Q and A

Research for Impact is one of the core strategic themes in SU`s Vision 2020. How does your research relate to that?

The focus of my research is on the things I see happening around me. By this I mean that the objects of my inquiries are observable education problems and environmental and societal problems that have a bearing on education. The topics that are the focus of my research are associated with some of the pressing problems facing planet Earth and human society, including: sustainability (education), climate change (education); posthumanism, Ubuntu as environmental ethic, the neoliberal university, decolonising the university curriculum, online learning and the ‘uberfication’ of the university post-COVID 19. Much of my research is conceptual in nature but I do not see it an individual performance because I am always thinking with others, mainly past and present philosophers, sociologists of knowledge and decolonial scholars. Inspired by the collaborative work of philosopher Gilles Deleuze and psychoanalyst Felix Guattari, I contend that philosophy does not involve the analysis of concepts but the (re)creation of concepts so that they have transformative effects on the world. Moreover, I do not see thoughts/ideas as separate from the world because as researchers we cannot stand outside of the world. So, in a sense most research is impactful, whether productively or destructively so.

I am, however, sceptical of research that is instrumentalist, where it is narrowly directed to address specific problems unless these problems are of a technical kind. Impact is largely observed over long periods of time and affirmed with the benefit of hindsight.

Please give us your impression of the role that research, and innovation can play in the betterment of society?

History teaches us that research and innovation can play a role in the betterment of society. Just think about what inventions (they are not discoveries) of modern medicine have done in freeing us from many diseases and increasing life-expectancy. It is worth noting though that many of the significant inventions produced through research were not necessarily intended to be innovative and to contribute immediately to the betterment of society, but happened by accident, following hours of experimentation and play.

But research and innovation have been imbricated in the progress story of modernity and have come at great costs, for example, to environmental destruction, the domestication of self and kinship networks that have become threadbare and has done little to arrest inequalities in the world. My own view is that we should do research with others, with members of society so that research processes enable communities to also effect change on the university and those that inhabit the university. I am reminded of an incident where an Australian researcher approached an aboriginal community and the response of an Australian aboriginal woman Lila Watson was, “If you have come to help then you are wasting your time, but if your liberation is tied up with mine then let’s work together”.

What would you regard as the most important aspects to consider to effectively support researchers?

The need for funding goes without saying. But researchers need time away from all the daily activities that keep them busy – time to think. Time to think is also needed in troubled times and probably more so. This reminds me of Heidegger’s words, “The most thought-provoking thing in our thought-provoking time is that we are still not thinking”. Time to think could mean one day a week away from normal activities, extended time for writing and reflection and of course the granting of research leave. It should not be a challenge for researchers to enjoy time away from the humdrum of academic life and should be facilitated by those who occupy management positions in the university.

Mentorship is a vital element in the process of becoming a researcher. Opportunities for researchers to meet potential mentors should be created. My own view is that mentorship should involve a self-selection process rather than one where a manager assigns a mentor to a researcher. The former has the potential of becoming a life-long relationship whereas the latter is often limited to a certain period of time and focused on procedural matters.

What do you enjoy most about your job and what are the aspects that you find challenging?

There are very few things that I do not enjoy about my job. So even the banality of the three M’s (management, meetings and marking) can be transformed if one puts joy into performing these activities. Two of the things I enjoy most is teaching and writing. I love exchanges with students and teaching that not only energise me, but from which I can learn. I am reminded of Aristotle’s sentiment, “teaching is the highest form of understanding”. I also find much enjoyment in writing, but not writing that involves representing things, but writing as a form of inquiry. I often begin writing an article without knowing what I shall be saying in the article.

Most challenges are also opportunities, but there is one thing that I find particularly challenging, namely, working with postgraduate students who through no fault of their own have to write a thesis in a language which is not their first language. The challenge is a deeper one than just language and there are no simple solutions.

What is the biggest piece of advice that you would give early-career researchers?

To focus on both credibility and visibility. Perform your work with integrity and always strive to do the best quality research. Make the quality of your research your priority but in today’s world productivity is also important. Make your work visible and use every available platform, both scholarly and popular, to communicate your research. At conferences, introduce yourself to the best scholars in your field and to editors of journals. Join existing national and international networks involved in research in your field of specialisation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the way we work. What, from your point of view, is the most pertinent change and how will this affect your work in the future?

The COVID-19 pandemic has not impacted my own research significantly. As mentioned, most of my research is conceptual in nature (trans-empirical) so I was not affected by obstacles that researchers in the human, social and educational sciences encountered, whose empirical work involves interacting with other humans. In terms of teaching, the transition to greater online engagements with students was relatively easy because the programmes I teach on were originally designed for a hybrid mode of provision. What I have found challenging is supporting postgraduate students to complete their fieldwork and to encourage them when there have been disappointments that arose from delays to completing their studies.

I think the most pertinent change that the COVID-19 has brought about is a fresh consciousness of complex and wide-ranging challenges society is facing and this is likely to redirect my research going forward.

What do you do for fun (apart from research!).

I am a sports fan and watch a range of sports: athletics, cricket, soccer, tennis, rugby, squash, golf, Formula 1 racing and sometimes netball. Although I hold a healthy scepticism about markets, I do take time to study them. I often take long walks along beaches and watch many sunsets. And I watch Netflix documentaries and movies.