Phumla Mkize
Multiple nominees, double winners and double achievements stole the night at the Tshwane University of Technology’s (TUT) annual Academic Excellence Awards hosted by Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Tinyiko Maluleke on November 13.
Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Tinyiko Maluleke evokes the words of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas to call on academics to be vigilant against the lull of complacency and mediocrity.
The awards celebrate outstanding work by academics, researchers and master’s and doctoral students in the previous year. They also mark the university’s evolution into a formidable technology institute celebrating its 20th anniversary.
From doubly celebrations which include new National Research Foundation (NRF) ratings to earning a second doctoral degree, the 2024 instalment of the Academic Excellence Awards were extra special.
The awards paid homage to the resilience, hard work and tenacity of the University’s intellectual talent.
Maluleke, in his remarks before the start of the award ceremony, paid homage to TUT honorary doctorate recipient double-Grammy award winner Dr Wouter Kellerman, whose latest album is fresh from a new Grammy award nomination.
Maluleke, who evoked the words of Welsh writer Dylan Thomas in his poem, Do Not Gentle into That Good Night, cautioned the award winners not to slip into complacency or develop an inflated sense of accomplishment and self-importance.
“These awards are not meant to send recipients into ‘that good night’. For God’s sake TUT academics, do not go gentle into that good night! Do not go gentle when it comes to the pursuit of excellence in research.
“Do not go gentle when it comes to supervision, teaching and learning. Do not go gentle on research productivity. Rage, rage against the culture mediocrity. Rage against the dying of the light of excellence in research and in the scholarship of teaching,” he said.
However, based on the nominations and winners, TUT academics are always aiming to move from “good to great” in line with University’s commitment to excellence.
Dr Emily Mabote, who received her doctoral degree in 2023, was one of the 24 doctoral graduates who were recognised for their excellent work. Mabote, the Acting Executive Director for Institutional Effectiveness and Technology, also scooped the special recognition award for “Service Beyond the Call of Duty”.
Two was clearly the magic number for night. Prof Polly Mashigo, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Finance, graduated with her second doctoral degree in 2023. She was also one of the doctoral degree graduates who were recognised for their outstanding work.
It was also a dual celebration for Professor Ben van Wyk, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Teaching, Learning and Technology, who received The External Recognition Award for being admitted as a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa.
Van Wyk was also recognised for his re-rating of C2 in the 2023 NRF Ratings category. He was recognised alongside Professor Phunzo Sidogi of the Faculty of Arts and Design for his new Y2 rating.
Auditing lecturer Tebogo Maidi was nominated in two categories and won 2023 Lecturer of the Year: Faculty of Economics and Finance.
The Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment has two researchers who put the faculty on the map in the 2023 academic year; Professor Maurice Onyango who was re-rating C2 and Professor Kadiambuji Mbaya who was rated new C2.
For the Faculty of Science, 2023 was a good year with two new C2-rated researchers Dr Martin Maboko and Professor Katlego Makgopa, while Professor Michael Shatalov was re-rating C2.
Auditing lecturer, Tebogo Maidi, was nominated in two categories 2023 for Lecturer of the Year: Faculty of Economics and Finance and The Teaching, Learning and Technology: 2023 Lecturer of the Year.
Maidi took home the Lecturer of the Year: Faculty of Economics and Finance. The Teaching, Learning and Technology: 2023 Lecturer of the Year gong went to Prof Joseph Roberson from the Faculty of Management Sciences. Roberson was also nominated for 2023 Lecturer of the Year: Faculty of Management Sciences.
Dr MJ Malebana from Management and Entrepreneurship at the Polokwane Campus was announced 2023 Lecturer of the Year: Faculty of Management Sciences.
The French South African Institute of Technology was the winner in the category “Centre, Institute, Technology Station, Incubators of the Year”.
Dr Christiaan Oosthuizen was crowned the 2023 Innovator of the Year in recognition of the three patents filed. While Dr Akuru of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment was recognised as the Emerging Researcher of the Year.
Professor Khumbulani Mpofu of Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment received the Champion Research Capacity Development and Transformation award.
The 2023 Newsmaker of the Year went to TUT’s AI Hub, while TUT’s Solar Car was awarded the Merit Award.
The entertainment for the evening was also world-class with Dr Wouter Kellerman serenading the guests with his flute. Kellerman – who performed with his band that included jazz vocalist and bass player Tebogo Sedumedi, popularly known as Aus Tebza, brought the roof down with his rendition of Mariam Makeba’s classic Malaika – to conclude the evening’s proceedings.