60. Breathing

https://soundcloud.com/theacademiccitizen/60-breathing/s-sL9aZz7hval?si=b748e98b31d94702b1229fbd93d04fc4&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing In the latest episode, Breath is life. We explore how breathing helps our mental and physical well-being while advocating for clean air which has an impact on our cities and on our health. Dr Ela Manga is an integrated medical doctor who is focused on bringing heart back into the art of medicine. Her focus on breath work practice and breath in both mental and physical science has informed her unique approach to holistic health and wellbeing. A/Professor Tolullah Oni is the Programme Lead of the Global Diet and Physical Activity Group and Network at the University of Cambridge MRC Epidemiology Unit and an Extraordinary Professor & Chair at Innovation Africa@UP, University of Pretoria, South Africa where she leads the Urban Better Satellite Studio. She is involved in a citizen science project that uses running to advocate for clean […]

59. Ancestors

https://soundcloud.com/theacademiccitizen/59-ancestors The past informs the present while the past and the present inform the future. In this episode, our academic citizens help us trace the importance of knowing the events and memories that inform our heritage, identities and guide our spirituality. Dr Sven Ouzman is an archaeologist, rock art researcher and heritage specialist working in northern Australia, Borloo (Perth) and southern Africa. His research interests range from ancient artefacts to modern graffiti, along with issues of Indigenous Knowledge, contemporary archaeology, museums and identity. Youlendree Appasamy is a feminist free radical, working in the spaces of writing, zine-making and collage. Her writing work can be found on Africa is a Country, Mail & Guardian, Sunday Times and Kajal Magazine. She is interested in how Indian indentureship in South Africa influenced kinship structures, violence and gender/race-making in Indian South African communities. She is  […]

58. Blue

https://iono.fm/e/1200589 The deep colour blue: often associated with vastness, the fear of the unknown yet calming, enduring and complete. Continuing from the last episode where we explored the colour Green, our three academic citizens help us explore and expand our understanding behind the symbolism of the colour blue. Dr Meghan Judge is an animator, researcher, visual artist, musician and composer.  Her research is of a transdiciplinary nature by using art and earth science as a form of exploring fluidity between epistemological disobedience and power. Her experimental driven pieces explore links between animations, installations and sound. She has recently developed a sonic sensory palette for inquiring into and understanding human-ocean relations outside of anthropocentric determinacies.  Professor Aliza le Roux is a zoologist and behavourial ecologist who studies how animals respond to risks and opportunities in the environment. She is Associate Professor in the […]

57. Green

https://iono.fm/e/1186860 ​C​olour symbolises the beginning​, middle ​and the end of a journey. ​It can represent​the importance of a cause but ​simultaneously representing un​due competition that ruins the heart and soul of a thriving ​academic ​environment.​ ​ In this episode,​ along with our three academic citizens, ​we explore the symbolism of the colour green through three lenses: the importance of indigenous knowledge, the relationship between ecological and social diversity and how envy and competition shape our relationship to academic work.  Dr Alex Lenferna works as South African Climate Justice Campaigner for 350.org. He is is a climate justice activist w​ho is also the​ co-founder and secretary of the Climate Justice Coalition – a coalition of South African trade unions, civil society, grassroots, and community-based organisations.​ ​He is a former Fulbright and Mandela Rhodes Scholar, who recently completed a PhD on climate ethics at the University of Washington. He has written and […]

56. MONEY

https://iono.fm/e/1176910 A World Bank report released on 9 March 2022, re-affirmed South Africa's distressing position of being the most unequal country in the world. Using the Gini coefficient metric which measures income and consumption disparities, South Africa had scored 60% which is considered highly unequal (Stoddard, 2022). While there are many factors that have contributed to this score, the glaring reality of it has been seen within South Africa's higher education sector: financial exclusion, high student debt, pay disparities for higher education staff, limited funding avenues in a fees-centred university ecosystem and scarce funding opportunities for new research projects and innovations. In this episode, three of our guests give their viewpoints of how the sector and government should be addressing these complexities, owing to our pasts of racial and economic inequalities and more recently, student and staff protests for ease […]

55. COMEBACKS

THE ACADEMIC CITIZEN RELAUNCHES [soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1237437583" 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" /] The Academic Citizen · Comebacks "You cannot come back to the same thing. You can’t step into the same river twice.” Dr. Carla Tsampiras This 6th season is being curated into inter-disciplinary themed conversations in each episode. We begin the season by honoring the memory of our previous producer Simbarashe Honde who departed this earthly realm in 2021. We dedicate the programme to him and his warm memory. After a 4 year break, the Academic Citizen podcast, has staged a comeback. In doing so, the team as led by Professors Mehita Iqani and Nosipho Mngomezulu are reanimating the commitment to growing space for the higher education community in South Africa and beyond to explore what we do and why it matters. We then ‘dig into the crates’ of the […]

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

53: Decolonizing Science

Photo Cred: Ilya Pavlov In South Africa there has been a growing sentiment by student movements that education, including the sciences must become "decolonized". But can science be realistically decolonized? In today’s episode, Kholeka Shange chats to a scientist, Ntombifikile Phaliso and they engage on the above question and more. Phaliso's focus and responsibilities are the overall scientific curation. 45% of her time is dedicated to research within a group which involves systematic and conservation research. Sourcing external funds, collaborations, scientific compilation, fieldwork and mentorship are also key parts of her job. For her Master in Science degree at Rhodes University, her thesis was on the, “Systematic Study of Berkheya and allies (compositae). [soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/347498784" 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" /] If you like this, you might be interested in episode 41, Africanizing Scientific Research. Researched, Edited, Produced and Scheduled by Simbarashe […]

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" […]

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

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