The Directorate of Research and Innovation (DRI) hosted a Mthatha Campus Research and Innovation Day on, 2 November 2023, under the theme: Reimagining Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation Approaches for a Sustainable Society.
The Research and Innovation Day had three subthemes, namely: Transforming the landscape in teaching and learning, Innovative Approaches in Addressing African and Global Challenges and Collaborative efforts towards attaining an equal society.
The purpose of this day was to encourage researchers to ponder and investigate methods for harnessing research and innovation outcomes to develop resilient and sustainable systems that can endure ongoing challenges.
DRI Acting Senior Director, Professor Thobeka Ncanywa, said: “Walter Sisulu University has had a great improvement in terms of publications from 2015. According to records by the Department of Higher Education and Training, WSU is currently on 362.88 units of outputs from 49 units in 2015.”
Ncanywa further said that the increase is not steady, but exponential and that shows that people are writing and producing. However, Ncanywa also highlighted that there are researchers who produce many papers and those that do not produce anything.
“In order for us to have a head count that is equivalent to the research output we need to hold each other’s hands. Those that write must assist those who do not write so that everyone can be able to produce papers. We do have programmes that assist both novice and experienced researchers to write and colleagues must take advantage of those,” added Ncanywa.
The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences based in the Mthatha campus is leading in the institution in terms of research output at 47 units followed by the faculty of Commerce and Administration at 40 units.
North-West University Food Security and Safety Director, and guest speaker, Professor Olubukola Oluranti Babalola, said: “It should be recognised that many sustainability challenges are global and for that reason, it means that international collaborations are the key. Researchers must engage in collaborative research and innovation efforts that transcend national factors that cut across many other nations.”
Babalola suggested that researchers, entrepreneurs and postgraduate students should reimagine multidisciplinary research and investigate innovative approaches for a sustainable society which is very critical in addressing the challenges facing the world today.
The event provided a valuable platform for researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and postgraduate students to exchange and exhibit their diverse research discoveries, innovative projects, and creative achievements aimed at addressing a wide range of development issues affecting local communities and the broader African continent.
By Anita Roji
