UP part of global research team to present the first image of Sagittarius A*

Astronomers have unveiled the first image of the supermassive black hole at the centre of our own Milky Way galaxy. The announcement was made at simultaneous press conferences around the world. Professor Roger Deane, an Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria and Director for the Centre of Astrophysics at the University of Witwatersrand and Wits Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr Iniyan Natarajan, were part of this global collaboration with the Event Horizon Telescope team. They are the only two African-based representatives who are part of the global team of more than 300 astronomers.

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Research Matters shows how the University of Pretoria creates a world of answers by highlighting some of our most impactful and innovative research, all of which addresses society’s most pressing concerns in order to transform lives and communities.

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Bringing human agency back to the environmental crisis

PROBLEM

The degradation of the environment is a particular area of concern when it comes to the African continent. Issues concerning land development, pollution and climate change are becoming everyday realities, which gravely affect people on all levels of society. While scientific evidence is available that makes worrying predictions about the future, the reality is that the majority of these environmental issues are the result of human beings and their attitudes and behaviours.

SOLUTION

The recently established African Observatory for Environmental Humanities, which forms part of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Pretoria (UP), recognises the many changes that have taken place over the years and draws on Africa’s indigenous forms of nature conservation in an effort to move away from the negative effects of global capitalism, which contribute to the degradation of the African environment. The Observatory promotes the notion of ‘earth keeping’, which provides a model for preserving the Earth, and positions itself at the intersection of indigenous value systems and modernity.

In all its research, the underlying focus of the Observatory is to return human agency to the environmental crisis. Some of its key thematic areas are social anthropology and literature; looking at the interface between indigenous and colonial conceptions of land; and indigenous practices related to sustaining the environment with a specific focus on the contrast between indigenous conservation approaches and the impacts of modernity. Political issues around natural resources are also addressed, such as the governance of common and trans-boundary resources like rivers. Other areas of focus include the rise of the African middle class, and the consumerist ideology in relation to issues of environmental sustainability in Africa.

Prof James Ogude

PROGRESS

Principal Observatory Convener, Prof James Ogude hopes that the Observatory will be able to engage with communities about the issues mentioned above. His vision for the Observatory includes assuming an educational role about matters such as water wastage in water-scarce South Africa, while paying attention to indigenous forms of ecology and the way in which they serve to protect the environment and create a balanced ecosystem.

Although still in its seedling phase, the Observatory already serves as a platform for discussions and research on key environmental issues, particularly those relating to disciplines in the humanities. Stemming from the research, the Observatory also assumes a role of advocacy in ensuring its work does not remain within the silos of the academia, but contributes to serious interventions on the ground.

The Observatory looks set to become a significant agent of change at the University of Pretoria to pave the way to a healthier Earth.