2024

FPP fellows attended the World Congress of Epidemiology (WCE2024)

A few FPP fellows attended the World Congress of Epidemiology (WCE2024) from September 24-27, 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa. It was the first in-person format for this edition of the triennial congress of the International Epidemiological Association (IEA) since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The theme of WCE2024 was “Epidemiology and complexity: challenges and responses” engaging the full depth and breadth of methods and practice in contemporary epidemiology.  This was the first time the congress was hosted on the African continent and the Cape Town International Convention Centre provided a world-class venue for this meeting.

Professor Lebo Gafane-Matemane (FPP fellow – Cohort 2) presented the pooled analysis she and her team are busy with to develop blood pressure nomograms for African children.

Dr Jabulani Ncayiyana (FPP fellow – Cohort 1) was part of the Local Organising Committee and chaired a few sessions.

Prof Gafane-Matemane and Dr Ncayiyana also used the time to build collaborations to advance cardiovascular health in children and adolescents.  Here they met up with FPP fellow peer, Prof Lungiswa Nkonki, and Dr Vundli Ramokolo, Specialist Scientist with the South Africa Medical Research Council (MRC).

2023

From lecturer to professor: Initiative develops academia’s brightest

Universities are “the architects of their own demise” when it comes to developing their academic talent because most do not make it an institutional priority, says Jonathan Jansen, distinguished professor of education at Stellenbosch University (SU) and president of the Academy of Science of South Africa.

Click link to read more: https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20230801181115191

Second Mini Conference: 4 – 7 May 2023

Following from our successful TED-style first conference at STIAS in November 2022, the second conference took place at Maropeng in Gauteng. Twelve colleagues from various South African institutions and diverse disciplines presented their intellectual projects and came in for intense questioning from their peers in the audience. Presentations negotiated the value of collaboration, moving universities and the challenges posed by actively engaging with the community. Our guest, Prof Mandy Esterhuizen, head of the Origins Centre at the University of the Witwatersrand offered a fascinating insight into the history of discoveries in the Cradle of Humankind and the impact of these discoveries on scholars. Serious work was offset by beautiful sunsets and congenial discussions (and a bit of singing) after dinner.

Fifth Future Professors Programme Writing Retreat: 29 March – 2 April 2023

The Fifth Future Professors Writing Retreat took place at scenic Mont Fleur near Stellenbosch. This was the first retreat to welcome fellows from cohort 3. A stupendous hike in the mountains offset focused work and a wistful reminder of our dear friend Rehana Malgas-Enus who was still with us at our last retreat at Mont Fleur. In her honour we celebrated friendship and collegiality, good food and excellent company. The late-night discussions around the fireplace proved a generative and encouraging space to explore possible future collaborations and celebrate Pontsho’s successful funding application! Professor Sibu Moyo’s participation and enthusiasm for each project during Saturday night’s feedback session will motivate us for years to come.

2022

Fourth Future Professors Programme Writing Retreat: 29 November to 3 December 2022

The Fourth and Final Future Professors Writing Retreat for 2022 took place at Maropeng near Magaliesburg. Mild summer evenings allowed for congenial discussions of work on the deck overlooking the planes. The more exercise minded enjoyed the jogging track and the walk to the common room in the Maropeng Visitor’s Centre cleared the head before each writing session. The University of the Witwatersrand hosted an incredible tour of the Sterkfontein Caves and the archaeological excavations in the area. Our thanks also to Professor Vrinda Narain, our guest facilitator from the McGill University Law School who presented an impactful seminar on law and the environment followed by many interactions across the disciplines.

ELECTION – President of the South African Nanotechnology Initiative

SANi newly elected EXCO members

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AWARD – North-West University (NWU)

Most Productive Emerging Research in the Faculty of Health Sciences

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AWARD – Durban University of Technology (DUT)

Chancellor’s Award: Impactful

Project Team: Dr Anisa Vahed (Project Leader) and Prof. Sibusiso Moyo (Former DVC: Research Innovation, Engagement at DUT)

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Book Launch – Transformative Environmental Constitutionalism

The Future Professors Programme together with the University of Pretoria and Environmental Law Association of South Africa invite you to a book launch for Transformative Environmental Constitutionalism (Brill, October 2022).

Recognizing the intersections among social, environmental and climate injustice in a time of planetary emergency, Transformative Environmental Constitutionalism engages with how courts in South Africa and beyond can respond.

AUTHOR: Melanie Murcott, Associate Professor of Environmental and Administrative Law, University of Pretoria
DISCUSSANT: Lisa Chamberlain, Executive Director, Environmental Justice Fund South Africa

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Prof Abdulrazak Gurnah Lectures

Prof Abdulrazak Gurnah is the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature 2021. He is the author of ten novels: Memory of Departure, Pilgrims Way, Dottie, Paradise (shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the Whitbread Award), Admiring Silence, By the Sea (longlisted for the Booker Prize and shortlisted for the Los Angeles Times Book Award), Desertion (shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize) The Last Gift, Gravel Heart, and Afterlives, which was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Fiction 2021 and longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize. He was Professor of English at the University of Kent, and was a Man Booker Prize judge in 2016. He lives in Canterbury.

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Invitation: Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award Lecture

Finding a needle in a haystack: A quest for ultra-sensitive and affordable diagnostic systems – Prof Philani N. Mashazi

Venue: Eden Grove Blue Lecture Theatre, Rhodes University

Time: Tuesday, 13 September 2022 at 18:30

Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/95177115655?pwd=eDd2dXlaZ3VLcHZIVmowN21NNWtkUT09

Passcode for Zoom link: Passcode: 132557

Prof Lawrence M. Madikizela is the recipient of the 2022 Raikes’ Medal of the SA Chemical Institute

Prof Lawrence M. Madikizela, chemist and DHET Future Professor’s Programme fellow, has been honoured by the South African Chemical Institute (SACI) for his outstanding contribution to research in this field during an online SACI event on 25 August 2022.  Prof Lawrence, an Associate Professor at the Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology at the University of South Africa (UNISA), is the recipient of the 2022 Raikes’ Medal of the SA Chemical Institute.

The gold-plated medal, together with a monetary prize of R2,500, is awarded annually to a member of the Institute, under the age of 40, whose original chemical research shows outstanding promise, as judged by the person’s publications in reputable journals. It is further stipulated that the research shall have been performed in South Africa.

Third Future Professors Programme Writing Retreat: 11 – 15 Aug 2022

The Third Future Professors Programme Writing Retreat for 2022 was held at the Royal St Andrews Hotel in Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape. The bravest of the fellows cleared their heads with walks on the beach and a stiff sea breeze. Most of us bunkered down to write concept notes, plan future collaborative projects, trim abstracts from 480 to 300 words or complete a conclusion for a new article. We also survived forgotten laptop chargers and toothbrushes!  But all ends well as many academic discussions were enjoyed around tables of gloriously prepared food and a congenial rugby match with Lawrence, our resident enthusiast of all things sports.

Second Future Professors Programme Writing Retreat: 28 – 31 July 2022

The Second Future Professors Programme Writing Retreat of 2022 was held at Mont Fleur Conference centre near Stellenbosch in the Western Cape. The fellows enjoyed the fresh air, excellent company, some motivation, some exercise, and they all achieved their writing goals. Who said one cannot be productive and recharge at the same time?

‘Riendzo ri lehile: Tackling Natural Language Processing for African languages to make better sense of our world’ presented by Professor Vukosi Marivate

By Prof Vukosi Marivate
Watch the recording…

The slides and notes…

Why South Africa needs a national Data Transfer Agreement for health research

By Safia Mahomed, Glaudina Loots, Ciara Staunton, Glenda Gray, Ames Dhai, Melodie Labuschaigne, Mongezi Mdhluli
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2021

• Dr Antonio G. Lentoor (DHET FPP Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, psychology), in Frontiers in Psychiatry: Psychosocial Aspects During the First Wave of COVID-19 Infection in South Africa – Read more

2020

• Dr Jabulani Ncayiyana (DHET FPP University of Cape Town, epidemiology), in The Sowetan: Lockdown will end but golden rules will live on, say epidemiologists – Read more

• Dr Lungiswa Nkonki (DHET FPP University of Stellenbosch, health economics),  in the SAMJ: Decisive and strong leadership and intersectoral action from South Africa in response to the COVID-19 virus [Open Access] – Read more

• Dr Vukosi Marivate (DHET FPP University of Pretoria, data science) and his collaborators: We started a large data collation project for public COVID19 data for South Africa and the continent:

African focus 

• Data repo – Read more
• And the call to action – Read more