Research Development and Postgraduate Support - UWC

Calling all UWC academics!

Join us for an exciting Digital Transformation Workshop: Leveraging AI and Innovative Technologies for Postgraduate Research Supervision, hosted by the Department of Research Development and Postgraduate Support (RDPS).

📅 28 May 2026 🕐 13h00 – 15h00 💻 Online

Hear from the esteemed Dr Thamie Ndlovu (University of North West), an expert in educational technology, AI-driven learning, and digital pedagogies, as he shares cutting-edge insights to elevate your postgraduate supervision practice.

Don't miss this opportunity to future-proof your research supervision skills in the age of AI! 🎓✨

📲 Scan the QR code on the flyer to register now, or contact our team for enquiries:
https://uwc.zoom.us/.../register/WN_NYpTQxerS_6N3TLy0qPhJQ

It is with great pleasure that we share the news that the open-access edited collection, ‘The Saving Grace of the Story?’, has been published and is now available online: https://doi.org/10.4102/aosis.2025.BK499.
This book is a contribution to explorations of God's work of salvation amid the shift to the “Anthropocene”.
Edited by Ernst M. Conradie and Hilda P. Koster.
Funder: The University of the Western Cape

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aosis/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aosis.za
Twitter (X): https://x.com/_AOSIS

AOSIS (@_AOSIS) on X Open access publisher of scholarly books and journals. eLearning services, Certified Moodle Partner, and provider of eCPD® courses for healthcare professionals.

You are invited to participate in the first Matariki Network Game Changer Challenge!

Work with students from across the world to tackle real issues linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) using design thinking.

-Collaborate online

-Test bold ideas

-Build practical solutions

-Develop skills employers value


Whether you care about climate action, inequality, health, education, or sustainable cities — this is your chance to make an impact beyond campus.

Open to all disciplines. No prior experience needed. Big ideas welcome.

All participants will receive a digital badge to demonstrate your skills development.


Participating institutions: Durham University (UK), University of Otago (New Zealand), Queen’s University (Canada), University of Tübingen (Germany), Uppsala University (Sweden), and the University of the Western Cape (South Africa).

Dates and times (South Africa time – SAST)

Ice Breaker: Tuesday, 10 March | 19:00–20:00 (SAST)

Session 1: Wednesday, 11 March | 19:00–21:00 (SAST)

Session 2: Thursday, 19 March | 19:00–21:00 (SAST)

Final Session: Thursday, 26 March | 19:00–21:00 (SAST)

Sign-up link:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=i9hQcmhLKUW-RNWaLYpvlOmhE8p07kRHvqXzo3X5m6BUMU81TEZVQUVYRVZLQUNZRFgxNlg0QlhSNi4u

Postgraduate Student Research Course (2026)

The Department of Research Development and Postgraduate Support will be hosting a Postgraduate Student Research Course in 2026.

Date: 26 March 2026 (full day)
Venue: TBC — in person at the University of the Western Cape (Main Campus)
Enquiries: 021 959 2451 / [email protected]
Registration closes: 28 February 2026
Register here: https://forms.gle/rdiJ5a5Bw99AVubn7

The Postgraduate Research Supervision Workshop, facilitated by Dr Emmanuel Madondo from the Mangosuthu University of Technology, culminates in stimulating discussions on social justice in postgraduate supervision, humanising pedagogy, and innovative pedagogies to support the supervision process.

The second series of the Postgraduate Research Supervision Workshop is facilitated by Dr Emmanuel Madondo from Mangosuthu University of Technology. Providing thought-provoking presentations and insights on the postgraduate supervision context, the value of scholarship, and supervision as a pedagogical approach.

Our academics are engaged in practical digital toolkits for postgraduate supervision. From AI-powered research support tools to bibliometric analysis and trend mapping, supervisors are gaining hands-on experience with cutting-edge technologies. Group exercises on topic modelling and data synthesis provided real-world applications. Supervisors are now equipped to lead the digital transformation!

Dr Ndlovu and Dr Mhlongo bring ethics and practice together, delving into the ethical dimensions of AI in research supervision. Our UWC academics are collaboratively learning to integrate AI tools responsibly, designing their own digital supervision plans. The afternoon's hands-on sessions on mapping AI tools across the research process and practical topic modelling demonstrations gave supervisors the confidence to leverage technology while maintaining academic integrity. Innovation meets responsibility!

The Digital Transformation Workshop commences by exploring AI's transformative role in postgraduate research supervision. From faculty readiness discussions to global trends and institutional policies, our academics engage deeply with the future of research. Key highlights include: examining practices from Mangosuthu University of Technology, North West and the University of Johannesburg as presented by our three external facilitators: Dr Madondo, Dr Ndlovu and Dr Mhlongo. The journey to reimagining postgraduate supervision in a digital era has begun!

Digital Transformation Workshop
Join us from 24–26 Nov 2025 to explore AI, data science, and digital learning with leading experts.

📍 Venue: TBC
🕗 08h00–16h00 daily
🎓 Limited spaces — register now via QR code!