VUT Academics Featuring Book: Contextualized Critical Reflections on Academic Development book launched by African Sun Media

By Qhawekazi Memani – 08 July 2021

With the aim of improving the general impression of the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) as a university of Technology (UoT), former and current academic developers of VUT and Dr Teboho Pitso; Director Centre of Innovation and Entrepreneurship who is the editor of the book came together and wrote a book titled: Contextualized Critical Reflections on Academic Development .

On 07 June 2021, African Sun Media in Stellenbosch hosted this prestigious virtual book launch.

“The book looks at the evolving Higher Education sector, a sector with many uncertainties aimed at improving student lives, improving development of teaching, promoting conversations in teaching, and learning and to stimulate scholarly conversations about Higher Education. The book is mainly for VUT and for the rest of South Africa and the world at large” said Professor (Prof) Thomas Olsson of Lund University in Sweden when introducing the book during the launch.

“Over the past decade academic development took shape in Higher Education institutions although in my opinion it remains much underrated. Professional development emphasis differs from a Facilitator to the other, one institution to the other yet as one author states academic development practice is a form of artistry and a concrete science. I find this science reflective in this book and critical for two reasons; One hand teachers  unmasked their practice – they narrate their experience while on the other hand demonstrates how their experience while on the other hand it demonstrates how their practices impacts on the academic community in ways that shows the reader the relationship between theory and practice, “said Prof Vuyisile Msila of UNISA.

In comparison with other books available in the same context, balance between theory and practice is found in the book: “the book enables us to navigate through the possibilities of the future in academia. The current COVID-19 experience is informing us of many possibilities more especially when it comes to Professional Development, said Prof Msila.

Sharing a few comments in praise of what Dr Pitso and his team has done, Prof Kuzvinetsa Dzvimbo, CEO of Zimbabwe Council of Higher Education and former VUT DVC: Academic and Research said: “learning has to be contextualised and context becomes so important more especially where VUT is situated and should then frame what happens in lecture rooms or virtually when students are learning outside the lecture rooms.”

Concluding the launch Dr Pitso said more conversations about the book will happen and a second volume of the book is expected.