54: New Universities

Photo Cred: Naazira Ahmed Carina Truyts is part of the pioneers at South Africa’s newest university, Sol Plaatje University in Kimberly. She has established the Anthropology department there. Her teaching and research is focused on contextual knowledge production, sharing and engagement. Truyts’ Masters Research was on Nourishment in the 'first thousand days' in the context of precarious livelihoods in a small Cape Winelands town. In this episode she shares with with Dr Nosipho Mngomezulu the excitement, countless opportunities and responsibilities associated with being part of this pioneering exercise. They also speak about institutional cultures and the ethical conundrums faced at such new establishments. [soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/349468300" params="color=#ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true" width="100%" height="300" iframe="true" /] Produced, Edited, Researched and Scheduled by: Simbarashe Honde

The Academic Citizen 31 October 2017

Academic Publishing

52: Politics of Academic Publishing

Photo Cred: Dustin Lee Writing for academic journals is highly competitive. The common saying in academic circles is, “get published or perish!” There’s no simple formula for getting published, expectations vary both between and within subject areas. But there are some challenges that will confront all academic writers regardless of their discipline. How should you respond to reviewer feedback and rejection? Is there a correct way to structure a paper? Why should I pay to get my article published? What is open access publishing and why must I pay for it? Dr Nosipho Mngomezulu explores these above questions and more with Oscar Masinyana, the managing editor of Taylor & Francis South Africa. Taylor & Francis publishes around 70 highly regarded academic and professional journals from the region in collaboration with learned societies, institutions and co-publishers. [soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/346381336" params="color=#ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true" width="100%" height="300" […]

The Academic Citizen 11 October 2017

#Gender

51: Mental Wellness in Academia

Photo Cred: Sam Burrell In the Netherlands, a study revealed that 1 in 3 academics suffer from mental health disorder. This then begs the question if the same applies to Academics here in South Africa? What could be the reasons? Is mental wellness an Institutional problem? Is mental health gendered? How can academics cope? Well, this week’s podcast seeks to answer the above questions. Kholeka Shange caught up with Elvis Munatswa, a PhD Candidate in Psychology at Wits and had a chat on mental wellbeing of academics. [soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/344276222" params="color=#ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="300" iframe="true" /] Produced, Edited, Researched and Scheduled by: Simbarashe Honde

The Academic Citizen 27 September 2017

academics

50: Young People and HIV Research Discourse

Dr. Beth Vale is a researcher at the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection. She is a Mandela Rhodes and a Rhodes Scholar. Dr. Vale was a postdoctoral fellow under the NRF Chair in Local Histories, Present Realities at Wits University. Her research explored Johannesburg nightclub cultures as sites of identity, attachment and place-making. Vale’s doctoral research completed at Oxford, was an ethnographic study exploring the medication-taking practices of HIV-positive adolescents in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. She worked as part of a mixed-methods team that worked collaboratively with government and local NGOs to inform policy and programming. In this episode, Dr Nosipho Mngomezulu caught up with Dr Vale and they chat on youth research, intimacy, HIV and writing for the public. They also discuss effective ways of engagement, conflict and identity construction in disseminating research. https://soundcloud.com/theacademiccitizen/50-young-people-and-hiv-research-discourse Produced, Researched, […]

The Academic Citizen 20 September 2017

academics

45: Season 4 Roundup

From the left: Prof Mehita Iqani, Simbarashe Honde and Dr Nosipho Mngomezulu. The Academic Citizen this year, since its relaunch in March 2017 has produced 14 episodes. In this episode, Prof Mehita Iqani and Dr Nosipho Mngomezulu reflect and look back on some of the interesting and topical conversations exploring diversity of topics and opinions relating to higher education in South Africa, today and into the future. We also bid farewell and good wishes to Prof Iqani who is going on Sabbatical from next semester. The episodes sought to explore different themes and issues affecting Higher Education in South Africa. The themes ranged from decolonization of Higher education and curriculum, women in science, medical aids, the role of universities in societies, wage gaps, issues of gender inequalities in universities. These shows have featured prominent academics and student voices from various […]

The Academic Citizen 6 July 2017

academics

44: Public Intellectuals

Photo Cred: Aaron Burden Public Intellectuals aim to help societies to better understand themselves and the world around them. Their writing and public talks can help create an informed citizenry and more just societies. Athambile Masola, is a teacher, and a PhD researcher who blogs about education, feminism and politics. This week’s show features a discussion with Dr Nosipho Mngomezulu about the nature and role of the public intellectual in various public spaces. According to Masola, writing can be a form of activism and often ends as being political. Is writing as a form of rioting that can be disruptive and open up public spaces for a diversity of voices? https://soundcloud.com/theacademiccitizen/44-public-intellectuals Athambile Masola's selected writings: Asinakuthula umhlab’ubolile: the poetry of Nontsizi Mgqwetho On black excellence: Charlotte Mannya Maxeke Heritage Day: What’s wrong with this picture? The things we do in […]

The Academic Citizen 28 June 2017

academics

41: Africanizing Scientific Research

Photo Cred: Drew Hayes What does it mean to decolonise science? How can African knowledge be integrated into scientific research? Does emphasising indigenous knowledge systems mean abandoning western knowledge systems? In this week’s episode we explore these questions with Dr Nosiphiwe Ngqwala, a lecturer at Rhodes University in the Faculty of Pharmacy. The discussion touches on questions of research into medicines and health, water purity and biotechnology and how African and western forms of knowledge can be integrated. [soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/327004878" params="auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /] Selected Publications: Tandlich R, Ngqwala NP, Tandlichova E (2014). Formative assessment of quality assurance and safety in pharmaceutical education in South Africa, European Scientific Journal, vol.3 ISSN: 1857 – 7881 Roman Tandlich, Catherine D. Luyt and Nosiphiwe P. Ngqwala (2014). A community-based rainwater monitoring and treatment programme in Grahamstown, South Africa, Journal of Hydrocarbons Mines […]

The Academic Citizen 7 June 2017

#Gender

40: Gender Gap in Institutions of Higher Education

Photo Cred: Beth Tate One of the most significant worldwide transformations in education has been the drastic increase in women's access to institutions of higher learning. But the question is, has this addressed the gender gap in institutions of higher learning in South Africa? In this episode, Dr Nosipho Mngomezulu and Dr Asanda Benya look into factors which influence the Gender Gap. They also reflect on why it is important to take gender concerns into account and how institutions of higher education can respond to the gap. [soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/325360408" params="auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /] Selected publications by Dr Benya: Benya, Asanda. 2015, South Africa’s 21 Years of Democracy: Reflections on Living Conditions in Marikana. Benya, Asanda. 2015. “Marikana: The Absence of Justice, Dignity and Freedom?”. Rodriguez-Garavito, C. Human Rights in Minefields: Extractive Economies, Environmental Conflicts and Social Justice in the Global […]

The Academic Citizen 31 May 2017

academics

39: Cycle-Versities

Photo Cred: Susan Yin South African universities suffer from serious traffic congestion, lack of parking spaces and high pollution levels. Even though many staff and students aspire to own a car, arguably the bicycle offers huge potential to transform the environment and culture of campuses. In this episode Prof Mehita Iqani and Dr Njogu Morgan, a post-doctoral researcher based at the South Research Chair in Spatial Analysis and City Planning at Wits University, discuss cycling as a lifestyle, health benefit, environmentally friendly alternative to the car. They look into the factors which kind of transport people lean towards and reasons behind the choices. Both cycling enthusiasts, they round up a dozen reasons to leave that car in the driveway and consider the affordable bicycle as a way to get around. [soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/324250911" params="auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /] Learn more about cycling: http://www.juca.org.za/ http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23800127.2017.1283122 https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/may/24/johannesburg-africa-first-cycle-friendly-megacity-bicycles Produced, […]

The Academic Citizen 24 May 2017

academics

38: Academic Mentorship in Higher Education

Photo Cred: Garrett Garms In 2016 the Department of Higher Education released a report which stated that almost half (47.9%) of the students who start university do not finish their degrees and a large majority of these are black. Dr Nosipho Mngomezulu took time to discuss these statistics with Leila Abdool Gafoor, the Team Leader for Psychological Services at PsyCaD at University of Johannesburg to interrogate why this is so and why particularly students from historically disadvantaged background make up the majority of the dropouts. Dr Mngomezulu also looks into how universities through mentorship can support students in graduate programmes who come with little understanding of the complex landscape of higher education and how different philosophies in graduate programs drive expectations for academic excellence and ideal career pathways. [soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/323048958" params="auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /] PsyCad will be hosting a colloquium on […]

The Academic Citizen 17 May 2017

1 2 Next

south africa

Login to enjoy full advantages

Please login or subscribe to continue.

Go Premium!

Enjoy the full advantage of the premium access.

Stop following

Cancel subscription