An Interim Deputy Dean: Postgraduate students and Research in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, Professor Natasha Potgieter has successfully applied and been awarded funding through the Diku call for applications for funding of projects between higher education institutions in Norway and selected partner countries, under the Norwegian Partnership Programme for Global Academic Cooperation (NORPART). The programme is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Education (MER) and Research and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). The partners include the Norwegian University of Science and Technology from Norway and African countries the partners include Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST); University of Venda; The Nelson Mandela African Institute of Technology (NM-AIST); National School of Engineers Bamako; Addis Ababa University and Kampala International University. The consortium is the North-South-Alliance for inclusive water, sanitation, and hygiene or in short All4WasH.
Every year the consortium will have a summer school for postgraduate students. Each summer school is a 2–3-week intensive learning experience full of different aspects of learning global WASH aspects and entrepreneurial activities. This year the summer school is in Ghana from 10 – 23 July 2022. Prof Afsatou Traore will be accompanying two female Master students from the ONE HEALTH Research group in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology to the summer school in Ghana. Prof Traore will lecture two modules (Microbial characteristics of waste and microbiology in waste treatment; and solid and liquid waste management in South Africa) at the summer school and Dr David Tinarwo from UNIVEN’s Physics Department , will deliver one lecture (Biodigesters for solid and liquid waste treatment) to the students in the summer school via Microsoft Teams. Each partner will send two Master students and one staff member and Norway will send a total of seven students. The summer school aims to have different students from countries learning from each other and work together to come up with solutions to WASH problems.
The two Master students from UNIVEN are both from the ONE HEALTH Research group in the Biochemistry and Microbiology Department:
- • Ms Marry Mphaphuli holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology and Botany and a Bachelor of science honours degree in Microbiology both obtained from the University of Venda. She is currently a first-year master student in Microbiology under the super-vision of Dr MC Rikhotso and Professor AN Traore. Her research interest is in TB, specifically involved in studying TB drug-resistance and associated risk factors in patients receiving treatment. Her driven goal is to generate reliable data which will greatly enhance the knowledge of TB patients and help in the treatment and management of TB.
- • Ms Mpho Mphego is a 1st year Master of Science student in Microbiology at the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology (University of Venda, South Africa). Her supervisors include Prof Natasha Potgieter, Prof Afsatou Traore and Dr Ellen Ledwaba. She holds a BSc degree in Biochemistry and Microbiology and BSc honours in Microbiology obtained from the University of Venda. She is currently mentoring one honour’s student at the University of Venda. Her research interests include the assessment of health risks associated with antibiotic resistant E. coli in young children and their environment by adopting the one health approach.
Prof Afsatou Traore, Mpho Mphego and Marry Mphaphuli who are leaving for Ghana on 08th July 2022 for the summer school
In addition, Prof Natasha Potgieter and Prof Vhonani Netshandama will be responsible for arranging a webinar on gender inclusiveness and rights issues in the context of water and sanitation related to higher education, the human rights to water and sanitation, social and economic dimensions, good governance, and gender equity. This webinar will be on the first day of the summer school.
Issued by:
Department of Marketing, Branding and Communication
University of Venda
Tel: (015) 962 8525 / 8710
Date: 06 July 2022
