Dr Eugene Machimana graduated in 2017 with a PhD: Learning Support, Guidance and Counselling from the Department of Educational Psychology at University of Pretoria (UP). The title of his thesis was Retrospective experiences of a rural school partnership: informing global citizenship as a higher education agenda. His wife, Dr Nondumiso Machimana, also a UP graduate, recently received her PhD in Curriculum and Instructional Design and Development [CIDD] from the Department of Humanities in 2021. The title of her thesis was: Language-learning strategies of English second-language learners participating in peer tutoring.

Dr Eugene Machimana has been with UP for over a decade, joining the Faculty of Veterinary Science in 2010 as their Community Engagement Coordinator. In 2017, he was appointed as Senior Lecturer and Faculty Community Engagement Chairperson and in 2018 he joined the Department for Education Innovation, Unit for Community Engagement, as a Senior Education Consultant: Community Engagement, where he currently works.

The couple admits that at the time of registering at UP as students they were already working as professionals in their respective fields, but UP served to enhance their vision and broadened their scope in terms of making an impact in the global village. “Our study supervisors were excellent, exposing us to the wealth of knowledge and great networks that enrich our workplaces. Our workplaces are benefitting from our studies, which were not academic exercises, but life-changing journeys,” they said.

The Machimanas are both active alumni contributing towards the development of their alma mater. They believe that it is important for alumni to become ambassadors for their university, using their social connections to encourage other alumni to play an active role in society. “It is our hearts’ desire to see many of our youth being influenced to choose UP as a university of choice and eventually graduate there,” they said.

In their view, alumni can give back to the institution through creating opportunities for others by offering mentorship to students, especially those with no experience in the job market. They added: “Alumni can also contribute to their alma mater through collaborative research partnerships with academics at the institution.”

As a research psychologist working in the public sector, Dr Nondumiso Machimana wanted to pursue a PhD at a research-intensive university that is equally interested in improving local socio-economic conditions and positively influencing regional and global development. She identified UP as meeting these requirements – an institution that is making major contributions by producing new knowledge and also driving transformation for changing social conditions.

The newly graduated alumna agrees with her husband that UP qualifications set them apart from other graduates. She said: “UP is one of the leading academic institutions in South Africa and is certainly making its mark globally. It is an honour to be associated with a world-class university. We not only acquired qualifications at UP but also gained a wealth of knowledge. We made academic and social connections aimed at building the community. It was indeed a life-transforming journey.

“We are both passionate about education, hence our efforts to make contributions at the highest level. UP provides a wide network of experts whom one can learn from. These relationships are key in making a real difference in our country. The challenges faced by our country require collaborative efforts from all sectors of society and UP offers this as it is where students collaborate with trailblazers in the public and private sectors.”

The Machimanas say that UP’s position in the forefront in making use of hybrid teaching and learning (online) tools when the COVID-19 lockdown started is yet another accolade for one of Africa’s top universities. “Many of our family members, friends and colleagues who have walked this academic journey with us are inspired to register at UP – if they are not already registered,” they concluded.