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Pope Francis appoints Prof Pearl Sithole to Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences

16 August 2021 | Story Nonsindiso Qwabe | Photo Sonia Small (Kaleidoscope Studios)

Prof Pearl Sithole copy — New member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences - Prof Pearl Sithole

Social scientist and Vice-Principal: Academic and Research on the Qwaqwa Campus, Prof Pearl Sithole, was appointed by Pope Francis as a member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences for her stellar work in social sciences.

Academicians are appointed by the Pope on the basis of their competencies in the social sciences and their moral integrity.

Prof Sithole said she was looking forward to sharing meaning and impact with the world through a space dedicated to the social sciences. “It’s a great honour. I’m feeling really humbled. The social sciences and humanities are a hugely necessary space to make meaning of the world, but for some reason, in the pecking order, they were relegated to a space that is thought of last. This appointment is to a dedicated space – to say, let’s look at issues through that lens.”

The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences was established by Pope John Paul II in 1994 with the aim of promoting the study and progress of the social sciences, primarily economics, sociology, law, and political science. To achieve its aims, the academy organises conferences and workshops on specific themes, promotes scientific surveys and research, and publishes publications.

Prof Sithole said the academy provides a wonderful way of reminding academicians of the importance of relating science to the real world.

“What I like about it is that it demystifies science. It says, be excellent in your field but be able to converse for impact, be able to come to a forum that worries about specific issues, it still encourages publications and pure science/scientific endeavours, advancements in their field, but sometimes people come together to look at an issue from various angles. For me, it’s such a wonderful way of saying we must remember that we are doing science in order to relate to the world, not just to understand for the sake of understanding,” she said.

Make a genuine effort to make a difference in whatever you do, and your work will speak for itself.- Prof Pearl Sithole.

The appointment also coincides with Women’s Month, and Prof Sithole said she takes great pride in her womanhood.

“I am a mother and a daughter. I strive to pinpoint problems and offer solutions. I am a social scientist. I’ve made it a mission to study how systems affect people by infusing humanity within the systems. Women have been made to be apologetic about the qualities that define us as women, which we bring especially into leadership. I don’t apologise for my emotions. I don’t apologise for my multitasking abilities; however, I do feel that women are often abused for having these.”

What would you say makes you a UFS woman of quality, impact, and care?

I am the sort of person who strongly believes that your work should speak for itself. I don’t work for accolades. My approach to life is to work genuinely to make a difference, and your work will speak for itself. If you wake up every day to genuinely make a difference, it is enough. You get a lot of satisfaction in life, and you sleep better because you know you have given it your best, and you know that sometimes you can actually see it making a difference.

What advice would you give to the 15-year-old you?

I would say, be true to yourself. At a younger age, you want to chase all sorts of aspirations that look glamorous, which is not a bad thing, because you have to have appetite; but in your appetite for excellence and as someone who lives for a purpose, be true to yourself. Be able to design a life that aspires, but at the same time be adaptable to what you discover your strengths to be.

News Archive

Getting out of the dark

2015-06-10

ESKOM is making daily announcements on the status of the power grid.

Anton Calitz, Electrical Engineer at University Estates, is in continuous contact with Eskom and Centlec in an effort to stay abreast of load shedding.

According to Anton, Eskom has recently - the week of 20 April - been focusing on the evening peak, and has announced STAGE 1 load shedding from 17:00-22:00; thus, the Bloemfontein Campus should be able to continue business as usual during the day, except for Thursdays from 18:00 and, possibly, Fridays from 17:00.

Where can I get more information about load shedding stages?

Apart from Eskom’s webpage, staff can also visit GRID WATCH. Click on "Search", then under "Schedules". Look for "Mangaung Local Municipality", and select "GROUP 4". Save this location. “This can even be loaded onto your mobile device.”

“The time slots can be seen for a couple of days in advance, to allow us to plan around the possibility of load shedding in our daily lives,” said Anton.

Please note: ESKOM can change the STAGE level at any time. Therefore, keep an eye on GRID WATCH and News24.

View the typical seven-day planner for the Bloemfontein Campus (Group 4), which indicates the STAGE 2 and 3 possibilities. Take note that, on some days, the STAGE 2 and 3 time slots are the same.

More load shedding tips: Your IT needs

The UFS Data Centre (Computer Room) is fully serviced by a generator facility, and can function without external power supply for a few days.

The generator servicing the UFS data centre does NOT provide power to the outlying facilities. This implies that all digital equipment at gates, booms, and access points will be shut down until the power is restored to these facilities. “We are now, in collaboration with Nico Janse van Rensburg, in a process to install UPS facilities at these points, which will ensure two to three hours of power supply at these points, even during load shedding,” said Dr Vic Coetzee, Senior Director: ICT Services.

No Wi-Fi will be available, as it is dependent on the power supply to the buildings where it is installed.

All servers are contained in the data centre, and will be kept running by our generators.

How to manage load shedding and your IT needs:

1. Get into the habit of saving your work regularly on computer so that you don’t lose your work/files during load shedding.
2. Back up important data. Keep to a schedule of regular back-up. Make sure your computer back-ups are safe and recoverable.
3. Keep all electronic devices charged and ready to run on battery power. Keep your cellphone charged: some old-style Telkom landlines will still operate during power outages, but others won't.
4. Remember, when power supply is restored, it sometimes happens that a power surge is sent through the network, which will damage your computer. Fortunately, laptop computers will not suffer this fate as their power is provided through an external power pack. Often, this power pack will be damaged, but not the laptop itself.
5. It makes good sense to reboot your computer daily, not only in terms of power shedding, but also in terms of updating the drivers, software, etc.
6. Switch off all computers and other electrical equipment at the wall plug overnight and on weekends.
7. Should your IT equipment not switch on after a power outage, log a call with the ICT Services. You can also call them at x2000.

More information, guidelines and contact numbers

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