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UFS scholar recognised as emerging leader in climate adaptation research

19 August 2025 | Story Martinette Brits

Dr Tlou Raphela-Masuku, Senior Lecturer in the University of the Free State (UFS) Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa (DiMTEC), has been selected as one of only 15 early-career researchers from Southern and Eastern Africa to participate in the prestigious British Academy-funded International Writing Workshop on Climate Change Adaptation.

Her selection follows a highly competitive process involving applicants from across the region, underscoring her growing influence in climate research. “Being selected as one of only 15 early-career researchers from the SADC and East Africa region was truly humbling. It affirmed the value of my research and passion for climate adaptation and further motivated me to keep making a meaningful contribution in this field,” she said.

Strengthening research visibility and collaboration

The workshop is jointly organised by York St John University (UK), the University of the West of England (UK), the University of Nairobi (Kenya), and the University of Cape Town (South Africa). It brings together emerging scholars from a range of disciplinary backgrounds to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, strengthen academic writing and publishing skills, and develop grant proposal expertise.

For Dr Raphela-Masuku, the programme is a natural fit with her work at DiMTEC. “At DiMTEC, my work spans ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. I am the core teacher for this module for master’s students. My recent and upcoming research, including work on flood risks and climate vulnerability among subsistence farmers, directly aligns with the themes of the workshop,” she explained.

Her focus within the programme will be on climate-induced vulnerabilities and resilience, particularly in rural and peri-urban communities, with a strong emphasis on extreme weather events and nature-based solutions. She looks forward to both the online and in-person engagements in Nairobi and Cape Town, which will run between 2025 and 2027. “These offer a fantastic opportunity for peer learning, mentorship, and deeper engagement with fellow climate researchers. Exchanging ideas face to face is always energising and often leads to lasting collaborations,” she said.

Advancing DiMTEC’s mission

Participation in the workshop will not only advance Dr Raphela-Masuku’s own academic profile but also strengthen DiMTEC’s regional and continental footprint. “My participation directly supports DiMTEC’s mission to build climate resilience and disaster preparedness across Africa. It strengthens our footprint in the region and facilitates collaboration with other institutions working on similar challenges, especially in rural vulnerability and adaptation,” she noted.

She sees the experience as a vital platform to amplify her work on flood resilience and the health impacts of climate change to audiences that include academics, policymakers, and practitioners. “The workshop will enhance the visibility of my work and provide the tools and strategies to navigate high-impact publishing, which is crucial for emerging African scholars,” she added.

Reflecting on her journey, Dr Raphela-Masuku said it has been “rooted in both academic enquiry and real-world impact”, driven by the urgent need to support vulnerable communities. Her advice to aspiring researchers is clear: “Stay curious. Stay rooted in the needs of your communities. And don’t be afraid to ask hard questions or chase ambitious goals. Climate adaptation research is not just about publishing papers – it’s about finding real solutions for real people.”

News Archive

Judge Albie Sachs and Candice Mama discuss traumas of the past and forgiveness in the present

2015-08-05

Judge Albie Sachs embraces Candice Mama for her courage in confronting Eugene de Kock, who killed her father.

Two generations. Two stories of triumph. Two South Africans who have displayed immense courage.

Public Dialogue on Trauma, Memory, and Representations of the Past

Judge Albie Sachs and Candice Mama exchanged their experiences of past trauma and subsequent transformation in a public conversation. The event was co-hosted by Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela and The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) in Cape Town on Thursday 30 July 2015.

The event was the first instalment in a series entitled Public Dialogue on Trauma, Memory, and Representations of the Past. The theme of the discussion was ‘Intergenerational Dialogue on Trauma and Healing’.

"The aim of these public dialogue events we are co-hosting with IJR is to place the issues of trauma and memory, and the strategies that individuals and communities use to heal, in the public sphere," Prof Gobodo-Madikizela, Senior Research Professor in Trauma, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation Studies at the University of the Free State (UFS) said.

Judge Albie Sachs and Candice Mama in conversation

Former Constitutional Court Judge, Albie Sachs, talked about his participation in South Africa’s liberation struggle, the loss of his right arm in an assassination attempt, and meeting the man responsible – Henri van der Westhuizen. Despite years of exile and extended periods of solitary confinement, Judge Sachs maintains that “we need to acknowledge our history, not be trapped by it.” Judge Sachs also remarked, though, that “we’re seeing too much lamentation, not enough activation.” In a heartrending gesture, Judge Sachs embraced Candice Mama in a hug for her courage in confronting Eugene de Kock, who killed her father.

How poignant then, when Mama said, “I wanted to embrace the brokenness within him,” when she spoke about her meeting with De Kock. By the time I met with Eugene, I could meet him as a human being, not as a villain.” Mama believes that forgiving someone translates into an investment in the person you are forgiving and in your own sanity. She also emphasised the importance of dialogue to move our country forward: “When we share our stories with each other authentically, walls break down.”

This is a stance that Prof Gobodo-Madikizela supports strongly: “When we listen to one another, something unexpected emerges; we encounter the human in each other,” she said. “When we listen with open hearts to each other, we see and experience each other’s humanity.”

Building a bridge between research and society

Referring to the research aspect of the event, Prof Gobodo-Madikizela said that, "in establishing the series of public dialogue events, our vision is to create a bridge between scholarly research and the community at large, on the one hand, and a visual conscience of society, on the other." The UFS is collaborating with the IJR on this research project, which is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The endeavour is led by Prof Gobodo-Madikizela, who also serves as Board Member of the IJR.

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