Professor Rob Slotow, College DVC, engages
with various presenters at the Research
Symposium.
The College of Health Sciences (CHS) showcased research excellence from its broad-based disciplines when a hub of selected oral and poster presentations met the public eye over two days at UKZN’s Graduate School of Business.
A flagship for undergraduate and postgraduate research output in the College, the Annual Research Symposium united a critical mass of novice and seasoned researchers along with CHS leadership whose work reiterated the College’s mission – “…to prepare graduates who are excellent scholars, who function holistically, ethically and in a socially responsive manner within the African health care environment while actively engaging in international collaboration and partnerships for education, research and service”.
Professor Rob Slotow, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of College, said the symposium was a very important activity in the life of the College, emphasising that research was its core for innovate ways for healthcare provision.
Slotow was pleased to announce that the post of College Dean for Research had been filled by Professor Moses John Chimbari, present, who hailed from the University of Botswana where he currently serves as Deputy Director of the Okavango Research Institute, previously known as the Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Centre.
The symposium saw a host clinical and community-based research conducted on HIV and TB con-infection, and on the various stains of TB, its management and treatment.
Professor Fanie Botha, Director for CHS Professional Services, said the research symposium was one of the best ways to learn about the scope of research in the College and it created the ideal environment for informal discussion on new ideas and the formation of research collaboration initiatives.
‘For many young researchers it may be their first opportunity to present research findings at an academic/scientific meeting.’
Other academics said they were impressed by the quality of work they had seen and said the symposium shed light into potential interdisciplinary collaboration for certain research areas.