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RESEARCH AND INNOVATION ACTIVITIES MUST CONTINUE: KEY LESSONS FROM THE JUST CONCLUDED IRIC CONFERENCE

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION ACTIVITIES MUST CONTINUE: KEY LESSONS FROM THE JUST CONCLUDED IRIC CONFERENCE

The annual Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation Conference 2020 hosted by the Research and Postgraduate Support Directorate at the Durban University of Technology was held, last week from 15-17 September 2020.

The conference which was hosted virtually for the first time since its inception in 2016 was attended by delegates from South African institutions of higher learning and beyond. In its 5th year running, the conference recorded yet another success despite the COVID-19 situation.

This is a point echoed in the message of Professor Sibusiso Moyo, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement at DUT, who affirms that as a university, it would have been imprudent to pause research and innovation activities simply because of the current situation.

The opening remarks were done by Professor Nokuthula Sibiya, DUT’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning, who represented Prof Moyo at the earlier stage of the conference. The remark was then followed by the message of Dr Linda Zikhona Linganiso, the Director: Research and Postgraduate Support Directorate at DUT, who encouraged the delegates (academics, researchers and postgraduate students) involved in the conference to rub shoulders and build intellectual relationships in their diverse academic fields.

The pre-conference workshop titled: Writing for Publication Masterclass, was facilitated by Professor Tennyson Mgutshini with nearly 40 of the entire delegates in attendance. The two keynote addresses were from Dr William Mpofu from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, and Professor Barbara Covarrubias Venegas from the University of Valencia in Spain. They both provided insightful views in support of the conference theme: “Revolutionising Research and Innovation through Appreciation of Indigenous Knowledge”. The keynote addresses were well-received by the delegates as evidenced in the discussions arising after the presentations.

Pictured: One of the keynote speakers – Professor Barbara Covarrubias Venegas, University of Valencia, Spain.

Vaneshree Govender, Theophilus Adedokun and Kunle Oparinde.

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