Student tour to Bulawayo in January 2013

The Department of Information Science is planning a trip for interested students to Zimbabwe, in January 2013. The main item on the itenerary will be a visit to the Department of Library and Information science at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Bulawayo. In addition to a student seminar on topics to be announced (and we are open for suggestions) and a social evening with students from NUST, we will visit the National History Museum and the Records Centre of the National Archives in Bulawayo. However, it will not only be an academic visit. We will also visit Hwange National Park and Matobo National Park and Great Zimbabwe Ruins.
We are still working on the logistics and the costs is not yet known. However, those students who are interested, can contact Prof Thomas van der Walt (vdwalttb@unisa.ac.za) or Mr Jan Maluleke (maluljr@unisa.ac.za) and start saving for the trip in the mean time.

Prof van der Walt in Florence, Italy

Prof TB van der Walt delivered a paper at the Conference of the International Journal on Social Sciences held in Florence. The paper, " Climate change, sustainable development and children: the perceptions of children on the border of the iSimangaliso Wetland, South Africa" was based on a research and community engagement project with schools around iSimangaliso Wetland in Northern KwaZulu-Natal in which Prof van der Walt and Dr Veli Jiyane of our Department, together with Dr Felicite Fairer-Wessels of the Department of Tourism and Mnaagement of the University of Pretoria are engaged in.

New Young Academic sourced by the Department of Information Science

Mr Siphamandla Ncube, from the University of Zululand is a new Young Academic in the Department of Information Science. He joins the Department as a Junior Lecturer with the specialisation in Information Technology. The Department welcomes you Spha and hopes you will enjoy being part of such a great Department. Spha is welcome by the CoD Prof Onyancha.

Mentorship Programme successfully completed

Mr Salmon Makhubela is all smiles after successfully completing the Mentorship Programme that started in 2011. His Mentor, Prof Thomas van der Walt is very proud of his candidate. Congratulations to both of you colleagues.

The Department of Information Science had its first meeting with the External Markers on Tueday 03 July 2012. This informative session was held in 10-94 TvW Building. Although not all External Markers attended, quite a representative number was present. Chaired by Mrs M Du Preez, the meeting kicked off with the opening remarks by the Acting CoD,  Prof OB Onyancha who also gave a vote of thanks and dissolved it at the end. Among other matters that were presented and discussed were Online Marking by Mr J Moller, Role of Markers and Lecturers by Prof E Terblanche, Ensuring Quality Assurance in Assessment by Prof H Mogashoa and HR Matters by Ms S De Vos. Dr L Dube and Mrs N Mnkeni-Saurombe facilitated the discussions. We commend the Department for this initiative. Here are the highlights in pictures: