Shortly after Prof Puleng LenkaBula was appointed as the University of South Africa’s (Unisa’s) first woman Principal and Vice-Chancellor (VC) in 2021, she initiated a research-led project to identify catalytic niche areas (CNAs) that would not only activate and enhance Unisa’s academic agenda, but also strengthen academics’ experiences as engaged scholars who refuse to be academic pies in the sky, scholars who will care to address the needs of society.

Ten CNAs were identified and introduced to Unisa’s epistemic community at a Lekgotla in March of that year, and approved by Council in June. Implementation is now well under way across colleges with some CNAs running across several colleges.

The ten CNAs and the colleges in which they have so far been adopted are:

Marine Studies – College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET), College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES), College of Economic and Management Sciences (CEMS), College of Law (CLAW) and College of Human Sciences (CHS)
Aviation and Aeronautical Studies – CSET
Automotive Studies – CSET
Energy Studies – CSET
Space Studies and the Square Kilometre Array – CSET
Fourth Industrial Revolution and Digitalisation – CSET, CEMS
Natural Sciences (Biotechnological Studies) – CAES
Health/Pharmaceutical Studies – College of Human Sciences (CHS)
Feminist/Womanist/Bosadi Theorisations –CHS, College of Education (CEDU)
Student Support and Co-Curricular Activities – All colleges

To date, the university has appointed 27 distinguished scholars, whose focus will be research and innovation, as well as the production of master’s and doctoral graduates in the CNAs.

Overall coordination of the CNAs initiative is managed by the university’s College of Graduate Studies, who, among others, foregrounds the niches by ensuring that they are included in the performance agreement for academics and form an integral part of a range of workshops.

Internationalisation drive provides additional impetus

Inspired by a commitment to catapulting research and innovation as well as engaged scholarship into the catalytic niches, and also turning Unisa into an engaged university with a global impact, the VC has led numerous delegations on science diplomacy missions to international institutions.

As a result of one such visit, to the University of California (LA Campus: UCLA) and Stanford University in the United States, the groundwork was laid for CSET establishing an institute on the catalytic niche of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Digitalisation.

Through the involvement and leadership of the VC, the catalytic niche of Health/Pharmaceutical Studies is taking shape following a Unisa delegation visit to Yonsei University in South Korea in 2023.

Plans are under way to realise this specific niche through the establishment of a Unisa private hospital.

Much has been done, and more exciting developments lie ahead as the university pursues its commitment to reclaiming Africa’s intellectual futures through ambitious initiatives such as the CNAs.

Cape Times