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13 August 2019

 

“I have a voice.” | “Ke na le lentsoe.” | “Ek het ‘n stem.” | “Nginezwi."

The inaugural Kovsies Multilingual Mokete (Festival) is an initiative of the University of the Free State (UFS) to promote multilingualism.  

The Mokete will include and celebrate different cultural expressions - in visual art, poetry, storytelling, drama, music and song - by different language groups and in the different languages dominant at the UFS (i.e. English, Afrikaans, Sesotho, isiZulu, and Sign Language). Students and staff from various faculties and departments on our three campuses will participate in showcasing the multicultural strengths of Kovsies on the Bloemfontein Campus on 18 and 19 September 2019. 

Join us and celebrate the university’s aim to promote multicultural communication and artistic expression in English, Afrikaans, Sesotho, isiZulu and Sign Language.

Categories:
A. Singing  
B. Dancing
C. Short stories  
D. Poems
E. Short drama item  
F. Fine arts

Your item must be unique, “fresh from the block” and it must speak “volumes” of multilingualism and multiculturalism. It should celebrate the fusion of our different cultures and languages and the merging of our traditions to create a unique UFS culture. There is a prize for the best artist/performer in each category. #SayItLouderForThePeopleAtTheBack 

Criteria for each category:

A. Singing
a. You can either enter a group or solo singing item 
b. Song should not be longer than 4 min
c. Song should be in any one of the four languages mentioned above, ideally incorporating more than one language  
d. Only backtracks or acoustic accompaniment can be used

B. Dancing
a. You can either enter a group or solo dance item 
b. Dance item should not be longer than 4 min
c. Music should be appropriate to the festival tagline

C. Short stories 
 
a. Your short story should be in any one of the four languages mentioned above, ideally incorporating more than one language 
b. Short story should not be longer than 5 min when read out loud
c. If your short story is selected, you will then have a choice to either perform your own story, or have someone else perform it for you. Auditions will be held to select performers for short stories.  

D. Poems
a. Your poem should be in any one of the four languages mentioned above, ideally incorporating more than one language 
b. Your poem should be no more than 20-25 lines 
c. If your poem is selected, you will then have a choice to either perform your own poem, or have someone else perform it for you. Auditions will be held to select performers for poems. 

E. Short drama item  
a. You can either enter a group or solo drama item.  
b. Your item should not be longer than 10 min
c. Item should speak to the celebration of our different cultures and languages
d. Your drama item should be in any one of the four languages mentioned above, ideally incorporating more than one language 
e. You first submit a script. 
i. If your drama (script) is selected, you will be then be invited to an audition for final selection. 
 
F. Fine arts
a. Only hostel entries
i. Hostels will each receive a packet which includes a canvas, photographic reference material, paint and brushes
ii. Each hostel will then copy that reference material as best they can on their canvas
iii. Art work will be displayed in the Scaena theatre foyer 16 – 20 September. 


General information
A. Submission of material: 
a. Submissions must be emailed to ufsmokete@ufs.ac.za
i. Singing and Dance submissions must be submitted in mp4 format via Google drive/One drive/Dropbox link to above email address 
ii. Scripts for poems, short stories, short drama items to be submitted in pdf format 
iii. Each submission must be accompanied by a submission form 
b. Submission of hardcopies can be handed in at the Department of Drama and Theatre Arts, Scaena Theatre, Room 46 (next to the Callie Human Centre). 


B. Dates:  
a. Tuesday 20 August: Final submission date. You will receive an automated confirmation that your submission has been received.   
b. Monday 26 August: Selected items announced for audition via email  
c. Wednesday 28 – Friday 30 August: Auditions. Times and dates to be confirmed
i. Students/staff who wants to perform their own poems, short stories or short drama items
ii. All selected singing and dance items
d. Monday 2 September: Final programme participants/items announced via email
e. Tuesday 17 September: Dry-run of programme with artists

  
Enquiries:
Contact ufsmokete@ufs.ac.za for more information.

Mokete wa pele wa Pokanyo ya Dipuo (Kovsies Multilingual Mokete) ke morero o thehilweng ke Yunivesithi ya Foreistata (UFS) ho kgothaletsa tshebediso ya dipuo tse ngata.

Mokete o tla kenyeletsa boitlhaloso ba botjhaba bo fapafapaneng – ka bonono ba ditshwantsho, dithothokiso, dipale, diterama, mmino le dipina – ho tswa dihlopheng tse fapaneng le ka dipuo tse fapaneng tse kgolo tse buuwang haholo UFS (k.h.r. Senyesemane, Afrikanse, Sesotho, Sezulu, le Puo ya Matshwao). Baithuti le basebetsi ho tswa mafapheng ka ho fapafapana dikhamphaseng tse tharo tsa rona ba tla nka karolo pontshong ya matla a botjhaba bo fapafapaneng ba Kovsies Khamphaseng ya Bloemfontein ka la 18 le 19 Loetse 2019. 

Eba le rona ho keteka sepheo sa yunivesithi sa ho kgothaletsa kgokahano ya botjhaba bo fapafapaneng le boitlhaloso ba bonono ka dipuo tsa Senyesemane, Afrikanse, Sesotho, Sezulu le Puo ya Matshwao.

Mekgahlelo:
A. Ho bina  
B. Ho tantsha
C. Dipale tse kgutshwane  
D. Dithothokiso
E. Dikotwana tse kgutshwane tsa terama
F. Bonono ba botaki

Tlatsetso ya hao e tlameha ho ba e kgetholohileng, “e ntjhantjha” mme e tlameha ho bua “tse ngata” mabapi le tshebediso ya dipuo tse ngata le botjhaba bo fapafapaneng. E tlameha ho keteka matahanyo ya botjhaba ba rona bo fapafapaneng le dipuo le ho kopanngwa ha meetlo ya rona ho theha botjhaba bo kgetholohileng ba UFS. Moputso bakeng sa sebapadi/moetsi ya hlwahlwa ka ho fetisisa mokgahlelong ka mong.
#SayItLouderForThePeopleAtTheBack 

Mokgwatlhahlobo bakeng sa mokgahlelo ka mong:
A. Ho bina
a. O ka kenya pontsho ya sehlopha kapa ya motho a le mong ya ho bina 
b. Pina e tlameha ho se fete metsotso e 4
c. Pina e tlameha ho ba ka efe kapa efe ya dipuo tse boletsweng ka hodimo mona, e ka ba hantle le ho feta haeba e kenyeletsa dipuo tse fetang e le nngwe  
d. Ke dikgatiso tsa pina kapa diletswa tse bapalwang mmoho le ho bina tse ka sebediswang

B. Ho tantsha
a. O ka kenya ketso ya tantshi ya sehlopha kapa motho a le mong 
b. Ketso ya tantshi e tlameha ho se be telele ho feta metsotso e 4 
c. Mmino o tlameha ho tshwaneleha bakeng sa sehlooho sa mokete

C. Dipale tse kgutshwane  
a. Pale ya hao e kgutshwane e tlameha ho ba ka efe kapa efe ya dipuo tse nne tse boletsweng ka hodimo mona, eo e ka bang hantle ha e ka kenyeletsa ho feta puo e le nngwe 
b. Pale e kgutshwane e tlameha ho se fete metsotso e 5 ha e balwa ka lentswe le phahameng
c. Haeba pale ya hao e kgutshwane e kgethwa, o tla ba le kgetho ya ho bontsha pale ya hao ka bowena, kapa hore motho e mong a o bapalle yona. Diteko tsa lentswe di tla etswa ho kgetha bapheti ba dipale tse kgutshwane.
  
D. Dithothokiso
a. Thothokiso ya hao e tlameha ho ba ka e nngwe ya dipuo tse boletsweng ka hodimo mona, ekaba hantle haeba e na le dipuo tse fetang e le nngwe 
b. Thothokiso ya hao e tlameha ho se fete mela e 20-25 
c. Haeba thothokiso ya hao e kgethilwe, jwale o tla ba le kgetho ya ho pheta thothokiso ya hao, kapa motho e mong a e phete. Diteko tsa pheto ya dithothokiso di tla tshwarwa ho kgetha batho ba tla pheta dithothokiso.
 
E. Terama e kgutshwane  
a. O ka kenya terama ya sehlopha kapa ya motho a le mong.  
b. Terama ya hao ha e a lokela ho feta metsotso e 10
c. Terama ena e tlameha ho ba mabapi le keteko ya botjhaba le dipuo tse fapafapaneng tsa rona
d. Terama ya hao e tlameha ho ba ka efe kapa efe ya dipuo tse nne tse boletsweng ka hodimo mona, ekaba hantle ha e ka kenyeletsa dipuo tse fetang e le nngwe 
e. O tla nehelana ka sengolwa sa hao e sa le pele. 
i. Haeba terama ya hao (sengolwa) e kgethwa, jwale o tla memelwa ho tla fana ka pontsho ya yona bakeng sa ho kgethelwa makgaolakgang.
  
F. Botaki
a. Keno ya dihostele feela
i. Dihostele di tla fumana pakana e le nngwe hostele ka nngwe e kenyeletsang canvas, matheriale ya referense ya difoto , pente le maborashe
ii. Hostele ka nngwe jwale e tla kopiletsa matheriale eo ya referense ka bohlwahlwa boo ba ka bo kgonang ho canvas
iii. Mesebetsi ya botaki e tla tla bontshwa foyareng ya Scaena theatre ka la 16 – 20 Lwetse. 

Tlhahisoleseding e akaretsang
A. Thomelo ya matheriale: 
a. Dithomelo  di tlameha ho romelwa ka imeili ho ufsmokete@ufs.ac.za
i. Dithomelo tsa mmino di tlameha ho romelwa ka sebopeho sa mp4 ka lehokela la Google drive/One drive/Dropbox atereseng e boletsweng ka hodimo mona 
ii. Dingolwa bakeng sa dithothokiso, dipale tse kgutshwane, diterama tse kgutshwane di lokela ho romelwa ka sebopeho sa pdf 
iii. Thomelo ka nngwe e tlameha ho tsamaya le thomelo ya foromo ya yona.
b. Dithomelo tse etswang ka kotloloho di lokela ho nehelanwa Lefapheng la Diterama le Bonono ba Kalaneng, le mane Scaena theatre complex (pela Callie Human), phapusi ya 46. 

B. Matsatsi:  
a. Labobedi la 20 Phato: Letsatsi la dithomello la bofelo. O tla fumana nnetefatso e iketsahallang ya hore thomello ya hao e amohetswe.   
b. Mantaha wa 26 Phato: Mesebetsi e kgethilweng e tla phatlalatswa ka imeili bakeng sa memo ya diteko tsa ho tla mamelwa   
c. Laboraro la 28 – Labohlano la 30 Phato: Diteko tsa ho mamelwa. Dinako le matsatsi di tla phatlalatswa. 
i. Baithuti/basebetsi ba batlang ho pheta dithothokiso tsa bona, dipale tse kgutshwane kapa diterama tse kgutshwane
ii. Dipina le ditantshi tsohle tse kgethilweng
d. Mantaha wa 2 Lwetse: Bankakarolo/mesebetsi e fihlileng lenaneong la makgaolakgang e tla  phatlalatswa ka imeili
e. Labobedi la 17 Lwetse: Boitokisetso ba lenaneo mmoho le dibapadi

Dipotso:
Ikopanye le ufsmokete@ufs.ac.za bakeng sa tlhahisoleseding e eketsehileng. 

Die eerste Kovsies Veeltalige Mokete (Fees) is ’n inisiatief van die Universiteit van die Vrystaat (UV) om veeltaligheid te bevorder.

Die Fees sal verskillende tipes kulturele uitdrukking insluit en vier – deur middel van visuele kuns, digkuns, storievertel, drama, musiek en sang – deur verskillende taalgroepe en in die verskillende dominante tale aan die UV (bv. Engels, Afrikaans, Sesotho, isiZulu en Gebaretaal). Studente en personeel van verskillende fakulteite en departemente op ons drie kampusse sal op 18 en 19 September 2019 op die Bloemfontein-kampus die multikulturele karakter van Kovies uitbeeld.
Kom sluit by ons aan en vier die universiteit se oogmerk om multikulturele kommunikasie en artistieke uitdrukking in Engels, Afrikaans, Sesotho, isiZulu en Gebaretaal te bevorder.

Kategorieë:
A. Sang
B. Dans
C. Kort verhale
D. Gedigte
E. Kort drama-item
F. Skone kunste

Jou item moet uniek en “kraakvars” wees, en dit moet “boekdele” spreek oor veeltaligheid en multikulturaliteit. Dit moet die vermenging van ons verskillende kulture en tale, asook die saamsmelt van ons tradisies wees om ’n unieke UV-kultuur te skep. Daar is ’n prys vir die beste kunstenaar/uitvoerende kunstenaar in elke kategorie. #SayItLouderForThePeopleAtTheBack

Kriteria vir elke kategorie:
A. Sang
a. Jy kan ’n groep- of solo-item inskryf. 
b. Lied moenie langer as 4 minute wees nie.
c. Lied moet in enige van die vier bogenoemde tale wees, verkieslik deur meer as een taal te inkorporeer.
d. Slegs opgeneemde of akoestiese begeleiding kan gebruik word.

B. Dans
a. Jy kan as ’n groep- of solo-item inskryf.
b. Dans-item moenie langer as 4 minute wees nie.
c. Musiek moet geskik wees vir die fees se slagspreuk wees.

C. Kortverhale
a. Jou kortverhaal moet in enige van die vier bogenoemde tale wees, verkieslik deur meer as een taal te inkorporeer.
b. Die kortverhaal moenie langer as 5 minute wees wanneer hardop voorgelees word nie.
c. Indien jou kortverhaal gekies word, sal jy dan ’n keuse hê om óf self jou verhaal voor te dra, óf om iemand anders dit vir jou te laat voordra. Oudisies sal gehou word om voordraers van kortverhale te kies.
 
D. Gedigte
a. Jou gedig moet in enige van die vier bogenoemde tale wees, verkieslik deur meer as een taal te inkorporeer.
b. Jou gedig moenie langes as 20-25 reëls wees nie.
c. Indien jou gedig gekies word, sal jy dan ’n keuse hê om óf self jou gedig voor te dra, óf om iemand anders dit vir jou te laat voordra. Oudisies sal gehou word om voordraers van gedigte te kies.

E. Kort drama-item
a. Jy kan as ’n groep of solo-item inskryf.
b. Jou item moenie langer as 10 minute wees nie.
c. Item moet die viering van ons verskillende kulture en tale uitbeeld.
d. Jou drama-item moet in enige van die vier bogenoemde tale wees, verkieslik deur meer as een taal te inkorporeer. 
e. Jy moet eers ’n teks indien. 
i. Indien jou dramateks gekies word, sal jy uitgenooi word vir ’n oudisie vir finale seleksie. 

F. Skone kunste
a. Slegs koshuisinskrywings
i. Koshuise sal elkeen ’n pakket ontvang wat ’n skilderdoek, fotografiese verwysingsmateriaal, verf en kwaste bevat
ii. Elke koshuis sal dan daardie verwysingsmateriaal so goed as wat hulle kan op hulle skilderdoek uitbeeld.
iii. Kunswerke sal van 16 – 20 September in die Scaena-teater se voorportaal uitgestal word.

Algemene inligting
A. Indiening van materiaal:
a. Inskrywings  moet per e-pos na ufsmokete@ufs.ac.za gestuur word
i. Sang- en dansinskrywings moet in mp4-formaat via ’n Google drive/One drive/Dropbox-skakel na bogenoemde adres gestuur word. 
ii. Tekste van gedigte, kortverhale en kort drama-items moet in pdf-formaat ingegee word. 
iii. Elke inskrywing moet vergesel wees van ’n inskrywingsvorm.
b. Hardekopie-inskrywings kan by Kamer 46 by die Departement Drama en Teaterkuns, Scaena-teaterkompleks (langs die Callie Human-sentrum) ingegee word. 

B. Datums: 
a. Dinsdag 20 Augustus: Finale sluitingsdatum Jy sal ’n outomatiese bevestiging ontvang dat jou inskrywing ontvang is. 
b. Maandag 26 Augustus: Gekeurde items vir oudisies sal per e-pos aangekondig word. 
c. Woensdag 28 – Vrydag 30 Augustus: Oudisies. Tye en datums sal nog aangekondig word. 
i. Studente/personeel wat hulle eie gedigte, kortverhale of kort drama-items wil voordra.
ii. Alle gekeurde sang- en dans-items
d. Maandag 2 September: Finale programdeelnemers/items sal per e-pos aangekondig word.
e. Dinsdag 17 September: Oefenlopie van program met kunstenaars

Navrae:
Kontak ufsmokete@ufs.ac.za vir meer inligting. 

Umcimbi wokuqala weKovsies Multilingual Mokete (iFestivali) iwuhlelo lweNyuvesi yaseFree State (UFS) lokukhuthaza ukusetshenziswa kwezilimi eziningi.  

IMokete izohlanganisa nokugujwa kwezinye izinhlobo zamasiko - ubuciko bezandla, izinkondlo, ukuxoxwa kwezindaba, imidlalo, umculo nemicwi - okuzokwenziwa ngamaqoqo ezilimi ezahlukene ezandile e-UFS (njengesiNgisi, isiBhunu, IsiZulu, noLimi Lwezandla). Abafundi nabasebenzi abavela ngaphansi kweminyango nezinhlaka ezahlukene ezikhungweni zethu ezintathu bazobamba iqhaza ekukhangiseni ngamakhono abo amasiko ehlukene kwiKovsies kwiKhampasi yaseBloemfontein mhla ka 18 no-19 kuMandulo (Septemba) 2019.

Hlanganyela kanye nathi ukubungaza igxathu lenyuvesi eliya phambili lokugqugquzela nokukhuthaza amasiko ehlukene kanye nobuciko ngolimi lwesiNgisi, lwesiBhunu lwesiZulu nolweZandla.

Imikhakha:

A. Ukucula  
B. Ukudansa
C. Izindatshana ezimfushane  
D. Izinkondlo
E. Imidlalo emifushane  
F. Ubuciko

Kumele uqhamuke nento ehlukile, “engakaze ibonakale kwenye indawo” futhi kumele “isho lukhulu” ngokukhuthazwa kwezilimi namasiko ehlukahlukene. Kumele iqhakambise ukubumbana kwamasiko ethu ehlukahlukene nezilimi ezahlukahlukene kanye nokuhlanganiswa ndawonye kwamasiko ethu ukuze kwakheke isiko eliyingqayizivele le-UFS. Kuyoba nemiklomelo yamaciko enze kahle emkhakheni ngamunye. #SayItLouderForThePeopleAtTheBack 


Okuzokwenzeka emkhakheni ngamunye:

A. Ukucula
a. Ningacula nibe yiqembu noma ucule wedwa 
b. Iculo akumele libe lide ngaphezu kwemizuzu emine
c. Iculo lingaba yinoma yiluphi ulimi kulezi ezibalwe ngenhla, okungaba kuhle uma lihlanganisa izilimi ezimbili kuya phezulu  
d.Kungaculwa ngokusebenzisa okomsindo noma ngokuhlabelela kuphela

B. Ukudansa
a. Ungajoyina iqembu noma udanse wedwa 
 b. Umdanso akumele ube ngaphezu kwemizuzu emine
 c. Umculo kumele uhambisane nendikimba yefestivali

C. Izindaba ezimfushane  
a. Indaba yakho emfushane ingaba yinoma ngaluphi ulimi kulezi ezine ezishiw ngenhla, okungaba kuhle uma kuyizilimi ezimbili kuya phezulu   
b. Indaba emfushane akumele ibe yinde ngaphezu kwemizuzu emihlanu uma ifundwa kakhulu
c. Uma indatshana yakho ikhethiwe, uyobe usukhetha ukuthi ufuna ukuzifundela indatshana yakho noma kube khona ozokufundela yona. Kuyokwenziwa inhlolokhono ukukhetha abazofunda izindatshana ezimfushane. 

D. Izinkondlo
a. nkondlo yakho ingaba nganoma yiluphi ulimi kulezi ezine ezingasenhla, okungaba akuhle kube ezimbili kuya phezulu 
b. Inkondlo yakho akumele ibe nemigqa engaphez  u kuka-20 kuya ku-25  
c. Uma inkondlo yakho ikhethiwe, uyokhetha ukuthi uyifunda wena noma uthola umuntu ozokufundela yona. Kuyokwenziwa inhlolokhono ukukhetha abazokwethula izinkondlo. 

E. Imidlalo emifushane  
a. Ungajoyina iqembu noma wenze umdlalo wakho uwedwa. 
b. Umdlalo wakho akumele weqe emizuzwini engu-10. 
c. Umdlalo kumele ukhulume ngokugujwa kwamasiko nezilimi ezahlukahlukene. 
d. Umdlalo wakho kumele ube yinganoma iluphi ulimi kulezi ezine ezingenhla,okungaba kuhle kube ezimbili kuya phezulu.  
e. Uyacelwa ukuba ulethe umbalo womdlalo kuqala.
 i. Uma umdlalo wakho (umbhalo) ukhethwa, uyomenywa ukuba uzovivinywa ukuze ukhethwe nabokugcina. 
 
F. Ubuciko
a. Kwemukelwa amahostela kuphela 
 i. Amahostela ayothola isikhwama esinezinto ezifana neshidi lokudweba, izithombezokubukela, upende namabhrashi
 ii. Ihostela ngalinye liyokopisha lezo zithombe zokubukela eshidini lokudweba ngekhono lonke
 iii. Imisebenzi yobuciko iyokhangiswa emhibheni waseScaena Theatre mhla ka-16 – 20 uMandulo. 

Ulwazi olwejwayelekile

A. 
Ukulethwa kwemingenelo:
a. Umngenelo kumele uthunyelwe nge-email ku: ufsmokete@ufs.ac.za
i. Imingenelo ephathelene nokucula nokudansa kumele ithunyelwe nge-mp4 kusetshenziswa iGoogle drive/One drive/Dropbox exhumene ne-email engenhla 
ii. Imibhalo yezinkondlo, izindaba ezimfushane, imibhalo yemidlalo emifushane kumele kulethwe ngohlobo lwe-pdf. 
 iii. Umngenelo ngamunye kumele uhambisane nefomu lokungenela.

b. Imingenelo engamaphepha ingahanjiswa eMnyangweni wakwaDrama and Theatre Arts, ezakhiweni sazeScaena Theatre (eduze kweCallie Human), e-room 46. 

B. Izinsuku:  
a. ULwesibili 20 kuNcwaba: Usuku lokugcina lokungenela. Uzothola isiqinisekiso esiziphendulayo sokuthi umngenelo wakho utholakele.    
 b. UMsombuluko 26 kuNcwaba: Izihloko ezikhethelwe ukungenela inhlolokhono nge-email 
c. ULwesithathu 28 kuya kuLwesihlanu 30 kuNcwaba: Inhlolokhono. Isikhathi nosuku kusazoqinisekiswa 
i. Abafundi/abasebenzi abafuna ukuhaya izinkondlo zabo, izindaba ezimfushane noma imidlalo emifushane 
ii. Imingenelo ekhethelwe ukucula nokudansa
 d. UMsombuluko 2 kuMandulo: Uhlu lokugcina lwemingenelo luyokwethulwa nge-email. 
e. ULwesibili 17 kuMandulo: Ukuzivivinyela uhlelo namaciko

Imibuzo:
Ngolunye ulwazi xhumana ne: ufsmokete@ufs.ac.za

 

News Archive

Institutional research culture a precondition for research capacity building and excellence
2004-11-16

A lecture presented by Dr. Andrew M. Kaniki at the University of the Free State Recognition Function for research excellence

16 November 2004
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Frederick Fourie
Deputy Vice Chancellors, Deans
Awardees
Colleagues and ladies and gentlemen

It is a great pleasure to be here at the University of the Free State. I am particularly honoured to have been invited to present this lecture at the First Annual Recognition Function for Research Excellence to honour researchers who have excelled in their respective fields of expertise. I would like to sincerely thank the office of the Director of Research and Development (Professor Swanepol), and in particular Mr. Aldo Stroebel for facilitating the invitation to this celebration.

I would like to congratulate you (the UFS) for institutionalizing “celebration of research excellence”, which as I will argue in this lecture is one of the key characteristics of institutional research culture that supports research capacity building and sustains research excellence.

Allow me to also take this opportunity to congratulate the University of the Free State for clocking 100 years of existence.

Ahmed Bawa and Johan Mouton (2000) in their chapter entitled Research, in the book: Transformation in higher education: global pressures and local realities in South Africa (ed. N. Cloete et. al Pretoria: CHET. 296-333) have argued that “…the sources of productivity and competitiveness [in the knowledge society and global economy] are increasingly dependent on [quality] knowledge and information being applied to productivity”. The quality knowledge they refer to here is research output or research products and the research process, which (research) as defined by the [OECD] Frascati Manual (2002: 30) is:

“…creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications”

The South African Government has set itself the objective of transforming South Africa into a knowledge society that competes effectively in the global system. A knowledge society requires appropriate numbers of educated and skilled people to create quality new knowledge and to translate the knowledge in innovative ways. To this end a number of policies and strategies like the Human Resource Development [HRD] Strategy for South Africa, the National Plan for Higher Education (NPHE) and the South Africa’s Research and Development [R&D] Strategy, have highlighted human resource development and the concomitant scarce skills development as critical for wealth creation in the context of globalization. The key mission of the HRD Strategy for instance is:

To maximize the potential of the people of South Africa, through the acquisition of knowledge and skills, to work productively and competitively in order to achieve a rising quality of life for all, and to set in place an operational plan, together with the necessary institutional arrangements, to achieve this.

The R&D Strategy emphasizes that maximum effort must be exerted to train the necessary numbers of our people in all fields required for development, running and management of modern economies. Higher education institutions like the University of the Free State have a key role to play in this process, because whatever form or shape a university takes, it is expected to conduct research (quality research); teach (quality teaching – and good graduates); and contribute to the development of its community! Thus the NPHE states that the role of higher education in a knowledge-driven world is threefold:

Human resource development;

High-level skills training and

Production, acquisition and application of knowledge.

Quality research output or knowledge which as argued is critical in determining the degree of competitiveness of a country in the knowledge economy is dependent upon quality research (process). Both the process of producing quality research and its utilization cannot and does not happen in a vacuum. It requires an environment that facilitates the production of new knowledge, its utilization and renewal. It requires skilled persons that can produce new knowledge and facilitate the production of new skills for quality knowledge production. Such an environment or in essence a university must have the culture that supports research activity. Institution research culture (that is a conducive and enabling institutional research culture) is a precondition to research capacity building. Without an institutional research culture that facilitates the development and nurturing of new young researchers it is difficult, if not impossible for a university to effectively and efficiently generate new and more quality researchers. Institutional research culture is also necessary to sustain quality research and quality research output or research excellence. It facilitates the development and sustenance of the institutional and people capacities required to do research produce quality research and generally attain research excellence!

We do recognize that the patterns of information and knowledge seeking, and knowledge generation vary among field or disciplines. For example, we know that in the humanities knowledge workers often work individually, and not as collaboratively as do those of the sciences, they all however, require supportive environments – institutional research culture to achieve and sustain research excellence. An institution does not simply attain a supportive research culture, but as Patricia Clements (English Department, University of Alberta, Edmonton) in her presentation Growing a research culture argues, research culture has to be grown [and maintained]. It unifies all natural and engineering scientists; medical researchers, humanists, and social scientists.

I therefore am of the view that Institutional Research Culture is critical to research capacity building and research excellence. I therefore want to spend a few minutes looking at the characteristics of research culture. To be effective, institutional research culture has grown and sustained not only at the institutional level, but also at the faculty, school and departmental levels of any university.

What is Research Culture?

In the process of researching on institutional research culture I identified several characteristics. Many of these overlap in some way. I want to deal with some of these characteristics; some in a little more detail while others simply cursorily. In the process what we should be asking ourselves is the extent to which an institution, like the University of the Free State, and its faculties, individually and severally, is growing and or sustaining this culture.

Institutional Research Strategy: As a plan of action or guide for a course of action, the institutional research strategy must spell out research goals that a university wants to achieve. It must be a prescription of what the university needs to be done with respect to research. As a strategy it is neither an independent activity nor an end in itself, but a component part and operationalization of the university policy or mission. ( Related to this is the Establishment of Institutional research policies)

Includes and makes public the targets, e.g. achieve so many rated scientists and make sure that every year we have so many SAPSE publications. That way people keep an eye on research agendas of the university and nation.

The UFS is obviously on its way, having launched its own Research strategy (A Strategic framework for the development of research at the University of the Free Sate. August 2003). Note that this strategy refers specifically to the “Culture of research” Fig 1

A set of administrative practices to support and encourage research. Patricia Clements (English Department, University of Alberta, Edmonton) in her presentation Growing a research culture argues that that research activity and output within the her Faculty (Arts) were very low and, in spite of the numbers of staff, with no Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty as though they had accepted that research belonged to Medicine and Science and Engineering, and teaching, separated from inquiry, belonged to the Arts. With the change in the thinking about research and development of research culture, it became clear that there was a major role for research support in a faculty her size (now about 360 full time continuing academic staff). The faculty developed a support system for research and began to address the SSHRC issues.

Reduce the bureaucracy system and micromanagement of research! This however, also implies that there is capacity and policies and procedure to manage and guide research processes

Establishment of Intellectual Property regulations and assistance

Research ethics policy and safeguarding by research administration

Focused, applied and suitable nature of the delivery mode (an institution open to new methodologies for conducting research

Programmes suited both full and part-time study particularly at graduate level (Mainly at Faculty/school and department level, and depending on what’s manageable)

Hiring senior academics to engage in, teach on and supervise postgraduate students to facilitate exchange of and transfer ideas and most importantly mentorship especially in view of declining numbers of researchers in particular fields

Quality instruction and facilitation in learning about research processes

A high retention rate of students maintained by the supportive and challenging learning environment and the use of online facilities to support collaboration and in-class learning

Availability of research grants: and awareness of sourcing funds from external sources like the National Research Foundation; Water Research Commission; Medical Research Council, private philanthropies and others outside the country. For example an institution should be able to assess how much of the slice the available funds (NRF etc) its able acquire and possibly top slice from institutional budget.

Adequacy of the financial reward system to encourage university staff members to do research (General Celebration of achievement for research excellence and achievement. This ranges form Annual reports mention; celebratory dinner. At Alberta researchers were given lapels. I don’t know of any academic who do not feel a sense of achievement to get into print or recognised. Access to research facilities within and outside the institution

Provision of infrastructure to support university-based research (e.g. equipment, admin support, etc.) – but also awareness of publicly funded and available research facilities and equipment!

Internet connectivity and changes in the bandwidth of the internet to download articles

Subscription to related bodies by the library so that researcher can download articles

Facilities and resources to attend international conferences to keep one updated

Number of visiting professors/speakers targeting senior scholars and invite them to lunch to ask them to participate and to encourage their best graduate students to do so within the institution and across institutions

Research training seminars for research students including young academics

Participation of staff/students in delivering research papers to national and international conferences

Establishment of research groups to provide interaction frameworks to achieve critical mass of research-active staff

Facilitation for more research time: Targeting new scholars and giving them reduced teaching loads in their first year or two for the purpose of developing their research programs. For the purpose of helping new colleagues to see the shape of South African research support, personalizing it, and creating research community

Take research to the community and argue its necessity, and utility

And, finally celebrating excellence. We must recognize achievement - parties and public recognition for colleagues who achieve splendid things in their research.

In conclusion, I want to reemphasize that research culture has to be grown it does not simply exist in an institution. If it is grown it needs to be nourished, nurtured and sustained. An institution cannot simply leave on borrowed reputation and expect to remain research excellent. It is on this basis that instruments like the National Research Foundation rating system recognizes excellence within a given period of time and not necessarily for a life time! This it is believed encourages continued research excellence.

THANK YOU and best wishes

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