UP celebrates Professor Vukosi Marivate, another 2021/2022 fellow in the Future Professors Programme - a flagship programme of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). Prof Marivate is the ABSA UP Chair of Data Science at the University of Pretoria (UP). He works on developing machine learning/artificial intelligence methods to extract insights from data. A large part of his work over the last few years has been at the intersection of machine learning and natural language processing. Additionally, his work focuses on techniques to improve tools and availability of data for local languages or low-resource languages. Prof Marivate is the co-founder of Deep Learning Indaba, the largest machine learning/artificial intelligence (AI) workshop on the African continent, aiming to strengthen African machine learning.

Prof Marivate was invited to embark on this two-year fellowship alongside academics from various institutions, to be trained in establishing academic networks, sharing resources with visiting scholars, engaging in interdisciplinary exchanges, developing teaching excellence, participating in student and public engagements, as well as creating innovative and fundable intellectual projects. All of which falls in line with the programme’s goal of developing a transformed next generation of South African professors across all disciplines.

Prof Marivate shares his thoughts and reflections on his achievement:

Why did you choose to participate in the Future Professors Programme?

Before moving to UP, I was working in the industrial research sector at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). I saw the Future Professors Programme as a great opportunity to aid my move towards becoming a full-time academic. I knew it would assist me in chartering the way forward and navigating academia in South Africa, as well as promoting my own personal growth.

What would you have had to go through if the programme did not exist?

As a young emerging academic, the most significant challenge faced is defining your intellectual project. It is about finding the golden thread and saying, “Here is my work; here I am, and this is what I am trying to answer.” Doing that makes things such as choosing and pursuing collaborations and opportunities easier, as you can filter what adds to your intellectual pursuit and what doesn’t.  It also makes you view the world in a very different way.

Being part of the programme has also made me a better supervisor and a better teacher. As a lecturer, once you choose an intellectual project, students tend to gravitate towards the subject, and they are exposed to what is possible. By showing the students what we have achieved within the programme, they begin to see that academia is not abstract but real and tangible.

What skills and experiences did you gain from the programme?

I have benefitted most from the programme’s network. It is a unique network made up of people from different universities and disciplines. For instance, I received a request to write a note (https://sajs.co.za/article/view/10702) discussing the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) linked to the policy that came out of the presidential task force. From this network, I recruited those that were interested in writing the article together. We were able to explore what the 4IR means to a young academic researcher.

The second benefit for me was learning from established professors who have successfully navigated the South African academic system. Every system has its own quirks and features that are built in, and you need to identify what to learn and what to change in order to thrive. The professors give insight into the challenges they faced and how they managed to get through them. This has allowed more creative thinking towards my students’ and my own personal development. I still use these learnings in the decisions I make on a day-to-day basis.

What motivates you or inspires you?

Young people across the continent. I’ve been in machine learning and artificial intelligence since 2006 and I have seen young people join our classes and research groups and become experts within their chosen fields. It’s a rewarding feeling knowing that the student accomplished something because we gave them empathy, and allowed them the space in which their interests could thrive.

Added to this, I have a keen interest in local languages. The decision to focus on natural language processing in AI is very timely. We have been building networks and grassroots communities across the continent. That keeps me energised.’

What plans and aspirations do you have for the future?

Being part of the programme has already benefitted my career as I was promoted to associate professor at UP. In the next five years, I aim to consolidate the work my team and I have done with regards to local languages in the AI space. We have the right people and collaboration networks and foundations. It feels as if we are on the precipice of a big jump within this field of innovation.

What advice would you give to those considering applying for the programme?

Simply: Apply! The programme is an opportunity to think about the bigger picture outside of the formal university system, which is good. It can break down walls between universities, which is also quite special.