HERS-SA is a non-profit organisation focused on advancing and developing women leaders in higher education.
Professor Priscilla Baker and Dr Rekha Rambharose were honoured at the prestigious event - now in its second year.
Through tailored programmes, the organisation promotes gender equality, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union Agenda 2063.
As an independent chapter of HERS Mid-America, HERS-SA has fostered professional growth for women in academia and administrative roles since 2000, initially supported by the Andrew W Mellon Foundation.
Continuing in its mission, the awards event recognises the remarkable contributions of women in higher education and was held on Thursday, 29 August 2024.
The focus was on those women who were making a positive impact, both within and beyond their universities.
The awards recognised the achievements of women who lead, inspire, and motivate those in and outside their institutions and attract new leadership talent to the sector, thus establishing role models and advancing gender transformation, whilst creating visibility for women leaders in higher education in South Africa.
Prof Priscilla Baker won the Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) category in a national competition, represented by most universities in the country, while Dr Rekha Rambharose was singled out as being one of the top five in the Emerging Young Women Leaders in Support Services category.
Prof Baker is the Director of the Electrochemical Sensors node at the Nano-micro Manufacturing Facility (NMMF) at UWC, and a senior professor of Chemistry.
Her work focuses on combining nanomaterials engineering and high-end analytical instrumentation to create efficient technological solutions, primarily through electrochemical systems.
She supervised 35 PhD graduates, all in leadership positions, and was a prolific author.
Prof Baker actively promotes electro-analytical chemistry through community engagements and media interactions, and she is internationally recognised as a scientific leader with a National Research Foundation B-rating.
In 2020, she became a Fellow in Residence at CY Cergy Paris University, where she developed an international laboratory programme between her SensorLab at UWC and CY Cergy Paris University.
This collaboration has produced jointly registered PhD candidates and numerous publications. Prof Baker has collaborated with universities in Morocco, Ethiopia, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal and the USA.
Prof Baker said the HERS-SA award was significant because it focused attention on the capacity-building of women in the STEM domain - not just in terms of excellence but also in terms of quality leadership and mentorship in this space.
“To me, quality leadership is achieved through committed engagement with colleagues and students, consistent efforts to advance the frontiers of learning and development, and also courageously leading by example,” she said.
She thanked HERS-SA for honouring all the nominees, finalists, and winners in this prestigious manner because it brought the importance of excellence in leadership into the spotlight.
“I want to acknowledge the University of the Western Cape, in particular Prof (Jose) Frantz, for the nomination, and also appreciate the support of my colleagues and students in the Chemistry department and the SensorLab research group.”
She thanked her family and friends for their love and support.
Dr Rambharose, who heads up the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Department, was also awarded the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic’s Achiever Award as the Excellent Individual Community Engagement winner at UWC - just a day after HERS-SA acknowledged her as one of the top five in her category.
She said about HERS-SA, “This is such a major event to empower women in higher education. I am so honoured to be part of the joint activities which took place in the lead-up to the awards ceremony with other women from universities from around South Africa.
“It has shifted my thinking of what it means to be a woman. There was so much inspiration, power, knowledge, and expertise in the same room; it was unbelievable.”
Dr Rambharose was acknowledged for her role in the Emerging Young Women Leaders category as a Teaching and Learning Specialist at UWC and for the national and global impact of her work in RPL.
She is the principal investigator on the technology-enhanced RPL implementation (TERI) research project, which focuses on the assessment, up-skilling, and academic development of mature adults who gain access to university via alternative access pathways.
Dr Rambharose was also acknowledged for her proactive work in areas that facilitate access to education, promote social justice, RPL policy development, awareness, transformation and supporting RPL student success.
“To every woman navigating the challenging yet rewarding terrain of academia, embrace your journey with courage and determination. Lean into the support of our global network, harness the power of your unique voice, and never underestimate the profound impact you can make,” she said.
“While there are numerous awards within South African higher education, none have fully acknowledged women leaders on a national scale for their role and contribution as leaders and for the development of the country.”
