The North-West University recently hosted a public lecture on strategies for increasing research productivity despite dwindling resources on the campus in Mahikeng.
This lecture is part of a lecture series organised by the office of the deputy vice-chancellor for research and innovation, Prof Refilwe Phaswana-Mafuya.
Prof Du Toit Loots, director of the NWU’s research focus area Human Metabolomics, was the keynote speaker.
Prof Loots is a highly cited, well-established researcher and his peers consider him as extremely successful in terms of research outputs and the commercialisation thereof. For this reason he was asked to share his strategies for increasing productivity in terms of local and international fund acquisition, planning research in order to maximise outputs and student turn-around times, and the benefits of commercialisation.
Prof Loots described these strategies in terms of optimally utilising the entire research value chain and all support structures within the NWU. He also shared a number of ideas to develop an integrated approach towards the marketing of expertise for collaborative purposes and commercial gain for the NWU.
He furthermore gave an example of a working model on how academically derived commercial outputs can be utilised in the best way to support and grow research outputs and subsequent subsidy income.
Prof Loots also emphasised the importance of mentorship to fast track the productivity of younger research staff in a way that promotes symbiotic benefits for both the mentor and mentee.
He also encouraged researchers to make use of the NWU’s Technology Transfer and Innovation Support office for identifying, protecting and commercialising intellectual property arising from their research.
Prof Phaswana-Mafuya concluded the lecture by adding that, even though the university has increased its research output from 2017 to 2018, there is still a lot more that needs to be done.
“Research is an integral part of academia. My office is committed to ensuring the creation of an environment that is conducive for research. It is also important that all academics should be on board to ensure we improve and sustain NWU research.”
Prof Du Toit Loots was the keynote speaker at the recent public lecture on strategies to increase research productivity.
Prof Refilwe Phaswana-Mafuya, deputy vice-chancellor for research and innovation, addresses attendees of the public lecture
