Prof Mahomed-Asmail is an Associate Professor at the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at the University of Pretoria. Her research interest lies in providing access to person-centred ear and hearing health care through innovative solutions. This involves the evaluation of innovative mHealth technologies and service delivery models.

Each year, the DHET invites eligible scholars to embark on a 2-year fellowship where they are trained to establish academic networks, share resources with visiting scholars, engage in interdisciplinary exchange, develop teaching excellence, participate in student and public engagements, and create innovative and fundable intellectual projects. Ultimately, the aim is to develop a transformed next generation of South African professors across all disciplines.

Prof Mahomed-Asmail was nominated by Professor Vasu Reddy, Dean at Faculty of Humanities, to apply for the prestigious programme. After facing academic challenges such as limited funding, lack of independence and balancing academic workload, the programme appealed to her as it aimed to assist and guide scholars in overcoming these challenges, as well as providing opportunities to learn and collaborate with other researchers towards new scientific innovations. Being a driven individual, this was the natural next step towards achieving her career aspirations.

We had an opportunity to chat to Prof Mahomed-Asmail about her experience so far:

What have been some of the successful outcomes of the programme?

The programme includes three wonderful operational team members who mentor us, Professor Jackie du Toit, Professor Neil Roos and Professor Sibusiso Moyo. They are always available to assist us with valuable insights. For instance, I recently applied for promotion to associate professor and they supported and encouraged me throughout this journey, as well as shared their experiences and lessons learnt. This really assisted in achieving a successful outcome.

The programme also provides us with networking and collaboration opportunities from within the cohorts of the programme. A group of us from the various South African universities and from different academic fields and backgrounds, successfully wrote a commentary piece on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, published in the South African Journal of Science.

What skills and experiences have you gained from the programme so far?

The programme includes lectures and workshops by eminent scholars as well as regular group counselling sessions. The workshops have provided us with the opportunity to learn from senior and A-rated scholars on their life experiences through their academic journeys, and how they overcame challenges they faced to reach their astounding scholarship. These sessions have been humbling and supportive, highlighting the possibilities and ways in which one can overcome academic challenges. The workshops also include sessions on how to create your own academic brand to establish yourself as a leading researcher in your field, as well as guidance on the National Research Foundation (NRF) rating and funding processes. Based on the support and guidance of the project, I have successfully secured funding both internally from the University of Pretoria and from the NRF.

The smaller group sessions have also been extremely helpful and supportive, especially during COVID-19 when many colleagues were reaching burnout and were experiencing challenges with working from home. These sessions have not only taught us how to manage our careers, but also to take care of our mental well-being. We have also learnt from one another's experiences and have realised that we share similar struggles, even though we are from different universities and disciplines.

We have truly become a family, sharing in each other's personal and academic highs and lows, celebrating each other's successes and supporting each other as we face challenges.

What does the future hold for you?

The main driver behind my career choice has always been to assist people who have communication difficulties, as communication plays a vital role in our daily lives. As I work towards further establishing my research career within the field, I hope to provide vulnerable populations with increased access to person-centred hearing health care, to improve their communication abilities and their quality of life.

The future looks promising, and I hope to advance my academic excellence and leadership in university scholarship and to further contribute to the development of a future South African professoriate.

Find out more about the Future Professors Programme here:   https://futureprofessorsprogramme.co.za/