Unisa 2008 Research Report - University of South Africa

college of human
sciences | chs
The year 2008 was an eventful time in the
College as far as research is concerned.
Emphasis was placed on nurturing developing
researchers and creating a research environment
in which they received mentoring both
in Departments and in the College. They were
encouraged both to apply for College funding
to enable them to attend foreign and domestic
conferences, and to apply for Thuthuka grants
and for the University’s master’s and doctoral
support grants.
Ways of improving the College’s research profile
were investigated during the course of the
year. At a College Executive Workshop, for
example, two sessions focused on master’s and
doctoral support and research. In the research
session the group’s discussion concentrated on
the Institutional Operational Plan (IOP) and on
ways in which the College will ensure that it
meets the research requirements of the Plan.
During 2008, efforts to encourage research in
the CHS focused on the following aspects:
• Departmental research policies
• Mentoring of developing researchers
• Encouragement of proven researchers
• nRF matters
• Academic associates
• Contacts being made with academics
elsewhere in Africa
• Research being undertaken in the University’s
focus areas
• Community service
• Reflexive research.
confeRences And semInAR PAPeRs
deLIVeRed
In the CHS, 256 conference and seminar
papers were delivered by members of the
College during the first three quarters of the
year. The number of papers, amounting to
almost half of the number of academics in the
College, is a very heartening sign that most
academics realise the importance both of
research and of testing their research findings
in national and international gatherings.
dePARTmenTAL semInARs
A wide range of seminars and colloquia were
arranged during the course of the year, both by
the School for Graduate Studies and by various
Departments. These included not only papers
read by Unisa academics but also by a wide
range of scholars from outside Unisa, both
national and international.
The weekly colloquia hosted by the Department
of English Studies and the seminar series
hosted by the School for Graduate Studies are
important venues for multi-disciplinary discussions.
nRf RATIngs
The ratings awarded to members of the
College are generally very satisfactory. There
were 11 successful applicants in different
categories. The College is striving to fulfil its
commitment to meeting the University’s
IOP for 2008–2010. It is also very pleasing to
note that the number of B-rated researchers
has increased from two to four.
PARTneRshIPs And coLLAboRATIon
The College is making steady progress in this
field. A number of Departments are actively
following a policy of extending their links with
academics elsewhere on the continent. During
the course of 2008, there have been a number
of visits of African academics and scholars to
departments in the College of Human Sciences.
AfRIcA sPeAks
One of the most promising projects started in
2008 was the African Visiting lecture Scholar
lecture series. The programme has a number
of major objectives: The first aim is to invite
accomplished African scholars and intellectuals
from all over the continent to address the
Unisa academic community on a wide range
of African issues. In inviting these scholars, it
is hoped that scholars within the CHS would
better appreciate the laudable contributions of
the invited participants of the programme.
In other words, it is also a programme that
celebrates the achievements of African scholarship.
Finally, the programme intends to invigorate
research capacities within the College by
providing mentoring and networking opportunities
for developing scholars working in the
College. To this end, several reputable African
scholars have been earmarked to participate
in the programme and ensure its continued
success.
Prof. Rosemary Moeketsi
Executive Dean of CHS
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