13 February 2025 | Story: Qhawekazi Memani | Photo: VUT
3 minutes read time
Immersed in an atmosphere of intellectual curiosity and scholarly dedication, the Vaal University of Technology’s (VUT) Faculty of Human Sciences held its annual writing retreat from 3 to 7 February 2025 at Izekhaya Lodge in Kroonstad. Designed to provide an intensive and focused environment, the retreat empowered staff and postgraduate students to refine their academic writing skills and enhance their research output.
Led by Associate Professor Kaitano Dube from the Faculty of Human Sciences and facilitated by Professor Blessing Mbatha from the Department of Communication Science at the University of South Africa (UNISA), the retreat aimed to support master’s and doctoral students in producing high-quality journal articles. Over the course of the week, participants engaged in focused writing sessions, receiving expert guidance and peer feedback to sharpen their scholarly contributions.
The retreat was structured to foster a deep engagement with academic writing, offering sessions on research methodologies, effective article structuring, and the ethical use of artificial intelligence in research. Participants were also introduced to essential research tools such as Zotero, Scopus, and VOSviewer to streamline their academic work. The dedication was evident as the rhythmic tapping of keyboards filled the room, punctuated by moments of quiet reflection as participants meticulously crafted their manuscripts.
A highlight of the retreat was a motivational visit by Professor Lazarus Maleho, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Human Sciences, on the second day. Encouraging participants to persevere in their academic endeavours, he remarked: “I am not here to police you – I am here to motivate you to write articles and remind you why it’s crucial for our faculty that we publish.” His words reinforced VUT’s commitment to fostering a robust research culture and promoting academic publication. Participants were also encouraged to submit their work for the upcoming International Conference on Climate Resilience, Smart and Sustainable Futures (ICCRSF 2025).
Lerato Motloung, a student academic advisor at the Centre for Academic Development, reflected on her experience: “Overall, this retreat has been transformative—enriching both professionally and personally—leaving me feeling more confident and inspired about my writing journey.”
“The retreat was informative; we learned a lot about writing articles and discovered software and apps that will save us time and improve our writing,” said Ms Lucia Radebe, an art theory lecturer in the VUT Fine Arts Department.
“Since I completed my masters years ago, this writing retreat was extremely fruitful, especially the session covered by Prof. Dube. I learned a lot from him about the importance of referencing using various platforms. The retreat was informative; we gained valuable insights into writing articles and discovered software and apps that will save us time and enhance our writing,” said Ms Nkululeko Khumalo, a VUT Fine Arts senior lecturer and independent curator.
The VUT Faculty of Human Sciences’ annual writing retreat continues to be an invaluable initiative, equipping scholars with the necessary skills and support to contribute meaningfully to academic discourse and publication.