The North-West University (NWU), in collaboration with the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), hosted the third research webinar of a seven-part series on 20 August 2020.

With the theme “Language matters: Social and linguistic shifts during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic”, the webinar unpacked the impact of the pandemic on higher education, with specific insights from humanities, social sciences and indigenous knowledge systems.

The panelists for the webinar included Prof Sarala Krishnamurthy, former dean of the Faculty of Human Sciences at NUST, Dr Jess Auerbach, a senior lecturer in anthropology at the NWU, and NWU extraordinary professor Sinfree Makoni, who is also a fellow at the Andrew Carnegie African Diaspora at Laikipia University in Kenya.

Prof Krishnamurthy spoke on the subtopic, ”Covid-19 in Namibia: An opportunity for linguistic and cultural revitalisation of indigenous people, a case study of the !Kung”.

She said the impact of the virus on human interactions and psycho-social and economic aspects have not received sufficient attention.

“Indigenous people, who are neglected even during ‘normal’ times, are further marginalised during the pandemic. Instead of only seeing Covid-19 as a threat, we should look at it as an opportunity to investigate indigenous knowledge and tap into the linguistic and cultural mother lode to excavate its hidden treasures,” she added.

By using the !Kung, who are among the most marginalised San people of Namibia, she demonstrated how we can find answers that will provide the intellectual breakthrough forcing a revision of all paradigms.

Dr Auerbach reflected on the role of data with the subtopic “Data and distance? Thinking through contemporary communication in Covid times”. “As scholars engage with linguistic (dis)connectivity at a moment of national crisis, how can we ensure that the materiality of communication is also taken into account? When physical distance becomes a requirement for safety, how are social needs met in the context of unequal data access?

“Here I call for the reconceptualisation of data as a fundamental, life-sustaining entity that should be theorised in the same way as the basic needs of food, shelter and clothing – rather than as a luxury available only to some,” said Dr Auerbach.

Rounding off the webinar, Prof Makoni spoke on “Multiple perspectives on Covid-19 language research: leaning to the future”. He outlined the various different perspectives which can be adopted in research on the Covid-19 epoch.

Prof Sarala Krishnamurthy	Dr Jess Auerbach	Prof Sinfree Makoni