Welcome to the eighth issue of RE.SEARCH magazine.

You can access the latest issue by clicking on the cover to open it and you can find all our previous editions on the magazine’s landing page.

In a world in which there is an ever-encroaching digital footprint and high-tech solutions, it is vital that we reconnect with an outlook of compassion, care and communication. We do this through connection and connectivity.

The theme of our latest issue, ‘Connect’, highlights how UP lives up to its motto, “Make Today Matter”, and demonstrates how our African research connections and collaborations are inspiring globally relevant innovations. Connecting to collaborate is one of UP’s four core values, along with action, excellence and diversity.

South African culture is underpinned by the philosophy of ubuntu or humaneness. The compassion we feel and share is inspired by an imperative to uplift one another for the overall benefit of society. In Africa, there is a prevalence of economic and social inequality, and we are no strangers to confronting many of the world’s seemingly intractable challenges, as represented by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At UP, we are making a concerted effort to innovate in order to tackle these issues head on. With the connections we’ve made through various partnerships and our finger firmly on the pulse of society’s needs, we are able to forge ahead, led by a vision for a more equitable future. In fact, according to the 2023 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, UP is ranked in the top 100 globally in seven of the SDGs, and first in South Africa in five SDGs for our work as it relates to Gender Equality; Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; Life on Land; and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

In this edition, all nine of our faculties are represented with an array of research. We’ve embraced artificial intelligence (AI) for the benefits it offers in analysing big data to address challenges such as malaria, which kills more than half a million people, mostly children, a year in sub-Saharan Africa. AI could be used to help us leapfrog the technological discrepancies of the past and embrace the future.

With a track record of more than a century, it is no doubt that UP is a globally significant player in formulating new solutions. We are the only South African university ranked in the 2023 World University Rankings for Innovation, which is based on forward-looking, new, innovative projects that are underway at universities around the world.

As a leading African global university, we are widely recognised for the solutions we provide through our research outputs, and are placed 26^th globally in the International Research Network, which recognises our collaborative efforts with other leading global institutions and researchers.

A commitment to connecting science with society and applying our research for the betterment of all has long been at the heart of what we do. Our progress in pursuit of social impact is evident in our position in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, where we hold 69^th position out of 1 705 universities in 115 countries.

As you peruse the pages of our latest issue, you will get a sense of how we touch lives, partner for progress and connect with our communities to make today matter.