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nGAP during the time of COVID-19

29 April 2020 | Story Robert Morrell. Photo Nosipho Mzenzi. Read time 3 min.
Zevenwacht writing retreat. Back, from left to right: Walter Nevondo, Ojelanki Ngwenyama, Hanne Westh Nicolajsen, Ayanda Pekane, Philile Mbatha, Kentse Mpolokeng, Tabisa Mayisela, Xolisa Guzula, Amanda Mtya, Colin du Sart. Front: Robert Morrell, Mochelo Lefoka.
Zevenwacht writing retreat. Back, from left to right: Walter Nevondo, Ojelanki Ngwenyama, Hanne Westh Nicolajsen, Ayanda Pekane, Philile Mbatha, Kentse Mpolokeng, Tabisa Mayisela, Xolisa Guzula, Amanda Mtya, Colin du Sart. Front: Robert Morrell, Mochelo Lefoka.

Things have been quiet for members of the New Generation of Academics Programme (nGAP) cohort since the University of Cape Town (UCT) – and the country – responded to the first cases of COVID-19 infection. Since then, UCT steadily put measures in place to enforce social distancing, reduce risk and eventually followed the president’s decree into lockdown.

Meetings of the nGAP cohort have ceased, although communication has not. Email and other technologies have ensured that the cohort remains united. Dr Linda Price is offering a space for members to meet virtually via Zoom to have coaching conversations. These are designed to share experiences of academic life within the context of the current uncertain and challenging work and social contexts.

“Familiar boundaries between work and personal life are far less delineated than in the past, and we tend to fulfil various life roles within one space,” said Price. “It can therefore be helpful to identify the many relationships that comprise our lives and put structures in place to meet their different requirements.”

Writing retreat

The cohort was fortunate to have the first writing retreat of the year scheduled in the first week of March, before the COVID-19 restrictions were put in place. Zevenwacht Wine Estate played host again and the 13 people who attended all confirmed, again, that it was a very productive and congenial time.

We were fortunate to have on the retreat Professor Ojelanki Ngwenyama (Department of Information Systems, UCT) and Professor Hanne Westh Nicolajsen (IT University of Copenhagen). Professor Ngweynama supervises the doctoral studies of Ayanda Pekane, an nGAP member.

Further posts awarded in Phase 6

A few months ago, UCT received the news that it had been awarded a further five posts in Phase 6 of nGAP. These are in the following departments: civil engineering; environmental health; information systems; mathematics and applied mathematics; and theatre, dance and performance studies. This is the third time that UCT has been awarded a full house (the maximum of five posts permitted by the application process).

In this newsletter we introduce three newly appointed Phase 5 lecturers. Colin du Sart (mechanical engineering), Dylan Valley (film and television studies) and Bianca Arendse (organisational psychology). We also introduce Dr Maxwell Chirewha, a new nGAP associate from the Department of Clinical Pharmacology.

We heard about the achievement of Melissa-Rose Abrahams in being the lead author on a groundbreaking paper in Science Translational Medicine, and Musa Nxele takes us on a journey to Paris.

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Xhosa course growing bigger 04 Dec 2009
Role model wins Stella Clark award 24 Aug 2009
Role model wins Stella Clark award 20 Aug 2009
Appointments 11 May 2009
Fifty-eight UCT staffers complete isiXhosa course 17 Dec 2008
Milestones 23 Jun 2008
Thetha msebenzi thetha 30 Nov 2007
Notes from Council 29 Oct 2007
Speaking many languages 07 May 2007
R1.3 million boost for multilingualism 20 Apr 2007
Notes 11 Dec 2006
Once, twice, thrice capped 11 Dec 2006
CPUT carries the day 12 Jun 2006
A lifeline to learners 24 May 2006
Masithethe isiXhosa, zihlobo zam! 23 Mar 2006
Changing the mainstream 13 Mar 2006
Stop press 04 Jan 2006
Researcher programme three years old and going strong 21 Nov 2005
Multilingualism revisited 17 Oct 2005
Campus highlights 03 Oct 2005
Paying for health education: a new formula necessary 23 May 2005
Tribute to Stella Clark 04 Apr 2005
Oldest brand of denims helps student numeracy 27 May 2003
Party of five for Harvard 07 Apr 2003
Diary: 9 December 2002 onwards 09 Dec 2002
GSB teaches graduands to AIM high 10 Jul 2002
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