2021/2022 Annual Research & Innovation Report by University of the Western Cape

RISE Research & Innovation for Society through Excellence Towards SDG 2030: What have we contributed? ANNUAL REPORT 2021/2022

SECTION 1: Directors Report ..................................... 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 SECTION 2: University in numbers 24 SECTION 3: UWC Contributions to SDGs 31 SECTION 4: UWC Researchers making us proud 47 SECTION 5: Partnership & Internationalisation 66 SECTION 6: Recognising our Researchers 79 TABLE CONTENTSOF

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SECTION Directors Report

As we embrace the concept of making research and innovation count through connecting possibilities, we realise more and more that working together is the key to solving the challenges we face as a society. Solutions that are found for our context could also assist in influencing and contributing to solutions globally. As we unpack the achievements of the past year, our theme will be: “Towards SDG 2030: What have we contributed?” Currently we know that universal values are what enable the SDGs to be truly transformative. They place the person and their inherent dignity at the heart of development efforts, empowering all people to become active partners in this endeavour. By the very DNA of the University of the Western Cape, we contribute to understanding and finding solutions on several of the SDG goals. Initially our slogan was from hope to action and we then added ‘through knowledge’ – this was the change the leadership made at the UWC. We realised that we could give hope to our students, academics, partners and communities through knowledge. We empowered all stakeholders through creating an enabling environment that is key to the success of the research and innovation strategy for 2021-

We2025need to look critically at what stands in our way to contribute significantly to both the SDG 2030 Agenda and the African Agenda 2063. How we are going to overcome these barriers, requires reflection on what kinds of knowledge is necessary, whose knowledge is needed, and how higher education institutions can address these challenges and their

As we reflect on year 2 of navigating the impact of COVID-19 not only on the academic projects of universities, but also research endeavours, the university was able to maintain its research productivity. Our academics and students have experienced a series of challenges that has led to governance adaptability to accommodate these challenges and ensure that research is able to continue. At times, research may have looked different to what we are used to, but COVID-19 has highlighted the importance and contribution that research can make. Thank you to our committed and resilient academics and students for making research count despite the challenges.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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impacts, both within academia and beyond, in an increasingly diverse yet interdependent society. Universities are uniquely placed to lead the cross-sectoral implementation of the SDGs, providing an invaluable source of expertise in research and education on all sectors of the SDGs, in addition to being widely considered as neutral and influential players. In terms of research, we should encourage and support researchers to engage in equitable and collaborative SDG-related research.

Over the past year we have increased our efforts to improve partnerships and drive interdisciplinary research. We have also developed emerging researchers to become leading researchers. These efforts are supported through university research centres and our DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security. Over the past year our research centres located in faculties have increased and they position the faculty and university as national and international players in relevant fields. In addition, our SARCHi chairs have increased from 9 Tier 1 chairs to 12 Tier 1 chairs, thus highlighting the valuable contribution researchers are making and the acknowledgement received both nationally and internationally. The number of NRF rated researchers has also grown from 152 -161. Supporting researchers and students through the research process remains one of our key aims and in 2021 we shifted our ethics processes online with roll-out in 2022. The shift is part of the process of digital transformation and helps us as an institution ensure that we help to provide a safe and ethical framework to monitor research for everyone. Ensuring that we achieve the success of research and innovation are our directors and faculties across the university. Support units for the research and innovation enterprise includes the research office, the division of postgraduate studies, the technology transfer office, e-research, the library, special projects, the gender equity unit and the centre of excellence.

DVC: Research and Innovation –Prof. José Frantz

DIRECTORS’ REPORTS:

SDG

The support offered by the office of the DVC: Research and Innovation includes promotion and support of interdisciplinary research, early career and mid-career research support and enhancing leading researchers. In addition, researchers are supported by support services from the library and technology transfer office. The division for postgraduate studies, special projects unit and the research development office also provides capacity development initiatives that assists postgraduate students and academics across the spectrum. As we look at the theme “Towards 2030: What have we contributed?”, we assess the contribution of the various directorates.

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CENTRE EXCELLENCE:OFProf.JDMay Prof.ERESEARCH:MVaccari GENDER EQUITY: Ms M Van Staden DrSERVICES:LIBRARYSNeerputh DrPROJECTS:SPECIALTSokupaDEVELOPMENT:RESEARCHProf.JPhillipsPOSTGRADUATESTUDIES:Prof.MSmith DrTECHNOLOGYTRANSFER:ACasanueva DIRECTORS

The National Research Foundation introduced a rating system that aimed to build a globally competitive science system in South Africa. It serves as a benchmarking tool to compare the quality of South African researchers to the best in the world. The number of NRF-rated researchers at the UWC continues to grow annually. By 2021, there were seven A-rated researchers with an increase in the total number from 152 to 161 rated researchers.

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NRF rated Research

■ 2020 ■ 2021 A-RATED B-RATED C-RATED Y-RATED P-RATED TOTAL

OFFICEDEVELOPMENTRESEARCH

The office of the DVC R&I provides the full spectrum of research support services to the researchers at the UWC and the Research and Development Office is one of the support units offering these services. The Research Office, therefore, strives to provide services and resources to faculty, staff and postdoctoral fellows to stimulate research and other creative endeavours. We also aim to facilitate and enhance partnerships and collaborations between faculty, government, foundations, industry, and global research enterprises. In keeping with the division’s strategic goals, the Department regularly hosts workshops, meetings, training sessions and similar events throughout the year. During 2021 we focused on capacity development workshops, ethics and integrity, funding opportunities and research scholarship.

NRF-rated researchers

Senate Research Funding

International Conference Funding

In 2021, the budget allocated for international conference funding was R1 030 000. The figure below shows the international conference awards made for 2021 per faculty. Only 3 faculties accessed the international conference funding during 2021. This area was underspent in 2021.

Council Funding for Research Support

Senate Research Funds are aimed at funding University of the Western Cape researchers working on a UWC-registered research project. A maximum of R 30 000 was awarded per researcher for 2021. Each project that is funded must be registered with the Senate Research Committee and ethically approved by either BMREC, HSSREC or AREC, if ethics are relevant. In 2021, two SR Funding calls were made. Not all the funds were spent in the first call, which enabled the Committee to open a second. Again, not all funds were used, so the remainder of this budget was transferred to the page fees and international conferences budget.

6 Publication Fees

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Publication Fees

submission8

The Department of Research Development submits an annual report to the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) of the University’s research output, in order to be able to claim a subsidy. Research output, in the form of books, book chapters, conference proceeding articles and journal articles, was in respect of the period 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021. This included any 2020 output that was omitted in the previous submission.

DHET-accredited research output 2008-2021

Department of Research Development submits an annual report to the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) of the University’s research output, in order to be able claim a subsidy. Research output, in the form of books, book chapters, conference proceeding articles and journal articles, was in respect of the period 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021. This included any 2020 output that was omitted in the previous submission

DHET-accredited research output 2008-2021

The purpose of this fund is to facilitate open access publishing of research articles by members of the University of the Western Cape. This should make the University’s research more accessible, thereby increasing the visibility and impact of the research for the benefit of both researchers and the University. A total of R2 803 898 was spent in 2021 and the breakdown per faculty is illustrated below.

9 UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22 9 CONFERENCEPROCEEDING BOOKS CHAPTERS IN BOOKS JOURNALS ARTS & HUMANITIES 3 30 153 CHS 1 1 10 239 DENTISTRY 76 EMS 4 0 0 76 EDUCATION 6 32 LAW 15 76 SCIENCE 14 0 5 504 TOTAL 19 4 70 1156 The publication output for 2021 per faculty is outlined below:

The extension of the State of Disaster, additional waves of COVID-19 infections and the emergence of the Omicron variant of the SARS-Cov-2 virus continued to shape both the research environment of the DSI NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security (CoE-FS) and global, national and local food systems in 2021. At the most direct level, restricted access to the university campuses has meant that the CoE-FS has operated as a virtual office for almost two of the seven years since they were established. Fortunately, due to the multi-institutional nature of the centre, they had already adopted audio-visual methods of meeting, and through a leverage grant raised from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), adopted Zoom technologies as early as 2018, and have made use of cloud-based storage since 2014. This has meant that the core administrative activities of the CoE-FS experienced very little disruption.

The place-based approach to the analysis of food systems has taken shape despite the COVID-19 restrictions, and the CoE-FS is now implementing this approach in two pilot sites: the Breede Valley Municipality (BVM) in the Western Cape and the Alfred Nzo District in the Eastern Cape. The receipt of a new grant from the EU has introduced a comparative component that includes the cities of Nakuru in Kenya and Constantine in Algeria, thus, expanding the reach of the work into Africa and contributing to the SDG goals related to no poverty.

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In 2021, researchers in the CoE-FS published 83 papers in accredited journals and peer reviewed books. A total of 83 students were involved in our projects, of which 35 were directly funded by bursaries awarded from the National Research Foundation (NRF) grant. There were also 14 postdoctoral fellows in the CoE-FS. Women students comprised 68,7%, and black students 63,9%. Researchers and students presented 66 papers and posters at national and international conferences (these were mostly held virtually). In 2021, a total of 30 bursary holders graduated. Together, the grants raised by the CoE-FS amount to R72 326 751,70 (that is R28 685 569,70 in direct funding, and R43 641 182,00 in leverage funding) in 2021.

DSI NRF CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN FOOD SECURITY (COE-FS)

In addition, the CoE-FS was invited to the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) which was an especially important event in 2021. The CoE-FS contributed to the summit via the Rapid Food System Assessment that was undertaken with funding provided by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). This consultative process and report were a result of collaboration between the CoE-FS, the European Union (EU), FAO, and the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD).

One of the highlights of the CoE-FS was the collaborative publication of the South African Child Gauge 2020 South_African_Child_Gauge_2020/ChildGauge_2020_screen_final.pdf).(/http://www.ci.uct.ac.za/sites/default/files/image_tool/images/367/Child_Gauge/

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DIVISION STUDIESPOST-GRADUATEFOR(DPGS)

Skills Development:

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The intention of differentiated training was to develop a pipeline of postgraduate students.

Skills Development:

#1 Priority Academic resources

The Division for Postgraduate Studies contributes to the development of an enabling research environment at the UWC. The DPGS provides a number of services to the postgraduate community at the UWC, including postgraduate students and supervisors. The division’s role is to augment the supervisory dyad through the creation of a community of practice that prioritises four key strategies. This annual report of the DPGS presents the outputs and deliverables achieved during the 2021 academic year.

Transferable skills training was a key strategy. Training in aspects of research methodology, higher degrees’ governance and learning to evaluate your own work were broad areas within which training was provided. The approach to skills development entailed developing an online resource of training materials and providing online training. Adopting the online space training as the platform for learning and teaching was strategic. Online workshops were delivered in a participatory manner to facilitate the effective transfer of information. The online repository hosted on the iKAMVA site as a learning management system, enabled the users to revisit the training sessions. A key indicator of success included 11 230 downloads users including 3 712 and 7 568 downloads of new and archived resources respectively. the period March-December 2021, a total of 2 565 unique visitors were recorded on the11

Transferable skills training was a key strategy. Training in aspects of research methodology, higher degrees’ governance and learning to evaluate your own work were broad areas within which training was provided. The approach to skills development entailed developing an online resource of training materials and providing online training. Adopting the online space for training as the platform for learning and teaching was strategic. Online workshops were delivered in a participatory manner to facilitate the effective transfer of information. The online repository hosted on the iKAMVA site as a learning management system, enabled the users to revisit the training sessions. A key indicator of success included 11 230 downloads by users including 3 712 and 7 568 downloads of new and archived resources respectively. For the period March-December 2021, a total of 2 565 unique visitors were recorded on the site. division’s role is to augment the supervisory dyad through the creation of a community of practice that prioritises four key strategies. This annual report of the DPGS presents the outputs and deliverables achieved during the 2021 academic year.

Second, the division screened applicants and administered a number of funding instruments including, but not limited to, internal funds made available through the office of the DVCResearch and Innovation and external funding instruments such as the National Research Fund (NRF). Postgraduate Funding Support

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#2 Priority

Postgraduate funding: Understanding the context of funding is an important research skill for postgraduate students to develop. In the context of dwindling funds, the success of applications hinges on the development of a clear and coherent submission. To this end, a two-pronged approach to funding was adopted. First, the DPGS offered transferable skills training on funding applications and assisted with the preparation of funding applications. Second, the division screened applicants and administered a number of funding instruments including, but not limited to, internal funds made available through the office of the DVC-Research and Innovation and external funding instruments such as the National Research Fund (NRF).

The intention of differentiated training was to develop a pipeline of postgraduate students. It reflects our understanding that there is a build-up to the apex doctoral degree. From the statistics it becomes evident that the Masters’ cohort made the most use of the service (34%). The percentage of Honours students (26,2%) that attended was high relative to the percentage of Honours students registered at the institution. The higher percentage reflects a strategic decision to provide embedded training. In other words, training was provided as an integrated offering that formed part of the curriculum. In this way, the training complimented the curriculum to form a coherent and discipline-specific learning intervention. The percentage of workshops attended by doctoral candidates (19,7%) was encouraging and focused on research methods.

Postgraduate funding: Understanding the context of funding is an important research skill for postgraduate students to develop. In the context of dwindling funds, the success of applications hinges on the development of a clear and coherent submission. To this end, a two-pronged approach to funding was adopted. First, the DPGS offered transferable skills training on funding applications and assisted with the preparation of funding applications. Second, the division screened applicants and administered a number of funding instruments including, but not limited to, internal funds made available through the office of the DVCResearch and Innovation and external funding instruments such as the National Research Fund (NRF).

Coaching: Postgraduate students were supported with coaching to assist with aspects of the thesis process. Three forms of coaching were provided. First, mentors supported students with developing cogent arguments and structuring their written submissions. This provided a tangible support to supervision as supervisors could attend to other aspects while the coaches helped with the technical aspects of the writing. Second, statistical coaches supported students with their quantitative analysis. Senior postgraduate students were appointed as mentors and statistical coaches. This provided an opportunity for senior students to develop curriculum vitae skills and to receive training as coaches.

TOTAL R66

Second, postgraduate students who were preparing to submit their theses for examination were given editing support. Through this process recipients were able to learn how to negotiate with editors, procure services and attend to the technical aspects of the thesis. A total of 80 students were supported including 35 Masters’ students, and 45 PhD students.

Boschendal R

DPGS 175 104,30 1 320 000,00 480 000,00 12 329 118,00 304 222,30 Priority Writing retreats and editing Mentoring

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Writing support: In support of retention and throughput of postgraduate students, two strategies were adopted. First, the DPGS facilitated writing retreats to provide dedicated writing time and space for students. The retreats were given focal points to ensure that students who were at the same developmental level were participating in the respective retreats. Two retreats focused on the completion of proposals, two focused on thesis completion and one focused on developing a manuscript from your thesis. Attendees were supported by academic coordinators, facilitators, mentors and statistical coaches at the retreat. Eighty students attended the writing retreats. Second, postgraduate students who were preparing to submit their theses for examination were given editing support. Through this process recipients were able to learn how to negotiate with editors, procure services and attend to the technical aspects of the thesis. A total of 80 students were supported including 35 Masters’ students, and 45 PhD students.

#4 Priority

R52

TOTAL FUNDING INSTRUMENTS SUPPORT 2021

Third, specialist consultations were made available to students. Academic staff provided assistance to students who required a higher level of input. These included guided assistance with analyses or assistance with techniques that were very sophisticated or complex. Major highlights: A total of 400 postgraduates were mentored and assisted in various aspects of research.

PG Growth and Retention R

Ghent Agreement R

#6 Priority Internationalisation

The Division represented the university community at various strategic endeavours on internationalisation. The role of the DPGS included representation on strategic university committees, steering committees of instruments involving mobility and international consortiums. The Division represented the office of the DVC Research and Innovation on several applications for funding with international partners, discussion forums with international partners and international communities of practice on doctoral education. In this way, the Division worked closely with strategic offices to promote the standing of the UWC and to explore mobility and funding opportunities for students.

assistance to students who required a higher level of input. These included guided assistance with analyses or assistance with techniques that were very sophisticated or complex. Major highlights: A total of 400 postgraduates were mentored and assisted in various aspects of research.

The DPGS hosted transferable skills training for supervisors. The training focused on research methodology, research administration and higher degrees governance. Through the activities of the DPGS, skills training was offered to familiarise supervisors with formats of thesis submissions, supervision and preparing students’ work for examination. A total of 370 supervisors attended the training. Supervisors also had access to the online repository that included research methodology training and previous supervision training. The DPGS also acted as a troubleshooting forum for supervisors who needed to consult on challenging situations regarding supervision, examination or governance. In this manner, the DPGS augmented the Senate Higher Degrees by providing an accessible and safe space for supervisors (and by extension students) to access advice and help. The activities of the DPGS also extended to consultation with stakeholders and faculties on higher degrees governance.

#5 Priority Supervision Training

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new TIA Seed Fund projects to the value of R2.42 million for technology development. new patentprovisionalapplicationwasfiledintheUnitedKingdom. design registrations were granted: 1 in South Africa and 1 in the United Kingdom. Meetings with several Venture Capital investors. 4 12 new disclosures were received by the TTO from UWC researchers. UWC Technologies were showcased at 1 Technology Marketing Event. trademark SouthregisteredwasinAfrica.1 ResearchContractsreceivedTTOassistance. 214 1 new patentprovisionalapplicationswerefiledintheUnitedKingdom. 12 UWC projectsinnovationwithintheTTOportfolio. Over50 2 Innovation/IntellectualPropertyAwarenessEventswereundertaken. new national phase applications were filed in South Africa. 3 patentsgranted:were 1 in the USA, 1 in South Africa, and 1 in Europe. 2 Achievements 2021-2022

The unexpected events of 2020-2021 forced the TTO to work remotely while remaining fully functional. In 2021-2022, however, the UWC TTO has adopted a hybrid working model, where the entire staff complement is based on campus three times a week while working remotely twice a week, using virtual platforms when necessary. This transition back to working from campus has been very beneficial to the TTO team and allows the TTO to better accommodate the needs of UWC researchers and external stakeholders, whether in-person or remotely.

As a key strategic unit within the Research and Innovation portfolio, the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) has focused on strengthening the R&D-led ecosystem at the UWC. This was achieved by reviewing and updating existing policies and operational procedures relating to innovation, while identifying possible gaps within the innovation policies that would need to be established in the coming years. This has been done while ensuring that the TTO provides value-add services to all UWC researchers and departments in any Research and Innovation undertakings.

TRANSFERTECHNOLOGYOFFICE

■ Management of the TIA Seed Funding Programme, currently managing 8 ongoing projects to the value of R4,2M

A vital aspect of the UWC TTO is ensuring that the University complies with Innovation and Bioprospecting legislation. The TTO reports biannually on all innovation disclosures (Oct 2021 and April 2022) to the National Intellectual Property Management Office (NIPMO) of the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), as well as reporting annually to the Department of Environment on all bioprospecting-related research projects.

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With its current young and vibrant team, the UWC TTO is well-positioned to support the UWC in fulfilling its research and innovation strategy. The focus for the next few years will be to build and strengthen partnerships with innovation partners, while supporting the commercialisation of UWC innovations. An internal Innovation Fund will be established in the coming year, allowing for the development of technologies and social innovations to a stage where commercialisation is likely. The TTO will work towards providing an enabling environment for quality research and innovation to all UWC stakeholders, both internal and external.

Highlights:

■ A further investment by the University Technology Fund of R4M to Hyrax Biosciences, a UWC spinout company, was sourced to commercialise the Exatype technology developed at the UWC.

The UWC Scholar: Electronic Theses & Dissertations and Research Publications

Online Publishing Support Service

UWC publications: Open Access vs Subscription, 2011-2021 (ten Years) 2011-2015 2016-2020 400030002000100005000 ■ Total ––– Subscription ––– Open Access 3240 4716

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Therebelow.was

The journals hosted by the library were able to produce at least one new issue for the year. Training and engagement with journal editors and managers occurred frequently. Unfortunately, The African Journal of Gender and Religion decided to part ways with the UWC during the year. It was encouraging to observe an upward trend in open access publishing at the UWC. The UWC Open Access footprint was assessed using data from Scopus and Web of Science, over a period of ten years from 2011 to 2020. The data revealed an increase in the number of open access publications over the subscription-based publications.

LIBRARY SERVICES

Ensuring the visibility of the UWC-produced research continued to be at the forefront of library activities in 2021. In addition to the ETDs uploaded during graduations throughout the year, the library embarked on a project to digitise old ETD copies that were only available in print. This project boosted the UWC’s online research footprint, percentages are depicted on the graph a marked increase in research publications during 2021 with 1 395 new records uploaded to the research repository. The inability and limited access to campus during the Covid-19 pandemic

In March 2021 council endorsed the UWC’s RDM Policy (Section 13 of the UWC’s Research Policy). The policy paves the way for structured engagement about research data across the institution. The UWC celebrated The International Open Access Week between 25-29 October 2021 under the theme: “It Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity”. Below are some highlights that the Library Services rendered:

The iKamva platform proved to be a great tool for reference provision and a reliable platform to distribute webinar recordings. Modules were set up on iKamva for users to enrol on and be able to access research resources. The content includes reference instruction guides, resources on research methods, the library website, literature search strategies, managing citations and bibliographies.

iKamva Course Modules

required alternative means of service provision that enabled access to resources. Diverse reference enquiries are received by the library from different virtual platforms, ranging from a live chat, library guides and the email reference service.

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ETD Repository growth stats for 2020/2021 ARTS CHS DNT EMS EDU LAW NSC 20001000500015002500 ■ 2020 ■ 2021 ■ % growth 4716 761 865 1 459 1 321 13.67% 10.45% 8.73% 20.34% 27.56% 5.90% 14.59% 27425 816982 410523 712754 14792003 Research Repository growth stats for 2020/2021 ARTS CHS DNT EMS EDU LAW NSC 2000100050001500 ■ 2020 ■ 2021 ■ % growth 4716 468527 1 410 1 050 12.61% 34.29% 20.88% 45.90% 15.34% 286 315 734946 61 89 626722 1655 53% 1045 58.37%

Postgraduate Student Training: We liaise extensively with units across campus to recruit students interested in multi-disciplinary applications of Artificial Intelligence techniques, as a result our team members currently supervise 3 Master’s students and 1 PhD student.

The eResearch Office staff, postdocs and students published nine (9) research papers in accredited journals between May 2021 and April 2022. eResearch Scientist Dr Frederic Isingizwe published two papers implementing data-driven technologies for quality control in food systems. He applied machine learning algorithms to detect defects in fruit and vegetables using hyperspectral imaging and nuclear magnetic resonance devices respectively. eResearch Office student Mr Eslam Hussein graduated cum laude in April 2022 and published a book chapter on rainfall predictions and a paper on Rooibos chemical properties. This demonstrates how data intensive research can address a variety of problems that are crucial to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

E-RESEARCH UNIT

eResearch has led the production of a Research Management Systems Concept Note on behalf of the DVC R&I line, pointing to our priorities in the adoption of IT tools for improved research management processes. We were also part of the UWC’s IOP 2021-2025 Information Technology Task Team (TT10), where we led the Research Sub Task Team and played an important role in the compilation of the Task Team reports. Also, thanks to our work, as part of its recently approved IOP 2021-2025 the UWC “will develop and implement an e-research strategy to guide and coordinate activities in support of this area” and “improve support to data-intensive research requirements through cloud-based capacity solutions”. A draft eResearch Strategy describing the rationale for eResearch at the UWC and making the case for investment in additional eResearch support, was produced to contribute to the IOP discussion, and is now part of the wider discussion about the Institutional Digital Strategy. The eResearch Office (ERO) coordinates the Data Intensive Research (DIR) emerging niche area funded by the DVC R&I line as part of the DHET’s HDI Development Grant. This initiative aims to foster multi-disciplinary research with our other partners on and off campus. Our Oversight Committee includes members from the CoE in Food Security, the Department of Statistics and Population Studies and the MSc in Data Science, the Department of Computer Science, the Department of Information Systems, IDIA (Astronomy) and SANBI (Bioinformatics).

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GENDER EQUITY UNIT

In order to fulfil our institutional GBV mandate, efforts towards coordination, monitoring, evaluation and reporting were reinforced through our internal and external collaborations. The Unit also expanded its research and information on gender-based violence.

According to SDG 5, Target 5.1, indicator 5.1.1. (Legal frameworks are in place to promote, enforce and monitor equality and non-discrimination on the basis of sex)

Our work to educate for gender equity on campus and beyond is guided by the sustainable development goal of gender equality. The following strategies are in place to contribute to the achievement of gender equality

Sustainable development Goal 5: Gender Equality

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Despite the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the Unit continued to engage students, staff and communities in activities to promote equity and foster social inclusion and transformation. Guided by the Institutional Operational Plan and policies and National Policy directives, the Unit’s 5-year strategic plan was developed.

The GEU was involved in conversations with Departments to discuss the implementation of an institutional framework for gender equality. Our first participatory, empowering workshop on gender equality was held with the Department of Sport Administration and incorporated the recommendations in their strategic plan. Gender equity is identified as a priority of the Employment Equity Forum, and the unit facilitated conversations with academic and professional staff to work towards the development of a Gender Equality Framework for the University. A concept document was tabled in April 2022 to present a strategy to have a campus-wide engagement to work towards a gender-sensitive and gender-aware campus.

■ monitoring and evaluation.

Findings and recommendations have been translated into an action plan. A meeting was held with the First Responder’s Office to discuss a centralised web-based reporting system to ensure it can be developed by the Department of Computer Science in the Faculty of Science. The staff members of the Gender Equity Unit have undergone First Responder Training. The unit and department of Applied Science, UKZN offered a train-the-trainer course for gender-based violence to Community Coordinators from 5 Provinces in January 2022. Ongoing support is provided to these GBV community care projects. We developed a co-curricular student cohort to assist in the department’s initiatives from a student capacity to roll out higher health policy guidelines as outlined in the DHET GBV Policy Framework.

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■ Thinking through jurisdiction; and

■ enabling environment,

Target 5.2. of the SDG 5 (Ending violence and exploitation)

The staff of the unit are members of the Community of Practice for gender practitioners, an intervarsity forum for the promotion of inclusivity, equitability and justice regarding sexualities and gender, and advocate for the ending of gender-based violence on campuses. The monthly capacity building sessions focused on these topics:

■ Survivor Support – Forensic Insight Training and Consent conundrums.

■ Gender Marker and Institutional Policies;

■ prevention and awareness,

■ support and assistance, and

Staff attended the COP strategic planning session in November 2021 and served on various task teams. We have submitted the first institutional GBV report to the DHET for 2021, reporting on the following strategic priorities:

Two main sources of funding for special projects to drive the agenda of the university is the University Capacity Development Programme and the Historically Disadvantaged Institution Grant. The University Capacity Development Programme (UCDP) is a DHET funded programme. The purpose of the grant is to develop research capacity for academic staff, permanent staff and fixed contract staff. There are five main projects which are being implemented at the Office of the DVC: Research and Innovation in the current cycle, namely the Early-Career Researcher Programme, the Mid-Career Researchers, and the Leading Researcher Programme. The office also coordinates collaborative projects with various universities around the country on ADAPTT and USDP. The programmes are a capacity development pipeline for our academic staff in the various aspects of their research journey.

Special Projects seeks to provide the kind of support that will result in productive researchers who are able to contribute to the university’s national knowledge and skills requirements, as well as supporting the strategic positioning of the UWC within the national and international higher education context.

1. Social Innovation and Development Logistics and Data Analytics Library Services

As the UWC works towards increasing its stature and reputation through the quality, integrity and impact of its research, the special projects programme becomes key to these endeavours. These projects fit into the larger strategy for research-focused staff development, that creates a pipeline support for early career researchers, mid-career researchers and leading researchers.

4. Leadership, Governance and Management 5. Early Childhood Development 6. Diversity in Psychological Practices 7. Neuroscience 8. Data Intensive Research

SPECIAL PROJECTS

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High Performance Sport

The UWC continues its focus on increasingly becoming a research-led university as guided by its IOP. Through the Special Projects, the DVC Research and Innovation has continued to strengthen an institutional research culture, deepening and expanding research capacity, improving postgraduate supervision, and increasing research outputs and peer-reviewed research publications. This has ensured that the UWC meets its legislative mandate of being locally relevant and globally impactful through its research and innovation whilst contributing to the SDG agenda.

UWC HDI projects serve a dual purpose: (i) to make the UWC more readily sustainable, and (ii) to open up and support new intellectual enterprises.

Under the DVC: Research and Innovation, the following HDI Projects were supported:

24 UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22 SECTION 2: inUniversitynumbers

25 UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22 25 The research activities at the University of the Western Cape are wide-ranging, and to measure them, an interdisciplinary approach was used. One set of measurables in isolation does not do justice to sharing the achievements. The At-a-Glance section aims to provide as clear a picture as possible. We have presented statistics and data from several sources. It is hoped that together the information gives an overview of research excellence at the University of the Western Cape. @REALLYGREATSITE RANKED 8TH IN SCIENCEPHYSICAL in Africa –Nature Index 2022 Total R66bursaryPostgraduatesupport:304222,00 R 601-800World University Rankings 8 Africa.Southin UWC is 8th in South Africa, holding the following places in the worlds rankings. th in the world 1 239 in the world 1 239 in the world 1 239 in the world TimesEducationHigher CWURBusiness Tech QuacquarellQS 671 staffAcademicofwhich 62% have a TotalPhDStudent BreakdownTotal Development:Capacity R35 517 773,90 19 321 5 469 4 482 2 417 1 267 TotalFirst-timeUndergraduatesPostgraduatesEnteringUndergraduatesMasters’DoctoralStudentsResearch income: R247 912 061,00 Research entities at the University across Faculties. CapacityWorkshops:Development PG Student Support: 63 Staff: 9 Collaborative: 5 INPUT: The information below illustrates the support given to researchers and postgraduate students through various funding opportunities to achieve their research objectives and goals. AT A GLANCE 2021 8 CentresResearch 9InstitutResearches 7 ResearchUnits Abbreviations: DHET: Department of Higher Education and Training NRF: National Research Foundation @REALLYGREATSITE RANKED 8TH IN SCIENCEPHYSICAL in Africa –Nature Index 2022 Total R66bursaryPostgraduatesupport:304222,00 R 601-800World University Rankings 8 Africa.Southin UWC is 8th in South Africa, holding the following places in the worlds rankings. th in the world 1 239 in the world 1 239 in the world 1 239 in the world TimesEducationHigher CWURBusiness Tech QuacquarellQS 671 staffAcademicofwhich 62% have a TotalPhDStudent BreakdownTotal Development:Capacity R35 517 773,90 19 321 5 469 4 482 2 417 1 267 TotalFirst-timeUndergraduatesPostgraduatesEnteringUndergraduatesMasters’DoctoralStudentsResearch income: R247 912 061,00 Research entities at the University across Faculties. CapacityWorkshops:Development PG Student Support: 63 Staff: 9 Collaborative: 5 INPUT: The information below illustrates the support given to researchers and postgraduate students through various funding opportunities to achieve their research objectives and goals. AT A GLANCE 2021 8 CentresResearch 9InstitutResearches 7 ResearchUnits Abbreviations: DHET: Department of Higher Education and Training NRF: National Research Foundation

26 UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22 A - 6 B - 35 C- 100 P- 1 Y- 16 Total NRF ratings: RATED RESEARCHERS: The NRF rating system is a key driver in the NRF’s aim to build a globally competitive science system in South Africa. It is a valuable tool for benchmarking the quality of our researchers against the best in the world. 161 3 NRF shiftedSARchifrom Tier 2 to Tier 1. 1. 1. 2. 3. 10.11.12. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Tier 1 Tier 2 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Total growth in 2020publicationfromto2021. INNOVATIONINNOVATION new disclosures were received by the TTO from UWC researchers. trademark was registered in South Africa. patents were granted: 1 in the USA, 1 in South Africa and 1 in Europe. 12 12 1 1 3 3 A further investment by the University Technology Fund of R4 Million to Hyrax Biosciences, a UWC spinout company, was sourced to commercialise the Exatype technology developed at UWC. Management of TIA Seed Funding programme, currently managing 8 ongoing projects to the value of R4,2 Million. Graduation Outputs Honours PhDMasters PG Dip 642 377302127 50% of the NRFMaleschairsSARChiareandFemales. OUTPUT: As we continue to support researchers and postgraduate students, it is important that we report on the achievements and outputs. This consists of the outputs for the September 2021, December 2021 and April 2022 UWC graduations. 6 ResearchUWCChairsNew inter-disciplinary research teams that consist of PhD and Masters students will gain support through capacity building, under the leadership of a leading UWC academic each from a specific niche area. 3. Abbreviations: NRF ratings that are awarded fall within the following categories: A – Leading international researchers B – Internationally acclaimed researchers C – Established researchers P – Prestigious Awards Y – Promising young researchers AT A GLANCE 2021 Subject Rankings 2021: 301 - 400 251 - 300 201+ 501 - 600 601 - 800 TTO: Technology Transfer Office TIA: Technology Innovation Agency

27 UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22 27

The University has identified four interdependent cross-cutting areas that have the potential to facilitate large-scale change with a view to proactively leveraging the institution’s capabilities to achieve its strategic goals. These are areas in which the University has made significant advances over the past years in response to Connecting Possibilities in an increasingly digital age; its anchoring role in surrounding communities; establishing mutually beneficial partnerships; the University’s standing in the higher education ecosystem; and its international relationships. The University’s extensive involvement in these areas, both formal and informal, as well as the sheer number of initiatives, suggests that there is a growing risk of ad hoc project proliferation and change saturation. Instead, what is required is a more thoughtful and structured approach to deliver on the strategic objectives and to see the cumulative benefit from its multiple efforts at change on a university-wide scale.

SDG IMPACT RANKINGS

The UWC as an institution is predominantly home to those that have and are continuously affected by the challenges set out in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The profile of our staff and students is the embodiment of the grand societal challenges, we exist in communities that are marginalised in all aspects. For us, we are not driving SDGs because it's fashionable to do so, we are not jumping onto a bandwagon because we want to relate. We are a beacon of hope to the unheeded class in the society, we seek to continuously provide hope for the hopeless, as reflected in our slogan “from hope to action, through knowledge”. It is therefore in our nature as the institution to strive for better livelihoods for those that are deprived and it is in every fibre of our existence to tackle grand challenges faced by the society in which we exist. Recently, UNESCO released a document focusing on the role of higher education in driving the SDGs. Reflecting on this document, it is clear that the UWC had been living SDGs unnoticed for years. We might not have been intentional about it, but every bit of research, outreach and education is rooted in empowerment, improvement and growth in South Africa. The Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings this year, shows a 23% increase since last year of participating universities, reflecting the growing importance universities are attaching to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) globally. Over the past three years the UWC has contributed to the following SDGs: 1, 3, 4, 10 and 16.

28 UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22 0 20 40 60 80 100 65.9SDG4 research % 1st gen students % grads w/ Lifelongteachingqualslearningmeasures 46.852.079.9 Details QUALITY EDUCATION 4 62.9 300201–RANK SCORE out of 1180 institutions 0 20 40 60 80 100 Collaborations and health services SDG3 research N graduating in health 50.089.753.9 Details GOOD HEALTH AND3WELLBEING 62.2 600401–RANK SCORE out of 1101 institutions 0 20 40 60 80 100 91.0SDG1 Anti-povertyresearchprogcommunity% financial aid (poverty) Anti-poverty prog - uni 36.781.547.9 Details NO POVERTY 66.0 200101–RANK SCORE out of 769 institutions QUALIFYING SDG - 26% OF OVERALL 0 20 40 60 80 100 34.870.779.3Studentmeasuresaccess % 1st genstudentfemale SDGS research Women’smeasuresprogress % senioracademicsfemale % women receivingdegrees 68.862.726.6Details GENDER EQUALITY 59.3 300201–RANK SCORE out of 938 institutions QUALIFYING SDG - 26% OF OVERALL 5 0 20 40 60 80 100 90.986.181.9Students from developingFirst-generationSDG10countriesresearchstudentsMeasuresvsdiscrimination%studentsw/disabilities& staff w/ disabilities 45.048.561.2Details REDUCED INEQUALITIES 10 72.4 200101–RANK SCORE out of 796 institutions QUALIFYING SDG - 26% OF OVERALL 0 20 40 60 80 100 84.3SDG16 research % grads in law andenforctcivil Uni.Workinggovernancemeasureswithgovernment 65.557.847.2 Details PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS 16 64.3 300201–RANK SCORE out of 809 institutions 0 20 40 60 80 100 94.8SDG17 research Education for the PublicationsupportRelationshipsSDGstothegoalsofSDGreports 69.457.80.0 PARTNERSHIP FOR THE17GOALS Details 55.3 800601–RANK SCORE out of 1441 institutions MANDATORY QUALIFYING SDG - 22% OF OVERALL 2020

UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22 29 0 20 40 60 80 100 62.1SDG4 research % 1st gen students % grads w/ Lifelongteachingqualslearningmeasures 70.434.383.3 Details QUALITY EDUCATION 4 62.5 300201–RANK SCORE out of 965 institutions 0 20 40 60 80 100 Collaborations and health services SDG3 research N graduating in health 84.662.743.8 Details GOOD HEALTH AND3WELLBEING 61.4 400301–RANK SCORE out of 871 institutions 0 20 40 60 80 100 91.4SDG1 Anti-povertyresearchprogcommunity% financial aid (poverty) Anti-poverty prog - uni 84.313.347.9 Details NO POVERTY 61.5 200101–RANK SCORE out of 591 institutions QUALIFYING SDG - 26% OF OVERALL 0 20 40 60 80 100 34.871.078.4Studentmeasuresaccess % 1st genstudentfemale SDGS research Women’smeasuresprogress % senioracademicsfemale % women receivingdegrees 90.269.533.3Details GENDER EQUALITY 63.6 200101–RANK SCORE out of 776 institutions QUALIFYING SDG - 26% OF OVERALL 5 0 20 40 60 80 100 84.587.086.5Students from developingFirst-generationSDG10countriesresearchstudentsMeasuresvsdiscrimination%studentsw/disabilities& staff w/ disabilities 50.450.951.6Details REDUCED INEQUALITIES 10 71.2 85 RANK SCORE out of 669 institutions QUALIFYING SDG - 26% OF OVERALL 0 20 40 60 80 100 83.3SDG16 research % grads in law andenforctcivil Uni.Workinggovernancemeasureswithgovernment 34.351.761.6 Details PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS 16 57.9 300201–RANK SCORE out of 653 institutions 0 20 40 60 80 100 91.6SDG17 research Education for the PublicationsupportRelationshipsSDGstothegoalsofSDGreports 57.70.08.3 PARTNERSHIP FOR THE17GOALS Details 37.8 800601–RANK SCORE out of 1154 institutions MANDATORY QUALIFYING SDG - 22% OF OVERALL 2021

30 UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22 0 20 40 60 80 100 65.9SDG4 research % 1st gen students % grads w/ Lifelongteachingqualslearningmeasures 46.852.079.9 Details QUALITY EDUCATION 4 62.9 300201–RANK SCORE out of 1180 institutions 0 20 40 60 80 100 Collaborations and health services SDG3 research N graduating in health 50.089.753.9 Details GOOD HEALTH AND3WELLBEING 62.2 600401–RANK SCORE out of 1101 institutions 0 20 40 60 80 100 91.0SDG1 Anti-povertyresearchprogcommunity% financial aid (poverty) Anti-poverty prog - uni 36.781.547.9 Details NO POVERTY 66.0 200101–RANK SCORE out of 769 institutions QUALIFYING SDG - 26% OF OVERALL 0 20 40 60 80 100 90.981.986.1Studentmeasuresaccess % 1st genstudentfemale SDGS research Women’smeasuresprogress % senioracademicsfemale % women receivingdegrees 45.048.561.2Details GENDER EQUALITY 59.3 300201–RANK SCORE out of 938 institutions QUALIFYING SDG - 26% OF OVERALL 5 0 20 40 60 80 100 90.986.181.9Students from developingFirst-generationSDG10countriesresearchstudentsMeasuresvsdiscrimination%studentsw/disabilities& staff w/ disabilities 45.048.561.2Details REDUCED INEQUALITIES 10 72.4 200101–RANK SCORE out of 796 institutions QUALIFYING SDG - 26% OF OVERALL 0 20 40 60 80 100 84.3SDG16 research % grads in law andenforctcivil Uni.Workinggovernancemeasureswithgovernment 65.557.847.2 Details PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS 16 64.3 300201–RANK SCORE out of 809 institutions 0 20 40 60 80 100 94.8SDG17 research Education for the PublicationsupportRelationshipsSDGstothegoalsofSDGreports 69.457.80.0 PARTNERSHIP FOR THE17GOALS Details 55.3 800601–RANK SCORE out of 1441 institutions MANDATORY QUALIFYING SDG - 22% OF OVERALL 2022

31 UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22 3131 UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22 SECTION 3: UWC ContributionstoSDGs

■ Goal 3: Good health and well-being;

■ Goal 9: Industry innovation and infrastructure.

The faculties that have contributed to these goals are the following; Arts and Humanities, Community and Health Sciences, Education, Economic and Management Sciences, Dentistry and Natural Sciences. This creates an opportunity for researchers across the different faculties who are generating similar research projects to increase interdisciplinarity at the institution and promote interprofessional collaboration, while additionally driving the sustainable development goals.

32 UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22

Finding the balance between the natural sciences and the human and social sciences is important. Covid-19 has taught us that as important as it is to discover vaccines for pandemics, it is also important to understand human behaviour. As we acknowledge the need for interdisciplinary research it becomes important to highlight how natural sciences and social sciences can work together to address the sustainable development goals. Research conducted at the UWC demonstrates how we tackle the Sustainable Development Goals from different angles. Our challenge still remains on how we do this together and learn with and from each other rather than operating in silos. Thus, as we move forward the need for investment in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research is needed. Through the research office, 596 research projects were registered for the 2021 academic year. Of the 596 registered research projects, UWC staff members and students have contributed to a total of 495 research projects that are relevant to the sustainable development goals that are being driven at the institution.

■ Goal 4: Quality education;

The top 5 sustainable development goals that the research projects address are:

■ Goal 5: Gender equality;

■ Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth; and

n=116 n=205 n=34 n=23

9.1 Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all.

3.7 By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies programmes.and

4.5 By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations.

9.a Facilitate sustainable and resilient infrastructure development in developing countries through enhanced financial, technological and technical support to African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States.

8.3 Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services.

4.c By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States.

5.c Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.

Through the Research Development Office, 596 research projects were registered for the 2021 academic year. UWC staff members and students have contributed to 495 of the total research projects that are relevant to the Top 5 sustainable development goals being driven at the institution.

5.1 End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.

ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22 33

9.5 Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and developmentspending.

3.5 Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use alcohol.of

3.8 Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.

4.3 By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.

ContributionsUWCtoSDGs:

3.3 By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicablediseases.

8.8 Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment

5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decisionmaking in political, economic and public life.

8.5 By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.

4.4 By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs entrepreneurship.and

5.2 Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.

4.1 By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.

UWC PUBLICATIONS:

This section is two-fold. Firstly we celebrate our most productive researcher by showcasing the 20 researchers per publication unit and the top 20 per number of publications. Since the introduction of the state funded publication system there has been concerted efforts to drive the publication output at the university. As we reflect on the publication subsidy, we are reminded that research output is influenced by the affiliation of authors, as well as the number of authors. Thus, a publication with a sole author for the institution accrues 1 unit = 1 publication whereas for a publication with three authors from three different institutions, 0,33 units is accrued per author = 1 publication. In this section we reflect on the top 20 researchers who firstly accrued the most DHET units for the 2021 academic year and then secondly, we reflect on the top 20 researchers who published the most articles. It is important to note that the authors that accrue the most units are not necessarily the authors with the most publications. Over the past year the university has increased its research output from 604 publication units to 694 publication units (unaudited).

Secondly, we unpack the articles that focus as they address the SDGs. Two years ago, in 2019, the UWC was positioned among the world’s top 200 higher education institutions in the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings. These rankings distinguish institutions which are relentless in driving the United Nations’ SDGs.

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J Mujuzi, Top 20 per number of DHET units Law Faculty 15.00 F Moosa, Law Faculty 6.50 6.00 5.54 5.43 4.77 4.65 4.50 E Conradie, Arts & Humanities Faculty J Bouchard, Science Faculty N Roman, CHS Faculty C Schenck, CHS Faculty T Dube, Science Faculty T Pretorius, CHS Faculty 4.25 4.00J Walters, Dentistry Faculty C Koen, Science Faculty 4.00 3.95M Espin, Arts & Humanities Faculty M Meyer, Science Faculty 3.49B Van Wyk, CHS Faculty L Petrik, Science Faculty 3.42 3.42J Frantz, CHS Faculty K Yu, EMS Faculty 3.33 M Du Plessis, EMS Faculty 3.33 A Padmanabhanunni, CHS Faculty 3.20 A George, CHS Faculty 3.17 A Christoffels, Science Faculty 3.58 #1 #2 #3 #5 #7 #9 #11 #13 #15 #17 #19 #3 #6 #8 #10 #12 #14 #16 #18 #20

M Meyer, Top 20 per number of publications Science Faculty 21 R Henkel, Science Faculty20 20 19 17 16 15 15 L Petrik, Science Faculty N Roman, CHS Faculty T Dube, Science Faculty C Arendse, Science Faculty J Mujuzi, Law Faculty C Schenck, CHS Faculty 15 14N Sibuyi, Science Faculty A George, CHS Faculty 14 14J Bouchard, Science Faculty J Frantz, CHS Faculty 13D Frei, Science Faculty K Leisegang, CHS Faculty 12 12M Vaccari, Science Faculty A Christoffels, Science Faculty 12 M Sibanda, Arts & Humanities Faculty 11 R Maartens, Science Faculty 11 M Madiehe, Science Faculty 10 T Pretorius, CHS Faculty 13 #1 #2 #3 #5 #7 #9 #11 #13 #15 #17 #19 #3 #6 #8 #10 #12 #14 #16 #18 #20

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of remote sensing applications in monitoring and mapping the wetland ecosystem. It also highlights the strength and challenges associated with the use of satellite data for purposes of wetland monitoring. Spatial explicit and periodic information offered by satellite remote sensing demonstrate a unique opportunity for documenting and understanding wetlands, their ecohydrological processes, and environmental conditions. Wetlands, as one of the most industrious natural ecosystems universally, have significant roles in the Earth system running through supporting biodiversity, storing carbon, recharging groundwater and eliminating toxins. They are also critical locations for providing ecosystem and environmental services and thus supporting human livelihoods, especially in Africa where inland wetlands are extensively used for agriculture. Article available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/ 8ZvZc0QNWdHyrj4oZGriNncPGfNXPNvrf1FckqNxJ3pg2GP-3LVyzMkzINpdf/10.1080/10106049.2021.1926552?casa_token=X8zf-tlQNG0AAAAA:k-kQ0A7odaJR2gxOks

ADVANCES IN SATELLITE REMOTE SENSING OF THE WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22 37

Co-authors: B. Mntengwana, B, T. Mudereri & C. Shoko.

SDG 1: NO POVERTY

PROF TIMOTHY DUBE SCIENCE FACULTY

SDGs, underpin the health and well-being of adolescents, with actions that address poverty, gender inequality, education, criminal justice, housing and food security. This requires extensive work within and across sectors to ensure effective change for adolescents. This study provides an analysis which aims to enable a more nuanced understanding of not only the synergies gained, but also the tensions and precariousness of multisectoral collaboration, and the approaches needed to overcome the challenges involved. By taking stock of what is known and mapping the types of responses required, we flag the importance of not just technical responses but particularly those that take a governance approach to facilitate the different types of relationships and interactions involved in brokering multisectoral collaboration for adolescent health. Article available at: https://gh.bmj.com/content/bmjgh/6/3/e004448.full.pdf

38 UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22

SDG 3: GOOD HEALTH AND

Co-authors: T.Jacobs, R. Ved, T. Jacobs, K. Rasanathan & S.A. Zaidi

ADOLESCENT HEALTH IN THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL ERA: ARE WE ALIGNED FOR MULTISECTORAL ACTION?

CHSPROF.WELL-BEINGASHAGEORGEFACULTY

Co-authors: T. Pretorius

Article available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/00332941211025269

SDG 3: GOOD HEALTH ANDCHSPADMANABHANUNNIDRWELL-BEINGANITAFACULTY

BEHAVIOUR IS THE KEY IN A PANDEMIC: THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS OF COVID-19-RELATED VARIABLES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of three COVID-19-related variables (i.e., risk perception, knowledge, and behaviour) on four indices of pandemic-related mental health (i.e., anxiety, depression, loneliness, and hopelessness). Several important findings were generated by this study. First, the extent of psychological distress reported in the current sample was very high. The levels of anxiety, hopelessness, depression, and loneliness exceeded those documented in the existing literature in other contexts, which may be related to specific features of South African society. The results of this study also showed that greater knowledge of COVID-19 is associated with lower levels of anxiety and hopelessness and that being able to engage in protective behaviour is related to reduced feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and hopelessness.

UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22 39

EXPERIENCING GENERAL PRACTITIONER AND PSYCHOLOGIST COLLABORATION IN PRIVATE PRACTICE

Goal 3, “Good health and well-being”, aims to ensure the well-being and healthy lives for everyone. This study evaluates the quality of current collaboration between GPs and psychologists, as seen by psychologists in private practice. It describes, from the psychologists ‘perspective, the collaboration between GPs and psychologists regarding reported interprofessional exchanges and barriers, and it also assesses factors associated with satisfactory collaboration. This is important as it is advocated that in order to address SDGs effectively there needs to be stakeholder collaboration.

40 UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22

Co-authors: Y. Verge, P. Vernhes, P. Vanneste, E. Braun, JC. Poutrain & J. Dupouy

SDG 3: GOOD HEALTH ANDSCIENCEBOUCHARDPROF.WELL-BEINGJEAN-PIERREFACULTY

Co-authors:

AFRICA: A HUMAN CAPABILITIES APPROACH

F. Benjamin & S.A. Vickerman-Delport

SDG 3: GOOD HEALTH AND

CHSROMANPROF.WELL-BEINGNICOLETTEFACULTY

eBOrGrMcbj0cBQ153w6Q2lbPDhRty50xtoken=15NB8fuJGesAAAAA:aT_aS4SZx0vb_ZQ5XkE8Vlyd98gHenzfsTIElygzhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15332985.2021.1927283?casa_HgIUWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22 41

Article available at:

Within goal 3, mental health is referred to, directly in the target 3.4 which is to ‘reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through the prevention and treatment and to promote mental health and well-being. Addressing the identified barriers related to seeking mental health support could assist in ensuring that all individuals reach their full human capabilities. This study focused particularly on Nussbaum’s (2003) second capability, namely, bodily health. Addressing the issues related to mental health services, access to services, community perceptions, and stigmatisation, and providing psychoeducation could contribute to ensuring that every person has access to good health and makes use of these services with the necessary knowledge and without fear of judgement.

MENTAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN RURAL SOUTH

Co-authors: A. Padmanabhanunni

THE LONELINESS–LIFE SATISFACTION RELATIONSHIP: THE PARALLEL AND SERIAL MEDIATING ROLE OF HOPELESSNESS, DEPRESSION AND EGO-RESILIENCE AMONG YOUNG ADULTS IN SOUTH AFRICA DURING COVID-19

Recently, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, several lockdown and stay-at-home regulations have been implemented worldwide. In this regard, loneliness has been identified as the signature mental health consequence of this pandemic. The aim of this study is to explore the associations among loneliness, hopelessness, depression, ego-resilience and life satisfaction in a random sample of young adults. Findings highlighted that the levels of loneliness, depression, hopelessness and reduced life satisfaction observed in the current sample were statistically significant in comparison to previous samples from the same population. This suggests that young adults in South Africa are experiencing unprecedented levels of psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is possible that the sudden closure of universities, pandemic-related home confinement, economic volatility, fears of infection and disconnection from peers may have escalated psychological distress among this population.

42 UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22

SDG 3: GOOD HEALTH AND

CHSPRETORIUSPROF.WELL-BEINGTYRONEFACULTY

Article available at: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/7/361

SDG 3: GOOD HEALTH AND

IMMUNOINFORMATIC DESIGN OF A NOVEL EPITOPEBASED VACCINE CANDIDATE AGAINST DENGUE VIRUS

Co-authors: A.O. Fadaka, N. Remaliah, S. Sibuyi, D.R. Martin, M. Goboza & A. Madimabe Madieh

PROF.WELL-BEINGMERVIN MEYER SCIENCE FACULTY

Article available at: https://repository.uwc.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10566/6894/ Immunoinformatics_design_of_a_novel_epitope-based_.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22 43

This study highlighted an alternative vaccine approach based on multi-epitope construction of the protein components of the dengue genome to handle antigenic complexity. In this study, immunoinformatic approaches were employed in the development of potential vaccine candidates against DENV considering their ease of use in experimental investigations. Since the only viable defence for DENV infection is a vaccine; four potential vaccines were designed and predicted to elicit specific immune responses in individuals with dengue infection. The results of this study are based on computational approaches. Immunoinformatic tools are now applied to screen genomes of interest for possible vaccine targets. The designed vaccine candidates may be further experimentally investigated as potential vaccines capable of providing definitive preventive measures against dengue virus infection.

SDG 4: QUALITY

EDUCATIONPROF.

MARIETA DU EMSPLESSISFACULTY

SDG 4 intends to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. Furthermore, the 10 targets for SDG 4 stipulate that by 2030, “all learners should have equal access, be included, attend safe schools, increase scholarships for higher education, education should be lifelong and there should be an increase in the number of people with relevant skills, numeracy and literacy”.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A RAPID REVIEW OF MEDIA IN AFRICA

44 UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22

Article available at: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/24/12888

Co-authors: I. Sonn, C. Jansen van Vuuren, E. Wegnar, J. Marais & N.V. Roman

The results of the study revealed HEI achievements and challenges in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The achievements identified by online news media reports revealed that HEIs took the stance to ensure that no student should be left behind in terms of receiving quality education, material, financial and mental support; students engaged in community efforts by aiding hospitals and medical staff; and opportunities arose to engage in intersectoral collaborations to strengthen partnerships between government, the private sector, and non-profit organisations. Furthermore, the results also show that not all students received the same level of education due to contextual factors, thus deepening the existing social disparities in Africa.

UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22 45

Co-authors: L. Mdleleni & L. Mandyoli

PROF. JOSE FRANTZ CHS FACULTY

SDG 5: GENDER EQUALITY

SDG 5 seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Equality between men and women is an integral part of human rights and a fundamental criterion for democracy. Equality is a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Providing women with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes is fundamental for social cohesion and prosperity. This article looks at the case for gender transformation and policies that advocate for social justice and gender equality in higher education. We then report on the current state of women leaders in the higher education sector and the continued challenges they face.

TENACITY OF GENDER INEQUALITY IN SOUTH AFRICA: A HIGHER EDUCATION PERSPECTIVE

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic many African countries barred people, including citizens and foreign nationals, from entering or leaving their territories. This was the case although article 12(2) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights provides for that ‘[every individual shall have the right to leave any country including his own, and to return to his country’. However, article 12(2) also provides for that ‘[t]his right may only be subject to restrictions, provided for by law for the protection of national security, law and order, public health or morality’. Article 12(2) of the African Charter provides for the rights both to leave and to return to one’s country. In this article the discussion is limited to the right to return. Unlike other regional human rights treaties in Europe, the Americas and the Arab world, where the right to return to or enter one’s country is reserved for citizens only, the African Charter does not expressly limit this right to citizens. This raises the question of whether the right to return to one’s country is reserved for citizens or nationals only. In answering this question, one of two arguments could be made. The first argument is that the right to return under article 12(2) is reserved for citizens only (the strict approach). The second argument is that it is applicable to both citizens and to a few categories of foreign nationals (the broader approach). The jurisprudence of the African Commission and the African Court shows that these bodies have adopted the strict approach. This could be attributed to the fact that the communications they have so far dealt with have been filed by citizens (de jure or de facto,) or on behalf of citizens. However, these bodies are likely to adopt a broad approach, should the facts of the case(s) be required. In the constitutions of most African countries, states have also taken a strict approach. This article explains why it is better to take a broader approach when dealing with article 12(2) of the African Charter. This argument is made by partly comparing and contrasting article 12(2) of the African Charter with other regional and international instruments that protect the right to return. The article also demonstrates how the right to enter or return to one’s county has been approached in the constitutions of different African countries.

INEQUALITIESPROF.

SDG 10: REDUCED

JAMALI MUJUZI LAW

THE RIGHT TO RETURN TO ONE’S COUNTRY IN AFRICA: ARTICLE 12(2) OF THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS

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47 UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22 SECTION 4: UWCmakingResearchersusproud

There are 14 UNESCO chairs that are hosted by South African Universities, two of which are hosted at the UWC. One is the UNESCO Chair in Geohydrology, which was established in 1999 and the chairholder is Prof. Yongxin Xu, and the second one is UNESCO Chair on African Food Systems, established in 2017 and the chairholder is Prof. Julian May. In this section we look at the contribution of our UNESCO chairs and how they have contributed to driving the SDG agenda, through research, training and innovation.

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The SDGs offer a unique prospect to universities to validate their readiness and competence of playing a meaningful role in the development of their society and global sustainable development. Institutionally, the UWC has set out its strategic research objective to drive the sustainable development agenda, we have thus “positioned ourselves as an intellectual base for solving challenges set out in the Sustainable Development Goals”.

In the past year our UNESCO Chairs, holders of the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI), and the UWC Research Chairs have conducted research activities that contributed to overcoming many difficult and complex social, economic and environmental challenges. Therefore, in line with the theme of the annual report, this section displays the work of our UNESCO Chairs, SARChIs, and the UWC research Chairs and their extensive research capabilities and activities to drive the SDG agenda.

He holds the position of Guest Professor at universities including China and Australia. He is a Commissioner of the Africa Groundwater Commission for AMCOW, and the Secretary General of ChinAfrica Water Forum, which was established under his leadership and guidance. The ChinAfrica Water Forum holds annual conferences in both Africa and China and creates a platform for both local and international scientists within the water sector to engage and exchange ideas. The forum has held successful conferences in Namibia, Zimbabwe and Alexandria, Egypt to name a few. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, conference schedules have been affected.

The UNESCO Chair had been instrumental, together with the Wuhan University in China, in the establishment of the newly established Chin Africa Youth league. The league was established in 2021 where Dr Dedi Liu of Wuhan University and Dr Ranya Amer of City of Scientific Research and Technology Applications (SRTA-City), Egypt, was appointed as chair and co-chair. The league’s

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aim is to create a wider platform for the exchange of skills and knowledge with the science sector under the umbrella of the ChinAfrica Water Forum. The Chair is also involved in the establishment of a series of lecture programmes under the ChinAfrica youth league and the first series entitled Hydro-geochemical processes controlling fluoride enrichment and management of hard rock aquifers in South Africa was held on 14 June 2022.

In line with the sustainable development goals, the Chair has been actively involved in field research with his PhD students in China as well as research collaboration projects with The Water Research Commission: Enhancing Sustainable Groundwater Use in South Africa, ESGUSA and the University of Copenhagen, Managed Aquifer Recharge in South Africa (MARSA), GRDM and Water security with Waternet. The Chair has been invited to give many keynote speeches at international conferences and more recently presented a keynote speech at the South West University of Mining Zhu in Chengdu, China and has presented at a conference in Changsa, Hunan. Under the Chair’s supervision, he has also recently graduated two PhD candidates with thesis titled: Assessment of managed aquifer recharge using GIS based modelling approach in West Coast, South Africa and Geological Hydrological characteristics of acid mine drainage from abandoned coal mine in Niangziguan Spring Catchment, Shanxi, China, which is in line with the SDG 6 goals.

Prof. Yongxin Xu: UNESCO Chair in Geohydrology at the University of the Western Cape

Prof. Yongxin Xu is a Senior Professor of Hydrogeology at the University of the Western Cape and the UNESCO Chairholder in Geohydrology. He has held the position of the UNESCO Professor of Hydrogeology based at UWC since 2001. The Chair’s core function and interest lies in the sustainable development and management of groundwater resources in Africa, including South Africa (SDG goal 6). The Chair has produced several books and many peer-reviewed papers, together with the development of groundwater software to assist research on topics ranging from aquifer conceptualization, groundwater recharge, surface and groundwater interaction, pollution and the sustainable management of water resources.

The UNESCO Chair in African Food Systems, held by Prof. Julian May, the Director of the DSINRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security (CoE-FS), was established at UWC by UNESCO in December 2017. After 12 months in which funding was obtained from Cornell University and UWC, an inception meeting of the founding institutions was held on 29 and 30 April 2019 in Hamamet, Tunisia. The Centre of Biotechnology of Borj Cedria hosted the meeting.

A key activity for the chair was the preparation of an African food systems conceptual framework for the Food Systems Network (FSNet) of the African Research Universities (ARUA) Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Food Systems hosted at the University of Pretoria (UP). This framework was used to design the fellowship and mentoring programme of the ARUA Centre that has been offered to junior faculty from six African universities including two from the UWC. This programme addresses all three goals of the Chair and the first activity identified at the Tunisia launch.

A second important activity was the co-development of a Massive Open On-line Access Course (MOOC) with the Vrije University Amsterdam (VU-A) and the Katholic University Leuven (KUL). This MOOC comprises five modules that link food system transformation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Chair is planning to introduce the MOOC and each of the modules, and to present the module on food system governance. The MOOC is scheduled for completion in mid-2022 and will be freely available to any user through edX, a massive open online course provider created by Harvard and MIT, that hosts online university-level courses to a global student body. At the UWC, our intention is to use this MOOC as a part of a planned campus-wide training course that can be used by any student interested in food systems analysis. We will also encourage its usage at the partner institutions of the Chair, as well as in the FSNet programme at the UP. The MOOC addresses the first goal of the Chair and contributes towards the second activity identified in Tunisia.

Prof. Julian May:

Although it is to be implemented by the CoE-FS, the Chair facilitated the award of a new research grant from the European Research Area Network Food Systems and Climate (FOSC) Programme. The FOSC is built upon the experience from the Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture,

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■ To promote and facilitate Africa-wide partnerships for research, innovation and training activities.

The goal of the Chair is to increase and promote the contribution of the academic community in Africa towards building sustainable food systems. Its objectives are:

■ To support transdisciplinary modes of inquiry to better inform the analysis of food systems in Africa

■ To foster a transformative agenda for African scholarship on the food system through research, training and engagement by providing opportunities, leadership, evidence for decision-making and informed debate, and critique of policies and programmes aimed at addressing food insecurity.

UNESCO CHAIR IN AFRICAN FOOD SYSTEMS

South African Research Chair Initiative

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The South African Research Chairs Initiative was established by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) in 2006 and is under the custodianship of the National Research Foundation (NRF). The main goal of the Research Chairs initiative is to strengthen and improve the research and innovation capacity of public universities to produce high quality postgraduate students and research and innovation outputs. Below we showcase how our South African Research Chairs have conducted research that advances the sustainable development agenda.

Food Security & Climate Change (FACCE-JPI) and the ERA-Net Cofund LEAP-Agri. The Chair assisted with the identification of African partners and with the development of the proposal. The consortium included the Université Constantine and the French Agricultural Research Institute (CIRAD), both founding members of the Chairs, and the Moi University in Kenya. The grant of almost €400 000 was awarded in June 2021 with field work on food system change in the face of climate change being undertaken during 2022 and 2023. Finally, the Chair has also been active in its third objective, which is fostering a transformative agenda for African scholarship on the food system. During the reporting period, nine presentations were given as the UNESCO Chair.

■ To build the knowledge base on TVET colleges; and,

A range of interventions in the TVET domain under the Chair have been undertaken in support of the SDG goals that the UWC IOP goals also align with, and are briefly highlighted herein. A major area of construction in the first phase of the Chair was that of developing research capacity in TVET research through the building of a distinctive postgraduate pathway in this area of education and training. First, there was the development and delivery of the Postgraduate Diploma: TVET, a new Level 8 (Honours Level) qualification that was accredited by the HEQC and rolled out in 2017 at the UWC. The Chair then led the development of a dedicated Master’s in TVET studies (currently in its final accreditation phase) so that the PGDip TVET (L8) would have a natural pathway into a Master’s TVET at Level 9. A PHD: TVET studies was accredited by the HEQC early in 2021. The result of these initiatives is that there now exists a postgraduate progression pathway for TVET that did not previously exist in the university. The creation of such a pathway is an important signal that TVET studies is an academic domain worthy of intellectual scrutiny through rigorous research, in the interests of building quality throughout the TVET system. Increasing the number of TVET specialists and researchers through postgraduate pathways is undoubtedly a means to raising the esteem of the TVET college sector and building a community of TVET practice, and is critical

Prof. Joy Papier: South African Research Chair in TVET STUDIES

■ To develop TVET researcher-practitioners able to reflect on pedagogies and practices, bring about classroom change, and ultimately enhance the success of TVET learners;

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■ To establish a credible, rigorous mechanism for the dissemination of research findings on TVET that might inform policy and practice, and to raise the profile of TVET research in South Africa and internationally.

The SARChI in Post schooling: TVET studies held by Prof. Joy Papier of the Institute for PostSchool Studies (IPSS) and currently in its fifth year, was the first such Chair to be awarded in this sub-field of education and training. It is generally accepted that vocational education is underresearched in developing contexts, and often operates on the margins of education systems. In South Africa and on the African continent, there have been efforts made in the last two decades to improve the visibility, status, inputs and outcomes of technical and vocational education, but in an environment where institutions have to compete for resources TVET still lags behind higher education and general schooling in terms of investment. Initiatives such as the establishment of research chairs in this context, however, signifies recognition of the importance of research and development in areas of study such as TVET.

In considering the relevance of this Chair, three of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely, Goal 4 (Quality Education); Goal 8 (Decent work and economic growth); and Goal 17 (Partnerships to achieve the goal), are evident in the work of the Chair to date, some examples of which are mentioned below. At inception, the overall objectives of the chair were as follows:

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With regard to TVET advocacy and scholarship, there have been significant research articles and book chapters that are taking TVET in southern Africa forward, as well as putting South African TVET on the map internationally. For instance, the peer reviewed Springer Handbook on Vocational Education and Training (2019), a double volume edition of recent TVET research was published online and in hard copy, where the Chair was one of four international editors. As TVET sits at the nexus of research domains such as general education, higher education, adult education, and labour related research, the Chair has built relationships that span these domains, evident from the engagements across these areas. Inter-institutional collaborations locally and internationally have attracted authors and peer reviewers locally and abroad, and have led to collaborations beyond the journal, for instance with the German IRJVET, and the association for vocational teachers at the Federation University in Australia, to mention a few examples. The Chair has also served as deputy chairperson of the African Union Commission Expert Advisory Committee on TVET, as well as on other national and international TVET structures. The Chair at UWC has built a wide network of academics, practitioners and researchers through virtual conferences and research forums for experienced and emerging scholars, resulting in significant knowledge exchanges.

to demolishing the negative stereotyping that has dogged vocational education and has led to the dearth of research in this area. By enabling postgraduate students to be supported through dedicated funding and expertise, inroads will be made into the negative perceptions of TVET. This long-term vision will require dedicated effort and consistent support over the short and medium term.

At the regional level, the Chair is launching a hub to support collective learning and synthesis on gender transformative approaches to improve sexual, reproductive and maternal health rights and services across Africa in partnerships with experts in South Africa, Benin and India with support from IDRC, UNU-IIGH and the African Union.

Prof. Asha George:

In the Western Cape, the Chair is leading preliminary research on alcohol harm reduction as a structural determinant of children’s and adolescent health as a part of the WHO-UNICEF-Lancet Commission on Children in All Policies. It is also establishing a Learning Platform with NACOSA to support action research on gender transformative approaches to adolescent health in Klipfontein. The Chair has also supported participatory films and poetry on Emergency Medical Services and their daily lived realities working in red zone communities in the Cape Flats. The Chair also supported Cape Town Together to document and reflect on the CAN (community action network) movement mobilising neighbourhood responses to the COVID-19 pandemic across 170 community groups.

Professor Asha George leads the South African Research Chair in Health Systems, Social Change and Complexity which addresses SDG 3 on Good Health and Well-being, SDG 5 on Gender Equality and SDG 10 on Reduced Inequality.

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South African Research Chair in Health Systems, Social Change and Complexity

As part of its collaboration with the United Nations University’s International Institute of Global Health’s Gender and Health Hub it contributed to the BMJ’s Collection on Women’s Health and Gender Inequalities https://www.bmj.com/gender which includes journal articles, as well as a podcast. Most recently it led the development of a global research agenda on gender and COVID-19 with UNU-IIGH through online webinars, discussion boards and surveys involving more than 900 participants, primarily from the global South with ownership from the WHO https://www. ghhbuzzboard.org/forum. This initiative has been unique in its engagement following feminist and decolonial principles.

The Chair also leads the Drivers of Change Technical Working Group for Countdown 2030, a global collaboration between leading academic experts and UN agencies striving to advance maternal, new born and child health. Through this collaboration she has led research publications in high impact global health journals, as well as advised the WHO policy tracking efforts. She serves as the Chair of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group of the WHO’s Human Reproduction Programme, as well as the Gender and Health Equity Subgroup Lead for the World Bank’s Global Financing Facility for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent Health.

We submitted our co-authored Basic Income Support report to the DSD in December 2021, and it is under consideration by Cabinet. Key findings include that basic income is a necessary intervention towards the elimination of income poverty in South Africa, and is fiscally affordable if a phased approach is adopted, starting at the level of the COVID-19 SRD grant. If the benefit level was raised from R350 to the Food Poverty Line (currently R595/month), this would immediately halve the proportion of households unable to meet their subsistence food needs, from 21,2% to 10,6%.

Prof. Stephen Devereux: South African Research Chair in Social Protection for Food Security

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Alongside the research report, I also published two journal articles on related topics in 2021: ‘Social protection responses to COVID-19 in Africa’ (Global Social Policy) and ‘Urban-sensitive social protection: How universalised social protection can reduce urban vulnerabilities post COVID-19’ (Progress in Development Studies), both of which highlighted South Africa as a case study and advocated for extending social protection to unemployed adults.

As the Chair in Social Protection for Food Security, based at the Institute for Social Development and the Centre of Excellence in Food Security at the UWC, my work focuses on SDG 1 “No poverty” and SDG 2 “End hunger”. In 2021 I was appointed to an Expert Panel by the Department of Social Development (DSD), to investigate ‘The Appropriateness and Feasibility of a System of Basic Income Support for South Africa’. The objective was to assess the effectiveness and affordability of introducing a basic income grant for unemployed or low-income 18-59-year-olds in South Africa, as a government social policy instrument to combat poverty, unemployment, and food insecurity. The urgency of this issue was highlighted by COVID-19, when the R350 special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant provided invaluable income support to millions of poor and food insecure South Africans who were unable to work during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

My academic advocacy on this issue included contributing to public webinars attended by the Minister of Social Development, participating in several television interviews and debates, and writing online articles with titles including ‘Has basic income finally arrived in South Africa?’ (IDS Opinion, July 2021), and ‘Five key reasons why basic income support for poor South Africans makes sense’ (The Conversation, August 2021).

I am optimistic that the temporary COVID-19 SRD grant, already extended to March 2023, will be converted into a permanent Basic Income Support grant next year, and that this will support South Africa’s efforts to reach the poverty and hunger targets for SDG 1 and SDG 2 by 2030.

Our mission is to ensure we create opportunities for women in data science and thus contribute to SDG 5. To this end nearly 70% of postgraduate students in the SARChI programme are females and from disadvantaged communities. In addition, in relation to Goal 17 multi-stakeholder partnerships that leverage both south-south partnerships and international partnerships to enhance Science, Innovation, and technology sharing has been embarked on. In 2019, an international organisation called the Public Health Alliance for Genomic Epidemiology (www.pha4ge.org) whose mandate is to bring bioinformatics closer to public health was established. Through this initiative that comprises at least 67 organisations around the world we strive to build data standards for application in public health. We have enhanced health innovation in Africa and South East Asia.

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The SARChI in Bioinformatics aligns to at least 5 of the UN sustainable development goals, namely: Goal 3: Good health & well-being, Goal 4: Quality education, Goal 5: Gender equity, Goal 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, and Goal 17, specifically section 17.6, that speaks to multi-stakeholder partnerships.

International collaborations represent a feature of our student training that ensures a high standard of education. Our students’ work is accepted for presentation at international forums. The high standard of scientific training can be seen from a recent PhD student’s publication that was cited as one of the top 11 papers to impact on the field of clinical translational research (see www.por-journal.com/research-topics/2/pathology-oncology-research-editors-picks-from-2021).https://

Prof. Alan Christoffels: South African Research Chair in Bioinformatics and Health Genomics

The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us that the world remains chronically vulnerable to infectious diseases. As pointed out in the Managing epidemics handbook published by the WHO during 2018, the 21st century epidemics can spread more widely and more quickly, potentially affecting evergreater numbers of people. In Africa Infectious diseases pose a significant threat to health with a rise in emerging and re-emerging infections. For example, an estimated 140 disease outbreaks are reported annually within the continent. The SARChI in Bioinformatics programme uses next generation sequencing technology to drive technology development. We develop analytical tools to analyse health genetic data, such as data from tuberculosis patients to understand drug resistance in tuberculosis patients (see http://combattb.org). These tools also extended towards analysing COVID-19 virus specimen data. This capability allows public health officials to interpret the data for public health decision-making. These innovative tools are easily deployed in resource limited settings and align to UN goal 9, namely, Industry, innovation and infrastructure.

Establishing New Research Teams

UWC Research Chairs:

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In order to continue to develop the pipeline for SARCHI chairs, the DVC for research and innovation initiated the UWC research chairs. The aim of the UWC research chairs is to provide leading researchers with the opportunity to contribute to developing their respective niche areas; enabling capacity building by having them identify a minimum of 1 PhD and 2 Masters’ students and a junior staff member or post-doc to support with their funding. The UWC Research Chairs are also required to attend a national or international conference to share and engage with other institutions and build networks. Let’s introduce you to our inaugural UWC research chairs.

Prof. Russell H. Kaschula:

Faculty of Arts and Humanities UWC Research Chair in Forensic Linguistics and Multilingualism: SDG 4 and 8

He has published widely in the field of Applied Language Studies, including Forensic Linguistics, Intercultural Studies and Multilingualism more generally. He has a particular interest in African Languages (isiNguni languages and isiXhosa). His more recent interests include language and crime, literary geography, as well as sociolinguistics more generally.

In 2020 he co-edited The Transformative Power of Language. From Postcolonial to Knowledge Societies in Africa, together with Prof. Ekkehard Wolff from Leipzig University (Cambridge University Press). In 2021 he published a book with Routledge in London and New York titled Languages, Identities and Intercultural Communication in South Africa and Beyond. He also coedited A Handbook on Legal Languages and the Quest for Linguistic Equality in South Africa and Beyond, published by African SUN Press (2021), as well as co-edited a book titled Language and the Law. Global Perspectives in Forensic Linguistics from Africa and Beyond, published in 2022 (African SUN Press). He has an interest in creative writing and he has published short stories and novels in both isiXhosa and in English, one story being selected as part of the prestigious Caine Prize for African Writing, and another published as part of a book where the selection of stories was done by JM Coetzee. Prof. Kaschula has international standing and has worked extensively with scholars in the international arena. He acts as an international advisor to the Journal of Semiotics and Law as well as a number of other journals both internationally and nationally. He is also, for example, a Board Member of Tydskrif vir Letterkunde. For many years he was the scientific editor of the Southern African Journal of African Languages and he was a board member of the African Languages of Southern Africa Association, acting as its secretary and scientific editor. He has a B2 rating with the NRF. The language and law research and work that Prof. Kaschula carries out links directly to the SDG 4 of creating quality education. If this is achievable through the use of appropriate language skills, then it would also lead to SDG 8, speaking to decent work and economic growth as well as no poverty. It would also contribute to peace and justice as well as strong institutions, particularly in the legal and educational workplace arenas.

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Russell H Kaschula is a Professor in the Department of African Language Studies at the University of the Western Cape and holds the newly established Institutional Chair in Forensic Linguistics and Multilingualism. For the first time in 2022 he taught an Honours course in Forensic Linguistics at the UWC and from 2023 this discipline will also be offered as part of the new Diploma in Language Practice, as well as at the MA level of study.

Digital health research is underpinned by user-centred design principles and are co-designed projects with stakeholders with expertise in clinical health, digital technology, psychology (behaviour change) and research. Digital health technologies are not discipline-specific, requiring interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration teams including clinicians, technology developers and bioinformatics specialists.

Digital health technologies are essential enablers of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and practically all SDGs have a digital component. Specifically related to SDG3: Good Health and Well-being, new developments in wireless technologies are creating opportunities to change the health sector, solving problems of geographic access, facilitating the provision of appropriate interventions at grassroots levels, reducing intervention costs, and raising public awareness about health problems and promoting healthy lifestyles through the use of digital media, and ultimately contributing to patient empowerment

increase in the use of digital technologies, such as smartphones and AI, the impact of COVID-19, and the global aim of access and equitable health care has brought digital health to the fore as an essential new niche area in health research. Digital health technologies are essential enablers of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and underpins the vision in South Africa of ‘Better Health for all South Africans enabled by person-centred Digital Health’ (National Digital Health Strategy for South Africa 2019-2024). Digital health has a prominent place in the UWC 2035 vision statement of a “substantial place in key areas in knowledge ecosystems which aims to improve decision-making and innovation through networks, collaboration and productive relationships, and effective partnerships with universities, Africa and beyond”. In addition, it is an essential part of the Community and Health Science vision and mission of engaged and connected research within a social justice framework, aligned to the WHO objective of promoting equitable, affordable, and universal access through the development of the infrastructure for information and communication technologies for health. (WHO Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025 & National Digital Health Strategy for South Africa 2019-2024).

Prof. Jennifer Chipps: Faculty of Community and Health Sciences UWC Research Chair in Person-centred Digital Health: SDG 3

Jennifer Chipps is a Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of the Western Cape where she has been a faculty member since 2014 and Director of the School from 2018 to 2021. She is a NRF C2 rated researcher and was appointed as the Faculty of Community Health Sciences Chair for Digital Health in 2022. Jennifer completed a PhD in Telemedicine at the University of KwaZuluNatal, South Africa, and a Master’s in Public Health at the University of New South Wales, Australia. Jennifer has previously worked at the University of Sydney, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the NSW Department of Health in Australia and the NZ Health Research Council in New Zealand. Jennifer’s research interests are Digital Health, Mental Health, Ageing, eLearning and Systematic

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TheReviews.exponential

There are three focal areas in his research programme, namely literacy; race, class and marginalisation; and postcolonial writings. All three areas are connected by post- and decolonial theoretical constructs, the key being critical theory and radical intellectualisation based on the ideas of Freire, Fanon and Biko. The project on literacy practices in poor schools in the Cape Flats is cognisant not only of the neoliberal/neo-apartheid agenda of the state, but also the influence of out-of-school issues such as poverty, violence, gangsterism and drug abuse on classroom achievement. It is evident that disciplinary knowledge may be inadequate to address complex social problems and that there should be wider societal participation in knowledge production, using a transdisciplinary lens and foregrounding voices and narratives of civil society. Apart from discernible factors for scholastic underachievement such as a lack of resources, parental support, poor teacher knowledge and a regressive curriculum, the research projects note two new areas of concern: absence of cognitive activities and social complexity of poverty.

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A new model of literacy that challenges inequality and provides strategic and sustained teacher support in disadvantaged schools is crucial in the post-apartheid society. The objective of the research on out-of-school issues is that classroom achievement cannot be separated from learners’ home and community environment. The issue of educational inequality emanating from socioeconomic disadvantage is a complex research area and it links with increased levels of violence and high rates of youth unemployment. An allied component of the research programme is to extend the decoloniality discourse to local struggles and subaltern positionings.

Prof. Rajendra Chetty: Faculty of Education UWC Research Chair in Critical Pedagogy and Literacy: Goal 4

Rajendra Chetty is a postcolonial scholar with transdiscplinary research interests that draw from critical theory and social movement scholarship. He leans on critical educational studies and has written on the problems of literacy in high poverty communities and the intersectionality of race, class and inequality in schooling. He is the author of eleven school language textbooks and served on national and provincial parastatal bodies concerned with the field of English studies (National English Language Body, Shakespeare Society of Southern Africa, Western Cape Language Committee, and the English Academy of Southern Africa).

His international scholarship and visiting professorships include universities in the USA, India, Brazil, Sweden, the UK, Italy and Africa. In 2015/16 he was Fulbright professor at the City University of New York (Queens College and the Graduate Centre). He served as editor of The English Academy Review: A Journal of English Studies. His alliance with civil society groups such as Equal Education, Abahlali baseMjondolo, and READ, has seen him work with activists within a participatory paradigm, drawing consistently from critical race theories.

The key targets linked to public schooling are to:

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■ ensure that all children have access to quality early childhood education;

The Research Chair programme is linked to SDG 4, that states that by 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.

■ increase the supply of qualified teachers.

■ ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, human rights, gender equality, a culture of peace, global citizenship and cultural diversity; and

Significant progress has been made to make education accessible to poor learners through the child support grant, no-fee schools, and school nutrition programmes. This resulted in the near universal attendance of children at schools. However, opportunities to gain access to good quality education have not been equal, due to poor infrastructure and a lack of well-trained teachers in rural and township schools. In 2018, among children aged 0–6, close to 43% did not attend any education institution and 40,7% were never read to, nor told stories at home. Non-attendance of ECD education exacerbates social class differences in cognitive development among young children and impacts on future learning ability. Each year, on average, 11 out of 100 children aged 14–17 repeated grades. Around 100 000 children aged 6–13 were out-of-school and the most affected were coloured children in the North West and Western Cape. An indicator of the rising levels of poverty in the country is that 83% of children participate in school feeding schemes.

The rationale of this research chair is to assist in rethinking and re-envisaging democracy within our own context and in various sites (home, school, workplace and city) as praxis in everyday transformative processes. We also want to encourage investigations of the preconditions for transcending procedural democracy and building substantive democracy, informed by South Africa’s discrete spatial, infrastructural and housing inequalities such as we see in the township versus suburb divide (see Friedman, 2015). The project will encourage theorising social differences and politics of recognition and redistribution (incorporating issues such as non-racialism, provincialism, the black township and group identity in SA). The specific issues regarding the quality of elections, electoral systems, party funding and internal life of our political parties, state accountability, corruption, state capacity and social movements will also need to be looked at.

SDG 16 seeks to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. The Chair and its activities will contribute to strengthening this goal with a focus on democratic institutions, ecological justice, decommodification and citizen-centred public administration reform.

Professor Ruiters has been a professor at the UWC School of Government since 2011 where he teaches and supervises a dozen or more post graduate students. His academic and scholarly interests span a range of socio-political issues at the intersection of social justice, political movements, the environment and the local state.

The most recent (2022) World Inequality Report notes: “The poorest half of the global population barely owns any wealth at all, possessing just 2% of the total. In contrast, the richest 10% of the global population own 76% of all wealth” The authors insist that “inequality is not inevitable, it is a political choice. In this context democracy in the sense of people taking control of their collective destinies remains a powerful idea, despite the fact that there are many different and sometimes contradictory beliefs about democracy and the role of institutions in developing democratic citizenship and the common good.

The creation of a new research chair under the niche area of democracy and citizenship will position the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) at the forefront of teaching, research, and knowledge on democracy, and provide opportunities for Doctoral and Masters’ students to develop their research interests in the broad area of democracy and citizenship and related subthemes. The chair position will galvanise thought leadership on key issues regarding democracy and citizenship and will initiate and lead the development of new curricula in the research focus areas. The chair will also host public panels in partnership with other stakeholders, institutions and community groups focused on citizen engagement and related themes.

SDG 11 speaks to the goals of making “cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”. The Chair seeks to promote transparency and relevant knowledge to deepen publicminded civicness, promote spatial justice and social solidarity across class, gender and racial divides. It seeks to improve local citizenship and belonging for especially the excluded majority, youth and women on a city-wide basis rather than a parochial focus.

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Prof. Gregory Ruiters: Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences UWC Research Chair in Democracy and Citizenship: SDG 11 and 16

Faculty of Law UWC Research Chair in Constitutional Design for Divided Societies: SDG 16

Prof. Yonatan T. Fessha:

Yonatan T. Fessha is Professor of Law and Research Chair in constitutional design in divided societies at the University of the Western Cape. His teaching and research focus on examining the relevance of constitutional design in dealing with the challenges of divided societies. He has published widely on matters pertaining to, but not limited to, federalism, constitutional design, autonomy, intergovernmental relations and politicised ethnicity. His publications include books on “Intergovernmental relations in divided societies” (Palgrave 2022, co-edited), ‘Courts and federalism in Africa: Design and impact in comparative perspective’ (Routledge 2020, co-edited) and “Ethnic diversity and federalism: Constitution making in South Africa and Ethiopia” (Ashgate 2010). He was a Michigan Grotius Research Scholar and recipient of the Marie-Curie fellowship.

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The chair focuses on constitutional design in divided societies, investigating the relevance and effectiveness of constitutional design in the management of divided societies, societies that are grappling with identity-based political tensions and conflicts. The Chair focuses on the priorities set by the Sustainable Development Goals. The imperatives of establishing and maintaining peaceful and inclusive societies has been recognised as a priority area in the Sustainable Development Goals. Goal 16 of SDG calls for the promotion of ‘peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development’, the provision of ‘access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels’.

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David makes sure that mathematics does not take all his time away from his life’s main passions –his family and the fynbos, mountains and oceans of the Western Cape.

David Holgate is a professor of Mathematics. Before being awarded the research chair in Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, he served as Head of Department and as Deputy Dean responsible for Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Natural Sciences. He is passionate about sharing his love for pure mathematics through research, teaching and academic service in the context of South Africa, because he believes that Mathematics has a truly powerful role to play in nation building and addressing social injustice.

David’s research niche is in the overlap of Topology and Category Theory. Topology is a large branch of mathematics that studies continuity of movement, shape and time, and the structures that allow you to work with these. Category theory is a unifying theory that seeks to understand mathematical objects and structures by asking how they relate to other things. (Typically, mathematicians express their ideas by using the language of set theory, in which mathematical objects are understood by what belongs to them.) His research approaches topology from the philosophical standpoint of understanding mathematics by how structures relate to each other, how they interact. How does working in topology help to develop category theory and how does using the insights of category theory deepen our understanding of topology?

UNESCO has declared 2022 to be the “International Year of Basic Sciences in Sustainable Development” (IYBSSD2022), highlighting the essential contribution that the basic sciences have

Before joining the UWC David held positions at the University of Cape Town, where he completed his PhD in 1995, and the University of Stellenbosch, where he headed the Mathematics Division of their Department of Mathematical Sciences for a while. Over the course of his academic career he has been a research guest at over 20 universities across the globe and held visiting positions at the University of Bremen (Germany) and the Brno University of Technology (Czech Republic).

Besides his research interest in Topology and Category Theory, for which he holds a B-rating from the South African NRF, David also contributes to research in (undergraduate) mathematics education and academic staff development. He maintains a broad involvement in national mathematics activities, playing a key role in the National Graduate Academy for Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, a consortium of South African universities that collaborate regarding the training of the next generation of mathematicians, statisticians and data scientists. He is currently on the Council of the South African Mathematical Society (SAMS), the board of the South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) and chairs the Council of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS).

Prof. David Holgate:

Faculty of Natural Sciences UWC Research Chair in Mathematics and Applied Mathematics: SDG 4

Applications of technology are easy to recognize. On the other hand, contributions of basic, curiositybased, sciences are not well appreciated. They are nonetheless at the basis of major technological advances that stimulate innovation, as well as essential for training future professionals and for developing the capacity of populations who can take part in decisions that affect their future.

to make in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. In making this declaration UNESCO explains that while “basic sciences are the sine qua non for sustainable development” their role is not always appreciated.

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66 UWC ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2021/22 SECTION 5: Partnership Internationalisation&

PARTNERSHIPS.THEPARTNERSHIPSGOALDEVELOPMENTSUSTAINABLE17ANDIMPORTANCEOF

These inclusive partnerships built upon principles and values, a shared vision, and shared goals that place people and the planet at the centre, are needed at the global, regional, national and local

Collaboration is one of the key goals of all of the SDGs. As a university, the UWC has become strategic about partnerships. Partnerships are about collaboration and not about competition. The institution has, for example, had a 30-year partnership with the University of Missouri in the United States. Sustaining a partnership like this speaks to our core value as a university. These partnerships are at the heart of realising the SDGs, so that we can all strive for a more prosperous, sustainable and socially just world. Overall, The University of the Western Cape has over 140 international partnerships. They range from institution-to-institution partnerships, to mobility and staff student exchange, to research or joint degree (usually PhD).

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refers to the process of increasing the enterprise of a certain local companies in the international market. Thus, the relevance of international partnerships (Internationalisation) in the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals concludes that partnerships clearly contribute to the commitment of society to global sustainability, fostering economic growth, empowering people, and simultaneously focuses on sustainable development.

SDG 17 calls for a global partnership for sustainable development. The goal highlights the importance of global macroeconomic stability and the need to mobilise financial resources for developing countries from international sources, as well as through strengthened domestic capacities for revenue collection.

The Trilateral Agreements are between the University of the Western Cape, Ghent University and the University of Missouri. We have a long-standing productive relationship with these two institutions. (18 years with Ghent; and 35 years with Missouri). The Trilateral Continental Partnership has focused on research, jointly initiated and funded by the 3 institutions.

Internationalisationlevel.

As we engage with SDG 17 that focuses on strengthening the means of implementation and revitalising the global partnership for sustainable development under 5 targeted categories: Finance, Technology, Trade, Systemic issues and Capacity building. The aim of this trilateral project fund was to stimulate ideas on how to continue to drive research with partners despite COVID-19.

International collaborative projects as a vehicle to drive research during COVID-19

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According to the 2021-2025 IOP of the university, the focus on internationalisation has been incorporated into building resilient North-South partnerships. The aim of the partnerships is to share best practice and create opportunities for knowledge production that can be translated into active endeavours in our communities. In 2013, the university expanded on its bilateral partnership with The University of Missouri and The University of Ghent and formed a tricontinental partnership between the UWC (Africa), the University of Ghent (Europe) and the University of Missouri (USA). COVID-19 during 2020 and 2021 hampered the growth of these partnerships and required of us to become creative and innovative. This led to the establishment of funding for trilateral projects between researchers of the three institutions. The funding was capped at $5 000 per project as travelling was reduced due to COVID-19.

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REPORTING ON THE FUNDED PROJECTS THESE WERE SOME OF THE STORIES:

Title: “Capacity Development in Addictions and Quality of Life Researchers:Research”.

Professor Mansoo Yu (University of Missouri) School of Social Work and the Department of Public Health. He directs the MU’s Centre for Children and Families Across Cultures.

Flowing from this aim are the following key objectives:

■ To develop a short course on cross-national perspectives on addictions and QoL research.

■ To submit a book proposal to the Springer Series for the publication of a Handbook of Addiction and QoL research.

The outcomes of the project: To offer the short course to postgraduate students at Ghent University and Missouri University and ultimately to expand the course globally. To commence with the publication of the Handbook of Addiction and QoL Research. To continue developing the website as a point of reference for the advancement of the field of Addiction and QoL Research.

Prof. Shazly Savahl and Prof. Maria Florence University of the Western Cape, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences

This project focused on: The overarching aim to develop and contribute to the research focus area of Addictions and Quality of Life Research through a tri-continental partnership.

Associate Professor Wouter Vanderplasschen and head of the Department of Special Needs Education (Ghent University), Dr Jessica De Maeyer (Ghent University) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Department of Rehabilitation Sciences

■ To develop a website to expand knowledge and research in the field of addiction and QoL research.

The outcomes of the project: A fourteen-month long virtual learning space on post philosophies and the doing of inquiry was developed and executed, where eminent academics in the field generously gave of their time to answer a set of questions and to engage with further questions from the online audience. A further outcome of the project, which was an unexpected spin-off was that the prestigious Sage journal, Qualitative Inquiry, approached the two principal investigators, to do a double special issue in the journal of the online sessions. This is an esteemed international journal with a high impact factor in the humanities and social & behavioural sciences (4.716 impact factor).

Candace R. Kuby (University of Missouri) Associate Provost for Faculty Success. Director of Qualitative Inquiry Learning, Teaching & Curriculum

This project focused on: Assistance of academics, (post)graduate students, and their supervisors who wished to incorporate novel post qualitative approaches in their research projects. We created a fourteen-month long virtual space which could serve as an informal course on Post Philosophies and the Doing of Inquiry.

Geert van Hove (Ghent University) Central Administration. Department UCBO-UCRO. Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences. Department of Special Needs Education

Title: “A webinar series: Post philosophies, neuroatypicality and higher education”.

The University of the Western Cape, Faculty of Arts, Women’s and Gender Studies

Researchers:

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Prof. Vivienne Bozalek

The outcomes of the project: A total of 37 abstracts were received from a host of contributors across different contexts. Many of these contributions include a mix of contributors from developed and developing contexts, as well as a mix of established and emerging scholars and community representatives. In May 2022 the project was informed that Springer had chosen its Handbook for their new Major Reference Works system.

Title: “Capacity Development in Addictions and Quality of Life Researchers:Research”.

This project focused on: The overarching aim of the project is to develop and contribute to the research focus area of Addictions and Quality of Life Research through a tri-continental partnership. The idea is to proceed with the curriculum development based on the learnings from the development of the Springer book.

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Ms Deborah Sinclair (UWC) Department of Special Needs Education. Faculty of Psychology and Sciences.Educational

Prof. Professor Wouter Vanderplasschen (Ghent University) Prof. Mansoo Yu (University of Missouri) School of Social Work and the Department of Public

De Maeyer (Ghent University). Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Department of Rehabilitation Sciences.

Health.DrJessica

Prof. Peter Stevens (Ghent). Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Department of Sociology. Prof. Haley Kranstuber Horstman (the UM) Communication Department

The outcomes of the project: The students formulated a research proposal entitled: “Exploring the experiences of parents’ involvement and collaborative interactions with their children’s primary school teachers in the Cape Town metropole area during the COVID-19 pandemic.” The proposal served at the relevant Ethics committee and successfully achieved ethics approval.

Dr Athena Pedro (UWC) Lecturing at the Psychology Department

Researchers:pandemic.”

Title: “Exploring the experiences of parents’ involvement and collaborative interactions with their children’s primary school teachers in the Cape Town metropole area during the COVID-19

This project focused on: The objective of the project is to create and implement a collaborative international qualitative methods course. Students from the UWC, the UM, and the UG will learn about qualitative methods from their home instructor (lecturers) as well as lectures from the others, and collaborate in international research teams to conduct a qualitative research project. The course commences with lessons on the basics of qualitative research, including learning from assigned readings and lectures.

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■ Workshop on the role of solvent engineering in the development of SARS-CoV-2 NanobodyImmunoSens (the UM).

■ Possible joint research grant application for the completion of the project and for new collaborative projects.

This project focused on: The ultimate aim of the project is to integrate expertise in medical bioscience (GU), nano-electrochemistry (the UM and the UWC), biosensing (the UWC and the UM) and solvent engineering (the UM) in the development of electrochemical immunosensors for SARS-CoV-2 (i.e., a rapid antigen-based diagnostic test for COVID-19). The following objectives apply:

■ Cooperation in the training of postgraduate students on electro-nanobody immunosensor technology, with emphasis on SARS-CoV-2 Nanobody-ImmunoSens, through research exchanges.

■ Preliminary experiments on the development of SARS-CoV-2 Nanobody-ImmunoSens (the UWC).

■ Sharing knowledge on nanobody biotechnology, and on the development and optimization of a nanobody-based immunosensor.

■ Workshop on the expertise and resources information and sharing modalities (GU, the UM and the UWC).

Researchers:

Title: “Electro-nanobody immunosensor chip for SARS-Cov-2 specific Antigens (Short title: SARS-CoV-2 Nanobody-Immunosens)”

■ Workshop on the application of nanobodies in immunocytochemistry and diagnostics immunosensors (GU and the UWC).

Emmanuel Iwuoha University of the Western Cape, Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry (UWC)

Prof. Dr Jan Gettemans, Ghent University, Department of Biomolecular Medicine (Ghent) Prof. Gary Baker and Prof. Sheila Baker, University of Missouri-Columbia, Department of Chemistry (UM)

The outcomes of the project:

■ Workshop of the development of camelid antibodies, with emphasis on nanobodies (GU).

■ Co-authorship of publications and other research outputs.

■ Being acquainted with the biosensor expertise and resources at the participating institutions.

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Inga Brinkman: Ghent University, Department of African Languages & Cultures

The outcomes of the project: The activities will form a result in themselves, as it will enable audiences to engage with the notion of ‘performance’ in relation to knowledge production in various academic contexts. As a team, we will write a report on the connections we perceived during the project. Instead of pinpointing the results and follow-up, we take a processual approach: our assessment of these connections will form the guide to future collaboration. This open stance –viewing knowledge as a trajectory and not ‘fixing’ the aims on beforehand – is precisely one of the characteristics of this project.

Jane (CentreTaylorfor Humanities Research, University of the Western Cape)

6Title: “ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: Knowledge Production and Creative Procedures in University Teaching and Research.”

This project focused on: This project seeks to explore the role that ‘performance can potentially play in academic research and education’. Through five activities in the realm of story-telling and theatrical procedures we will exchange on performance as a research methodology, as an educational technique and as a form of knowledge production.

- Christel Stalpaert (Studies in Performing Arts and Media, Ghent University)

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Researchers:

- Suzanne Burgoyne (Centre for Applied Theatre and Drama) Research, the University of Missouri)

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Jan van Bever Donker

This project focused on: The main objective of the project will be the creation of virtual field experiences that can be used to prepare students for the physical field trip they are about to engage in and in extreme cases (such as the current Corona pandemic) to replace the physical field trip. They conserve key outcrops to make them available for posterity when urbanisation etc. encroaches on them and eventually overruns them. Furthermore, each virtual tour should have high resolution 360-degree panoramas to describe the site, with detailed close-ups, also in high resolution, detailed three-dimensional photographs of relevant samples that can be rotated on the computer screen and will be backed up by composite panoramas of the thin sections, both in plain polarised light and under crossed polar. For this pilot project a few stops in each country should be prepared to establish the viability of the project with the equipment available, before launching into the larger project of several complete tours.

The University or the Western Cape, Faculty of Natural sciences

Title: “Towards Virtual Field Work in Geology”

The outcomes of the project:

Researchers: Department of Earth Sciences - Stijn Dewaele Professor Docent TT (Ghent) - John P. Hogan Associate Professor of Geology Director of the S&T: Geosciences Field Camp (The UM)

The expected result is a library of significant geological sites from several continents that can be used online by students and staff from all three institutions to broaden the field experience of the students enrolled in the geology curriculum. It can be used in a “library of virtual outcrops” to conserve key outcrops for posterity. It can be the basis for Geo heritage/Geoparks.

The outcomes of the project: The goal of this research project is to give an almost worldwide overview of the impact of C0VID19 on the dental training at universities, as well as on private practice activities. Furthermore, this project aims to provide more inside information on precautions that have been taken to guarantee proper patient care in a safe environment for practitioners, dental students and patients.

Anthea Jeftha (UWC) Department of Oral Medicine and Periodontology.

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This project focused on: Objectives - The primary aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on dental practices (public and private). Institutes in Africa, Europe and USA will be invited to complete an online questionnaire, evaluating the influence of COVID-19 on their dental practice. A second aim of the study is to determine whether routine dentistry can safely be practised during the pandemic.

8Title: “The influence of the COV1D-19 Pandemic in Dentistry: A Multicentre Survey.”

Researchers:

Veronique Christiaens: Ghent University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Department of Oral Health Sciences. Keerthana Satheesh (Missouri) Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Periodontics.

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The UWC celebrates 20 years of cooperation between UWC and RUB. In 2008 the SA-GER CDR started as a cooperation project between the Institute for Social Development (ISD) and the School of Government (SoG) at the UWC, and the Institute of Development Research and Development Policy (German acronym: IEE) at the Ruhr-University Bochum (RUB), Germany. The centre aims at training future executive elites in Master’s and PhD programmes related to Development Studies at the UWC and equipping them with the expertise needed to meet the specific economic, social and political challenges Sub-Saharan African countries are facing.

Close cooperation of the programmes at the UWC enhances the opportunities for students to specialise and develop a distinct qualification profile. The major structural component of the centre are the three interlinked MA programmes and a cooperative PhD programme structure as shown in the graphic:

The three institutes, however, began partnering even earlier, in 2002, by creating cooperative curricula and by establishing a Master’s Programme in Development Management (MADM) run by the IEE at the UWC. It is in this year 2022 in which the centre is celebrating the 20th Anniversary of this unique longstanding and blossoming partnership between the UWC and the RUB.

Cooperation Programmes and Achievements at SA-GER CDR

SA-GER CDR: Collaboration modes Report writing, scientific writing & presentation, team building, German language training, alumni network, tracing studies (UWC)AdminPublicPhD (UWC)DevStPhD PhDStructuredDevSt(RUB) MA (ISD,DevSTUWC) MA DM (BoPr at UWC) (SoG,MPAUWC) Second degree option RecognitionofModules RecognitionofModules Support for implementation of semi structured PhD Options to take part in course-work at RUB Exchange of lecturers, jointSecondsupervisiondegree option

South African-German Centre for Development Research (SA-GER CDR) – 20 Years of Cooperation between the UWC and the RUB.

27 PhD scholarship holders (full scholarships 3 years+) from

(full scholarships, 2 years) from

Since funding started, scholarship applications received from all over Sub-Saharan Africa have increased tenfold over the centre’s years of operation. To date, 115 scholarships have been provided from the SA-GER CDR at the UWC as can be seen in more detail below:

11 Sub Saharan African countries have been accepted at the UWC,

* plus 13 Masters and 5 PhD scholarships via the EU funded joint project EUSA-ID (2013-2018).

75 completed, 9 are ongoing or about to start, 4 dropouts, overall completion ratio > 90%

15 Sub Saharan African countries have been accepted at the UWC,

88 Masters scholarship holders

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21completed, 5 are ongoing, 1 dropout, overall completion ratio > 90%

Current Activities (2021/22) and Future Prospects

The topic of ADAPTED is closely related to the entre’s expertise and 15 Early-Stage Researchers (ESR) were selected and are currently funded in projects related to "Eradicating Poverty: Pathways towards Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals". African university partners, among them the UWC as RUB's SA-GER CDR partner, are involved in ADAPTED through supervision of field work of PhD candidates, participation in joint training events, and participation as members of the supervisory teams of individual ESRs.

As a research-led university, the UWC plays an essential role in collaborative partnerships within South Africa, the region and around the world. This has allowed the University to collaborate with leading institutions in addressing SDG related collaborative partnerships and this has put us in good stead as a trusted partner. The experience of our international partnerships and collaborations have thus prompted the UWC to increase its presence and build its strategic relationships in the Global South, with a particular focus on Africa within sustainable ecosystems that have mutual partnership benefits as we contribute within the SDG agenda.

Apart from continuing ongoing activities, the SA-GER CDR works on long-term strategies which allow for the continuation or even extension of the centre’s activities with a stronger focus on research and Doctoral training. A substantial success in this regard is the award of EU funds within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie action for the European Joint Doctorate ADAPTED (2021-end of 2024).

The SA-GER CDR partners are involved in and hope for further progress in the German "RoundTable-Africa Initiative” process in 2022/2023. This process relates to the potential establishment of a prospective new ‘African-German Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Food Systems and Applied Agricultural and Nutritional Data Science’, linked to the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security at the UWC. Furthermore, this process relates to other potential Round Table funding opportunities to be expected soon, focusing on research areas in which the centre will participate with proposals that further develop joint research and set-up cross-African structures to support early career researchers.

** plus 17 DAAD funded Masters scholarships, and 8 other Masters scholarships (mainly Konrad Adenauer Foundation) before 2008.

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NRF Nominees

Over the past year our researchers have received a number of awards from different institutions. This section celebrates these achievements and milestones in Research and Innovation. As the UWC gears towards a research-led institution, this could not be possible without the contribution made by our academic staff, support staff and postgraduate students.

Prof. Aucamp focuses on pharmaceutical strategies to improve the physico-chemical properties of drugs which impacts on the efficacious delivery and bioavailability of drugs. Her research progressed from only focusing on crystalline solid-state forms of drugs to amorphous solidstate forms, which resulted in the development and registration of three patents.

Prof. Simone Titus

CATEGORY: RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR EARLY CAREER / EMERGING RESEARCHERS

Prof. Simone Titus is a teaching and learning specialist in the Faculty of Community and Health Science at the University of the Western Cape. Her special research interests are focused on game-based learning and using emerging technologies to foster cross-cultural interaction, learning and engagement in higher education. During her time in academia, Simone has taught undergraduate and postgraduate students and she currently supervises 14 Master’s and 2 PhD students. She has also supervised 30 Honours’ student projects and graduated 7 Master’s students successfully to date. In the last 3 years, Prof. Titus has occupied the Learning and Teaching Specialist post in the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences.

Prof. Marique Aucamp

This category is a synopsis of nominees’ career paths and research performances over the past six years, providing evidence of emerging independence (e.g., publications not authored with doctoral supervisor; first/single authored publications or student supervision (emphasis on Master’s-degree level students).

Dr Michelle Lochner: Emerging Researcher Award Nominee

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National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Nominees

Prof. Alan Christoffels is the SARChI Chair and his team at the South African National Bioinformatics Institute (SANBI) developed Baobab LIMS, a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) for biobanking that was developed by African and European researchers as part of the Horizon2020 funding framework project, “B3Africa”. Designed for the collection, processing and storage of human biospecimens, Baobab LIMS allows researchers to trace what happens to a biological sample or where it is located. It’s a free and open source, and can be customised to the specific needs of any particular laboratory and is already being used in a dozen African countries.

Dr Michelle Lochner is the founder and director of the Supernova Foundation, which supports and promotes women in physics from around the world, and shares the joy of STEM in Soapbox Science. She joined the UWC’s Department of Physics and Astrophysics as a Senior Lecturer in 2020 during the midst of a pandemic and is working on new data analysis techniques to understand the data we get from the Square Kilometre Array – the most powerful radio telescope ever.

Prof. Alan Christoffels & SANBI: Baobab LIMS: Data for Research Award Nominee

Prof. Carolina Ödman is the winner of the 2020/2021 Communication Award. Prof Ödman is from the Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and won for her outstanding promotion of academic research and teaching in science for development. She made significant contributions to the multi-disciplinary research into building a scientific vocabulary in African languages at the UWC. Since her appointment in 2018, she has carried out a broad, evolving range of communications activities, promoting the Institute’s research, engaging with the media, and offering leadership in public forums on issues that affect the public.

NSTF: COMMUNICATION AWARD WINNER

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Professor Jacques Joubert from the School of Pharmacy and his Drug Design team are designing neuro-pharmaceuticals to permeate the blood-brain barrier and combat neurological disorders. This project received funding in August 2021 from the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) through the division of Research Capacity Building and will be funded for the next 3 years.

■ SAMRC RCDI running costs = R450 000 over 3 years (Aug 2021 - July 2024).

■ SAMRC RCDI postdoctoral scholarship = R1 050 000 over 3 years (Dr Ayodeji Egunlusi).

Prof. Joubert and his group have identified a molecule, known as EBPD, that can reduce harmful oxidants and potentially decrease the formation of protein deposits in the brain that lead to the development of Alzheimer’s Disease. The UWC team working on the EBPDs include Prof. David Fisher and Dr Khayelihle Makhathini from the Neurobiology Research group, and Prof. Admire Dube and his Nanomedicine group.

■ SAMRC RCDI doctoral scholarship = R600 000 over 3 years (Mr Teboho Tutubala).

■ SAMRC Bongani Mayosi National Health Scholars Programme 2021 over 3 years = R1 229 967 (Mr Luke Zondagh).

SAMRC Awards

The following funding is linked to the SAMRC RCDI project:

Securing research funding is key to being successful as a researcher. Despite the impact of COVID-19, researchers were still able to secure funding to drive their important research projects.

Professor Jacques Joubert (PhD)

■ This SAMRC funded project has also led to the project receiving funding of R992 385.83 from the Perivoli African Research Center Partnership fund in collaboration with the University of Bristol. The SAMRC funding enabled the project to generate initial preliminary data that was used to successfully secure the PARC funds.

The development of accurate, inexpensive, portable, and simple devices for remote sensing applications is pivotal for early detection, limiting exposure, and the prevention of adverse side effects, particularly in areas where access to skilled laboratories is lacking. It is envisaged that the novel, cost-effective, portable lab-on-a-chip electrochemiluminescent apatasensing microfluidic device will be the first of its kind developed.

Enamel Renal Syndrome (ERS) is a rare genetic disorder with a largely unknown prevalence due to limited awareness of the condition and misdiagnosis. ERS has a major impact on the quality of life of those affected as well as potentially life-threatening renal complications. Because dentists are often the first point of call for these patients, it is important that the dentist is able to identify patients with ERS, have sufficient information available to them to understand the risks associated with the condition and manage patients in a way that ensures that they have access to appropriate healthcare. The project received R300 000 and the funding period is from 2021 to 2024.

The “Highly Sensitive Electrochemiluminescent Microfluidic Integrated SARS-CoV-2 Diagnostic Aptasensor Chips” project received R450 000, for a period of 3 years from 2021 to 2024.

Dr Keegan Pokpas

The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the world. It spread at an alarming rate with 150 million infections and over 3 million deaths worldwide. It has placed a great deal of strain on the health sectors to find effective monitoring, vaccination, and treatment approaches. Sars-Cov-2 early detection and vaccination programmes are vital to curb the spread of the virus. Consequently, fast, sensitive, cost-effective, and reliable detection of exposure at the point of contamination is required to meet the needs of infected individuals and help ease the burden on our strained public health systems.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) envision a future where no individual is left behind, this includes those who are affected by rare diseases. ERS is a rare genetic condition and there is a severe lack of knowledge and awareness about the condition. ERS could easily be misdiagnosed as a localized disease of the oral tissues and the associated medical problems may be overlooked. This project aims to gain new insights into ERS from a South African cohort to enable increased awareness, timeous diagnosis and management of patients affected by the condition, in particular, from an oral health perspective. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study will be the first evaluating patients with ERS in South Africa and aims to phenotypically characterize the patients and to explore the dental treatment options associated with the condition.

Prof. Manogari Chetty

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Dr Bey-Marrie Schmidt

In 2019 the South African government accepted the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill as a critical step towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The NHI Bill seeks to achieve UHC by creating one public health fund with adequate resources to plan for and effectively meet the health needs of the entire population. Activities to implement the NHI Bill are currently underway and have resulted in an increased demand for research evidence on the effectiveness, costs, feasibility and acceptability of health Knowledgeinterventions.Translation

funding for a period of 1st August 2021 to 31 July 2024 which is R600 000 project funding, R350 000 postdoctoral fellowship and R220 000 PhD scholarship. The overall goal of this project is to understand and strengthen KTPs in supporting UHC-related policy and practice in South Africa.

Platforms (KTPs) are increasingly popular as they can support evidence-informed decision-making by providing relevant and timely research evidence and they bridge the gap between research, policy and practice. KTPs are therefore organisations, initiatives or networks that facilitate knowledge exchange, dialogue and capacity strengthening between researchers and health decision-makers (e.g., patients, advocacy groups, health professionals, healthcare managers and policy-makers). There are several KTPs in South Africa (that selfidentify as such or not) that can enhance the translation, uptake and use of research evidence to support UHC policy and practice

Thedecision-making.KTP-UHCreceived

The overall goal of this project is to identify novel chemical compounds able to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 growth. Such hits will serve as the starting point for long term goals to find specific antiviral drugs for treating COVID-19 infections. As such, this project directly addresses the SDG of “Good health and wellbeing”. The project received R600 000 and the funding period is from 2021 to 2024. The project through Dr Bianca Gordon also received an SAMRC RCDI postdoctoral bursary (R1 050 000,00 for a total of 3 years).

Prof. Megan Shaw

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The vast majority of successful antiviral drugs on the market are highly specific for the virus for which they are approved, and this is because they are specifically designed to target one of the virus proteins. This is the approach that must now be taken to develop effective antiviral drugs for COVID-19. It will not be an easy task, requiring the implementation of full-scale drug discovery and development programmes from discovery of the initial hits, through pre-clinical studies, lead optimization, and finally clinical trials. Pharmaceutical companies have become more reluctant to take on the high risk, early phase of drug discovery and instead rely on small biotech companies and academia to first identify suitable targets and chemical scaffolds. This is where the current project fits in. The goal of the project is to discover compounds that are able to prevent virus growth at non-toxic concentrations, and these candidates can be further investigated in future preclinical studies.

Prof. Mlenzana received funding for a telerehabilitation project in September 2021. The Project focuses on the improvement of health services for people with non-communicable diseases. The project has 2 Master’s and 1 PhD researchers that are doing their research and being supervised. The project targets patients who are being serviced by community health care workers as they are identified as a link between clinics and communities. The aim of the project is to empower the patients and service providers with knowledge, improvement of communication and combating non-communicable diseases with the hope of improving health at community level. The project received R300 000 funding and the funding period is from 2021 to 2024.

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Community health workers are currently servicing the communities by providing them with medication for chronic illnesses. They usually drop these medications to clients that are linked with the specific community health centres. Most of the time, there is no time to sit down and explain how this medication must be used. The goal of the project is to train community health workers on how to share information with the patients using an application. This application will have health information focusing on the selfmanagement of patients presenting with these conditions.

Prof. Nondwe B. Mlenzana

Mr Mogamad-Junaid Townsend and Astronomy

INNOVATION AWARD

Prof. Ernst Conradie Religion and Theology Research

POSTGRADUATE SUPERVISION AWARD: MASTERS

Prof. Kobus Moolman Department: English

Department: Physics

Dr Riaan Mulder Department: Prosthetics

History

Recognition Awards

BESTSTUDENTS:POSTGRADUATEPHD

Prof. Mulugeta Dinbabo Department: Institute for Social Development

Department:

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HR PROFESSIONALCONSULTANTTECHNICALSUPPORT

Mahlubandile “Maiza” Mafata Department: Human Resources

BEST STUDENTS:POSTGRADUATEMASTERS

Leonardo Van Zyl Department: Biotechnology

POSTGRADUATEAWARD:SUPERVISIONPHD 2021 Winner of the

Exercise Science BEST ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT TO RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

FACULTY OPEN REPOSITORYSOURCE The Faculty of Natural Science FACULTY WITH HIGHEST RESEARCH OUTPUTS The Faculty of Natural Science CREATIVE ARTS OUTPUT FACULTYAWARDBOOK PRIZE INNOVATION AWARD

Department:

Dominique Bowers Sport, Recreation and

Dr. Koni Benson Department:

Mr Bester Tawona Mudereri Department: Earth Science

Dr Riaan Mulder Department: Prosthetics

Dr Suné Mulder van Staden Department: Oral medicine & Periodontics

Luzaan Africa Unit: Interprofessional Education

Prof. Julia Sloth-Nielsen Department: Public Law and Jurisprudence

Prof. Leslie Petrik Department: Chemistry IN RESEARCH

DVC SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD IN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

Prof. Ben Cousins Department: PLAAS

RESEARCHERMID-CAREER

Prof. Cyril Julie Department: School of Science and Mathematics Education

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ESTABLISHED RESEARCHER

Prof. Mervin Meyer Department: Biotechnology

WOMEN

Prof. Burtram C Fielding Unit: Research Development Office Winner of the Research Recognition Awards

Prof. Jacob Olaf Department: Information Systems

Prof. James Boatwright Department: Biodiversity and Conservation Biology

Prof. Helen Schneider Department: Public Health

CONTRIBUTIONSINTERNATIONALISATION:CONTRIBUTIONTOINTERNATIONALISATIONRECOGNISINGRESEARCHTHATMADE A DIFFERENCE DURING THE YEAR OF COVID-19 2021

NEXTRESEARCHERGENERATION

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