The University of the Western Cape (UWC) annual Research Recognition Awards, which took place on the 23rd of August 2024, marked a defining moment in the institution's commitment to groundbreaking research and academic excellence.

The awards ceremony celebrated past achievements and set the stage for future innovations, reinforcing UWC's position as a leading research institution in Africa and beyond.

Our keynote speaker, Dr Thandi Mgwebi, the Group Executive for Global Partnerships and Business Development at South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF), said: “You were here, you lived and you built. This is deeper than just a celebration. It's an untold story of resilience. I'm proud to be a small part of it, to be a small part of this transformation of the University.”

She added: “And now to be a cheerleader and supporter. It's a manifestation of what hope is; it says, from hope to action, to knowledge. This is truly the manifestation of it.

Your work is shaping the future, and I do not doubt that the solutions you develop will make the world a better place, not just for us, but for the generations to come.

“Let's contribute to pushing the boundaries of what is possible, to collaborate across borders, and to share our knowledge freely. Remember, I spoke about poli-crisis. Our best response should be poli-solutions.”

Prof Jose Frantz, UWC’s Deputy Vice-chancellor: Research & Innovation, commended the researchers, and said it was “through tireless efforts that we uncover new truths, develop groundbreaking technologies, and find solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing our world today.

Your work advances our collective knowledge and inspires future generations of researchers to dream big and pursue their paths of discovery. This evening we recognise achievements across a diverse range of disciplines.

“From the scientists to the humanities. From theoretical breakthroughs to practical applications. Each nominee and award recipient represents the very best of our research community, embodying the curiosity, perseverance, and drive that we drive toward academic excellence.

“And beyond individual accomplishments, tonight is also a celebration of collaboration. Collaboration has been the cornerstone of this year's success. Many of the projects you will honour tonight are the result of teamwork, interdisciplinary cooperation, and international partnerships.”

A journalist and the presenter for the category, UWC/The Conversation Africa Science Communication Excellence Awards, Ms Natasha Joseph, Commissioning Editor for Science, Technology and Education, said: “Since we launched in May 2015, UWC, I believe in nine years I've had 4.5 million reads of your articles, 331 articles written by UWC academics, 166 of you writing those articles. The largest readership bases for their institutions are South Africa, Nigeria, India, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

“So it's a pleasure to be at an institution for which I have a great deal of respect. I covered UWC when I was a baby reporter at the Cape Times, sometime during the Rinderpest. And it's lovely to be here in this capacity now, surrounded by some of the top researchers in the country and on the continent.”

Awardees are UWC-affiliated academics and researchers who have published with The Conversation Africa within the review period (2023).

Award 1: UWC Author with the most number of published articles on The Conversation Africa over the period in review, 1 January - 31st December 2023.
Award 2: UWC Author with the single most read article over the period in review, 1 January - 31st December 2023
Award 3: Most published UWC author since The Conversation Africa's inception.
Award 4: Single Most Read article since The Conversation Africa inception by a UWC academic/researcher.

Winners in the various categories highlighted the significance of their awards:

Prof Haly Holmes, a researcher from the Faculty of Dentistry, said: Receiving the Research Excellence: Best Next Generation Researcher 2023, was heartwarming and it's the fuel I need to carry on to do better, and I hope that it inspires those I work with.”

Mrs Lucinda Barnies, administrator from the Faculty of Dentistry, said: “ I would like to thank Prof Razia Adam for believing in me, and it truly depends on what you put in. It does not matter how long you are in a position, whether for 10 years or one month, when you give your best it pays off. I think about the fact that I was a newcomer who won this award in the category for Administrator who best supported Research and Innovation in 2023.”

Newly appointed Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Prof David Holgate, commented on the Overall Research Output Per Faculty Award 2023 awarded to the Faculty of Natural Sciences: “Of course, Natural Sciences is very proud of this achievement, we want to make sure that we keep pushing harder and harder. I was very chuffed that we won the awards for the best PhDs and Master’s students because that is what it is about - producing the next generation of scientists.”

The full list of winners includes: