Researchers from all faculties and some members of the Executive Management Committee attended the event on 14 November 2023. The University has a total of 58 active NRF-rated researchers.
In a message of encouragement to the researchers, Prof Maluleke said of all the things they may earn in their lifetime, money and fame included, earning the respect of peers is the highest accolade for a researcher”.
Prof Tinyiko Maluleke, Vice-Chancellor and Principal at the NRF-rated and re-rated celebration event.
Speaking on “Scholarly Humility”, Prof Maluleke argued that amongst all experts of the world, only researchers are brave enough to confess their lack of sufficient knowledge, both at the onset and often also at the end of their research endeavours.
“If researchers knew the answers, they would neither search nor research. As such, research is arguably, the highest form of scholarly humility,” he said.
Prof Maluleke congratulated and welcomed the eight newly rated and re-rated researchers, who he referred to as the “Great eight new kids on the TUT research block”.
“These are researchers who have moved from good to great, literally and figuratively,” he said.
Prof Maluleke told the researchers that through research publications, researchers at the University must hold up half the TUT sky. “Search and search again. For you, the luxury of claiming easy victories is unavailable.”
In conclusion, Prof Maluleke quoted some lines from a song by the great Senegalese musician Youssou N’Dour and directed his words to the TUT rated researchers saying, “my hope is in you, I want to watch your spirit touch the sky”.
Please
click here to read Prof Maluleke’s full speech.