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Lewis Pugh inspires SU’s early career researchers and research mentors
Author: Corporate Marketing / Korporatiewe Bemarking
Published: 28/11/2016

World-renowned swimmer, maritime lawyer, ocean advocate and United Nations' patron of the oceans, Lewis Pugh, motivated and inspired some of Stellenbosch University (SU)'s most promising early career researchers at a mentee-mentor gathering held at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS) recently. This annual event was organised and hosted by SU's Division for Research Development (DRD) to celebrate the achievement of research mentees and to thank research mentors for their commitment and dedication to developing the capacity of younger researchers.

This year's event was attended by some of SU's young researchers who have been rated by the National Research Foundation (NRF), as well as Directors of Centres of Excellence and SARChI Chair holders who serve as excellent role models to early career academic staff.

Sharing his own experiences of being the only person to have completed a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world to raise awareness about the vulnerability of our oceans and their importance to humanity, Pugh encouraged the audience to be bold and courageous in pursuing their passion.

In this regard, Pugh described how he successfully campaigned for a global agreement to declare the Ross Sea in the Antarctic as the largest marine protected area in the world, a treaty that was vetoed by the Russian government for the previous five years.

He highlighted the exceptional role that research can play in improving our world and also emphasised the contributions of mentors of in his own personal development and achievements.

The development of SU's next generation of research productive academic staff is a major institutional priority, and a number of programmes in the environment of the Vice-Rector: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, support this strategic imperative.

For the past six years, the DRD has managed an externally funded research mentorship programme aimed at supporting the career development of SU's early career academics. 

During this time, 140 mentees have benefited from a being assigned a dedicated research mentor to advise and assist them to become independent researchers. A number of early career researchers who have benefited from this programme have obtained NRF ratings in the recent past, while others have obtained their doctoral degrees.  

  • For more information on the DRD's research mentorship programme, contact Dr Therina Theron, Senior Director: Research and Innovation at SU, at 021 808 4624 or ttheron@sun.ac.za or Ms Fadwha Patel, Co-ordinator of the SU mentorship programme at the DRD at Fadwha@sun.ac.za or 021 808 9325. 

Photo: Prof Eugene Cloete, Vice-Rector: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies at SU, Dr Therina Theron, Senior Director: Research and Innovation, Lewis Pugh, and Prof Paul van Helden, Director: Centre for Excellence in Biomedical TB Research, at STIAS.

Photographer: Maléne Fouché