Each year, South African public universities are invited to nominate five eligible scholars for selection to The Future Professors Programme (FPP); an initiative focused on creating the next generation of South African Professors. UP’s very own Professor Melanie Murcott, Associate Professor in the Department of Public Law is completing the fellowship and with focused ambition continues to apply all she is gleaning from her cohort and mentors.

Prof Murcott teaches Administrative Law and Environmental Law. She holds an LLB cum laude from the University of Cape Town, an LLM cum laude (Masters in Administrative Law and Constitutional Law) from the University of Pretoria, and an LLD (Doctor of Laws, Constitutional Law) from North-West University. Her doctoral thesis is titled Towards a Social Justice-Oriented Environmental Law Jurisprudence. It develops a novel legal theory of transformative environmental constitutionalism that offers a social justice-oriented framework for adjudicating disputes about environmental governance issues.

Female academics of colour face systemic challenges and obstacles on their path to success. Factors such as assumed incompetence from fellow academics, internalised imposter syndrome and the lack of access to opportunities and knowledge of institutional support can discourage one from thriving in their career. The FPP comes alongside academics and creates an environment of growth, support, and meaningful collaboration. Part of Prof Murcott’s motivation to apply was gaining access to a rich network of black scholars in South Africa. She was encouraged by the solidarity and shared lived experiences in the cohort.

Added to this, many black scholars did not have access to advisors or mentors in academia growing up. “Some of the things which one is expected to know in academia are harder for black scholars to know as we don’t have family or immediate connections who have navigated academia before. You don’t know what is expected of you, what to do or what to ask for,” explains Prof Murcott. This includes matters such as where to publish or which doors to open. The FPP helps scholars knock on the right doors and navigate their way through them. For instance, a challenge for all scholars is the application for the National Research Foundation Rating. The FPP guides scholars on how to apply and reviews draft applications. Being rated by the NRF is significant and shows an academic’s value within their discipline. Prof Murcott herself has received the Black Academic Advancement Funding awarded by the NRF for her current research on climate change law.

Other benefits attained from the programme include holistic mentorship and monthly life-coaching sessions. This helped Prof Murcott to become a better supervisor, teacher, and nurture confidence within her work. “Everyone needs validation and reassurance, and the programme helps to build a sense of self and community,” she says. Some of the practical skills imparted include guidance on applying for funding, reviewing funding applications, as well as benchmarking exercises.

When asked about what keeps her motivated and inspired, Prof Murcott explains, “I am very fortunate that my work is meaningful. My work is about responding to the climate crisis and social and environmental injustice which, in my view, is very important. I love my job as it contributes to society, even if it is in a small way. I am also inspired by the female colleagues that I work and collaborate with.”

She continues to inspire emerging scholars through her role as executive committee member of the Environmental Law Association of South Africa that facilitates essay writing competitions and a student conference. She also co-authors with emerging scholars and has established a project with a colleague from Columbia University to amplify the voices of global south scholars who are writing about climate change litigation.

There is much to look forward to from Prof Murcott as she enters the last stretch of publishing her book based on her thesis, called A legal theory of transformative environmental constitutionalism, as well as a second book project aimed at establishing Animal Law and Welfare as a field in South Africa. Lastly, she is co-leading The Climate Change Litigation in the Global South Project with the Global Network for Human Rights and the Environment. She hopes to continue building a community of scholars around justice work and raising the profile of global south perspectives on environmental challenges around the world through her work.