Unisa’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor (VC), Professor Puleng LenkaBula, hosted a congratulatory dinner on 30 June 2022 to celebrate the university’s many scholars with National Research Foundation (NRF) ratings based on their exceptional knowledge excellence in their fields of research.

As he eloquently directed the programme, Professor Tennyson Mgutshini, Acting Executive Dean of the College of Graduate Studies, highlighted that the scholars are at the forefront of addressing long-standing societal challenges and the legacies of non-transformation in societies and institutions of higher learning.

Professor Lessing Labuschagne

Unisa’s Executive Director of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation, Professor Lessing Labuschagne, welcomed guests and provided context for celebrating the university’s rated scholars. Labuschagne said that the NRF rating system is a key driver aimed at building a globally competitive science system in South Africa. He added: “It is a valuable tool for benchmarking the quality of Unisa’s researchers against the best in the world. The rating of researchers is based primarily on the quality and impact of their research articles.”

Labuschagne remarked: “In just ten years, Unisa has more than doubled the number of rated researchers. The number of female researchers and black African researchers has substantially increased,” he continued. “Unisa is far beyond the rest of the universities in South Africa. While there is still a lot of work ahead, we have made good progress to be where we are today. We look forward to further growth in this regard, which requires a good development and recruitment strategy. Unisa must be a space that attracts top researchers.”

While Unisa’s Angelo Vaaltyn kept the house warm with his incredible vocal performances, the university shared a research highlights video.

Astounding testimonies shared

Professor Azwihangwisi Mavhandu-Mudzusi

The multi-award-winning Professor Azwihangwisi Mavhandu-Mudzusi, Head of Research in the College of Human Sciences, shared a personal perspective of how an NRF rating enhanced her scholarship. She reflected on her journey as an academic, and how she rose through the ranks. Highlighting the benefits of being an NRF-rated scholar, Mavhandu-Mudzusi said that, among other things, it is a career booster and attracts impactful collaborations.

The Chair of Department of Agriculture, Professor Ntanganedzeni Mapholi, shared her journey to esteemed scholarship. She said: “As a researcher, I believe that agriculture should be a legacy for South Africans, in one way or another, and we should be able to improve and sustain it.” For Mapholi, rated scholars should strive to make a difference in their industries for the benefit of the country and continent.

Also speaking on her journey to esteemed scholarship was Professor Adele da Veiga of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology. “We need to embrace diversity and encourage each other to excellence,” she said. “For academic attempts that were not successful, we need to rise, retry, reinvent, and refocus in order to progress. We need to lead the way and choose our direction, which will help us achieve short-term and long-term tasks.”

A commitment to support academia

The Vice-Principal of Finance and Business Enterprises, Khathutshelo Ramukumba, pledged continued support for academics to ensure that they publish more in top journals and are cited. Ramukumba reiterated that research improves the stature and standing of the university. He encouraged scholars to take part in conversations around research budgets in their colleges, so that they can get the needed financial assistance.

Professor Puleng LenkaBula

Professor LenkaBula expressed her pride in being part of an august university that invented distance education in the global arena. She stated that other institutions of higher learning can look up to Unisa, especially regarding digitalisation post the COVID-19 pandemic. She said that Unisa is research intensive and research comprehensive, thus demonstrating excellence. She acknowledged that the university is a global player in knowledge formation, research and innovation, a fact that shapes the futures of its students.

She said that Unisa provides a magnitude of opportunities of transformation locally, continentally, and globally. “However,” she concluded, “there are challenges that we need to overcome together. Therefore, we need to co-lead and co-construct the future of the institution. The expansion of Unisa should continue beyond capacity, to include the quality of global research impact.”

Delivering the vote of thanks, Professor Thenjiwe Meyiwa, Vice-Principal of Research, Postgraduate Studies, Innovation and Commercialisation, pledged that the university will continue to support the progress of its scholars, including that of students.

*By Nancy Legodi, Acting Journalist, Department of Institutional Advancement