About our Advisory Board
Our Advisory Board, chaired by Prof Chitja Twala (Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Humanities), is comprised of members of the Department, a representative from the UFS Career office as well as a group of select individuals. Our Advisory Board members provide valuable expertise, assisting our Department in terms of strategic direction as well as curriculum development.
With the input of our advisory board, we wish to:
- Align our graduates with the expectations of the modern workplace.
- Enhance curriculum relevance, and the inclusion of the necessary knowledge, skills and attributes to our graduates.
- Critically think about our strategic objectives.
- Make the connection between academic knowledge and “real work” skills.
- Expose our students to practitioners who could serve as classroom guest speakers.
- Where possible ‑ create opportunities for students to learn workplace skills by providing suitable internship locations.
- Develop ambassadors for our discipline and facilitate an ongoing exchange of information and ideas with our “publics”.
Focus on Advisory Board Member: Makoma Lekalakala
Makoma Lekalakala is an activist and director of the Johannesburg branch of Earthlife Africa, an environmental justice organisation, that has been fighting pollution and defending people’s right to a healthy and safe environment since it was established 30 years ago. It continues to fight environmental injustices, including exposing valuable information and sharing it with people and communities. It is through its inclusive campaigning, scientific research, community mobilising, and media muscle, that the organisation has been able to confront the most notorious polluting companies in South Africa.
Lekalakala's impactful work has garnered global recognition with her winning, among other international awards, the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for the African region in honour of her tremendous contribution to environmental and social justice causes. She also serves as a Commissioner on the Presidential Climate Commission. We regard her as a valuable partner because of her focus on the environment, her activist stance to environmental justice and her willingness to engage with our students.
Our students and colleagues were privileged to attend her lecture on Storytelling as a form of knowledge production, which formed part of the SOCS2614 Guest Lecturer Series.
Our Advisory Board Members
Dr Pulane Pitso
Thabo Masukela
Mariëtte Joubert
Nolwazi Tusini
Belinda Janeke