Research
Unisa bags notable awards for research prowess
Prof Les Labuschagne, Executive Director of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation, with SARIMA Organisational Excellence in Research Management, with SARIMA President, Dr Anna Natris-Goreses, Namibia University of Science and Technology
Sustaining high-level performance in research, Unisa has won two prestigious awards from the Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA), in the Organisational Excellence in Research Management, and Early Career Excellence in Research Management categories.
This is the second time Unisa wins the highly prized Organisational Excellence in Research Management Award. The first one was awarded in May 2015, demonstrating the university’s research excellence on the African continent.
SARIMA is an organisation that brings together research and innovation management practitioners, to reinforce various disciplines and institutional capabilities across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
Commending the university for this achievement, Prof Les Labuschagne, Unisa’s Executive Director of the Department of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (DRIC), excitedly expresses appreciation on behalf of his department, for the hard work and dedication towards impactful research – resulting in this achievement. Labuschagne remarks that this recognition is testament to the dedication, vision and hard work of the entire DRIC team, as well as the unwavering support of Unisa stakeholders at large.
Continuing, Labuschagne details that the DRIC’s journey is guided by a commitment to advancing research, nurturing innovation, and creating enabling environments where researchers are acknowledged for engaging in fact-finding data collection and analysing practicable knowledge to not only enrich academia, but to also benefit the broader society.
Labuschagne further says: "We are especially proud of initiatives such as the Researcher Development Academy (RDA), and the Research Integrity Ambassadors Programme, which continue to strengthen our research ecosystem."
Also, Labuschagne hails SARIMA for the recognition. He remarks: "Together, we continue building a vibrant, inclusive, and globally impactful research culture."
Inspiring future researchers
Leonie Louw, Research Ethics Officer in the Directorate of Research Support under the Research Integrity Office, was awarded the Early Career Excellence in Research Management Award. Louw acknowledges this prestigious honour as both humbling and inspiring.
Leonie Louw, Research Ethics Officer: Directorate of Research Support in the Research Integrity Office, and Dr Anna Natris-Goreses
She adds: "It affirms the importance of embedding ethics and integrity in research management, and reminds me of our shared responsibility to safeguard the credibility of scholarship." Louw concludes: "I look forward to continue supporting Unisa’s researchers and students in building a transparent and ethical research culture that can inspire future generations."
Through innovation, mentorship, and integrity-driven initiatives, DRIC continues to elevate Unisa’s research ecosystem to new heights.
*By Godfrey Madibane, Acting Journalist, Department of Institutional Advancement
Publish date: 2025-09-22 00:00:00.0
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