Faculty of Humanities
Prof ME Muller, Dean
Telephone number: 012 420 2318
Fax number: 012 420 4501
E-mail address: mmuller@postino.up.ac.za
Preface by the Dean
The Faculty strives towards maintaining a healthy balance between lecturers’ key directives, namely teaching, research and community service as set out in the University’s Strategic Plan within the objective of being internationally competitive and locally relevant. Research is primarily aimed at creating new knowledge, enriching existing knowledge and expanding the human sciences, as well as ploughing back the latest insights into the teaching programme, especially regarding postgraduate study guidance as part of the pursuit of teaching excellence.
It is gratifying that research outputs in the Faculty increased with some 20 percent per annum and that the Faculty is close to reaching the University’s suggested norm. A sound research culture is indeed in the process of being established. This is taking place amidst increasing pressure on lecturers to be more innovative in their teaching in spite of increasing administrative responsibilities.
Several departments made use of the Faculty’s programme for outstanding foreign researchers/ guest lecturers by inviting top achievers in their particular research fields to South Africa for inter-disciplinary seminars, joint research initiatives and strengthening of international ties. A final evaluation of this programme will take place at the end of 2004.
A growing number of Faculty members take advantage of overseas study opportunities to improve their qualifications, as well as to widen their exposure and to assess themselves in an international context. This not only contributes towards strengthening individual staff members and the expansion of the Faculty’s international profile, but also leads to fresh perspectives and a more critical stance within the Faculty – developments which are regarded in a very positive light.
Research funds generated from accredited publications and the annual research grant to the Faculty are utilised optimally and ploughed back into research initiatives and congress papers. These funds constitute a valuable incentive for continuous research. The Faculty should, however, search further afield for research funding: one of the strategic goals for the next few years.
Inleiding deur die Dekaan
Die Fakulteit streef ‘n gesonde balans na tussen die kernopdrag van dosente te wete onderrig, navorsing en gemeenskapsdiens soos belyn in die Strategiese Plan van die Universiteit en binne die strewe om internasionaal kompeterend en plaaslik relevant te wees. Navorsing is primêr afgestem op die skep van nuwe kennis, die verryking van bestaande kennis en die uitbouing van die menswetenskappe, maar ook ten einde die jongste insigte te kan terugploeg in die onderrigprogram, veral nagraadse studieleiding as deel van die strewe na uitnemendheid in onderrig.
Dit is verblydend dat navorsingsuitsette in die Fakulteit die afgelope paar jaar met nagenoeg twintig persent per jaar gestyg het en die Fakulteit is tans nie meer ver van die Universiteit se voorgestelde norm van een geakkrediteerde uitset per dosent per jaar nie. ‘n Stewige navorsingskultuur is inderdaad besig om beslag te kry. Dit geskied te midde van toenemende druk op dosente om steeds uitnemender en innoverend in die onderrig te wees en ten spyte van toenemende administratiewe verpligtinge.
‘n Groot aantal departemente het die Fakulteit se program vir uitnemende buitelandse navorsers/ gasdosente benut deur toppresteerders in hulle onderskeie vakgebiede na Suid-Afrika te bring vir interdissiplinêre seminare, gesamentlike navorsingsinisiatiewe en die versterking van internasionale bande. ‘n Finale evaluering van hierdie program sal aan die einde van 2004 gedoen word.
‘n Steeds groeiende getal Fakulteitslede maak gebruik van oorsese studiegeleenthede om hul kwalifikasies te verbeter, maar veral ook hul blootstelling te verbreed en hulself in internasionale konteks te toets. Dit dra nie net tot die versterking van individuele personeellede en die uitbou van die internasionale profiel van die Fakulteit by nie, maar bring vars perspektiewe en ‘n meer kritiese ingesteldheid na die Fakulteit – ontwikkelings wat in ‘n sterk positiewe lig beskou word.
Navorsingsfondse wat uit geakkrediteerde publikasies genereer word en die jaarlikse navorsingstoekenning aan die Fakulteit word maksimaal benut en met groot vrug teruggeploeg in navorsingsinisiatiewe en kongresvoordragte. Hierdie fondse is ‘n waardevolle insentief vir voortgesette navorsing. Die Fakulteit moet egter in die toekoms wyer soek vir navorsingsbefondsing: een van die strategiese doelwitte vir die komende paar jaar.
Prof M M Müller
Dean
|
