Supporting Historically Disadvantaged Institutions

Over the years, there have been proactive efforts from the CoE-HUMAN team to engage with and support research capacity building in HDIs. During 2022, this included the work with UMP, resulting in the grant award to Prof Mahlomaholo and work with Durban University of Technology (DUT) – resulting in the grant award to Prof Gugu Mchunu, as well as a grant awarded to Prof Maimela of the University of Limpopo.

University of Mpumalanga

On Wednesday 09 March 2022, the CoE-HUMAN Centre Manager, Mr Justin Du Toit and Senior Researcher, Dr Lisa Ware met with the Collaborative Research Team at the University of Mpumalanga (“UMP”) campus. The UMP team comprised of the following Heads of Schools:

1. Prof Geoffrey Mahlomaholo: Education

2. Prof Estelle Boshoff: Development Studies

3. Prof Hilda Israel: Dean of Education

4. Prof Vusi Gumede: Dean of Economics, Development Studies, and Business Science

5. Prof Calvin Gwandure : Social Sciences

6. Prof Ntombovuyo Wayi-Mgwebi: Information Communication Technology

7. Prof Funso Kutu: Agriculture

8. Dr Thandeka Sabela: Development Studies

The UMP Collaborative Research Team and the CoE-HUMAN team worked together to brainstorm potential collaborative research topics, and CoE-HUMAN gave guidance on proposal development such as the inclusion of a detailed budget, timeline, research output and clear milestones. UMP then took the proposal forward to develop the Collaborative Research Project “Creating Sustainable Higher Education Learning Environments towards Increased Levels of Employability among Students and Youth.”

The aim of the study is to design a strategy to enable higher education institutions to create sustainable learning environments that increase the levels of employability among student and youth populations, and entrepreneurial acumen among youth in the community in the broad learning areas of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Early Childhood Education and Economics, Development and Business Sciences. These learning areas align directly to the employment opportunities for youth in the areas surrounding UMP.

Key outputs of the project include peer-reviewed academic publications, conference presentations, book chapters in peer-reviewed books, and two national / international webinars.

The study is inspired by challenges affecting students and youth to varying degrees depending on their respective circumstances. These include the high rate of youth unemployment, poverty, inequality, and youth’s poor levels of formal education in socio-economic contexts that demand high levels of technological functioning.

This important collaborative project speaks to the DSI Decadal Plan and aim for future-proof education through links to life-long learning, basic education links to higher education, and the development of education ecosystems.

The project further seeks to realise the vision of the Decadal Plan in its adoption of the SDGs and pledge to increase the number of young people and adults with

Durban University of Technology (DUT)

On Friday 19 August 2022, the CoE-HUMAN Centre Manager, Mr Justin Du Toit and Senior Researcher, Dr Lisa Ware met virtually with the Collaborative Research Team from DUT, including:

1. Professor Gugu Mchunu: Executive Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences

2. Professor Julian Pillay: Research Chair, Faculty of Health Sciences

3. Dr Desmond Kuupiel: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Faculty of Health Sciences

4. Professor Busisiwe Ncama: DVC, College of Health Sciences

5. Professor Sinegugu Duma: Dean, Teaching and Learning

6. Professor Christopher Isike: Professor, Humanities

University of Limpopo (UL)

Grantee, Prof Eric Maimela was approached by the Director: CoE-HUMAN, Prof Norris to form part of a collaborative partnership which led to the ideation and develop of the project proposal: Assessing the effects of food insecurity, malnutrition and teenage pregnancy on pregnant and parenting adolescents’ mental health needs in DIMAMO population health research centre.

Lack of access to healthy food due to limited money or other resources can lead people to poor nutrition, obesity, high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. The effects of this may be particularly detrimental during pregnancy or for young caregivers supporting children.

This study will investigate the effects of food insecurity, malnutrition, and teenage pregnancy on pregnant and parenting adolescents’ mental health in the DIMAMO Population Health Research Centre.

skills for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. Moreover, the research promotes the DSI STI priority of education for future and the future of society –strongly linked to the development of future skills.

7. Professor Cheryl Potgieter: Head, Gender Justice and Human Development

8. Professor Monique Marks: Director, Urban Future Centre

9. Dr Kira Erwin: Senior Lecturer, Urban Future Centre

After this virtual engagement, the DUT project team submitted their proposal for the project titled: “Optimising safety for women and young girls as minibus taxi commuters in Durban” – subsequently approved by the CoE-HUMAN. The team found that very little is known about how South African women and girl commuters feel about their own safety on their daily rides, or about how they believe safety could be optimised, and the impact of sexism on their well-being as users of public transport. This exploratory research project aims to provide a baseline study to contribute to the paucity of research in the area.

SPECIFIC RESEARCH OBJECTIVES:

1. To determine the prevalence and severity of food insecurity.

2. To determine proportion of malnourished pregnant and parenting adolescents.

3. To determine the level of teenage pregnancy.

4. To investigate the prevalence of depression and factors associated with depression amongst adolescent pregnant women.

5. To explore the knowledge and perceptions of adolescent pregnant women on depression associated with pregnancy.

6. To explore the barriers that often prevent adolescent mothers from seeking mental health services, and interventions for this vulnerable population that can be integrated into primary care services.

7. To investigate support structures for adolescent pregnant women.