It is exciting to bear witness to UNISA’s dramatically improved standing in the Shanghai rankings and other significant rankings and, atop that, our recent win of the Zairi International Award for Research Impact. As if that were not enough, the latest news is that all of you have contributed to UNISA’s fantastic Research Performance in 2021 with such sheer commitment to Unisa’s mission and vision.
As you all supported our leadership of this great institution right from the onset of my tenure in 2021, all of you, both academics and support staff, committed yourselves to making UNISA great. With unprecedented fervour, you articulated various efforts that gave life to the Catalytic Niche Areas that were strategically introduced to stimulate growth in research and innovation, engaged scholarship and our internationalization drive. Indeed, the numbers do not lie. Our Research Publication Units stand at 1 323 2237, the sum of your commitment to research.
In what is clearly a labour of love on your part, you admirably actualised our commitment to improving our research outputs and their impact—by increasing per capita from 1.6 to 2.0 overall per permanent staff member and research citation index to reach 1 basis points above the national SA index yearly. This we have achieved, with a corresponding rise in NRF rated researchers in the higher categories. Management and I are very proud of your pursuit of research-led teaching and teaching-led research that are manifesting in the improved throughput rate that hovers at around 78%. It is now crystal clear that the quality of service that you all provide to our stakeholders, including our students and research peers, is full attestation to your love for UNISA, a love that. comes from a deep place of commitment.
That love is now duly being reciprocated as we duly exhort you to sustain the institutional culture of excellence throughout. We have found both our sweet spot and performance rhythm. Shall we please sustain it?
Much love to you all,
Professor Puleng LenkaBula, Vice-Chancellor & Principal, UNISA.
Signed
Publish date: 2022/03/30