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UFS research group celebrates successes and five PhDs

09 September 2021 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Stephen Collett

prof Walker and Baijnath_web read more — Prof Melanie Walker and keynote speaker, Prof Narend Baijnath, who reflected on his own academic path to instil a sense of pride in the newer generation of academics.

The Higher Education and Human Development Research Group is one of the prestige research groups at the University of the Free State (UFS). The group, under the stewardship of Prof Melanie Walker, A1 NRF-rated researcher, brings together researchers, PhD students, and postdoctoral fellows who focus on human development and capability studies in the higher education space.

A colloquium that took place recently (25 August 2021), celebrated the conclusion of research projects such as the Miratho project, and also reflected on the achievements of 2020 and 2021 in challenging COVID-19 times. Most importantly, the group celebrated the five PhD graduates of 2021.

Prof Narend Baijnath, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth of Learning, was the keynote speaker at the celebratory colloquium.

Lessons from Prof Baijnath

Although in the ‘twilight of his career’, Prof Baijnath used his keynote address to share and reflect on his own journey to guide academics and postdoctoral fellows embarking on their new journeys. “Looking back, while I do acknowledge that adversity and struggle may build character and fuel perseverance, it is often the largesse and generosity of others that makes the difference between whether you realise your full potential or not,” Prof Baijnath said. “Local community members pitched in to cover my own university fees and the cost of books when times were tough, and never asked to be repaid,” he remembered.

However, it was also the support his mother gave him, because “she valued education above all else”. “She made sure that my needs were provided for as a priority before attending to other needs of the family,” he said.

Prof Baijnath, through his own circumstances, resonates with young people at universities today, because getting through university is a daily challenge for many of our youth who are desperate to escape poverty and fulfil their dreams. “They bristle with potential, are hardworking and focused, and hungry for success. Even though many more funding opportunities exist today that were non-existent back then, the struggle to escape poverty and disadvantage persists for many,” he said.
Read the full keynote here

PhD students and graduates invaluable

The five PhD graduates are Dr Berth Kibona; Dr Fenella Sommerville, Dr Martino Mazinga; Dr Monique Kwachou Tangah; and Dr Ndakaitei Manase. “It is a mighty achievement to reach this milestone. Only those who have completed the journey or who are currently embarked upon it will fully understand the momentousness of this occasion,” Prof Baijnath said in his remarks.

Of the current group of PhDs, all draw on the capability and human development approach – each with a with different focus: access to higher education in Zambia; alternative post-school pathways in Malawi; student activism and social media in South Africa (SA); climate justice and the role of universities in Malawi, decolonising higher education in SA; and architecture and human development. “Our PhDs are so important in the life of our research group,” Prof Walker emphasised.

Four of the five PhD graduandi. From the left; Dr Monique Kwachou; Dr Martino Mazinga; Dr Bertha Kibona; and
Dr Fenella Somerville. (Picture: Stephen Collett)

Research output contributes to prestige

The event further celebrated the publication of books, such as the Miratho project book due for publication later this year, which examines the opportunities, obstacles, and outcomes for low-income youth and higher education. In addition, there is the forthcoming 2021 book by Dr Carmen Martinez-Vargas on participatory research, and Prof Walker’s 2020 edited book on epistemic justice. This is in addition to a steady stream of peer-reviewed articles in international journals and book chapters.

The awarding of international grants and research opportunities embodies the empirical success of the group. Senior researcher Dr Faith Mkwananzi serves as the chief investigator on a research project with the Open University and Coventry University. Funding for the project is through the British Academy (BA). Another project undertaken by Dr Mkwananzi is the Changing the Story project, which is also funded by the BA. “All this funding will allow very exciting projects to go ahead and further strengthen our contributions to Global South research,” said Prof Walker. The group also welcomed a new research associate from Lancaster University, Dr Melis Cin. Dr Cin is the successful recipient of a large grant for decolonising peace education in Africa.

Overall, research projects undertaken by members exemplify a commitment to rigorous and original South-based research and to social justice through advancing human development and expanding people’s freedoms.

Dr Fenella Somerville and Dr Faith Mkwananzi (PhD Co-Promoter)

The HEHD Research Group with guests at the colloquium.

Dr Monique Kwachou and Dr Carmen Martinez-Vargas (PhD Co-Promoter).

Dr Martino Mazinga and Dr Mikateko Hoppener (PhD Promoter).

Dr Bertha Kibona and Prof Melanie Walker (PhD Promoter)

Prof Phillippe Burger, Pro-Vice-Chancellor: Poverty, Inequality and Economic Development.

Dr Glen Taylor, Senior Director: UFS Research Development.

News Archive

Stem cell research and human cloning: legal and ethical focal points

2004-07-29

(Summary of the inaugural lecture of Prof Hennie Oosthuizen, from the Department of Criminal and Medical Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of the Free State.)

In the light of stem cell research, research on embryo’s and human cloning it will be fatal for legal advisors and researchers in South Africa to ignore the benefits that new bio-medical development, through research, contain for this country.

Legal advisors across the world have various views on stem cell research and human cloning. In the USA there is no legislation that regulates stem cell research but a number of States adopted legislation that approves stem cell research. The British Parlement gave permission for research on embryonic stem cells, but determined that it must be monitored closely and the European Union is of the opinion that it will open a door for race purification and commercial exploitation of human beings.

In South Africa the Bill on National Health makes provision for therapeutical and non therapeutical research. It also makes provision for therapeutical embryonical stem cell research on fetuses, which is not older than 14 days, as well as for therapeutical cloning under certain circumstances subject to the approval of the Minister. The Bill prohibits reproductive cloning.

Research on human embrio’s is a very controversial issue, here and in the rest of the world.

Researchers believe that the use of stem cell therapy could help to side-step the rejection of newly transplanted organs and tissue and if a bank for stem cell could be built, the shortage of organs for transplants would become something of the past. Stem cells could also be used for healing of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and spinal injuries.

Sources from which stem cells are obtained could also lead to further ethical issues. Stem cells are harvested from mature human cells and embryonic stem cells. Another source to be utilised is to take egg cells from the ovaries of aborted fetuses. This will be morally unacceptable for those against abortions. Linking a financial incentive to that could become more of a controversial issue because the woman’s decision to abort could be influenced. The ideal would be to rather use human fetus tissue from spontaneous abortions or extra-uterine pregnancies than induced abortions.

The potential to obtain stem cells from the blood of the umbilical cord, bone-marrow and fetus tissue and for these cells to arrange themselves is known for quite some time. Blood from the umbilical cord contains many stem cells, which is the origin of the body’s immune and blood system. It is beneficial to bank the blood of a newborn baby’s umbilical cord. Through stem cell transplants the baby or another family member’s life could be saved from future illnesses such as anemia, leukemia and metabolic storing disabilities as well as certain generic immuno disabilities.

The possibility to withdraw stem cells from human embrio’s and to grow them is more useable because it has more treatment possibilities.

With the birth of Dolly the sheep, communities strongly expressed their concern about the possibility that a new cloning technique such as the replacement of the core of a cell will be used in human reproduction. Embryonic splitting and core replacement are two well known techniques that are associated with the cloning process.

I differentiate between reproductive cloning – to create a cloned human embryo with the aim to bring about a pregnancy of a child that is identical to another individual – and therapeutically cloning – to create a cloned human embryo for research purposes and for healing human illnesses.

Worldwide people are debating whether to proceed with therapeutical cloning. There are people for and against it. The biggest ethical objection against therapeutical cloning is the termination of the development of a potential human being.

Children born from cloning will differ from each other. Factors such as the uterus environment and the environment in which the child is growing up will play a role. Cloning create unique children that will grow up to be unique individuals, just like me and you that will develop into a person, just like you and me. If we understand this scientific fact, most arguments against human cloning will disappear.

Infertility can be treated through in vitro conception. This process does not work for everyone. For some cloning is a revolutionary treatment method because it is the only method that does not require patients to produce sperm and egg cells. The same arguments that were used against in vitro conception in the past are now being used against cloning. It is years later and in vitro cloning is generally applied and accepted by society. I am of the opinion that the same will happen with regard to human cloning.

There is an argument that cloning must be prohibited because it is unsafe. Distorted ideas in this regard were proven wrong. Are these distorted ideas justified to question the safety of cloning and the cloning process you may ask. The answer, according to me, is a definite no. Human cloning does have many advantages. That includes assistance with infertility, prevention of Down Syndrome and recovery from leukemia.

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