PhD Candidate Wins Two Awards During Youth Month Celebration

PhD Candidate Wins Two Awards During Youth Month Celebration

UKZN doctoral candidate Mr Luthando Molefe won two awards during the 2024 Youth Month celebration for his outstanding diligence and application in the areas of academic excellence, community outreach and leadership.

The Sunday World newspaper named Molefe as one of the top 100 Unsung Heroes 2024 in the category: Youth in Academia and Education, and he was identified as a Trailblazer for 2024 by the Public Sector Manager, a magazine for public sector decision-makers published by the South African Department of Government Communication and Information Systems (GCIS).

The Sunday World’s Unsung Heroes is an edition that celebrates young people working towards changing the world. These young people are the ones who drive innovation and lead the way working tirelessly trying to make the world a better place.

These young people aged between 18 and 35 are described as heroes who are admired for their conviction, determination and courage. They are also commended for their honesty and helpfulness not only in their communities, but also in places where they are able to offer a helping hand for the good of all. They are described as inspirational heroes and genuine people who take on a leadership role in stimulating change and progress.

In the second award, the Public Sector Manager magazine aims to help public sector/government managers and their departments/agencies to improve the quality of the services they provide by reporting on management innovations and best practices within the public sector.

Commenting on his two awards and the commemoration of Youth Month, Molefe said: ‘Thirty years into democracy, South Africa has experienced significant changes and challenges in a number of sectors, including the youth. Although visible changes in terms of access, throughput and success in education have been accomplished, today’s youth continues to grapple with several confrontations such as inequality, unemployment and poverty.

‘These realities make it difficult to work towards the achievement of the National Development Plan 2030, the African Union Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This then calls for an exploration of different, relevant and context-specific approaches if we are to achieve what we have long set for ourselves on local and global stages.’

Molefe says the kind of work that is recognised here is in line with Goal 4: High-Impact Societal and Stakeholder Community Engagement of the UKZN 2023 – 2032 Strategic Plan. ‘In my recent work in this area, I seek to theorise and call for a university that considers the community as part of its daily operations/lives because it is the communities themselves that make universities perform their functions. Therefore, the University belongs to the community and vice-versa,’ he said.

‘I am thankful that the work I have been doing, over the years, and currently under exploration continues to be recognised. This further presents encouragement to continue pushing for an engaged scholarship of this academic/community project.’

Words: NdabaOnline

Photograph: Supplied