The University of the Free State (UFS) congratulates Prof Melanie Walker – Distinguished Professor, South African Research Chair in Higher Education and Human Development, as well as Director of the Higher Education and Human Development research group – and Prof Ivan Turok, Research Chair in City-Region Economies in the Department of Economics and Finance and the Centre for Development Support, who have been selected by Research.com among the 2026 Best Social Sciences and Humanities Scientists in the world.  

Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, celebrated this honour: “The recognition of Prof Melanie Walker and Prof Ivan Turok exemplifies the humanities and social sciences at their best, and affirms our commitment to scholarship that translates rigorous evidence into real-world impact on inequality, cities, and human development. We are proud of these scholars who bridge disciplines, geographies, and sectors to co-create knowledge that is inclusive, actionable, and transformative.”

Research grounded in human development

Prof Walker ranked 38th nationally, with a distinguished research record comprising more than 150 publications and 7 232 citations. 

Together with her own research and through her leadership of a research group at the University of the Free State since 2012, Prof Walker focuses on theorising her empirical work by drawing on a sustainable human development framework and the conceptual grounding of capabilities, understood as opportunities to be and to do in ways that we value individually and collectively. 

Through this integrated well-being focus, as well as her team’s conceptual and practical tools to contribute to research-based thinking and actions for improving societies for all, Prof Walker is able to express the relevance of her research. She does this through her integrated well-being focus on how development unfolds in real people’s lives, as well as the historical, structural, and economic barriers and enablers they confront. 

These findings contribute significantly to addressing real-world challenges such as climate change, inequality, and poverty as it relates – in our case – to sub-Saharan African higher education. 

“To be featured on this list as a Global South-based researcher, particularly someone working in Africa, is a tremendous personal recognition for the University of the Free State; but more than this, it contributes to dismantling global inequalities in knowledge production when Global South researchers working under far more challenging circumstances are ranked among those from universities regarded as the ‘best’ in the world,” says Prof Walker about this achievement. 

Shaping the future of African cities

Prof Turok ranked 29th nationally, with an outstanding scholarly record of 278 publications and 10 889 citations. 

Due to accelerated urban growth, there is a narrow window of opportunity to prepare the ground for more functional and sustainable cities in the future. Prof Turok therefore believes that researchers can contribute significantly to land-use planning and affordable housing. He believes that research can identify and provide insight into the crucial elements of successful urbanisation. This is vital, especially since unplanned and poorly managed urbanisation can lead to poor economic and social outcomes as a result of overcrowding, congestion, pollution, and contagion. 

Prof Turok deliberately reached out to policymakers and practitioners to build relationships and gain an understanding of the constraints hampering the economy of cities. This has allowed him to adapt his research and improve its relevance to the real world; he believes that the combination of sound concepts and robust evidence makes for impactful research. 

“I’m pleased to be recognised in this way, although less for the personal kudos than for the profile this gives to research on cities, and particularly the economy of cities. I believe that cities deserve more attention from the research and policy communities, because they are crucial to the future of South Africa – and indeed the African continent as a whole. The prospects for our countries depend on doing a better job of planning and governing our cities,” says Prof Turok on receiving this recognition. 

Research collaboration beyond borders

Both academics believe in the importance of international collaboration that can expose researchers to global practices and innovative methodologies. They appreciate the art of information sharing across the world, especially in the 21st Century, as this eliminates geographical boundaries and unifies research across the globe.  

These prestigious achievements once again position the University of the Free State as an innovative research-led, student-centred, and regionally engaged university that contributes meaningfully to responsible societal futures.