The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has selected Dr. Witness Maluleke, a criminology researcher and senior lecturer at the University of Limpopo (UL), to participate in its highly competitive and prestigious Future Professors Programme (FPP)
According to DHET, this programme targets the country’s most talented young academics to accelerate their readiness to become university professors. The FPP involves an innovative approach to growing a representative professoriate through the implementation of a coherent, structured, and effectively supported programme, aiming to contribute to the need for a critical mass of academic excellence and leadership in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in South Africa.
After a rigorous selection process, Dr. Maluleke (35), attached to the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice is the only selected candidate at UL to join the first cohort in phase two of the programme. Dr. Maluleke specialises in stock theft and other criminological and criminal justice themes. He is the Y2-rated researcher by National Research Foundation (NRF), with over 40 multi-disciplinary research articles published in local and international peer-reviewed accredited journals. He is also the Vice-President of the Criminological Society of Africa (CRIMSA).
Generally, the 24-month programme will assist participants in applying for NRF ratings, research grants, improving research capacity, mentoring, personal development, and other aspects required for full professorship eligibility.
The programme expects participants to have a deep commitment to the pursuit of knowledge building, evidence of productive and imaginative scholarly work in the form of publications. It also includes the artifacts, an academic who is focused and purposeful, a willingness to benefit from and contribute to a community of scholars across disciplines, novelty and willingness to engage in the scholarly process; and a willingness to engage in the scholarly process.
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) will play host to this programme. According to Prof Saurabh Sinha, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC): Research and Internationalisation at UJ, a total of 114 applications from the 26 universities across South Africa were received.
“All applications were subjected to a rigorous selection process, which resulted in a shortlist of 29 candidates,” said Prof Sinha.
Dr. Maluleke could not hide his excitement after making this elusive cut.
“Being endorsed by DHET affirms my contributions to the body of knowledge as a Rural Criminologist /Stock theft researcher. I am humbled and excited about this selection and I look forward to meeting other emerging scholars,” said Dr. Maluleke.
“This is a first-of-its-kind programme, it will include national and international engagements with seminal experts’ panel to advise me on my future intellectual projects and also expose me to international Teaching and Learning pedagogies. I cannot ask for more,” he added.
The Minister of DHET, Dr. Blade Nzimande congratulated Dr. Maluleke on his selection.
“I would like to congratulate the University and Dr. Maluleke on his selection in a highly competitive process, and I trust that he will take full advantage of the opportunity that has been afforded to him and I look forward to the contribution he will make as a leading academic in South Africa and beyond,” Dr. Nzimande said.
The FPP Phase two Cohort one first engagement is scheduled for the 17-18th of November 2021.
By Reuben Maake