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?

My research on postharvest technologies relates to SU's Vision 2020 by fundamentally focusing on building inter-disciplinary teams/skills, engaging with stakeholders, building strategic partnerships, developing the (research) capacity of people, communicating our research through peer-reviewed communications and presentations to both industry and professional groups, and influencing agribusiness business/community practice through the outcomes of our research. These impacts of our activities are encapsulated in our mantra: "Postharvest technologies research and innovation to reduce losses, maintain quality and link production to markets".

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

Research and innovation play important roles in the betterment of society through the development of new knowledge which can be translated into novel processes and products to meet the socio-economic needs of people. These needs include better health, more food availability, safe food, better and healthy environment, clean water supply, and sustainable life on the planet. One practical example is applying research and innovation to reduce food losses and waste, including packaging waste. In this regard, our research has shown that by applying modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), the shelf life of pomegranate arils can be extended and eating quality maintained when compared with normal packaging, thereby reducing losses and waste. Similarly, our research on ventilated packaging of the future has shown that by optimising the size, number, shape and location of vents on the paperboard cartons, the cold chain is better maintained during handling, storage and transportation, and in addition, the amount of packaging material used can be significantly reduced, thereby reducing postharvest losses as well as the carbon footprint of the food system.

Through the provision of bursaries/scholarships to attract, recruit and retain talent (young researchers), reduced teaching load, including promoting alternative (e.g. online) delivery modes, and the provision of a take-off grant.

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

I enjoy mentoring young people, seeing them come with minimum knowledge on the subject matter, and watching them lead our discussion a couple of years later until they move into their own jobs. I also enjoy sharing the outcome/results of our research through publications and presentations.

I find it challenging doing the 'administrative' aspects of my job - financial and personnel management.

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

My biggest advice to early-career researchers is to identify a niche for yourself (not necessarily your degree thesis topic), make out the time (price to pay; research and related publications can be a lonely enterprise), network network network, and write write write (provide the evidence of your hard work and dedication).

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?

Under COVID-19 pandemic, it is no longer possible to work hours and days in a stretch in the lab or in the field collecting data and making observations. This affected our research activities in 2020, and quick changes had to be made to enable postgraduate student and postdocs to complete their work and graduate. In addition, even when our specific environment allowed us to work, some of our service providers and collaborators were not able to do so.

In the future, research work plans will have to be more flexible and fluid in many ways, and our research objectives will become more modest and less ambitious than in the past. Furthermore, less emphasis will be on data gathering but more on analysis, modelling, simulations and rapid communication.

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

For fun, I enjoy playing football (soccer); however, during the pandemic this has increasingly been replaced by lawn tennis with requires a minimum of only two people to play. I also enjoy playing music (especially Bongo music from Nigeria) and cooking (our daughters will say yes!).