The Academic Citizen

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? If so 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...

Dr. Beth Vale is a researcher at the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection. She is a Mandela Rhodes and a Rhodes Scholar. Dr. Vale was a postdoctoral fellow under the NRF Chair in Local Histories, Present Realities at Wits University. Her research explored Johannesburg nightclub cultures as sites of identity, attachment and place-making. Vale’s doctoral research completed at Oxford, was an...

49: In Conversation With SA's Youngest Dean by The Academic Citizen

Academic bullying is a prevalent but unexplored phenomenon in South Africa. In this week’s episode, Kholeka Shange and Dr Colett Gordon discuss how it manifests itself in the context of Higher Education and beyond. Photo Cred: Melanie Wasser Produced, Edited, Researched and Scheduled by: Simbarashe Honde

47 Public Intellectuals by The Academic Citizen

The Academic Citizen team is back and refreshed from the semester break. In this episode Dr Nosipho Mngomezulu introduces new cohost, Kholeka Belinda Shange. Shange is currently pursuing a PhD in History of Art. Her research is focused on visual representations of uMntwana Magogo kaDinuzulu. She is a Wits University graduate with a BA (Hons) in Dramatic Arts and a Master’s degree in Film and Telev...

The Academic Citizen this year, since its relaunch in March 2017 has produced 14 episodes. In this episode, Prof Mehita Iqani and Dr Nosipho Mngomezulu reflect and look back on some of the interesting and topical conversations exploring diversity of topics and opinions relating to higher education in South Africa, today and into the future. We also bid farewell and good wishes to Prof Iqani who is...

Public Intellectuals aim to help societies to better understand themselves and the world around them. Their writing and public talks can help create an informed citizenry and more just societies. Athambile Masola, is a teacher, and a PhD researcher who blogs about education, feminism and politics. This week’s show features a discussion with Dr Nosipho Mngomezulu about the nature and role of the pu...

Most universities are at the forefront of denouncing social injustices and inequality yet, in 2013 for instance the highest paid chancellor earned an annual salary of 3.2 million more than what the President of South Africa earns. These figures reflect shocking high salary discrepancies between high earners in these institutions and low earners. Prof Mehita Iqani in this episode tackles this bone...

Dr Hleze Kunje wrote his four-year-long PhD thesis in isiXhosa, about Xhosa people who settled in Mbembesi, an area outside of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. He graduated with his PhD in April 2017 and is a lecturer at Sol Plaatjie University. Hailing from rural Mqanduli in the Eastern Cape, Dr Kunju says his love affair with the language began at a young age. An artist and intellectual Dr Hleze merges his l...

What does it mean to decolonise science? How can African knowledge be integrated into scientific research? Does emphasising indigenous knowledge systems mean abandoning western knowledge systems? In this week’s episode we explore these questions with Dr Nosiphiwe Ngqwala, a lecturer at Rhodes University in the Faculty of Pharmacy. The discussion touches on questions of research into medicines and...

One of the most significant worldwide transformations in education has been the drastic increase in women's access to institutions of higher learning. But the question is, has this addressed the gender gap in institutions of higher learning in South Africa? In this episode, Dr Nosipho Mngomezulu and Dr Asanda Benya look into factors which influence the Gender Gap. They also reflect on why it is im...

South African universities suffer from serious traffic congestion, lack of parking spaces and high pollution levels. Even though many staff and students aspire to own a car, arguably the bicycle offers huge potential to transform the environment and culture of campuses. In this episode Dr Mehita Iqani and Dr Njogu Morgan, a post-doctoral researcher based at the South Research Chair in Spatial Anal...

In 2016 the Department of Higher Education released a report which stated that almost half (47.9%) of the students who start university do not finish their degrees and a large majority of these are black. Dr Nosipho Mngomezulu took time to discuss these statistics with Leila Abdool Gafoor, the Team Leader for Psychological Services at PsyCaD at University of Johannesburg to interrogate why this is...

Are universities stuck in an ivory tower, cut off from day to day reality? In this episode, Prof Mehita Iqani discusses how research should and could be engaged with “communities”. The guest is University of Cape Town Associate Professor, Tanja Winkler, deputy dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment. They speak about how universities, through scholarly work conducted in a mutu...

Online learning takes the form of a virtual classroom in which students from across the globe can watch, listen to a lecture at a time convenient to them, at their own pace. It allows participants to interact with one another and engage with resources in work groups. The University of Cape Town offers a, Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) designed for self-directed distance learning that offers fre...

35: Student Resistance in India by The Academic Citizen

Women scientists have a critical role to play in Africa’s development. They have made significant strides in Science making incredible progress across the continent. Yet, despite this advancement, the reality remains that many countries are simply not equipped, or prepared, to accommodate this growth. In a 2016 Unicef funded study looking into, “Women in science in Africa”, found that women remain...

Despite policy initiatives aimed at structuring affordable low cost health care funding products, medical schemes have remained unaffordable, and therefore inaccessible, to the majority of South Africans. Universities, through insurance companies, provide medical aid with high premiums to their staff. Coupled with high tuition, international students attending South African universities also have...

African scholarship wears a linguistic mask, making it invisible to the majority in Africa, accessible only to those with keys manufactured in Europe” Ngugi wa Thiong’o (2017). In this episode “Intellectualization of African Languages”, Dr Nosipho Mngomezulu reflects with Associate Prof Brenda Mhlambi, Head of Department of African Languages (University of the Witwatersrand) on the major factors r...

Many people are of the view that academics only write for academics. They conduct and carry out research into complicated issues where the findings often end up confined to journals. As a result, most people do not have access to some of these important research findings and if they do, their use is often beyond the grasp of the ordinary person. Today’s episode seeks to challenge that and explore...

In the final episode of The Academic Citizen for 2016, Dr Mary Hames joins us to discuss issues of gender and sexuality within spaces of higher learning. Heteronormativity and patriarchy are still dominant within South African society, which makes it important to analyse how our universities respond to questions of sexuality and the rights of queer community members. This conversation reflects on...

Prof Vishwas Satgar discusses the importance of increasing awareness about environmental issues and transforming energy and renewable energy policy. In this week's episode, Prof Satgar reflects on the current state of multilateral efforts towards climate justice and how this relates to socio-economic disparities, particularly in developing countries like South Africa. Some ways in which university...

Dr Roger Davis from Red Deer College joins The Academic Citizen to discuss plagiarism and its impact on pedagogy. The problem of plagiarism is complicated by students' lack of knowledge about appropriate citation methods and the importance of enhancing critical thinking while still encouraging creative thought. Davis delves into the nuances of sharing ideas and knowledge versus repeating the acade...

Professor Jane Duncan of the University of Johannesburg, discusses the various ways in which protest has been 'policed' at university campuses around South Africa. From interdicts and suspensions to the deployment of private security and police units, Duncan explains why students have started to feel unsafe and, in some cases, under attack. This conversation explores how all stakeholders in higher...