The third round of the Tuks Young Research Leader Programme (TYRLP) welcomed 20 new fellows on 3 and 4 October 2017. This enriching workshop involved fellows from four faculties and focused on research leadership and leadership skills development. Through the workshop, the fellows engage with issues that would advance research excellence, capacity and impact at the University of Pretoria (UP).

Prof Tinyiko Maluleke and Dr Sanushka Naidoo joined the workshop as provocateurs and shared thoughts on research-career development, habits of good leadership and the impact of one’s research career on society. Mentors who worked with and supported fellows during the workshop included Dr Alisa Phulukdaree, from the Department of Physiology; Dr Cori Wielenga, from the Centre for the Study of Governance Innovation; and Prof Bernard Slippers, Director of the ASLP and Future Africa, and Professor in Genetics at the Forestry and Agricultural Biodiversity Institute (FABI). The TYRLP management team will continue to support the fellows by sharing resources, tools and opportunities that complement the techniques introduced during the workshop. Prof Stephanie Burton, Vice-Principal responsible for Research and Postgraduate Education at UP, engaged with the fellows to close the meeting.

The TYRLP is an initiative of Future Africa at UP, in partnership with the Africa Science Leadership Programme (ASLP), Knowinnovation and the Robert Bosch Stiftung. The inaugural round of this programme was launched in November 2015 and formed a strong foundation for future rounds. A total of 62 UP researchers have been reached through the TYRLP over the past three years.

The programme was developed in response to the increasingly complex challenges facing Africa and the world, with the aim of considering how UP can maximise its impact on these challenges through research. The participating fellows are all emerging academic leaders and are considered potential 'game changers' at UP. The programme serves early-career researchers in basic and applied science, engineering, social sciences, arts and the humanities, using a highly interactive approach to training, peer support, mentorship and application of skills to leadership projects.

The programme will continue to develop a community of like-minded young researchers within the University. These researchers will contribute towards UP becoming a leading research-intensive institution, in line with the UP 2025 vision. A Tuks Young Academy is being developed to further strengthen the community among fellows and other researchers.

Click here for a list of the 2017 TYRLP Fellows.