhuizen’s interest in self-motivation, with the focus on entrepreneurship, inspired her to approach her research topic: “The Development of an Action Learning Programme to Enhance Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy”, under the supervision of Professor Kriben Pillay and Professor Shahida Cassim.
The values she explores in her research are also values she lives by as she had applied for more than 30 scholarships with no success. Van der Westhuizen persevered and kept on trying until she finally succeeded. The result of her success is an In Country scholarship which will fund her research to the value of R90 000 a year for three years, and opens the opportunity to travel to Germany to learn from top international institutions
‘My action research is an action learning project that will see second year students being part of a nine-month teaching and learning programme that is fun and creative. The project is called SHAPE which stands for Shifting Hope, Activating Potential Entrepreneurship.’
Students will learn how starting a business is not only about a business plan but it is also about self-motivation and self-confidence which will enable them to keep going even after failure. Students will also be given the opportunity to work in partnership with experienced business professionals. The result will hopefully be a business start-up of the student in partnership with an experienced professional.
‘I believe that as a researcher you have to be passionate about your topic and not only do it so that you can get a qualification. You must never give up and need to be able to deal with rejection because when you do something, it is about the heart and not the mind,’ she said.
The programme, due to start running in March, will be Van der Westhuizen’s data collection method as she will be observing its progress and results.
‘The students will be placed in the business environment of our sponsors, eThekwini Municipality and the Durban Chamber of Business and Industry where they will not come in as interns but as equal potential partners and explore ways of starting a business.
‘By the time the students are done with their qualification they will have the experience of starting a business. This programme will allow us to observe our research in action as it emerges, and evaluate it successes and failures as it happens. It can be seen as part of the Living Theory philosophical movement” said van der Westhuizen.
Since the Scholarship covers visits to Germany for study and research visits and a lifelong partnership it also creates an opportunity for ideas of collaborative research and mutually beneficial international partnerships.
As her supervisor, Pillay had this to say about Van der Westhuizen’s accomplishment: ‘Thea is a very good example of a focused goal-getter. I witnessed her facing many difficulties with her research and her career but through perseverance both her career and her research path have dramatically changed and are on course. She seems to have personally imbibed the principles of personal and social change from the Theory U model that she is using in her research.’
As a current scholarship holder Van der Westhuizen is also invited to the DAAD-NRF In-Country scholarship holders meeting taking place in Stellenbosch in June.
More info about SHAPE can be found at shape@ukzn.ac.za or http://shapetechnology.wordpress.com/
- Thandiwe Jumo
author : .author email : .Seriously Kidding – Title of New Book by UKZN Graduate
Vincent Naidoo’s Seriously Kidding.UKZN alumnus Mr Vincent Naidoo has written a book titled Seriously Kidding.
The book includes quotes from great leaders, thinkers, poets and philosophers on subjects such as how to deal with adversity, the meaning of life, the value of self-improvement, the importance of helping others, the power of our thoughts and the need for a stronger character.
Naidoo believes the powerful life quotations can be used as a frame of reference when people need instant inspiration or advice about how to deal with problems. ‘My message is simple, Enjoy life, because you were born to be awesome,’ said Naidoo.
Seriously Kidding, which includes a chapter on light hearted humor, contains landscape pictures and amusing snippets.
‘I wrote this book with the intention of restoring the library at the St. Vincent’s Children’s Home in Pinetown. A percentage of the proceeds will be allocated for the restoration,’ said Naidoo.
Aimed at all age groups, Seriously Kidding is available in local outlets including pharmacies at R100 a copy. Phone 083 777 1722 for more information on availability.
* Naidoo obtained his Bachelor of Commerce (1996) and Honors (1998) degrees at the former University of Durban-Westville, and completed his MBA degree at Mancosa in 2000. He is currently an Executive Insurance Adviser at ABSA Bank, where he has been for the past 17 years.
- Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer
author : .author email : .College of Humanities and Mazisi Kunene Foundation Strengthen Ties
The College of Humanities delegation with representatives from the Mazisi Kunene Foundation.The College of Humanities and the Mazisi Kunene Foundation have affirmed their commitment to working together by deciding to host an annual Public Lecture to highlight the role the late struggle icon played during the apartheid era.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Humanities, Professor Cheryl Potgieter; Acting Dean for Research, Professor Donal McCracken; Acting Dean of the School of Arts, Professor Johannes Smit; School of Arts Academic Leader: Teaching and Learning, Professor Sihawu Ngubane; Head of UKZN Libraries, Dr Nora Buchanan and the College of Humanities Public Relations Manager, Ms Xoliswa Zulu, recently visited the museum.
The College of Humanities and the Foundation have a long standing relationship. In 2006, the Mazisi Kunene Chair within the then School of IsiZulu Studies was established and then in 2009, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed between the College and the Foundation in an effort to preserve Kunene’s work.
During the visit, the UKZN delegation was given a guided tour that included the viewing of Kunene’s literary works. The Kunene Museum was developed and founded in 2007 at the Kunene home in Glenwood in an effort to develop, preserve and promote the rich cultural archives of his writings.
Potgieter acknowledged the role Kunene played in the country’s struggle for freedom while also acknowledging the work his family had done since his death in 2006.
‘While the MOA was signed before my time, I am happy to continue working with the Foundation,’ said Potgieter. ‘I would like to affirm my commitment to hosting an annual Mazisi Kunene Public Lecture that will highlight his works and the role he played in the country. The person who will deliver the Lecture will be finalised soon,’ she said.
Mrs Mathabo Kunene thanked the College for the role it has played in continuing the legacy of her late husband. ‘I think this visit is particularly special because the team, including the DVC of Humanities, took the time to come and see and examine the manuscripts. I think for us, the museum is not only just four walls but is a museum because of the manuscripts and its relationship with UKZN. It’s very historic for us to build this relationship with UKZN.’
KwaZulu-Natal-born Kunene was one of Africa’s greatest poets and literary icons. He was a talented writer whose inspiration was the history of the Zulu people, the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and the oral tradition of African literature.
UKZNDabaOnline
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