Sol  Plaatje University celebrates breakthrough research and long service excellence

SOL Plaatje University (SPU) held its Vice‑Chancellor’s Excellence and Long Service Awards on December 8 to honour staff whose work embodies the university’s mission of high‑quality teaching, research, innovation and community service.

Chief Operating Officer Dr David Kanguwe opened the ceremony, reflecting on the university’s achievements, challenges and the resilience that has carried SPU forward.

He reminded staff that the awards are not just tokens but recognition that dedication ripples far beyond the workplace.

Vice‑Chancellor and Principal Designate Prof Debra Meyer delivered a keynote address, stressing that universities thrive on the intellect, passion and care of their people. She praised educators, researchers, support staff and the teams whose creativity is raising SPU’s national profile.

Award highlights:

Excellence in Service Delivery

Faculty administrator in the Faculty of Education Kediemetse Moselane was commended for her use of AI tools to create an online occupancy platform for the Teaching Building, streamlined PGCE/PGDip applications and to help  to design exam guidelines.

National recognition

The Department of Institutional Advancement received five awards at the 2025 Marketing, Advancement and Communication in Education Excellence Awards, underscoring SPU’s strong brand and strategic communication.

Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Dr Meenakshi Devi a senior lecturer in Mathematics, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences was recognised for employing AI‑enhanced methods, real‑world examples and extra support for at‑risk students, and mentors emerging scholars.

Research milestone

Prof Boitumelo Diale was announced as SPU’s first DST‑NRF South African Research Chair (SARChI) in Inclusive Education and Early Childhood Development, positioning the university as a national hub for research on educational equality.

Excellence in Research - Early Career

Dr Brian Mazorodze (Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences). NRF Y2‑rated, published eight papers in 2024, earned 249 citations and contributed to national research capacity.

Excellence in Research - Established Researcher

Dr Simbarashe Gukurume (Faculty of Humanities). NRF Y1‑rated, among the world’s top 2 percent  of the most‑cited Scientists, with 68 publications, 1,791 Google Scholar citations and significant research funding.

Postdoctoral awards

Best Performing Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Dr Simbarashe Jombo (Geographic Information Systems) produced a journal article, conference proceeding and sole‑authored book chapter, accumulating 1.4924 research units and over 210 citations.

Impactful Research – Dr Folasade Olubusola Isinkaye (recommender systems, deep learning). Authored 49 papers, over 2,490 citations. Her Heliyon article on plant‑disease detection advances in agricultural sustainability.

Long Service Awards

Staff members who have completed ten years at SPU were honoured for their dedication, loyalty and the institutional memory that underpins the university’s daily operations.

The ceremony reinforced SPU’s commitment to professional growth, morale‑boosting recognition and a client‑centred culture. As the university looks ahead, the contributions of all award recipients will continue to drive its mission forward.