Volume 2 | Issue 2 Mamelodi August 2018 dipoleloFostering excellence in pathways to STEM education Look inside Foundation Programmes Developing Mamelodi Campus staff Promoting social inclusion on Mamelodi Campus Alumni success Pre-university initiatives Mae J Reading Room learners heading to America for the Pan-African Youth Leadership Programme (PAYLP) Collaboration AIME launch StreetStore at UP Prof Ogude appointed Vice-President of the PAU Council Prof Nthabiseng Ogude, Dean of the University of Pretoria (UP)’s Mamelodi Campus, was appointment as Vice-President of the Pan African University (PAU) Council during the assembly of the African Union Council (AUC) on 2 July 2018 in Mauritania, West Africa. The PAU was established by the AUC as an intra-African human capital development initiative to focus on mainstreaming science, technology and innovation in the African higher education sphere to promote the sustained socio-economic development of Africa. In congratulating her on the appointment, problems, as well as by contributing towards the the PAU of Space Sciences is in the process representatives of the AUC stated that they production of the critical mass of high-quality of being established at the Cape Peninsula encourage qualified women to stand at the researchers through postgraduate programmes University of Technology in collaboration with forefront of its strategic agenda, and that Prof and towards empowerment through command Stellenbosch University, UP, Durban University Ogude’s appointment reflects the process of of the African Union languages. of Technology, the University of Fort Hare, the gender mainstreaming within the AUC. University of Cape Town, North-West University The PAU has priority research activities across and the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Prof Ogude has served on the Councils of Africa in areas including governance, regional the University of Botswana and the National integration, minimising language barriers Prof Ogude believes that, since South University of Lesotho. She has also acquired a through capacity building in interpretation Africa and the rest of the continent are wealth of experience in higher education after and translation, water, energy, climate change, interconnected, Pan African ideals are only more than 15 years of serving in university science, technology and innovation, health, achievable through knowledge production and management and leadership, including in agriculture, earth sciences and space science. It by pulling together shared scarce resources. positions of research management. She will has already established the PAU of Governance, She also believes that it is education, rather draw on this experience to fulfill her new Humanities and Social Sciences in Cameroon, than political rhetoric, that will bring Africa’s role, which entails driving the strategies of the PAU of Water and Energy Sciences at the economic emancipation. Her appointment the PAU. Some of these strategies relate to University of Tlemcen in Algeria, the PAU of Life creates a pathway to share knowledge among strengthening the African higher education and Earth Sciences at the University of Ibadan colleagues from across Africa on best practice and research agenda by enhancing education in Nigeria, and the PAU of Science Technology in research. Prof Ogude hopes that her quality, South-South collaboration and and Innovation at Jomo Kenyatta University appointment will encourage South Africans to knowledge generation to solve African of Agriculture in Kenya. In southern Africa, be proactive in PAU activities. 1 Mamelodi Dipolelo TOP STORIES From the Dean’s desk Every school day between 07:00 and 08:00, to nurture potential scientists from the large numbers of learners make their way cradle of basic education through the past the edge of Mamelodi Campus from activities of Mamelodi Campus, to the the informal settlement, Phomolong, to other end, where learners from across the their various primary and high schools. continent have the opportunity to enroll These learners walk purposefully, in postgraduate programmes offered by seemingly charting a pathway into their the PAU. Prof Nthabiseng Audrey Ogude different futures. The cover image of this issue of Dipolelo depicts this beautiful sight. As always, this issue of Dipolelo Our international collaboration highlight For those of us who work on the Campus, showcases the academic activities is undoubtedly the formal launch of our this unique phenomenon is a constant of the Campus in relation to its pre- research programme in collaboration with reminder of why the University has a university interventions, its Foundation Rutgers University-Newark, the Mamelodi campus in Mamelodi. The sight energises Programmes – the most successful Collaborative, with the workshop held on us to live out UP’s by-line, “Make Today academic pathway some of the learners 28 and 29 May (read the full story below). Matter,” in our academic activities. These from this community have gone through The USAID Research and Innovation Fellows learners are the hope for their families and – and its research and international have spent two months on Mamelodi their communities, as well as for South collaborations centred primarily around Campus conducting community-based African and the African continent, and the improvement of learner outcomes. research and their contribution to our they are at the core of the mandate of the It also features community-engagement research agenda will be featured in the next Campus, which is to broaden educational activities aimed at strengthening the issue of Dipolelo. pathways into tertiary studies, primarily impact of the institution in the Mamelodi into science, technology, engineering and community. Another major boost to our research activities mathematics (STEM)-related fields. The is the development of a comprehensive STEM University is proud that it can contribute The current highlight of the pre-university education capacity development programme to their journey by complementing formal interventions on Mamelodi Campus is for emerging and aspiring researchers in UP teaching and learning in their respective the Australian Indigenous Mentorship faculties associated with Mamelodi Campus schools as we move them and their Experience (AIME), in collaboration with by Prof Marissa Rollnick. The programme communities closer to a “place of peace Tsako Thabo High School, which was is based on hard data and was approved and calm,” which is what Phomolong launched in May of this year. at the recent meeting of the Inter-faculty means in Sesotho. I am honoured to serve Academic Committee for Mamelodi Campus. as Dean of the Campus, which serves the From our Foundation Programmes, A programme for implementation is at an residents of Mamelodi. we are happy to feature alumni who advanced stage. continue to excel in their chosen careers. I was also recently appointed as Vice- In a huge vote of confidence, a record As UP’s anchor in Mamelodi, the Campus President of the PAU, a very humbling number of 300 parents and prospective provides a unique space for the celebration trajectory in my career in higher education students visited Mamelodi Campus on of this community’s heroes. In the period (read the full story on page 1). I am #ChooseUP Day on 4 August 2018. A full under review, this included a celebration particularly grateful because I can now story of the success of the #ChooseUP of the lives of struggle hero Solomon operate at both ends of the educational campaign will be featured in the next Kalushi Mahlangu and veteran musician pathway: From the one end, where I get issue of Dipolelo. Dr Phillip Tabane. Implementing UP’s anchor strategy through the Mamelodi Collaborative The Mamelodi Collaborative is a partnership between UP and Rutgers University-Newark in which the two institutions share experiences, build capacities and leverage their research outputs towards anchor strategies. These strategies aim to develop the areas surrounding the institutions’ campuses. Mamelodi Campus is ideally positioned to implement UP’s anchor strategy in the Mamelodi area. The initiative is led by Prof Nthabiseng Ogude, Dean of Mamelodi Campus, and Dr Kyle Farmbry, Dean of the Graduate School at Rutgers University-Newark. On 28 and 29 May 2018, Prof Ogude and • Area B: Economics and entrepreneurship, Mamelodi and Newark. The goal is to deepen Dr Farmbry hosted a two-day Mamelodi with research leaders Prof Alex Antonites and the understanding of how these research Collaborative workshop on Mamelodi Campus. Dean Farmbry. areas manifest in the two geographic areas A total of 36 representatives from both UP • Area C: Arts and humanities, with research under consideration in order to inform the and Rutgers University-Newark attended the leaders Dr Rory du Plessis and Director Wayne partner institutions’ anchor strategies. workshop. There emerged from the workshop Winborne. concepts that will serve as next steps to • Area D: Science and the urban environment, Prof Cheryl de la Rey, Vice-Chancellor and the evolving relationship between the two with research leaders Dean Ogude, Dr Ashaki Principal of UP, hosted a dinner to welcome institutions on collaborative initiatives related Rouff, Dr Jessica Ware and Dr Rory du Plessis. the Rutgers University-Newark delegates to anchor institution work in their respective • Area E: Strong, healthy and safe to UP and encourage the continuing communities of Mamelodi and Newark. The neighborhoods, with research leaders Dr Carin growth and development