“VUT hosted the Female Academic Leaders Fellowship to explore collaboration, mentorship and leadership opportunities that empower women researchers and strengthen academic excellence.”
29 July 2026 | Story by: Tshepiso Kaibe | Picture: Peter Masela
3 minutes read time.
The Vaal University of Technology (VUT) reaffirmed its commitment to advancing women in academia by hosting representatives from the Female Academic Leaders Fellowship (FALF) on 20 July 2026. The engagement created a platform for dialogue on developing women researchers, strengthening academic leadership and fostering collaboration to transform higher education.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation, Commercialisation and Internationalisation (DVC RICI), Professor Simphiwe Nelana, opened the session, welcomed delegates and set the tone for a discussion on creating meaningful opportunities for women scholars at VUT.
FALF Chief Executive Officer, Dr Xolelwa Zulu-Magwenyane, introduced the Fellowship and outlined its mission of accelerating the development of African women into positions of academic leadership. The organisation was established to address the underrepresentation of African women in senior academic leadership and to remove systemic barriers that hinder their progression.
Through mentorship, collaboration, leadership development and international partnerships, the Fellowship seeks to build a higher education sector that better reflects South Africa’s diversity while producing research that responds to community and societal needs.
Dr Trishana Soni, Lead of VUT Women in Research and Senior Educational Psychologist at VUT, highlighted the progress of the University’s Women in Research Programme. What began with 18 participants has grown to include 118 female staff members across all four faculties.
The programme supports academic and support staff by increasing research output, qualifications and opportunities for professional development. Its activities include research writing retreats, conference support, mentoring initiatives and research commercialisation opportunities.
“Getting a PhD doesn’t mean you’ve arrived. When you’re an academic, it’s a lifelong endeavour to add value and information.” said Dr Soni
Dr Soni also stressed the importance of creating spaces where women researchers can support one another throughout their academic journeys. Peer mentoring, patent-awareness sessions, conference participation, supervision development and support for female academics pursuing professorial status are helping to build confidence and strengthen VUT’s research culture.
Contributions from Professor Agnes Pholosi and Professor Thokozani Xaba, Senior Lecturers in the Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences, enriched the discussion. They reflected on challenges
facing women academics, including heavy teaching workloads that can limit research productivity despite the presence of highly capable researchers. They also emphasised that mentorship remains essential at every career stage.
Professor Pholosi encouraged researchers to move beyond conducting research solely for publication and instead focus on work that addresses community challenges and contributes to commercialisation. She welcomed the Fellowship’s emphasis on collaboration, noting that stronger partnerships between researchers in similar fields could increase research output and maximise impact.
During the discussion, participants also sought clarity on the Fellowship’s application process and how beneficiaries could, in turn, mentor and support emerging researchers within their institutions.
The visit concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session and networking among participants. The engagement marked the beginning of what VUT and FALF hope will become a meaningful partnership, empowering more women to pursue research excellence, leadership and innovation.