At Stellenbosch University, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and possibility is our focus. Our research mission is to stay future-focused and maximise our impact.

PTSD: The body remembers

The lasting effect of a traumatic ordeal not only plays mind games with people who subsequently develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — a trauma-induced, often debilitating mental disorder that counts prolonged flashbacks, nightmares, and severe panic attacks among its many symptoms. It also leaves physical ‘fingerprints’ in the body that can be so permanent that it predisposes the individual to chronic metabolic diseases such as diabetes and heart conditions.

Big data for smarter policy decisions

Artificial intelligence (AI) and data science have a critical role to play in policy decisions around an array of topics, be it public health, smart cities, or sustainable development.

Bespoke polymers put SU start-up on map

Imagine a world in which drug development is faster, more precise, and more affordable. As a scientific start-up company, Nanosene (Pty) Ltd is committed to reshaping the foundations of drug discovery and development to ensure just that.

We are committed to achieving excellence in research, and to ensuring that our work contributes to the well-being of society. Click on the links below to read about some of the new interdisciplinary knowledge being generated and the research fields emerging at the University.

Our strategic research areas

Our strategic research areas help ensure that our work connects the university with the world. Explore our research focus and its relevance to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the National Development Plan here.

THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

Explore this research area

HEALTH AND HUMAN SECURITY

Explore this research area

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT

Explore this research area

HUMAN CREATIVITY AND SOCIAL INNOVATION

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SYSTEMS AND TECNOLOGIES FOR THE FUTURE

Explore this research area

MEET OUR PEOPLE

At SU, we are committed to achieving excellence in research and scholarship, and to ensuring that our work contributes to the well-being of society. This section features profiles of some of our prolific researchers whose work is featured on this site. Some of them are world leaders in their respective fields. New profile features on some of our many innovators, postdoctoral students and emerging researchers will be added regularly.


Dr Uhuru Portia Phalafala

Dr Uhuru Portia Phalafala focuses on black geographies and critical ecological studies from the perspective of black life, which has always been entangled with the natural environment. "The very understanding of the self and who we are and how we relate to the living environment is part of black life," she says.

Prof Servaas van der Berg

Seeking to understand the twin scourge of poverty and inequality in South Africa, and figuring out how best to combat it would become the main focus of Prof Servaas van der Berg’s initial studies and, later, his academic career.

Prof Xanthe Hunt

Prof Xanthe Hunt’s vision is to transform South Africa’s public mental health services landscape, especially for the two vulnerable population groups that her work focuses on: the youth and people with disability.

TACKLING GLOBAL CHALLENGES

STRATEGIC RESEARCH AREAS AT SU

SU’s researchers aim to produce knowledge and have a real societal impact through our five strategic research areas. Identified to assist in achieving the university’s strategic goal of Research for Impact, these areas support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 through interconnected and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The natural environment

Understanding and protecting our planet

Our research focuses on water, energy, food security, urban sustainability, biodiversity conservation, and mitigating environmental risks.

Health and human security

Promoting well-being for all
We prioritise research on communicable and non-communicable diseases, disability, biomedical engineering, sports medicine, and social determinants of health.

Systems and technologies for the future

Leading technological advancements

Our research focuses on developing new and improved systems and technologies across various sectors, including economics, business, information technology, and infrastructure.

Social justice and development

Building an equitable society

Our research addresses gender, racial, and cultural inequalities, while promoting human rights and dignity.

Human creativity and social innovation

Driving positive change through innovation

We foster creativity and develop innovative solutions to societal challenges like housing, education, and inequality.

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  • 1 A high standard of living, quality of life, and well-being for all citizens
  • 2 Well-educated citizens and skills revolution underpinned by science, technology, and innovation
  • 3 Healthy and well-nourished citizens
  • 4 Transformed economies
  • 5 Modern agriculture for increased productivity and production
  • 6 Blue/ocean economy for accelerated economic growth
  • 7 Environmentally sustainable climate-resilient economies and communities
  • 10 World-class infrastructure crisscrosses Africa
  • 11 Democratic values and practices, the universal principles of human rights, justice, and the rule of law are entrenched
  • 17 Full gender equality in all spheres of life
  • 18 Engaged and empowered youth and children
  • 19 Africa as a major partner in global affairs and peaceful co-existence
  • 20 Africa takes full responsibility for financing her development
  • The Chair aims to address theoretical, methodological, and empirical gaps in our understanding of social-ecological systems and resilience. The research employs transdisciplinary approaches that integrate methods from the social and natural sciences, while engaging with stakeholders outside academia to generate globally relevant insights in this emerging field, grounded in the southern African context.

    Prof Reinette (Oonsie) Biggs

    Read more about the SARChi in  Social-Ecological Systems and Resilience

    The research programme of the Chair represents an integrated approach to wine sciences, and combines molecular, cellular and multi-omics biology with traditional wine sciences (oenology). The collaboration network of the Chair also covers and integrates core support disciplines such as bioinformatics, data science, analytical chemistry, sensory science and multi-variate data analytics.

    Prof Florian Bauer

    Read more about the SAChi in Integrated Wine Sciences

    The Chair aims to establish the multi-disciplinary field of mathematical and theoretical physical biosciences as a distinct research strength in SA. The research focus areas are: biodiversity informatics; spatial dynamics; evolutionary game theory; and ecological networks.

    Prof Cang Hui 

    Read more about the SARChi in Mathematical and Theoretical Physical Biosciences

    The Chair will create opportunities to train the next generation of researchers and graduates and create awareness for young learners on technology solutions and new possibilities of energy sources and their implementations. With the dramatic increase in electrification and renew- ables, a critical aim of this Chair is to investigate a diversified energy mix.
    Prof Paramespri Naidoo

    Read more about the SARChi in Green Hydrogen Integration and Transition

    The Chair aims to safeguard biodiversity and the ecosystem services that protected areas provide to people by undertaking excellent research that facilitates evidence-based management of invasions in conservation areas; develop tools that support the cost-efficient yet effective management of alien species in protected areas; and build capacity within conservation agencies to strengthen their ability to meet their legal mandate of managing invasions.

    Prof Tammy Robinson-Smythe

    Read more about the Research Chair in  Management of Invasions in Protected Areas

    The Chair focuses on research that strengthens and supports crop protection and plant health spheres. Applied research is done across a range of crops, such as table grapes, potatoes, and grains, with, among others, input from the data science and agri-informatics sectors.

    Prof Nick Kotze

    Read more about the Chair in Plant Health

    The Chair not only provides an opportunity to do important research but also a chance to train future industry leaders and to ensure greater interaction with the fruit industry and other researchers. The research includes ways to eliminate various physiological disorders which occur when apples and pears are stored or ripened after picking.

    Dr Elke Crouch

    Read more about the Postharvest Physiology Research Chair in Deciduous Fruit

    The Chair explores in detail all aspects of growth, but particularly the dynamics of wood formation (xylogenesis) in the ecologically and commercially important group of genera known as the eucalypts (particularly Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora). This is done through cutting-edge, detailed experimental and observational science, looking at plant growth, wood formation processes, anatomy and ecophysiology; and the development of mathematical, computational models of tree growth and xylem productions.

    Prof David Drew

    Read more about the Hans Merensky Chair in Advanced Modelling of Eucalyptus Wood Formation

    The purpose of the Chair is to contribute to novel research within the field of machine learning to address ecological problems. Furthermore, the Chair should increase public awareness, facilitate student projects, and contribute to the human capacity development within Africa for machine learning and conservation ecology – as a combined area of research, which is currently lacking in Africa.

    Dr Emmanuel Dufourq

    Read more about the AIMS-Carnegie Junior Research Chair in Data Science

    The focus of the Chair is on the development of novel multi- dimensional and multi-detector approaches for the analysis of complex macromolecular architectures. Their analytical focus is on 2D coupling of various liquid chromatography and fractionation techniques and coupling with information-rich detectors such as light scattering, viscosity, fluorescence, FTIR and mass spectronomy.

    Prof Albena Lederer

    Read more about Sasol Chair in Analytical Polymer Science

    The Chair aims to develop knowledge, workflows and models which focus on value generation through understanding the 3D ore body characteristics (e.g. mineralogy, grade, distribution of deleterious elements, envisioned processing behaviour) in a context of the full mine value chain (i.e. geology, mining, comminution, and beneficiation).

    Dr Bjorn von der Heyden & Dr Margreth Tadie

    Read more about African Rainbow Minerals ARM Geometallurgy Research Chair 

    The Cluster will address both global and inter-continental challenges within the Green Transition category and advance coordinated trans- disciplinary approaches to addressing climate change and biodiversity challenges that are inextricably intertwined, and therefore best addressed simultaneously, as guided by the UNs SDGs.

    Prof Guy Midgley

    Read more about Africa-Europe CoRE in Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation

    The Cluster focuses on renewable energy technology development, equitable societal transition, and sustainable education and training. This CoRE hopes to contribute significantly to tackling one of society’s biggest and most pressing needs – the current energy challenges faced within Africa and Europe. It will focus on renewable energy technology development, equitable societal transition, and sustainable education and training.

    Prof Neill Goosen

    Read more about Africa-Europe CoRE in Renewable Energy

    The SUWI is a multi-disciplinary research collective that recognises the complex nature of water management and supply in a water-scarce country such as SA.

    Prof Gideon Wolfaardt

    Read more about Stellenbosch University Water Institute

    The objective of CRSES is to develop and enhance national capacity in renewable and sustainable energy in support of accelerated and shared economic growth within the area of sustainable energy.

    Prof Cristina Trois

    Read more about Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy

    The C I B undertakes research on the biodiversidy consequences of biological invasions, largely through postgraduate student training, research projects and long-term biodiversity monitoring. The Centre aims to reduce the rates and impacts of biological invasions by furthering scientific understanding and predictive capability, and by developing research capacity.

    Prof Guy Midgley

    Read more about the Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology

    The School is the first of its kind in South Africa that has the status of a Faculty. The aim is to create a transdisciplinary capacity that will combine the climate-related knowledge systems of SU faculties, public sector climate policies and initiatives, private sector climate redress and innovation capacities, and SU’s social impact mission in both academic and applied ways – all in support of the transition to a climate-resilient society and a low-carbon economy.

    Prof Guy Midgley

    Read more about the School for Climate Studies

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  • 1 A high standard of living, quality of life, and well-being for all citizens
  • 2 Well-educated citizens and skills revolution underpinned by science, technology, and innovation
  • 3 Healthy and well-nourished citizens
  • 4 Transformed economies
  • 5 Modern agriculture for increased productivity and production
  • 6 Blue/ocean economy for accelerated economic growth
  • 7 Environmentally sustainable climate-resilient economies and communities
  • 10 World-class infrastructure crisscrosses Africa
  • The Chair focuses on the development of novel approaches to strengthen rehabilitation in the health system. The Chair`s research will position SA as a world leader in enhancing access to rehabilitation and delivering effective, cost-efficient rehabilitation services to address the unmet needs of people disadvantaged by chronic disease and disability in the low- and middle-income settings. In low resource settings, additional costs for chronic disease and disability management simply cannot be absorbed without innovations.
    Prof Quinette Louw
    Read more about SARChI in Innovative Rehabilitation

    The research aim of the Chair is to perform in-depth characterisation of clinical strains of M.tuberculosis and other mycobacterial species isolated from humans and animals on the African continent. Knowledge gained will support the goal of an improved understanding of mycobacterial biology aiding the design of effective tuberculosis vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.

    Prof Samantha Sampson

    Read more about the SARChI in Mycobactomics

    The research focus of the Chair is food environments, nutrition and health, in the context of their influence and impact on the triple burden of malnutrition. In this context, it relates to undernutrition (stunting, wasting and micronutrient deficiencies), over nutrition (overweight and obesity), and consequent non-communicable diseases (diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and cancer). It includes a focus on food systems, food industry, and household status.

    Prof Xikombiso Mbhenyane

    Read more about the SARChI in Food, Environments, Nutrition and Health

    The Chair focuses on novel and transformative strategies to improve tuberculosis prevention, diagnosis and treatment in children, using family-centered approaches in the context of broader lung and child and maternal health. Evaluation of novel drug regiments accross the age, disease and drug resistance spectrum is a key priority. Diagnostics and biomarkers is another strong focus, given the challenges of robust tuberculosis in children. The clinical research is underpinned by robust surveillance, epidemiological research, health systems, mathematical modelling and socio-behavioural research.

    Prof Anneke Hesseling

    Read more about the SARChI in Paediatric Tuberculosis

    The main focus of the research is to identify immune biomarkers that can be taken into future trials for novel diagnosis, vaccines, and treatment response evaluation. The research group is part of several international consortia that identify – together with US, European and African partners – large cohorts of participants with well-characterised MTB infection and disease phenotypes to search for biomarkers of TB. The group`s work spans the divide between clinical and basic sciences in a high TB prevalence area, and is also working on modern clinical approaches, like research bronchoscopies for site-of-disease investigations and advanced imaging through PET/CT scanning.

    Prof Gerhard Walzl

    Read more about the SARChI in TB Biomarkers

    The focus of the Chair is to provide a mechanistic modelling approach to analyse pharmaceutical drug effects and identify intervention steps to improve individual and public health. The goal is therefore to construct and validate mathematical models of metabolism in cells and try to simulate the effects of the biochemical mechanisms underlying a disease for disease states at cellular, tissue and whole-body levels. The focus is on several important diseases in the SA context, i.e. malaria, type II diabetes, TB and cancer.

    Prof Jacob (Jacky) Snoep

    Read more about the SARChI in Mechanistic Modelling of Health and Epidemiology

    The Chair aims to close the gap between an in-depth understanding of the biological effects of trauma and disease on skeletal muscle cells and the well-known ability of muscle to gain strength and regenerate from injury. Postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows study these aspects of skeletal muscle at three complementary levels: whole body physiology (real humans); cellular and molecular biology (tissue and cells in culture dishes); and biotechnology (manipulation of regeneration).

    Prof Kathy Myburgh

    Read more about the SARChI in Integrative Skeletal Muscle Physiology, Biology and Biotechnology

    Brain diseases are major contributors to the disease burden globally and nationally and schizophrenia makes up a substantial component. It is a puzzling and complex disorder, impacting negatively upon individuals, families and society. The Chair aims to increase the visibility of schizophrenia research and enhance research opportunities for staff and students.

    Prof Robin Emsley

    Read more about the Sarah Turoff Endowed Chair in Schizophrenia Research

    The principle of this Chair is to implement diverse research projects in the field of drinking water related to human health risk assessment and epidemiology. Multiple environmental factors in water supply and distribution need to be monitored in order to minimise the chance of water becoming a threat to public health. In line with Rand Water`s stated vision to stay at the forefront of water supply and further its international reputation, the aim is to go beyond standard monitoring to develop new strategies with Rand Water for the advancement of water research in service of society.

    Prof Gideon Wolfaardt

    Read more about the Rand Water Chair in Public Health

    The Cluster’s priority area is public health and will specifically focus on rare diseases and rare cancers, in addition to pandemic preparedness and infectious diseases.

    Prof Tulio De Oliveira

    Read more about the Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence in – Genomics for Health in Africa

    The CBTBR combines clinical grassroots investigations into TB with sophisticated laboratory research that involves various departments and disciplines within and beyond the University. Whereas much of the work entails the development of accurate diagnostics and appropriate therapy for MDR and XDR-TB, the Centre has also played an ongoing role in community outreach and awareness to prevent and treat TB.

    Prof Gerhard Walzl

    Read more about the Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research

    CERI’s vision is to effectively respond to epidemics through pathogen genomics surveillance to enhance biomedical discovery, improving the treatment, diagnosis and prevention of human disease and generating economic opportunities for Africa. They apply expertise in genomics to identify new variants of pathogens and advance basic and translational science to improve prevention, treatment and vaccines to human disease in Africa.

    Prof Tulio De Oliveira

    Read more about the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation

    SACEMA specialises in the mathematical modelling of diseases prevalent in SA. The work is multi-disciplinary, combining biological, medical, statistical, mathematical and computing skills to study patterns of disease progression, in space and time, at population and within host levels. The aim of this modelling is to identify the principle causes of diseases and their transmission, and the likely outomes of various interventions, and so to provide a sound scientific basis for health policy.
    Prof Frank Tanser
    Read more about the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis

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  • 1 A high standard of living, quality of life, and well-being for all citizens
  • 4 Transformed economies
  • 5 Modern agriculture for increased productivity and production
  • 10 World-class infrastructure crisscrosses Africa
  • 12 Capable institutions and transformed leadership are in place at all levels, cross-cutting with governance
  • 13 Peace, security, and stability are preserved
  • 18 Engaged and empowered youth and children
  • 20 Africa takes full responsibility for financing her development
  • The Chair aims to broaden the range of products manufactured from available sugarcane, so as to maximise the economic value extracted beyond conventional products like sugar, electricity, and ethanol. It involves both technology development and assessment, aiming to identify new investment opportunities for diversification of the local and international sugarcane industries.

    Prof Johann Görgens

    Read more about SARChI in Sugarcane Biorefining

    The Chair focuses on the research and development of various antenna sub-systems for radio astronomy applications. Projects include work on reflector antenna optics, feed antennas, analogue front ends and digital back ends of a variety of radio telescopes – from interferometric dish arrays to large aperture arrays, to specialised single antenna instruments.

     

    Prof Dirk de Villiers

    Read more about the SARChI in Antenna Systems for the SKA

    The Chair aims to characterise variability in the power system and understand its impacts in support of power system planning and operations. The Chair’s vision is to optimally leverage SU’s existing ecosystem of renewable energy and power system simulation expertise and industry and academic relationships towards developing and strengthening a national competency in power system simulation within South Africa.

    Prof Bernard Bekker

    Read more about the SARChI in Power Systems Simulation

    The Chair endeavours to develop students, researchers and members of industry with appropriate knowledge and skills in pavement engineering; to develop students and technologies, through research, that will preserve and maintain our environment through developing new materials, processes, and technologies to provide the necessary performance and durability; and to use the circular economy to optimise the benefits of the 4IR and digitisation.

    Prof Kim Jenkins

    Read more about the SANRAL Chair in Pavement Engineering

    The research focuses on problem-solving in AI, grounded in compu- tational thinking skills and techniques. This includes problem abstraction and decomposition, symbolic modelling, computational logic, and algorithmic problem solving. It is therefore foundational to both symbolic AI with its advanced reasoning capabilities, and non-symbolic (connectionist) AI with its advanced learning capabilities.

    Prof Bruce Watson

    Read more about the Chair of Computational Thinking for AI

    The Chair does fundamental and applied AI research, with a specific focus on the design of correct, fast and elegant algorithms for solving important problems, particularly relevant to emerging economies of the Global South, such as securing the cyber vulnerable, SA critical infrastructure, and decision-making processes (also known as knowledge security).

    Prof Bruce Watson

    Read more about the Capitec Chair of Applied AI

    The Chair focuses on research in the fields of smart metering, big-data analytics, internet-of-things technologies, low-power wide-area networks, smart capacity building, hosted software solutions and utility performance forecasting. The Chair will also form partnerships with the other research and funding institutions in the general field of utility solutions, engage in specialised consulting activities for industry and pursue other funding streams.

    Christo Nicholls 

    Read more about the MacroComm Smart Utility Solutions Chair

    The Internet of Things encompasses how digital technology and connectivity observe, link, and affect the world around us. It is about connecting many things that previously operated individually. These connections, which include monitoring and control, open opportunities for a plethora of improvements in the way we use and manage the many things around us.

    Prof Thinus Booysen 

    Read more about the Research Chair in the Internet of Things

    The NITHeCS leads and coordinates research programmes and fosters education in theoretical physics. Research is conducted mainly in statistical and condensed matter physics; quantum information and computation; high energy physics, namely string theory and matrix models as well as phenomenology.

    Prof Francesco Petruccione

    Read more about the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences

    A key element in the purpose and value-proposition of the AUDA-NEPAD CoE-STI is to foster “real and active” two-way flow connection between science, policy, and practice. Strategic priority areas were identified within the Science, Technology, and Innovation domain between SU and CSIR researchers. These areas include: aquaculture; genome editing; telehealth; and cybersecurity.

    Dr Nico Elema

    Read more about the AUDA-NEPAD Centre of Excellence in Science, Technology and Innovation

    The Chair provides research capability to support the Gibela Transport Consortium in maintaining X’Trapolis Mega trainsets which will be built at the Consortium’s Dunottar factory. It will create a niche in monitoring applications and asset management technologies for operational Gibela passenger trains.

    Prof Annie Bekker 

    Read more about the Gibela Engineering Research Chair

    The cluster’s priority area is innovation and technology and aims to address the effective application of AI, data science and theoretical and computational thinking to tackle pressing global and African healthcare, education, agriculture, energy and infrastructure challenges. It will bring together experts from diverse fields, such as computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics and social sciences to work on complex problems and develop innovative solutions.

    Prof Francesco Petruccione 

    Read more about the Africa-Europe CoRE in Addressing in Global and African Challenges through Methods from Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and Theoretical and Computational Thinking

    Aiming to be a world-class institution for data science and computational thinking in and for Africa, the School works across SU’s ten faculties, generating multi-, inter- and trans-disciplinary collaboration. It also spans the entire academic project, from under- and postgraduate training to research and specialist consultation. Through our new School for Data Science and Computational Thinking, SU is ready to enhance South Africa’s competitiveness in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

    Prof Kanshu Rajarathnam 

    Read more about the School for Data Science and Computational Thinking

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  • 1 A high standard of living, quality of life, and well-being for all citizens
  • 2 Well-educated citizens and skills revolution underpinned by science, technology, and innovation
  • 3 Healthy and well-nourished citizens
  • 5 Modern agriculture for increased productivity and production
  • 7 Environmentally sustainable climate-resilient economies and communities
  • 11 Democratic values and practices, the universal principles of human rights, justice, and the rule of law are entrenched
  • 12 Capable institutions and transformed leadership are in place at all levels, cross-cutting with governance
  • 13 Peace, security, and stability are preserved
  • 17 Full gender equality in all spheres of life
  • 18 Engaged and empowered youth and children
  • 19 Africa as a major partner in global affairs and peaceful co-existence
  • 20 Africa takes full responsibility for financing her development
  • The central concern of this Chair is to deepen our understanding of the complex web of social and environmental dynamics in which commitments to sustainable development must be grounded, through an investigation of these issues in and through the Karoo region of SA. The focus of the Chair is on local understandings of development priorities and needs in a region that has long been marginalised politically and economically.

    Prof Steven Robins

    Read more about the SARChI in the Sociology of Land, Environment and Sustainable Development

    This Chair aims to fill the gap that exists in gender-related research and will broaden research access for gender scholars. Most serious societal problems in SA are deeply gendered problems (such as gender- based violence, poverty, land and health issues). In order to deliver a better understanding of women`s citizenship, the research focuses on experiences of women in the political system through representations, the accommodation of their needs and demands in governmental policies, and women`s activism that mobilise demands so that these demands can be included on the political/policy agenda.

    Prof Amanda Gouws 

    Read more about the SARChI in Gender Politics

    The Chair is a multidisciplinary research initiative that aims to bring conceptual clarity to the genealogies of violence and to illuminate the enduring legacies of violent histories and their transgenerational repercussions. At the heart of this work is the “afterlife” of historical trauma – the continuing transgenerational impact of violent pasts shaped by colonialisation, oppression, discrimination, and the destruction of communities. The Chair also seeks to have an impact on public debate and influence audiences at a broader level of society.

    Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela

    Read more about the SARChI in Violent Histories and Transgenerational Trauma

    The overall objective of the GENS Trilateral Chair is to build research capacity and produce knowledge across Africa concerning gender-informed innovation and commercialisation opportunities in alternative energy technology and services.

    Prof Mark Swilling 

    Read more about the SA-Africa-UK Trilateral SARChI in Mainstreaming Gender for Energy Security inUrban Poor Environments

    The working definition underpinning the research of the Chair is that Social justice is about the equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms regardless of human diversity reflected in the fair and just distribution of all opportunities, benefits, privileges and burdens in a society or group. The Social Justice M-Plan is the flagship programme of the Law Trust Chair in Social Justice. It is also an avenue for giving effect to the University’s social impact objective, particularly the grand constitutional objective of healing the divisions of the past and transforming structural social relations in society to give effect to the constitutional promise of freeing the potential and improving the quality of life of every citizen. Influenced by 2 years of intensive research and modelled on the US-sponsored post-World World 2 Europe Recovery Marshal Plan, the Social Justice M-Plan is an integrated ground-up civil society plan that seeks to coordinate systematic and integrated academic, business and broader civil society input to support government efforts towards breaking the back of poverty and inequality. Worth noting, is that the research includes auditing and integrating existing social justice research and data while generating new knowledge and information where necessary.

    Prof Thuli Madonsela

    Read more about the Law Trust Chair in Social Justice

    The Chair’s aim is to contribute to deepening a human rights culture in SA through high-quality research and contributing to public debate and advocacy on human rights. The Chair is endowed by the Oppenheimer Foundation to promote the development of human rights law in SA through the three main pillars of academic endeavour – research, teaching and community interaction.

    Prof Sandra Liebenberg

    Read more about the HF Oppenheimer Chair in Human Rights Law

    The Chair will focus on the theory, purpose and principles of regulation in general, and specifically financial regulation law. This will incorporate aspects such as the economics of the financial sector, models of regulation, regulation of different risks in the financial sector, and regional and international financial regulation law. The vision is for the Chair to create a hub around which more focused expertise (both academic and professional) may be co-opted in the various areas of financial regulation. The Chair will also investigate the nature and regulation of technology used in financial markets (so-called “fintech”) to promote the efficient and effective use of these technologies, and how these technologies disrupt traditional financial services and their regulation.

    Prof Johann Scholtz

    Read more about the Gys Steyn Chair in Financial Regulation Law

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  • 1 A high standard of living, quality of life, and well-being for all citizens
  • 2 Well-educated citizens and skills revolution underpinned by science, technology, and innovation
  • 3 Healthy and well-nourished citizens
  • 4 Transformed economies
  • 10 World-class infrastructure crisscrosses Africa
  • 11 Democratic values and practices, the universal principles of human rights, justice, and the rule of law are entrenched
  • 12 Capable institutions and transformed leadership are in place at all levels, cross-cutting with governance
  • 13 Peace, security, and stability are preserved
  • 14 Engaged and empowered youth and children
  • 16 Africa as a major partner in global affairs and peaceful co-existence
  • 17 Africa takes full responsibility for financing her development
  • The Chair serves as a hub of research and postgraduate training in the field. Through an interdisciplinary lens, the Chair focuses on issue-driven and action research to explore the agenda of science communication for social justice. This enables theoretical and empirical insights into the complex ways in which communication research and practice can positively connect science and society.

    Prof Mehita Iqani

    Read more about the SARChI in Science Communication

    The Chair was established with the express purpose of fostering a greater development drive for intellectual property in SA. This is done through high-level academic tuition, expert analysis, private-public coordination, rigorous protective action of established legal principles and pioneering sound adjustments to IP law to increase the production and export of intellectual property and provide adequate protection of contemporary expressions of human intellectual endeavour.

    Prof Sadulla Karjiker

    Read more about the Anton Mostert Chair of Intellectual Property

    The Chair hosts a centre of knowledge on the scientific study of translation, interpreting and revision/editing. Afrikaans language practice is being researched here and in this way Afrikaans is enhanced as a language of science. This does not happen in isolation within an Afrikaans enclave, but rather within a multilingual and multicultural environment.

    Prof Ilse Feinauer 

    Read more about the Ton and Anet Vosloo Research Chair in Afrikaans Language Practice

    The Chair will draw on the expertise of the two co-chairholders to integrate in-depth knowledge of complex systems, combined with the conceptual and practical applications of futures studies. This includes specialisation in theories of complex systems and in the practice of futures studies and foresight. The Chair will develop capacities for studying and exploring the nature of complex interdependent social-ecological systems, how change comes about in such systems, and how to create the conditions for ecologically sustainable and socially just futures.

    Prof Rika Preiser and Tanja Hichert

    Read more about the UNESCO Chair in Complex Systems and Transformative African Futures

    The Chair will provide expertise on intercultural competence and integrating in-depth knowledge of intercultural competencies, educational research and capacity development in Africa. It aims to promote an integrated system of research, teaching and training, as well as community engagement and communication. It will facilitate collaboration between high-level, internationally recognised researchers and teaching staff of SU and other institutions in the region and in other regions of the world. The intention of the Chair is therefore to re-think the lens of intercultural competence.

    Dr Darla Deardorff and Prof Sarah Howie

    Read more about the UNESCO Chair in Intercultural Competences

    SCISTIP has five researh focus areas: science in (South) Africa (history, governance, state and trends); human resources for science and technology (the next generation of scientists, scholars and knowledge professionals); research evaluation (assessing the uptake, utilisation and impact of research); science and technology and innovation studies; and communication in and of science.

    Prof Johann Mouton 

    Read more about the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Scientometrics and Science, Technology and Innovation Policy

    Read more about the Chair in Science Futures