Congratulations are in order as the College of Human Sciences (CHS) has had a remarkable start to 2013! The National Research Foundation (NRF) announced late last year that Unisa had 20 rated researchers, nine of whom are CHS staff members.
In no particular order they are:
- Dr W Bentley Y2 (Research Institute for Theology and Religion)
- Prof E Bornman C2 (Communication Science)
- Prof JS Dreyer B3 (Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology)
- Prof M Masenya C2 (Biblical and Ancient Studies)
- Dr J Murray Y2 (English Studies)
- Prof OB Onyancha C2 (Information Science)
- Prof RS Viljoen C2 (History)
- Prof S Ndlovu C3 (Development Studies)
- Prof GF Snyman C2 (Biblical and Ancient Studies)
Drum Beat spoke to two of the researchers to hear what they had to say about their achievements.
Dr Wessel Bentley, Chief Researcher at the Research Institute for Theology and Religion and an ordained Methodist minister, said, “The rating came a bit unexpected, seeing that I am fairly new to fulltime academia. I count it a tremendous privilege to have been awarded a rating and know that this will create many possibilities for expanding my research programme.”
Dr Bentley has been at Unisa since January 2012. He is married and has two sons, yet still makes time to explore the relationship between the church, the state and society as well as the discourse on science and religion. “I think it is an important field of study. Even though we live in a growing secular world, the importance of spirituality and belief systems is increasingly recognised by leaders in management-, political- and the social sciences,” he said.
Dr Bentley wants his research to find grassroots expression and to be beneficial to the community. “Much of what I do in my community involvement concerns listening, teaching and building systems that promote community and community well-being, all of which stem from what I am busy researching. For me, it is not just about the research. It is about my passion, what I believe in. In turn, these convictions lead to new areas of research.”
Another 2013 NRF rated researcher is Prof Jessica Murray from the English Department whose areas of specialisation are feminist theory, queer theory and Southern African literature. She was thrilled when she heard the news after going through the rigorous application process.
“The process itself was very rewarding and the rating feels like an extra bonus. I’m very grateful for the support I received from the college, the Research Office and especially Prof Alan Weinberg. The NRF is committed to building research capacity in South Africa, and I am very pleased that they recognised the value of feminist research by giving me the rating,” said Prof Murray.
As a feminist literary scholar Prof Murray will continue to explore how textual representations shed light on the on-going vulnerability of women in our society as a necessary step towards imagining a different type of society.
The NRF is mandated to facilitate the creation of knowledge, innovation and development in all fields of science and technology, including indigenous knowledge, in order to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of all people for the benefit of both present and future generations of South Africans. For the next five years the CHS researchers will hold their ratings.
By Kgaugelo Pule
