WitsX launches new online course: Digital Transformation and the IT team
- Wits University
Wits University’s has released a new online course aimed specifically at IT and business professionals.
Digital technologies are no longer the exclusive domain of the IT department, and IT can no longer be viewed simply as a support function within organisations.
Wits University’s free, online learning platform, WitsX (on the edX platform), has released a new course aimed specifically at professionals in the information technology field.
The Digital Transformation and the IT team course will help IT professionals understand what digital transformation truly means, how it impacts organisations, how it changes the role of the IT team, and reorient their thinking to a digital business approach.
This course explores the movement from an IT paradigm to a digital business technology (BT) paradigm. It also provides a deep view of the environment of simultaneous chaos and order in organisations that are rapidly digitising. Finally, learners will learn about the impact that digital transformation has on the role of IT and CIO teams. This information is critically needed by both IT and business professionals who are reorienting themselves towards a digital business approach.
In 2014 Wits University became the first African University to partner with edX, the online learning destination founded by MIT and Harvard to offer massive open online courses (MOOCs) to a global learning audience.
The first three MOOCs on the WitsX platform was launched in 2016 and to date close to 48 000 students have enrolled for eight courses on the platform. Three more will be added to WitsX and will start running in the first half of 2019.
Learn to speak Spanish at Wits
- Wits University
Spanish, one of the most spoken languages in the world is now offered through the new Mexican Studies Centre at Wits.
The Centre will support the teaching of the Spanish language and culture and offer training to Spanish teachers. Officially launched on 22 September 2018, the new Centre is a partnership between Wits University and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and is the first Mexican Studies Centre to be established in Africa. It aims to promote academic and cultural exchange between the two universities and is key to the internationalisation of higher education.
“The exchanges will enable exchange students to understand cultural differences as well as to raise awareness regarding various knowledge,” says Dr Arturo Mendoza Ramos, Director of the Mexican Studies Centre.
Research excellence is important to Wits and UNAM, and an important objective of the Mexican Studies Centre is to establish joint research and teaching projects in all areas of study and in all levels of higher education. Both universities hold influential positions in their regions. UNAM is the largest university in Latin America and ranked amongst the best 100 universities worldwide while Wits University is currently the number one university in Africa according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities. Students and staff from these universities will have the opportunity to advance their academic interests in South Africa.
South Africa and Mexico share common values of humanity in their approach to tackling global issues and strive to promote global equity and social justice. Both nations are part of the G-20 economies and seek to foster strategic bilateral relations by exchanging knowledge and best practices. The year 2018 marks the 25th year anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Africa and Mexico.
This “is an ideal opportunity for Mexico to approach and to discover the rainbow nation by sharing best practices, trade, knowledge, culture and traditions. There are also many opportunities where Mexico and South Africa can work together and help each other (to) become stronger, providing tangible benefits for the people through permanent and consistent communication which will bring about a better understanding of each other,” said Ana Luisa Fajer Flores, Mexican Ambassador to South Africa at the launch.
Through the teaching of Spanish, the Mexican Studies Centre will enable staff and students to communicate across cultural and geographic boundaries and will promote multilingualism, which is a passport to creative thought and innovation in our cosmopolitan world said Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Adam Habib.
“The purpose of the Centre is not simply to teach Spanish. It is our passport to a global community but it is also to learn from each other, to learn of our societies, to learn of our economies and to learn of our cultures,” said Habib.
Dr Ken Oyama Nakagawa, UNAM Secretary of Institutional Development said that the partnership between UNAM and Wits would also increase opportunities of research collaborations in new fields of sciences, engineering, humanities and arts.
Stimulating economic growth in local government
- Wits University
Collective professional and technical skills can stimulate economic growth in local government says Dr Zweli Mkhize.
Mkhize, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) delivered the keynote address at an Economic Forum debate hosted by the School of Construction Economics and Management at Wits University.
The debate took place in the Senate Room, Solomon Mahlangu House on 2 October 2018.
Mkhize discussed various interventions that CoGTA is currently pursuing to create a functional and developmental local government system.
Mkhize said that CoGTA has prioritised “governance, financial management, infrastructure development, service delivery, and fighting fraud as well as corruption”. He reaffirmed the commitment of the South African government to support and improve the capacity of municipalities.
“Stimulating economic growth in local government will be achieved through the utilisation of the collective professional and technical skills bases. Without a joint effort, it will be difficult to realise the economic growth rates necessary to address persistent unemployment, poverty and the high inequalities,” said Mkhize. He further emphasised the need for ethical leadership from local government.
Other panellists included Mashilo Pitjeng, Managing Director at TseboREAL Asset Management; Zanele Serame, Chief Quantity Surveyor at the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development; and Eric Manchidi, former President of the South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions.
Pitjeng said that local government could achieve a number of important key outcomes for their communities. He presented a strong view that municipalities should start sharing best practices and improving the way in which they collaborate with other local government entities to improve service delivery. He also highlighted the importance of delivering local government infrastructure towards the ultimate vision of giving communities a sense of hope and pride.
On the subject of capacity-building in local government, Serame said that the necessary skills required to create a functional local government sphere depend largely on government’s ability to improve the education and skills of local government employees. This is particularly important in under-resourced areas in the country, said Serame.
Manchidi raised some of the challenges experienced by regulators in the built environment in transforming their professions to support technical capacity in the local sphere of the government. He indicated that the public-private partnership (PPP) framework in South Africa is outdated. “With some improvements, PPPs can offer innovative ways for municipalities to deal with some of the infrastructure challenges they are facing”, said Manchidi.
The event attracted individuals from various disciplines and professions including Professor Ian Jandrell, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at Wits, and Professor David Root, Head of the Wits School of Construction Economics and Management. Root outlined the vision and mission of his School as a centre of excellence for built environment research and education.
The science of light illuminated
- Wits University
Learners’ imaginations take flight during Wits Optics Student Chapter’s IONS South Africa 2 conference.
As part of the conference outreach, the Wits optics students also presented the “Experience Science, Engineering and Technology Expo” at Wits University to expose school learners to the science of light. From ensuring sunny days, to expanding our knowledge of the cosmos (universe), to powering technologies that improve our lives, the science of light (optics) is ever-present in our daily human lives.
Student groups presented and demonstrated their work in astronomy; optics and photonics; chemistry, electrical engineering; and renewable energy.
One of the biggest attractions was giving learners, who might have not yet experienced it, the opportunity to enter the world of virtual reality and let their imaginations take flight.
“We invited all Faculties to join us and show their exciting projects. It gives us the opportunity to show what is happening in optics and physics at Wits,” says Nyiku Makhonisi, a member of the Wits Optics Student Chapter.
Matrics urged to follow own career
- Wits University
Matriculants have tough tasks ahead of them and this includes sitting for the matric exams and choosing their future academic home.
Choosing a career is a daunting tasks – and for others, this is further complicated by parental pressure.
Wits Vice-Chancellor has pleaded with parents to give children the freedom to choose their own careers.
“I meet too many young men and women who are simply doing a course because they want to please their parents,” said Professor Adam Habib, Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal.
"The world is different to when you were at university and there are so many more options for young people," Habib.
These words were shared at the annual Top 100 function, a private event hosted by the University for first year applicants with the highest points on the admission point score (APS). The event is also attended by parent of the VIPs presenting an opportune moment for the University to engage with the future Witsies. The Top 100 applicants come from all over South Africa and score between 53 and 56 on the APS. The bright young minds are in line to get a full bursary in 2019 provided they maintain high academic performance.
In his address Habib spoke candidly about the Wits environment, the quality of Wits graduates and the ambitions of the university as we move into the fourth industrial revolution.
Wits is renowned for producing leaders, for its rigorous academic programmes and vibrant student life.
“We do great stuff in the classroom but you never produce great leaders simply from the classroom. Leaders are created in the classroom and from what happens outside the classroom,” said Habib adding that parents must not shield their children from the politics and challenges that confront South Africa.
The ability to navigate the world and be part of a collective humanity is important for young people who are growing up in a complex world where geopolitics loom large.
Student politics and demonstrations often emerge as concerns for applicants and parents. To this Habib said these problems are not unique to South Africa, young people the world over are protesting.
“Berkley, Minnesota had more protests from young people feeling insecure because the world is changing. We are having a challenge globally, in part this emanates from young people feeling insecure. The fundamental shift in our global economy around the technological transformation is creating levels of uncertainty that we have never had. Young people who are growing up on social media are feeling alienated in ways not seen before. They are not as optimistic as previous generations about the future and are voicing their concerns.”
Wits prides itself in creating quality graduates with the required skills to make a meaningful contribution to society.
A recent survey by the university found that 97% of Wits graduates get a job within six months of completing, 62% get a job before they finish their degree; 82% of humanities graduates secure a placement within six month of completing demonstrating that all disciplines are relevant.
Speaker after speaker stressed the importance of living a balanced life and getting a rounded student experience. Wits sports athletes perform on the field and in the classroom.
The event cordinated by the Wits School’s Liaison Teamt concluded with a campus tour and featured stops at Wits residences and the Tshimologong Digital Precinct where Wits is enabling digital innovation and incubating ideas for the fourth industrial revolution.
Vote in the SRC elections
- Wits University
In just four days, Wits students will vote for new student leaders who will be their voice in all matters of student life.
Voting will take place electronically from 16 to 17 October 2018 allowing Witsies to exercise their right irrespective of their location.
The Office of the Dean of Students has set the stage for this year’s to run smoothly, as previous years, and is hopeful that students will participate in the election. The goal is to achieve a 25% voter turnout, which has not been achieved in recent years.
Year
Student Population
Voter Turnout
Percentage
2013
30757
7371
24%
2014
31905
71905
23%
2015
33383
7661
23%
2016
35572
8347
23%
2017
37583
6983
19%
Wits voting stats from 2013 - 2017
Why students don’t vote
Some of the common reasons offered by students include not enough knowledge about the SRC candidates and what they will achieve, not aware when elections take place, general apathy and disillusionment with student leaders.
“I don’t want to vote blindly,” says Renette Naude, a second year BA student who identifies lack of information as the reason for not voting in the previous SRC election.
Mpumi Mbatha reckons that the academic demands and time pressure are behind the low turnout.
“People are very busy this time of the year. They have submissions, exams and don’t want to be on campus to queue in long lines,” says Mbatha.
Wits has introduced electronic voting to enable students to vote at their convenience. The system implemented for the first time in 2017 was also lauded for reducing some of the problems associated with manual voting.
“There are several benefits to electronic voting. Last year we received relatively less objections when compared to manual voting. We’ve also reduced our carbon footprint as no ballot papers are printed. Students who are in remote locations such as working in hospitals or doing field research are also able to choose their leaders” says Jabu Mashinini, Chief Electoral Officer.
Mashinini and her team are optimistic that more students will vote this year.
“Voting is an opportunity to contribute towards choosing formidable student leaders. The SRC advocates for the needs and rights of students. It represents the students’ voice in the highest decision making structures of the University like Council and Senate. It is also responsible for fostering a positive student experience,” Mashinini.
Enhancement to the SRC
Wits University announced in April 2018 that the Wits Council had approved a range of amendments to the student governance framework. The amendments followed extensive consultation in 2017.
In sum, the changes promote an inclusive SRC which reflects the diverse Wits student population. The changes also seek to entrench academic excellence as a requirement of all student leaders.
From 2018 onwards, the Wits SRC will comprise of 22 candidates. Thirteen of these will be elected by the broader student body through the general election on 16 – 17 October 2018. The remainder of the representatives will be drawn from equally important student structures such as the All Residence Sub-Council, Wits Sports Sub-Council, Faculty Sub-Council; International students Sub-Council, Postgraduate Association (PGA) and the Disabled Constituency.
“This will ensure greater representation of students, particularly to increase the number of postgraduate students on the SRC, and to make provision for international students and students with disabilities on the SRC whose voices were not adequately presented previously,” says Jerome September the Dean of Students.
Election results will be announced shortly after online voting closes.
Be more like Madiba
- Wits University
Former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe urges South Africans to follow in Nelson Mandela’s footsteps towards peace and reconciliation.
Motlanthe was speaking at the 2018 Nobel Peace Lecture, titled: The Vision of Nobel and Mandela: Meaning and Challenges for a Contemporary South Africa.
“The spirit of statesmanship, negotiation, and reconciliation that Nelson Mandela embodied makes a call for peace through dialogue,” said Motlanthe.
The lecture, hosted by the National Research Foundation n0 Friday, 5 October 2018., honoured former statesman, Nelson Mandela at his alma mater, Wits University. Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for his efforts in achieving a peaceful transition from apartheid to democracy in South Africa. He is one of four Witsies to receive a Nobel Prize.
“Mandela’s vision for a democratic South Africa animated his unwavering commitment to national and global liberation. He consistently called for meaningful change that would lift vulnerable and marginalised people out of their abject experiences; measuring democracy not by the ballot box, but by the experience of significant difference,” said Motlanthe.
Madiba, a global icon hailed internationally for his selfless service to South Africans and for inspiring change and peace across the globe, was also “recognised for his desire to bring oppressor and oppressed together.
Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Adam Habib awards outstanding Witsies for flying the Wits flag high.
The annual Vice-Chancellor's (VC's) Awards celebrates Witsies who have contributed to excellence at the University and who have made remarkable impact in their respective areas of work. The call to nominate staff members who have delivered exceptional services to the University announced in June. Nominations were received for awards in the categories of academic citizenship, teaching and learning, transformation and research.
The winners of the 2018 VC’s Awards were announced at an awards ceremony held tonight, 12 October 2018 at Emoyeni in Partown.
VC’S Research Award
Wits University’s mission is to grow its global stature as a leading research-intensive university and a gateway to research engagement and intellectual achievement in Africa. The 2018 VC’s Research Award was unanimously awarded to Professor Patrick Arbuthnot, director of the Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit who, after completing his PhD worked as a James Gear post-doctoral fellow at Necker Hospital in Paris, where he developed an interest in advancing use of gene therapy to treat hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and liver cancer. On returning to South Africa, he established the Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit (AGTRU) which is also an extramural unit of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and a Centre of Excellence of the African Network for Drug and Diagnostic Innovation. His interest in advancing gene therapy is based on the significant global health problem that the virus poses and inadequacy of currently licensed drugs. Infection with HBV is endemic to parts of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Professor Arbuthnot has supervised or co-supervised 17 PhD graduates, and hosted many postdoctoral fellows.
Academic Citizenship
Professor Johnny Mahlangu, Head of the School of Pathology in the Faculty of Health Sciences received the 2018 VC’s Academic Citizenship Award for his academic work in the study haemophilia. His skills has helped other African countries to identify the large number of people living with Haemophilia. Due to a lack of appropriate knowledge, skill and expertise, appropriate diagnosis and appropriate treatment of the disease, these patients were not previously identified. In most parts of the world, they have identified this problem and had mechanisms in place to deal with bleeding disorders. The purpose of this award is to recognise an individual or team who has been in cooperative involvement, as an academic, professional and subject specialists, in the community of their Faculty, the University, the wider national community, and the international community of scholars, in delivering a service, performing tasks, and making contributions to the functioning, wellbeing and upliftment of these communities.
Teaching Awards
The purpose of the VC’s Teaching Awards is to stimulate teaching and teaching-related scholarly and/or creative activities. The award was presented in two categories, namely the team and individual awards. The VC’s Teaching Team award was awarded to a group of five academics who are passionate about teaching architectural design to first years students. The winning team, who are also professional architects teach Architectural Design and Theory I course (ARPL1000) in the first year of the Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS) degree in the School of Architecture and Planning (SoAP). The team uses a collaborative teaching approach based of collectivist philosophies drawn from Indigenous Knowledge Practices.
The whole team is involved in-group projects in the feedback and assessment of student work, contributing individual formative insights and then making a collective assessment of the work. For individual projects, each team member gives feedback to 18 students during a one-day studio session, divided into three or four smaller cohorts who participate in each other’s critique sessions, learning from each other’s feedback. For final assessments, each team member evaluates each student’s outcomes, the team compares and discusses these and consolidates collective feedback on one student feedback rubric.
Dr Susan Harrop-Allin, a lecturer in the Wits School of Arts’ Music Division was awarded the VC’s Individual Teaching Award. Harrop-Allin’s interest and the love for music stems from her fifteen years in higher education, teaching arts and development work. She has taught and developed courses in eight areas of music, the arts and education, bringing her expertise in curriculum and materials development, project management, teaching methodologies and fundraising to bear on her work at Wits. She recently received the 2018 Research Award for the highest cited humanities research, the 2017 Humanities Faculty Teaching awards and the 2018 Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa Teaching Award. The criteria for the awards were based on Community Music and Music Education, where her contribution was developing new areas of music studies that are precedent setting in South African higher education.
VC’s Transformation Team Award
The UWEP Team from the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment were recipients of the VC’s Transformation Award. The UWEP was honoured for adapting to the current needs of South Africa, through their programme which is transforming the engineering curriculum, the lives and futures of engineering students, the organisational culture of a multi-national organisation and the way in which partnerships are built between universities, industry and funding agencies. The VC’s Transformation Award recognises and showcases the transformation work of the academic, and professional and administrative services staff, students and members of the Convocation who have been instrumental in spearheading issues of transformation for social cohesion and integration within the University during 2017. The key areas of consideration include research, teaching, achievement of excellence in respect of demography of staff and students, transformation of the institutional culture and of sports at the University.
Ruth First Memorial Lecture
- Wits University
Niren Tolsi, a multi-award-winning freelance journalist will share his views on why South African journalism needs a defibrillator.
The annual lecture honours Ruth First – a Wits graduate, journalist, activist, researcher, and intellectual. First was killed by a letter-bomb parcel sent by the apartheid government to her office at Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique on 17 August 1982. First is remembered in many countries for her politically and socially relevant research and journalism.
This year’s lecture, entitled Fire and Media: Towards a New South African Journalism takes place on the 18 October ahead of Media Freedom Day, which marks the clampdown on newspapers by the apartheid state on 19 October 1977.
The lecture will shine the spotlight on South African journalism, which has evolved over the years. Tolsi, a Ruth First Fellow, will weigh in on the state of journalism and share why he believes South African journalism is in need of a defibrillator. Mahlatse Mahlase (chairperson, South African News Editors Forum), Khadija Patel (editor, Mail & Guardian) and Mnikelo Ndabankulu (Mayibuye People’s Movement) will join Tolsi in the discussion.
Tolsi is a multi-award-winning freelance journalist who has spent the last six years working with photographer Paul Botes on the ongoing After Marikana multimedia project. After Marikana, scheduled for completion in 2022, will include the publication of a book, a travelling art exhibition, and a virtual reality memorial. This award-winning social and forensic investigation into the long-term consequences of the Marikana massacre has been published in The Guardian and the Mail & Guardian. Amnesty International commissioned part of the work for the Voices of Marikana exhibition and its global campaign to change mining company methodologies in the developing world.
Tolsi is currently contributing editor at New Frame and a co-founding editor of The Con. He previously worked as a senior journalist at the Mail & Guardian, and at the Times Media Group as deputy legal editor, amongst others. He has been published locally and internationally and writes regularly about social justice, Constitutional law and the politics of the judiciary, grassroots mobilisation and the state’s (often violent) responses, ‘hyper-local’ living politics, the arts, jazz music, and the politics of cricket.
Tolsi is interested in transitioning investigative journalism into art spaces and co-curated the 2016 The Con-struction Cartel exhibition with the Durban Centre for Photography at the Goethe Institute.
He is also the Heinrich Böll Journalism Fellow.
The Ruth First Fellowship is a prestigious award made by Wits University to enable journalists, writers, researchers, film makers or photographers to pursue in-depth projects that can be presented in ways to influence thinking, discussion, and debate in South Africa.
TATA Africa sculpts future for Witsies
- Wits University
The future is beaming bright for 20 academically and financially deserving students who have received scholarships from TATA Africa.
The funding is part of the company’s Postgraduate Scholarship Programme that aims to advance the development of higher education in South Africa. TATA Africa has sponsored Wits students pursuing honours, masters and PhD degrees in all faculties since 2007. To date, TATA has awarded over 240 postgraduate scholarships to four South African universities including Wits University.
Wits University aims to increase the cohort of postgraduate students to 45% by 2022 in an effort to be a globally leading research-intensive university.
At an awards ceremony for the scholarship recipients held at Wits University on 11 October 2018, Len Brand, Executive Director of TATA Africa Holdings said that postgraduate studies “produces better-educated citizens who are equipped to deal with a wide range of challenges and advancements and are more able to compete on a level playing field with countries outside of South Africa”.
“Tertiary education also helps to build skills and grow a healthy economy, which in turn benefits everyone, and that is what drives our commitment to the post-graduate scholarship programme. We trust that through Tata’s support and investment in these students, the company has helped pave the way in ensuring that sustainability and greatness can one day be realised,” said Brand.
Like many other scholarships, the funding from TATA has lifted the financial burden that most students have to bear, enabling them to focus solely on their studies without having to work part time to supplement their studies.
For scholarship recipient, Chloé Benjamin, many sacrifices had to be made for her BA Honours studies in Industrial Psychology, including taking out loans to pay for her fees. Her mother, Daphne Benjamin, said the scholarship is “God sent” and would support her daughters dreams tremendously.
“As a single parent, it is difficult to do the things that you really want to do, but my gift for my children was to give them at least a good education. I always said to them ‘I will give you the education, but you do the riches’. I can’t give them money because we don’t have money, but with a decent education, they can get the money for themselves,” said the proud mother.”
The scholarships have ingrained themselves as prestigious awards in postgraduate academia. In addition to the scholarships, TATA contributes to the national objective of increasing the number of women scientists in under-served research areas, through the Women in Science Awards (WISA) programme, a partnership with the Department of Science and Technology.
Professor Robert Muponde, the new Director of Postgraduate Affairs at Wits expressed gratitude to TATA Africa for investing in Africa’s future through the postgraduate scholarships.
“We are in the business of training the mind and sculpting the future, and cultivating talent. I would like to thank TATA on behalf of Wits Management for the commitment they have shown over the years to growing postgraduate scholarship and talent, and their investment in what matters most for a society seeking innovation and renewal at every turn.”
“I sincerely hope that the Tata footprint will continue to be a permanent feature on the paths that we intend to travel in the near future,” he added.
About TATA in Africa
The TATA group began its relationship with the African continent in 1977 with the establishment of TATA Zambia. In 1994, the Tata group inaugurated Tata Africa Holdings in Johannesburg, South Africa, which now serves as the group's headquarters in the continent. Tata is present in over 15 African countries. It operates in engineering, services, telecommunications, information technology, chemicals and materials.
Today, TATA is a brand that's synonymous with quality products and ethical business operations in Africa. It is committed to its vision of building and sustaining relationships in Africa with cooperation and trust, creating employment opportunities and making its contribution to the social development of local communities. TATA companies in Africa promote the social and economic development of local communities through education, entrepreneurship and health.
IsiZulu Sami Nawe deepens appreciation for language
- Wits University
IsiZulu language learners and educators now have an updated reference book to help them get a proper grasp of the language.
IsiZulu Sami Nawe, the first post-democracy isiZulu reference book will be launched tomorrow, Thursday 18 October 2018, at the Wits School of Education.
The last reference book of this nature was published in 1992 and its predecessor in 1980.
Wits academic and author, Fikile Khuboni is delighted that her dream and labour of five years has come to fruition.
“The book was born out a realisation that many learners struggle with understanding the basics of language, particularly grammar. As a result, many think isiZulu is hard. What compounds the problem is that educators in some schools did not train as isiZulu language teachers, but take on the role to fill a vacancy,” says Khuboni.
“This is my contribution to the development of African languages, particularly IsiZulu, by producing a resource for both teachers and learners of IsiZulu.”
Khuboni, who has co-authored several books, says that she consulted colleagues and young people when compiling the book, as she wanted to present it in a reader- friendly manner.
Consequently, the layout and design of the book is appealing and uses big fonts and colours.
This book was also informed by Khuboni’s years of training educators at Ntuzuma College of Education, Durban College of Education and later, the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She also served as a Subject Advisor in the Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal. As an external moderator of isiZulu first language papers for Grade 12 ensure she has a wealth of information on curriculum development, changes, and the challenges of both teachers and learners.
A mother to a high school learner, Khuboni says that her love for African languages helps her support her son, but she often wonders how others without this knowledge cope.
Khuboni says her book will help even mother tongue speakers to renew their understanding of the language and to deal with the challenges that parents encounter when helping children with homework.
“As adults, we forget what we were taught in class during our time, so this is a perfect bridge,” she says.
Khuboni’s advice to Grade 12 learners who are writing isiZulu is to do proper revision and use past exams papers, as these are helpful. She is also advising them to get a copy of IsiZulu Sami Nawe as it will greatly assist them to be ready for all the three papers.
The Entrepreneurial Wayz director a Global Goodwill Ambassador
- Wits University
The director of a unit in Wits Enterprise has been named as one of just six Global Goodwill Ambassadors in South Africa.
Chimene Chetty leads The Entrepreneurial Wayz (TEWZ) in Wits Commercial Enterprise (Pty) Ltd. TEWZ works to develop an entrepreneurial economy and contribute to sustainable socio-economic development.
The Global Goodwill Ambassadors is an international association of humanitarians, which designates thousands of ambassadors from 150 countries to promote and encourage humanitarian initiatives. Ambassadors foster friendships and alliances to inculcate a better understanding of the world’s diverse population and cultures to shift negative preconceptions.
“I’m humbled to be nominated and acknowledged as a Global Goodwill Ambassador. To help people reach their potential, to become active contributors to the economy, and achieve self-actualization for a fulfilled life are at the very core of my work. This continues to be both my passion and my purpose,” says Chetty, who over 20 years has committed to humanitarianism through working in the NGO sector.
A history of humanitarianism
Chetty was previously Southern Africa Regional Director of Ashoka, a global NGO that identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs. She later held the position of Director at the Centre for Entrepreneurship at Wits Business School for five years before joining TEWZ at Wits Enterprise.
Duncan Raftesath, Chief Executive of Wits Enterprise commended Chetty on her Global Goodwill Ambassadorship: “We are immensely proud that we have a Global Goodwill Ambassador within our ranks. Chimene Chetty has certainly proved to be an ambassador for the socio-economic advancement of marginalised individuals and communities. A doer and a change-maker, she is dedicated to the development of people, communities and ultimately her country.”
Chetty believes entrepreneurship is as a critical lever to deliver on the socio-economic rights of South Africans and prepare young people for the 21st Century global economy. Combined with a strong sense of social justice, her approach seeks to restore equity, access and equal opportunity to marginalised, “othered” and oppressed groups. Through her work at TEWZ, Chetty is closely involved in the personal development of others.
Leveraging entrepreneurialism for self-actualization
“It has long been my mission to support transformation in the South African economy by helping to nurture a generation of change makers, problem solvers and savvy entrepreneurs who are able to start and grow sustainable businesses that are based on a shared values model, thereby creating inclusive opportunities and facilitating community-based development,” says Chetty.
Chetty’s approach to entrepreneurial development is supported by years of individual experience and expertise as an entrepreneur herself. She has established various small businesses and initiatives and has served on several committees and boards. She presently serves on the Community of Practice Working Group of the Department of Higher Education, developing a framework for Entrepreneurial Universities in South Africa.
Wits crowned champions of the first Varsity Basketball tournament
- S’fiso Nyawo
Wits crowned champions after defeating the best in the country.
The two week showdown between the top eight university basketball teams in the country culminated in a stunning match between Wits and the University of Cape Town. Wits beat UCT by 78-55 on 15 October 2018 at the Wits Sport Hall.
Wits managed to accomplish this feat going unbeaten the entire tournament. Wits’ Everisto Passipamere also bagged the Most Valuable Player of the tournament or his exceptional role throughout the season and Wits’ successful campaign to secure this maiden title.
The game saw Wits get off to a better start, bagging a two-pointer very early on before UCT quickly hit back. The game was played at a very fast pace, with Wits enjoying the early exchanges due to them being more accustomed to playing quick ball. Angelo Quinn also made his presence felt very early on scoring a three-pointer from the central part of the court. This pushed Wits to a 17-9 lead after the first quarter. Kyle Maclean kept his consistency from the last game for UCT, troubling the Wits defenders that were playing a high press. This saw UCT add a further 11 points to their tally, which however wasn’t enough to overcome the Witsies who themselves closed the quarter leading 41-20 at the break.
Wits’ Passipamere was particularly dangerous in the third quarter, after he managed to slam dunk the ball into the basket on two occasions, sending the crowd into a frenzy. The atmosphere inside the arena kept the ballers energised, with the majority cheering for the home team. Siphumle Qanya was once again in top form, mostly tasked to mark Thamsanqa Nyawo, who was a handful on his own but Qanya handled it very well. The UCT skipper was also busy on both ends of the court, blocking the waves of Wits attacks but was also able to net a few points for his side from very difficult angles.
The third quarter buzzer eventually sounded and it was Wits who were still in control with the score at 68-42. The final quarter was just Wits keeping up the scoreboard pressure, completely keeping UCT a fair distance away from them. The game concluded with Wits being crowned the champions, beating UCT 77-55. Kyle Maclean was the stand out man for UCT, bagging 21 points whilst Passipamere contributed 28 for Wits.
The original article first appeared on the Varsity Sports website.
2018 Varisty Basketball Participants
University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Johannesburg, University of Cape Town, Nelson Mandela University, Tshwane University of Technology, University of Pretoria, Vaal University of Technology and hosts for the tournament Wits University.
Wits Basketall Team Members
Angelo Quinn (Bachelor of Arts)
Briarley Klaasen (Bachelor of Health Sciences in Biokinetics)
Bulelani Mabudusha (Bachelor of Commerce with Law)
Clinton Meela (Bachelor of Science)
David Mbamalu (Bachelor of Laws)
Everisto Passipamere (Bachelor of Science in Metallurgy and Materials Engineering)
Kgaugelo Sathekge (BSc Engineering)
Kgotseng Makena (Bachelor of Science)
Kgotso Ntuane (Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy)
Makoye Mapani (Bachelor of Science in Construction Studies)
Miguel Ferrao (Bachelor of Commerce)
Mvelo Buthelezi (Bachelor of Architectural Studies
Romeo Ferraro Bachelor of Science (Construction Studies)
Siphesihle Buthelezi (Bachelor of Commerce)
Thamsanqa Nyawo (Bachelor of Commerce)
Journos need to fall in love again
- Wits University
Award winning journalist Niren Tolsi has called on journalists to use their power responsibly and to return to the values of the profession.
Tolsi delivered the annual Ruth First Memorial lecture titled Fire and Media: Towards a New South African Journalism. The lecture reflected on fire incidents in South Africa and how these were covered by South African media, and offered insightful critique about how “what we know, or do not know, about the these fires – how they started, who they consumed and how those who died had lived their lives” is entirely dependent on journalists, according to Tolsi.
It depends on “their biases, their stresses and pressures, their willingness to witness and make enquiries of the world around them,” said Tolsi who compared the coverage of fires in informal settlements versus those that affect the middle-class.
Read the full speech which concludes with Tolsi urging journalists to once again fall in love with people, and remember that they are the first line of information for people - a role not to be taken for granted.
The Ruth First Memorial Lecture is hosted by Wits Journalism in honour of Ruth First, a fearless journalist, scholar and political activist who’s life ended when the apartheid government.
According to reports the deadly letter bomb arrived at the Eduardo Mondlane University (Mozambique) after First had just presided over a seminar sponsored by the UN about transformation of the countryside in the recently independent Mozambique.
First has become enduring icon of our struggle icons who helped to liberate and shape southern Africa. The Wits journalisms department launched the Ruth First Fellowship and memorial lecture to promote First’s values and journalism in service of the people. Each year the fellowship is awarded to journalists, writers, researchers, filmmakers or photographers to pursue in-depth projects that can be presented in ways to influence thinking, discussion and debate in South Africa.
Wits and Perot Museum launch virtual reality app of Dinaledi cave
- Wits University
Free virtual reality experience provides global access to the Dinaledi caves to researchers, students and amateur explorers.
Ever wondered what it’s like to delve deep within a South African cave to discover and recover some of the most famous ancient human fossils in scientific history? The opportunity is now at your fingertips – and it’s free via the Apple App Store and Google Play!
Internationally renowned paleoanthropologist Professor Lee Bergerfrom Wits, in partnership with the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, Texas today announced a world-first virtual reality (VR) app to view “bones that are shaking up our family tree.”
Berger – who recently dominated world science headlines with his discovery of Homo naledi, a new species of human relative – was joined by Perot Museum CEO Dr. Linda Silver and Perot Museum research scientist and Director of the Center for the Exploration of the Human Journey Dr. Becca Peixotto fora Facebook Live news conference watched by journalists and academics from across the world.
The free app, which is optimized for Google cardboard but compatible with any headset, allows people all over the globe to virtually tour the cave that very few people – including “underground astronaut” Dr. Peixotto – have visited in person (due to the extremely narrow, 8-inch “chute” through which it is accessed).
“As I would never be able to actually get into the Dinaledi Chamber, one of the most exciting things for me, personally, is that through the Dinaledi app I can actually see and experience what it is like to be in the Chamber where these wonderful discoveries were made,” says Berger. “And, even more exciting, I can share this first-time experience with young fossil hunters from all over the world.”
The Museum collaborated with Wits University to initially create this experience, which was brought to fruition by Dallas creative-technology company Groove Jones, for the Museum’s newly transformed Being Human Hall. However, they also wanted to extend the VR journey beyond the walls of the Museum. Thanks to an app with narration in six languages from some of the actual explorers and scientists from Berger’s Rising Star expedition, viewers can explore and even “virtually” hold fossils from the remote cave. The translated experiences are available on the app in English, American and European Spanish, and the African languages of isiZulu, Setswana and Sesotho.
“It’s important for young people, from the U.S., South Africa and around the world, to see themselves as the next generation of scientists through innovative, multilingual experiences like this,” said Peixotto. “I hope that allowing fellow researchers to virtually examine this important fossil site in a different way may lead to exciting, new insights.”
Today’s unveiling comes just six months after the Perot Museum announced its new Center for the Exploration of the Human Journey. In April 2018, the Museum named Peixotto as director and formed a partnership with Berger to serve as the Center’s Distinguished Science Advisor. Weeks later, the Museum’s Being Human Hallreopened to rave reviews, featuring the popular VR experience of the Dinaledi Chamber (which has since been translated into Spanish by one of the Dinaledi team scientists). In August, the Museum and Wits University, a widely respected public university known for its research achievements, signed a Memorandum of Understanding that launched a dynamic relationship for future international collaborations.
Additionally, as part of the Museum’s In the Field research initiative, Peixotto will return to South Africa Oct. 25-Nov. 18. She and the team, including four new “underground astronauts” will return to the Rising Star Cave system with plans to excavate a known fossil area in the Dinaledi Chamber and explore other parts of the cave. Giving real time updates on their expedition, the team may also spend time in the lab with the collection of more than 2,000 H. naledi fossils and revisit a large mass offossils and sediment extracted earlier this year that potentially contains several dozen remains.
To further expand learning opportunities, the Perot Museum is planning numerous outreach programs for students in North Texas and beyond as well as collaborating with National Geographic Explorer Classroom programs for and with students across the U.S., Canada and parts of Europe.
The Museum will also collaborate with Berger and Wits University on a major traveling exhibition for fall 2019 that explores the study of human origins and the dynamic research of Berger’s and Peixotto’s team on H. naledi. The exhibition will invite visitors to celebrate emerging scientific discoveries, experience the thrill of discovering, understand the possibility within scientific analysis, and imagine the future of technology’s impact on science.
“This virtual reality app and our partnership with Wits University is just the beginning. It demonstrates our desire to communicate in an innovative, engaging way that reduces barriers and makes science exploration universally accessible and exciting,” said Silver. “It also represents our commitment to work with international colleagues to advance our collective understanding of the world.”
The free-to-download app for Android and iOS devices can be found by searching for Dinaledi in the Google Play and Apple App Store. Learn more about the cave exploration experience at perotmuseum.org/DinalediVR.
Unlocking information for all
- Wits University
Wits has embraced Open Access, which refers to the practice of providing unrestricted access to peer-reviewed research journal articles via the internet.
The Library, Research Office, and the Centre for Learning, Teaching and Development (CLTD) at Wits jointly hosted the eighth annual Open Access Seminar in the Senate Room on Monday, 22 October.
“It’s so important that we embrace Open Access and open up research and data,” said Dr. Robin Drennan, Director: Research Development at Wits, who opened the seminar.
“It’s good to grapple with issues and see how Wits handles [these] mixed tensions,” he said, referring to the challenge of, for example, making medical data openly available while simultaneously ethically respecting anonymity. Drennan invited delegates to share their ideas at the seminar, as it is only through such sharing that progress can be made.
Ms Denise Nicholson, Scholarly Communications Librarian at Wits, provided an overview of Wits’ OA policies, which were approved in June. The policies apply to all academic and professional staff at Wits.
Nicholson advised that postgraduate dissertations and theses (master’s and doctoral degrees) are stored on WIREdDSpace (Wits Institutional Repository on DSpace). Click here for the Libguides, a comprehensive resource for researchers and postgraduate students on publishing (conventional, open publishing and self-publishing) and related issues, including:
Evaluating Journals
Accredited Journals
Predatory Publishers
Ethics and Plagiarism
Copyright
Myths about Open Access
Research Process and Resources
Wits Library Services and Resources
Plagiarism in South African management journals: Unethical practices in the academy
Professor Adele Thomas is a Professor in the College of Business and Economics in the Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management at the University of Johannesburg. She is the former director of Wits Business School. The self-professed “academic activist” intently investigates plagiarism. Thomas delivered findings from a study in which she investigated the incidence of plagiarism in 19 management journals.
Thomas defined plagiarism as the verbatim or near-verbatim copy of text and submitting the work of another as if it were your own.
“It is ‘the act of making one’s own that which rightfully belongs to another’ and it attacks the core value of academic integrity,” says Thomas.
Student plagiarism is internationally recognised and researched – plagiarism in faculty, less so. However, faculty plagiarism is on the rise, says Thomas, and it’s linked to the proliferation of journals
Thomas’ study (which continued an earlier study) suggested that experienced researchers (as opposed to young, naïve scholars) plagiarise and that in developing countries, in particular, rules of research protocol may be obscure. Institutional factors can promote plagiarism (were reputation is based on research output at the expense of quality), the study found, as does persistence of the “publish or perish” syndrome and institutional reward incentives such as attracting research grants, promotions, or salary increases. Furthermore, ‘cut and paste’ tech enable plagiarism.
The following conditions at universities make plagiarism easier, according to this study:
Excessive competition
Higher value placed on research output than the quality
Disproportionate rewards for publication
Unjust working environment
Insufficient checks and balances
Furthermore, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DOHET) pays scholars up to R120 000 per article for publication in specific journals. The study found that DOHET paid up to R13m for articles that showed more than 24% plagiarism on Turnitin, a commercial, internet-based plagiarism detection service. The DOHET has since elected to re-examine its subsidy policy to address exploitation.
Thomas recommended vigilance of the research that universities are producing and zero tolerance for a culture of cheating. Universities need to balance [research output-related and rankings] information with quality assurance and promote research ethics within a context of multiculturalism.
“The moral climate of the university can influence faculty and student behavior. Thus, addressing faculty plagiarism should be essential,” says Thomas.
Wits and Massive Open Online Courses
Dominique Wooldridge is the team leader and content developer in the eLearning Support and Innovation Unit in CLTD. She shared an update on the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) available on the WitsX platform.
“Everything is open access and free,” says Wooldridge or students can choose to receive a verified certificate for a small fee.
WitsX currently has nine MOOCs, which 52 000 students worldwide have completed and WitsX has issued 1050 certificates. The first MOOCs, launched in 2016, have been successful:
“Professor David Ruben found a chemical approach to explaining the Ph levels in your blood,” says Woodridge of this seemingly obscure but popular MOOC.
MOOC on Digital Transformation launches 7 November
“On 7 November 2018, we’re launching a MOOC on Digital Transformation and the IT Team. This course will help you understand what digital transformation truly mean, how it impacts organizations and how it changes the role of the IT team,” says Wooldridge.
