Unisa 2008 Research Report - University of South Africa

Research is
development –
celebrating a year
of achievement
PROF. MAnDlA MAkHAnyA
PRO VICE-CHAnCEllOR
THE POTEnTIAl FOR RESEARCH to become a
catalyst for South Africa’s development agenda is
enormous. In various plans, statements, initiatives
and white papers, the government has made the
same point over the past decade and half. For
South Africa, research is neither an optional extra
nor a mere luxury. The need for research-led
development is so great that no South African
institution of higher learning and no major South
African corporation can contribute to this country’s
development without becoming engaged
in research.
Almost all our developmental challenges can only
be addressed through strategies and interventions
based on rigorous research. Consider
the following selection of our developmental
challenges: energy outages and shortages,
unbearable traffic volumes in our urban centres,
climate change, water sanitation, accessibility of
justice to all citizens, social cohesion, racism,
patriarchy, moral degeneration, literacy levels and
violence against women. The only way we can
respond to these and many other challenges in
an informed, affordable and sustainable manner
is through research.
However, the greatest challenge that our country
faces is the development of a critical mass of well
qualied and top notch researchers, especially
(but not exclusively) in science and technology.
Without minimising the need for funding, equipment
and technology in the South African innovation
system, the most basic of our needs are
warm human bodies with the capacity to engage
in research and the wherewithal to produce the
requisite research outputs. Indeed, our research
funding, equipment and technology interventions
should be geared towards research human
resource development. Thus is one of the weaker
links in South Africa’s innovation system.
Few institutions of higher learning have understood
these challenges better than Unisa. In
2008, the Institution launched and continued to
roll out a suite of initiatives, interventions and
projects whose central aim is the development of
a critical mass of researchers. Such initiatives
include:
• The Postgraduate Bursary for Master’s and
Doctoral Students (which is available to master’s
and doctoral students on merit regardless
of nationality)
• The Master’s and Doctoral Support Programme
for staff members (enrolled for
master’s and doctoral studies at Unisa and
elsewhere)
• The young Academics Programme (a retention
and training programme for young staff
members)
• The Unisa Women in Research Initiative
• The Unisa Research Training Programme
(aimed at all categories of researchers
throughout the year)
• The collaborative Unisa–nRF Thuthuka
Programme
• Various interventions aimed at developing
researchers in all Colleges
• Advanced plans to establish an Institute for
Graduate Studies in the University
• The transformation of the Florida Campus into
a Science Hub
• The transformation of the Unisa Main Campus
library into a leading Research library.
Although many of the above initiatives are new
and being rolled out, the response of the Unisa
research community has been overwhelmingly
enthusiastic all round. It is clear that the University
is making the right kinds of both long and
short term ‘investments’ in research development.
The returns will not be immediate, but our
determination to make the strategic investments
and make them now is there for all to see. In a few
years, the impact of these initiatives and investments
should begin to be felt within and beyond
Unisa.
While they are the most strategic and most important,
the research development initiatives do not
exhaust our entire research effort. We boast a
growing number of rated researchers to whom we
are providing more tting recognition and support.
For the past ve years, we have consistently
surpassed our target of ten new rated researchers
per annum. Similarly, the recognition and support
provided to both supervisors and postgraduate
students will impact on the throughput and
graduation rates of our postgraduate students.
The various prizes and incentives we provide for
researchers are proof that as an institution, we
are committed to the rewarding of excellence in
research.
Our commitment to the development of research
in the applied and natural sciences is further indicated
in the dedication of the Florida Campus to
the natural and applied sciences. The appointment
of Prof. Catherine Hoppers in the SARChI Chair in
Development Education is making the right kinds
of academic waves in the Institution, especially in
consolidating our focus on multi-, inter- and transdisciplinary
research.
I am excited with our strategic initiatives and
interventions. I look back to 2008 with pride at
what Unisa has achieved in terms of research
and research development. I look forward to
doing even better in 2009. For Unisa, research is
development.
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