College of College of Graduate Studies

Red carpet research and innovation at Unisa

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Winners of this year's prestigious Research and Innovation Awards gathered at a glittering award ceremony, held at Capital Menlyn Maine, on 8 March 2019, to receive recognition for their pioneering and innovative research.


Pioneering research achievements

Prof Khehla Ndlovu (Acting Principal and Vice-Chancellor & Vice-Principal of Strategy, Risk and Advisory Services)

At the eighth Research and Innovation (R&I) award ceremony, 55 researchers were celebrated for being newly rated or re-rated by the National Research Foundation (NRF), but, above all, for continuing to make the university proud by conducting high-impact and ground-breaking research.

Walking away with the 2018 women in research youngest female doctoral graduate award was Dr Catherine le Roux from the College of Economic and Management Sciences. Prof Memory Tekere from the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences received two different awards on the evening, first for 2018 women in research leadership and second as a 2018 NRF C-Rated researcher.


Contextually relevant scholars

Delivering his address, Prof Khehla Ndlovu, Acting Principal and Vice-Chancellor and Vice-Principal of Strategy, Risk and Advisory Services, said the university was called in line with its strategy and status as a globally acknowledged open, distance and e-learning (ODeL) university to engage in multi, inter and trans-disciplinary research, as well as cross, international and continental collaborative research that adds meaningful and impactful ways to the African and global body of knowledge. In addition, he said, Unisa ensures the relevance and improved profile of researchers as national, continental and global contextually relevant scholars.

Look out for our forthcoming article on all the awards.

Prof Thenjiwe Meyiwa (Vice-Principal: Research, Postgraduate Studies, Innovation and Commercialisation)

"Tonight, we have gathered to honour our brightest and best for their professionalism, consistent dedication to research and innovation, and the demonstrable success that they have achieved." He further congratulated the awardees for dedication, commitment to their disciplines and for striving consistently for excellence.

The ceremony was hosted by Prof Thenjiwe Meyiwa, Vice-Principal of Research, Postgraduate Studies, Innovation and Commercialisation, who also received a prize for being an NRF C-Rated researcher. Research is important at Unisa, Meyiwa said. These awards are very competitive and solved a number of problems, she added. "The people we are recognising today have shown and demonstrated that excellence does exist at Unisa," she concluded.

"I’m here to support the research agenda of this institution as it focuses on the developmental needs of the country. Congratulations to all our awardees tonight; hard work pays." Sakhi Simelane, Chairperson: Unisa Council

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* By Lesego Ravhudzulo, Journalist, Department of Institutional Advancement

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Publish date: 2019-03-12 00:00:00.0

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