'I am always willing to contribute towards governance and policy formulation to optimise operations within the organisation I work for,’ says the newly appointed academic employee representative on the Institutional Forum.

Dr Thobela Nkukwana from the Department of Agricultural Science and Food Sciences in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences was recently appointed as an academic employee representative on the Institutional Forum.

Please tell us about your background and time at UP?

I hold a PhD in Animal Sciences and am currently employed as a Senior Lecturer in Poultry Science in the Department of Animal Sciences. Prior to joining UP, I worked as a Senior Researcher in Poultry Nutrition at the Agricultural Research Council for almost three years. I obtained my BSc degree in Animal Science Production at the University of Limpopo (UL), and an MSc degree in Poultry Science at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). I worked throughout my student life, as a Residence Assistant, a Library Assistant, and Research Assistant to pay for my living expenses. I was in the Faculty of Agriculture Student Council at UL, and served as a postgraduate representative at UKZN. After obtaining my MSc, I worked as a Mono-gastric Nutritionist at NuTecSA – now Provimi SSA – in Pietermaritzburg.

Thereafter I joined the University of Fort Hare (UFH) as a lecturer, a career move spanning nine years. It was during my tenure at UFH that I embarked on my doctoral studies as part of the National Research Foundation (NRF) capacity building initiative under the PhD track and mentorship of the South Africa Netherlands Research Program Alternative in Development. The PhD was done in collaboration with Stellenbosch University. While at UFH, I joined NEHAWU and was nominated to represent academics at the Institutional Forum and Council, and was recommended to represent academics at Senate by the Registrar. I served in all three statutes for almost three years. When I was appointed I became the only female academic in the department, and all of us academics were under the age of 40 and new at UFH, trying to revive the Animal Science discipline. The then Dean of the Faculty of Science and Agriculture advised that whoever was to become HoD should make me their deputy. I served as a Deputy to three HoDs from October 2005 until September 2013, when I was appointed HoD.

I became a member of the South African Young Academy of Science, a Dr Norman Borlaug Fellow in 2017, and I am the UP Host and co-investigator in the FSNet-Africa Project. My research interests focus on promoting safer and sustainable animal production using natural and biotech feed additives as alternatives to in-feed antibiotics; as well as the use of alternative energy and protein ingredients with exogenous enzymes for partial replacement of conventional ingredients in poultry diets. More recently, my research extended into climate change effects on the conservation and continued use of heritage breeds for food security; and assessing welfare indicators in production systems. I have supervised at least 20 postgraduate candidates and published widely in international, peer-reviewed journals. I serve as a sub-editor for the South African Journal of Animal Sciences; and often serve as a reviewer for Elsevier and MDPI journals, the NRF, and other international bodies. I have just been admitted to the Global Academy Crucible programme for 2023/24 at the University of Leeds.

What inspired you to choose your field of study/profession?

After matriculating, I was keen on medicine, and I was accepted into BSc Medical Science at the University of the North in Pietersburg (now UL in Polokwane). However, when the degree was found not to be registered with the Medical and Dental Council, we were given options to either continue or divert to other fields. I did not know what to do next. Through a chat with fellow Biological Science students who were studying Animal Science, I became curious about the field. I went to see Prof Lindelani Ndlovu, the then HoD in Animal Science. He explained the field and the curriculum to me. After lamenting my love for medicine, Prof Ndlovu said, “If you relate medicine to agriculture, you are still helping people. Agriculture is about food security and producing food for humans.” I applied and got admitted. However, it was not until my fourth year that Animal Science gelled with me, through my project on the reproductive physiology of chickens.

Upon receiving my MSc, I was recommended for a position at Nutec SA (now Provimi SSA), where I worked for two years as a monogastric nutritionist before taking up a post as a lecturer at Fort Hare University. At first I did not enjoy lecturing, but I soon realised the value in what I was doing and, prompted by patriotism, I changed my perspective. I also realised that an academic was only really recognised if you had a PhD, so I applied for grants and registered with UFH. Unfortunately, UFH did not have the necessary facilities for poultry research, so the collaboration with Stellenbosch University was realised. Then, poultry research in South Africa was dwindling, and there was no interest in researching on alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) in poultry feeds. I thought how can a country that consumes so much poultry not be conducting research necessary to find an alternative? I view poultry production as a tool to combat food insecurity, especially in developing countries like South Africa. Stability in a society is crucial, and I believe an educated nation with sustainable agricultural production systems is the foundation for the development and sustenance of quality livelihoods.

Who/what prompted you to raise your hand for this enormous role?

A colleague of mine, Prof Abubaker Hassen, asked me if I had seen the communication on the call for nominations. He asked what I thought of it. I told him I had served in similar positions at UFH. He then asked if he can nominate me for any of the positions, and I said yes, I would love to serve in the Institutional Forum. He said he was keen to serve in Senate. He nominated me for the Institutional Forum position, and I was successful. I nominated him for the Senate position, but he did not get it. I am always willing to contribute towards governance and policy formulation to optimise operations within the organisation I work for. Having been with UP for six years now, I was already feeling the need to engage in a leadership roundtable, troubleshooting issues of concern to the institution and its constituency. I am also currently a member of the ReThink@NAS committee – the Transformation Desk of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences.

As a woman in academia, which topics/issues will you be paying special attention to?

Across South Africa, institutions of higher learning have been in a trajectory towards women emancipation, encouraging their participation in leadership roles. This deserves an accolade, because for many years patriarchy reigned and was embedded in all organisations in South Africa, and all women were affected, regardless of race. It is a fact that in academia, males still get preference in employment, promotion, and remuneration. Likewise, professional staff are just as affected. Over time, patriarchy has created a loss of sisterhood amongst women. We do not support each other. Instead, we perpetually view each other as competitors, failing to recognise our individual strengths and how we can work together as a collective towards greatness.

The Human Resources Division fails us when it fails to put in place clear and concise performance descriptors for both academics and professional staff. Metrics do not work anymore, because they have continually failed to grade the amount of effort academics invest in teaching, sourcing funding, conducting research, and student supervision. Currently, if I fail to get research funding and publish within two years – even if I have managed to supervise and graduate masters’ candidates – I have failed. There needs to be a review and benchmarking, nationally and globally, of the criteria that is used to measure desirable performance. A clear segregation of duties and outline of career growth opportunities for professional staff is critical. When the university invests in staff development, there needs to be a cost-benefit realisation for both the employer and employees, otherwise it is simply a numbers game and a waste of resources. Albeit, the emancipation of women does not mean exclusion of men.

The same applies to diversity and culture. We simply need inclusivity, ensuring that all within the university community thrive and realise their career ambitions – this includes students at all academic levels. In all aspects, universities must innovate to survive and thrive, and retain their relevance. During ‘fees must fall’, the Academy of Science of South Africa had a seminar with the title ‘Must universities fall?’ Thus, in our endeavours to transform higher education, universities should thrive and remain standing for future generations, both places of learning and employment. We also cannot leave social justice behind. In a nutshell, I am invested in all the above.