Academic Staff recognized as Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Award recipients

Under the umbrella of celebrating excellence, the University of Zululand’s (UNIZULU) Vice Chancellor and Principal Professor Xoliswa Mtose acknowledged and recognize the academic staff who excelled in the categories of research, teaching, and Community engagement. Outstanding achievement signifies the preservation of unmatched accomplishment in the core business of the University, namely: research, teaching, and learning.

Excellence is one of the university values 2022-2027 which states that ‘Discovery and pursuit of excellence through teaching, learning, research, and innovation. The Vice-Chancellor’s Academic Excellence Awards aim to acknowledge Academic staff members of the UNIZULU community who make an outstanding contribution to the university’s mission and objectives in areas beneficial to the university and its strategic imperative.

In her opening remarks, the vice chancellor and the principal, professor Xoliswa Mtose, commended the academics for having had to function in the old and the new normal celebrates and recognizes outstanding service by staff, including activities, initiatives, practices and/or projects that have contributed to the delivery of exceptional or significantly improved services to UNIZULU’s serv  .“ under the umbrella of celebrating excellence, we celebrate and recognize our top academic  staff in categories of teaching , research and community engagement for the years 2021 and 2022.This is a time  for us to take a moment and celebrate the incredible work that academics do. Excellence is core to achieving our mission of producing global competitive graduates relevant to the development needs of our country. I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate all the awardees for 2022 for making excellence a habit. It is your hard work, your dedication, positive attitude, and devotion that makes for excellence. “said Prof Mtose.

The program Director, and the Director of Research and Innovation Prof Brown said the dedication and passion of the awardees to teaching, research as well as community engagement has truly impacted communities and transformed lives in the local, provincial as well as national communities and the wider African context, “I enjoy events such as this in the life of a university. The vice chancellor’s awards give us an opportunity to reflect on the milestones achieved by our colleagues. The event is to recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements of UNIZULU’s teaching as well as Research community. The academic staff can help the university to achieve many things to advance its mandate as a comprehensive university situated in rural context.” Said Prof Brown.

Deputy CEO: Research and Innovation Support Advancement (RISA) National Research Foundation (NRF), Dr Eugene Lottering gave his keynote and used the platform to reflect on the strategic thinking that is going on at the National Research Foundation towards the renewal of the organization which has implications for a young university such as UNIZULU.

“The department is focusing on innovation and wants the innovation to be supported, we are looking for university providers with a strategic plan of where they want to be.in the next five, ten, fifteen years. We are at a fortunate position now, that Science and Innovation and Higher Education and Training report to the same minister. We are hoping to capitalize on an integrated plan emanating from the university where we then apply our tools to assist the university to develop that strategic plan of the university.”Said Dr Lottering.

List of the award recipients Teaching and Learning -– Recognizing Excellence in teaching & Learning

• Emerging Scholar/ Academics – Dr Ndebele – Public Admin, Nkonde – Business Management – winner Dr Biyela – FSA& E
•  Developed Scholar – Adv Schoeman, Dr Musa Mathunjwa, Dr Mathadi from FCAL
• Distinguished Scholar –First Runner up – Prof Magigaba, Winner Prof F Fon
• ,

Research and Innovation Awards

• Next generation Researcher – researchers under the age of 40 years who generated the most units provided that a minimum of 1.5 unit was met

Dr NC Ndebele, Dr S Zhou

• Established / Productive Researchers who generated 2.50 units from articles in accredited journals –

Dr AT Adetiba, Dr AO Ajani, Dr TW Chinaka, Dr MC Dube, Prof IO Ezeuduji, Prof Samantha Govender, Dr DW Mncube, Prof I Moyo, Prof GM Naidoo, Prof A Nicolaides, Prof N Revaprasadu, Prof MF Vezi-Magigiba

• Supervision Outputs

Supervisors who produced at least FIVE or more master’s graduates at the 2022 graduation ceremony

Prof NN Jili, Dr IS Nojiyeza

Supervisor who produced at least THREE or more master’s graduates at the 2022 graduation ceremony

Prof AK Basson, Prof BT Gamede, Prof AP Kutame, Prof MS Mabusela, Dr SL Ntuli

• Special Category Researchers who received successful outcome of their NRF rating application for the current year (1 January 2022)

Dr A Akpome, Prof E Madoroba, Dr NB Mbatha, Prof AL Shokane

• Women In Research   who generated the highest units (publication and graduate output)

Emerging Researcher, Young (under the age of 40) Women – Prof NN Jili,

Established Researcher – MM Mabusela

• Prestige Award – Research Department of the Year – –

Bronze –       Public Admin              

Silver –         History

Gold –          Social Sciences Education

Community Engagement

Three Categories,

As an Emerging Engaged Scholar in the Student Engagement Category – Mr. DS Nkonde,

As a Distinguished Engaged Academic (group)- Prof U Kolanisi, Mr. A Mthembu, Mr. S Nzama, C Zungu, G Marovatsanga, & Dr T Kheswa

CATEGORY: Community University Partnership

As an Emerging Academic in Community – University Partnership category Mr. M Sikome

As a Developed Engaged Academic Team in Community – University Partnership – Prof D Iyer & Dr L R Calvino

As a Distinguished Engaged Scholar in Community University Partnership– Prof MF Vezi- Magigaba

As a Distinguished Engaged Academic in the Engaged Research Category Dr TP Kheswa

As a Distinguished Engaged Scholars team in the Engaged Research Category

Prof U Kolanisi

Dr N Motsa

Dr T P Kheswa

Ms. Nokubonga Ngwane

• Precious Shamase