MESSAGE FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR
Dr Max Price
universities in Africa must stand together. In particular, we need to develop the capability on our continent to take on the research needed to solve Africa’s problems.
Injongo yophando lwethu, njengoko sayibekayo kwiminyaka emihlanu edlulileyo, kukuba oko sikwenzayo kube nefuthe negalelo elibonakalayo kuluntu lwethu nakwisimo sengingqi esikuyo. Le Ngxelo yoPhando ibubungqina obubonisa iindlela ezininzi abaphandi bethu abanempumelelo ngayo ekusombululeni iingxaki zehlabathi – ngokukodwa ezase-Afrika – ukusukela kwimiba engezempilo ukuya kutsho kwengemozulu, nangona ke kwangalo eli lixa sisahleli sigqalisele kwimiba ephathelele kuluntu lwethu. Umsebenzi wethu ubonisa olona lwazi luphambili nolusemgangathweni – sivelisa iikhowudi eziya kundulula inqwelo-moya iyise emajukujukwini, size sigagane noStephen Hawking endaweni yakhe.
Impembelelo yehlabathi jikelele kuphando olwenziwa kumaziko emfundo ephakamileyo yinto engenakujikwa. Ingxelo yakutsha nje nekhutshwe yiNational Science Foundation yaseMelika, ethi Science and Engineering Indicators 2014, ibonisa ukuba amaphepha angophando ngezenzululwazi nathe apapashwa ngo-2012 ikota yawo anababhali abambiseneyo abasuka kwezinye iindawo ehlabathini jikelele – eli nani linyuka liye kutsho ngaphaya kwesiqingatha eNgilane. Kwesi siphithiphithi senzeka ehlabathini, ilizwi lamazwe ami kwisiqingatha esiseMazantsi ehlabathi ngokubanzi, ngokukodwa i-Afrika, liphantse lingavakali. Kubalulekile ukuba i-Afrika ithathe indawo yayo kuqoqosho lwehlabathi ukwenzela ukuba ilizwi layo livakale.
Kufuneka, ukuze oku kube nako ukuphumezeka, iiyunivesithi zonke e-Afrika zime kunye. Okubaluleke nangakumbi kukuba siphuhlise kwilizwekazi lethu isakhono sokwenza uphando oludingekayo ekusombululeni iingxaki zase-Afrika: oku kufuna ukuba siqeqeshe isizukulwana esitsha seenkcuba-buchopho, sisikhombise indlela malunga neendlela esingazithabatha kuphando olufunekayo, ze kudalwe futhi kulondolozwe izinto ezifunekayo ukumelana nezidingo zophando kule minyaka yenkulungwane yama-21.
IYunivesithi yaseKapa sele iqalile ukusebenza, ngeendlela ngeendlela, ukuphumeza oku. Umzekelo, iCarnegie Project: Growing the Next Generation of Academics for Africa yinkqubo ebanzi ekwiiyunivesithi ezine nenjongo yayo ikukubonelela ngenkxaso nemali kubafundi abasele benaso isidanga sokuqala, nabo benza uphando emva kwesidanga sobugqirha. Iminikelo emininzi esiyifumanayo ichaza, kwiimfuneko zayo ezimiselweyo, ukuba kufuneka kukhuliswe isakhono se-Afrika ngenkxaso-mali enikezelwe kwiYunivesithi yaseKapa.
Le minikelo ikwasinceda ekuboneleleni ngezinto zokwenza umsebenzi nobuchwepheshe obufunekayo ukwenza uphando olukwinqanaba eliphezulu. Oku kuyinene nangakumbi xa ubani enokukhangela isidingo esikhoyo ekutsaleni iinkcukacha kuphando oluqulethe ulwazi oluninzi, nto leyo iya iba yebalulekileyo kwizifundo ezifana ne-astronomy negenomics. IYunivesthi yaseKapa izimisele ukuba phambili ekuphuhliseni nasekufakeni imali kwesi sakhono: ukuba asenzi njalo asiyi kuba nako ukuba nendima nokusebenzisa nabantu abaphambili kulo mba.
Ukubaluleka kokunyusa isakhono sophando e-Afrika asikokubabaza nje into engekhoyo. I-Afrika ijongene neengxaki ezikwazezehlabathi (njengotshintsho kwimozulu) nezizezasekhaya (awona manqanaba aphezulu eHIV neTB ehlabathini jikelele). Apho ezi ngxaki izezehlabathi, kufanele ukuba uphando olo silwenze lufaneleke kwimeko yethu yasekhaya neyengingqi. Umzekelo, ufudukelo lwabantu ezidolophini yinto eyehla ehlabathini jikelele, kodwa indlela oku okwenzeka ngayo e-Afrika yahluke mpela kunaleyo yenzeka ngayo kumazwe aseMantla ehlabathi, nangokunjalo kulawo mazwe ehlabathi asakhulayo. Apho iingxaki zibonakala ngakumbi e-Afrika, kufuneka zibe phambili kuluhlu lophando lwehlabathi kodwa ke kufuneka, ngaxeshanye, sivelise amaqhinga wokuzisombulula ngokwethu ezi ngxaki. Umzekelo, isickle cell anemia, sesona sigulo siphambili siyimonogenic disease e-Afrika kodwa asifumani ngqwalasela ingako kuphando olwenziwa kumazwe aseMantla ehlabathi. Iprojekti yeYunivesithi yaseKapa yophando ngesickle cell anemia ngoko ingxenye yayo eninzi ijonge ekunikeni uqeqesho ngegenomics kubaphandi abavela e-Afrika jikelele.
Oku kufanele ukuba kuthathwe njengesikhokelo kuninzi lophando lwethu. Apho sinobuchule nobuchwepheshe, kufuneka sabelane ngabo. Yile njongo ejonge ukuyiphumeza iYunivesithi yaseKapa ekusebenzisaneni namanye amaziko ekudaleni uthungelwano lwabaphandi kwiiyunivesithi e-Afrika jikelele: ukukhokela amaziko anamandla kuphando noqeqesho kwizidanga ezingentla, maziko lawo aya kuthi abelane ngezakhono nobuchwepheshe, ukuququzelela uphando noqeqesho nokusebenzisana ukuvelisa izinto eziphambili kuphando.
I-Afrika kufanele ukuba ivelise ulwazi olulolwayo, ukuba ilindeleke ukuba ilawule ikamva layo, ze ithi ngokwenza njalo ibe ifaka igalelo kulwazi lwehlabathi jikelele.