An initiative aimed at accelerating the development of young professors has allowed lecturers and researchers from Stellenbosch University (SU) to engage with academics from different backgrounds.
This was according to Dr Margreth Tadie, a lecturer in the department of process engineering at SU. Tadie is one of five lecturers from SU participating in the 2021 stream of the Future Professors Programme (FPP), which is a national flagship initiative of the department of higher education and training. This is according to Jaqueline du Toit, one of the lead implementers of the FPP.
“The FPP creates a safe space to evaluate your career and your strengths and weaknesses, and to work on them where needed,” said Tadie.
Dr Margreth Tadie, one of the Stellenbosch University lecturers participating in the Future Professors Programme (FPP), is passionate about helping mining communities with environmental and economic problems. PHOTO: Facebook/Stellenbosch University
The programme is a “national, collaborative initiative, aimed at developing the qualities of academic excellence and leadership in university scholarship in order to contribute to the development of a future South African professoriate”, according to the FPP website.
Du Toit told MatieMedia that the participants from SU, who were selected for the programme in 2020, are:
- Dr Margreth Tadie, lecturer in the department of process engineering;
- Dr Lungiswa Nkonki, lecturer in the division of health systems and public health;
- Dr Uhuru Phalafala, lecturer in the department of English;
- Dr Tongai Maponga, researcher in the division of medical virology;
- Dr Rehana Malgas-Enus, lecturer in the department of chemistry and polymer science.
“Our mentors not only motivate and inspire us academically, but also advise us on how to manage our careers and take care of our mental well-being,” said Malgas-Enus on her experience in the FPP.
The following attributes are considered in the selection process of prospective candidates for the Future Professors Programme. INFOGRAPHIC: Keanan Hemmonsbey
The programme behind the professors
Since the FPP began in 2020, the 26 public universities in South Africa have been invited to nominate eligible lecturers or researchers for the programme each year, according to Du Toit.
“Each South African public university has discretion to decide on a selection process by which it may submit a maximum of five candidates [to the FPP],” said Du Toit in email correspondence with MatieMedia. “A cohort of approximately 20 to 30 candidates are then shortlisted and submitted for approval and announcement by the Minister [of Higher Education and Training],” she added.
Dr Rehana Malgas-Enus, one of the Stellenbosch University lecturers participating in the Future Professors Programme, describes the programme as “much more than I ever could have hoped for”. PHOTO: Facebook/Stellenbosch University
The FPP runs throughout the year, and depending on each participant’s subject of study and employment circumstances, “a residency abroad is arranged or, alternatively, a research visit by an international scholar to their South African university. Funding for the project is encouraged through the appropriate funding agencies, with additional support provided by the FPP to make travel and teaching replacement possible,” according to Du Toit.
The FPP has many components, including a residential series of seminars, a baseline evaluation and professional coaching, according to Du Toit.
“The residential series, which initially consisted of five face-to-face engagements of two days each, was adapted to accommodate the current pandemic by means of weekly Friday seminars and workshops,” explained Du Toit.