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Dr Nashua Naicker
Dr Nashua Naicker, lecturer and Chairperson: Learning and Teaching Committee (SoHRS) in the Department of Optometry, UFS School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, graduated on Thursday (April 18) with the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Health Professions Education.

A strong need to improve the general standing of optometry as a profession and to create lifelong learning opportunities for locally trained optometrists beyond what currently exists, is what led Dr Nashua Naicker to pursue a PhD in this field.

Dr Naicker, lecturer, and Chairperson: Learning and Teaching Committee (SoHRS) in the Department of Optometry, UFS School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, says he feels an overwhelming sense of relief with a keen sense accomplishment by achieving what he set out to through persistence in the face of adversity.

He graduated on Thursday (18 April) at the Faculty of Health Sciences April graduation ceremony with the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Health Professions Education through the Division of Health Sciences Education. “I am pleased and hope to change the narrative on this new path as an accredited researcher from ‘how long are you going to take to finish?’ to ‘what have you learnt in this journey?’. We are far too focused on chasing a timeline rather than focusing on the contribution that one makes and the self-development in this journey of discovery,” says Dr Naicker. 

His supervisor was Prof Alvin J Munsamy from University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and co-supervisor Dr CB Written from the UFS.  

Need for educational expansion

His research was focused on establishing a framework for postgraduate programmes in specialty fields of optometry for South Africa. The investigation was carried out with practising optometrists as the primary stakeholders and with optometric academics as the custodians for education and training in the country.

“With an overwhelming need for educational expansion found in this investigation, a conceptual framework was proposed as the innovation to take the profession forward in South Africa. Improving patient care from being upskilled and receiving professional recognition for the additional competencies and proficiencies that would be gained, was the motivating factors identified by optometrists to consider further education and training,” says Dr Naicker.

According to him, being in the educational fraternity for almost two decades and as a former education committee member of the professional board of optometry, he was able to see where the shortcomings were in the profession which set him on this path to pursue this research. With most optometrists in clinical practice and no clinical postgraduate qualifications available except pure research-based qualifications in SA, Dr Naicker explains that this hindered optometrists’ professional trajectory and career path opportunities into various special interest areas. 

“By developing a framework for horizontal articulation pathways towards coursework postgraduate qualifications in various clinical specialty fields, this would be the contribution in addressing the educational gap that would guide higher education institutions in their programme development process. The beneficiaries of this expansion would not only be the health professionals but the patients who access optometric care from the optometrists who would have advanced skills and competencies to deliver comprehensive eye care services.”

Stayed motivated

Dr Naicker says the journey to his PhD was challenging from the outset as the country went into hard lockdown due the COVID-19 pandemic just five weeks after he registered for his PhD. Working on a PhD was not a priority at the time when your survival and that of your loved ones was uncertain as thousands of people fell victim to the coronavirus. Further to this, he continues, multiple changes to his supervisory team and the overhaul and revitalisation of the administration and management of the UFS Division of Health Sciences Education, also impacted his progress in his doctoral research at that time. He had felt despondent after a year of being registered when stability arrived with supervisory assistance that re-ignited his drive to pick up the slack and keep moving forward.

“The words ‘push through it’ were verbalised to me by a stranger I met in passing.  While chatting about research I found those three words to be so profound and with such depth that they resonated with my experience of facing adversity but remaining vigilant to preservere and not drop the baton in the race against time to conclude my research. Gaslighting yourself and questioning your potential to complete a PhD only compounds your procrastination which was all too apparent. The goal is to rise above the self-doubt, brush off the devil with the fork sitting on your shoulder and just ‘push through it’.”

Dr Naicker, who is currently supervising four master’s of optometry students in their research undertaking, as well as undergraduate research projects, says he is in the process of publishing the research manuscripts generated from his PhD and is also part of a task team with the professional Board of Optometry for setting up the board exams for foreign-qualified optometrists. He would also like to work on research involving educating the educators of visually impaired learners.

News Archive

Government to benefit from training of interpreters
2009-03-31

 
Pictured, from the left, are: Prof Theo du Plessis (Director: Unit for Language Management, UFS), Ms Mokone Nthongoa (HOD: Sport, FS Department of Sport, Arts and Culture), Mr Khotso Sesele (MEC: FS Department of Sport, Arts and Culture) and Prof Engela Pretorius (Vice Dean: Faculty of the Humanities, UFS).
Photo: Mangaliso Radebe
Government to benefit from training of interpreters

The fourth phase of a project to train eight conference interpreters and 30 community interpreters to assist government departments at service delivery points in the Free State was launched this week.

The project is part of the Multilingualism Information Development Programme which brings together the Free State provincial government, the Province of Antwerp and the University of Antwerp in Belgium and the University of the Free State (UFS).

Speaking at the launch of the fourth phase of the project, the MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture in the Free State, Mr Khotso Sesele, said: “The fact that we have been through the first three stages of this project, and are now launching its fourth phase, is indicative of the magnificent progress that has been made. This is a sign that through partnerships we can achieve more.”

The MIDP IV consists of two pillars, namely a practical and a research component. Its aim is to generate interpreting capacity within the provincial Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. The focus is on training an interpreting team over three years which can be employed within a governmental context at various service points.

“As we approach the 2009 FIFA Confederation Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournaments, it will be important for our communities to be able to interact with millions of foreign nationals who will be in our country from different world destinations during and beyond these two important soccer events,” said the MEC.

“The focus on interpreter training by this fourth phase of MIDP is thus an important factor in ensuring better communication during and beyond these important soccer spectacles that will take place in our country.”
The focus of the first three phases of the MIDP was on the main official languages of the province. This fourth phase, which started in 2008, will run until 2010 and its focus is on the Xhariep District Municipality.

“The provision of interpreting services and its further extension to district municipalities will provide the necessary interpreting skills to our communities that will enhance better interaction amongst ourselves,” said Mr Sesele.

He said the fact that indigenous languages have been “elevated from their marginalised status to being languages of business and commerce” is an important milestone that must be cherished.

This fourth phase of MIDP will also incorporate sign language as part of its focus on interpreting services.

“In our quest to ensure a multilingual dispensation in our province, we need not neglect to remember people with disabilities,” he said. “This is a matter of principle that does not require debate.”

“We should thus ensure the realisation of the goal of MIDP IV which is to ensure smooth communication interaction within the wider public, including the deaf community.”

“This is a wonderful project,” said Ms Mathabo Monaheng, one of the students in the MIDP. “As a sign language interpreter trainee this project will empower me with the necessary skills to be able to make a meaningful contribution to the deaf community in terms of communication.”

The MIDP is funded by the Province of Antwerp and successfully implemented by the Unit for Language Management at the UFS.

Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt.stg@ufs.ac.za  
31 March 2009

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