5 November 2024
On 31 October 20224, Stellenbosch University hosted the 2024 Stellenbosch University Research and Innovation Excellence Awards.
The awards give recognition to a group of Stellenbosch University (SU) researchers for their exceptional and excellent contribution towards SU’s research. They have been engaged in high quality research, knowledge transfer, or research-related activities over a sustained period of time and were acknowledged for the impact of their work.
Awardees included the Top 5 Postdoctoral Research Fellows. These individuals have excelled in publications, grants, supervision, teaching, and engagements with various sectors. Research awards are commonly based on the number of research outputs and the extent of their impact. Consequently, researchers in STEM fields often dominate the award lists. However, this year, Dr Francois van Schalkwyk, a postdoc at CREST in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, was acknowledged for his “outstanding contributions to research, scholarship, and community engagement. His research on science communication, knowledge production, and open data in Africa has shaped key discussions in these fields. During his time as a postdoc at CREST he has published 14 journal articles, 13 book chapters, and leadership in African Minds, he exemplifies excellence through impactful scholarship, supervision, and fostering open access publishing in Africa”.
