The newest member to join the School Biology and Environmental Sciences is Professor Simphiwe Mini, an experienced professor with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. He is particularly skilled in research, sustainable development, urban planning, and lecturing.
With an exceptionally long academic career and years of experience, Professor Mini has a passion for students’ supervision, and post-graduate supervision in pursuit of academic excellence and integrity.
“I am an academic, and the scholarship of teaching and learning, and the scholarship of research and innovation are my hobbies!”
Professor Mini started his academic career at the University of Fort Hare where he completed a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Geography and History. Always keen to become a teacher, he registered and completed a Post-graduate Diploma in Education.
“On completion of my Post-graduate Diploma in Education, my professor of Science of Education in Geography at Fort Hare University recruited me to study for an Honours Degree in Geography.
"For this I registered and completed these courses at honours level: Urban Geography, Rural-Urban Settlement Planning (South Africa’s Apartheid Racial Planning offered an excellent laboratory to understand social production of space) Geomorphology, Climatology and a Research Methodology Course with a Research Project. The Research Methodology course together with the Research Paper provided a building block for my future research in Geography,” he explains.
After completing his B.Sc. Hons in Geography, he registered and completed a M.Sc. Degree in Geography at Fort Hare. In 1991 he was awarded a British Council Scholarship for a PhD degree jointly supervised at Oxford University (Dr A Lemon Mansfied College) and Professor ME Marker in Fort Hare University. He completed his PhD 1993.
“From 1995 to 2000, I was appointed as Associated Professor and Head of Department: Geography at the University of Fort Hare. Here my responsibilities included providing academic and professional leadership, and support to junior colleagues. I developed and implemented course material for MSc and MPhil in Environmental Sciences and Sustainable Development Studies,” he notes.
One of his fondest memories at Fort Hare was the curriculum transformation of Geography, which culminated in an integrated student-centred curriculum. In 2000 he was appointed a Full Professor and Head of the Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences.
From 2001 to 2005 Professor Mini worked for the Human Sciences Research Council, and for the Department of Science Innovation as Chief Research Specialist. His duties included Developed Research Programmes aligned to Government MTSF and other strategic government priorities. He also developed research projects addressing national priorities, including service delivery and national development priorities.
He joined the University of South Africa (UNISA) in 2010, and has worked there in various capacities. “I have worked for UNISA as a Full Professor of Geography and as Chair of Department of Geography. I have also worked as an Acting Executive Dean of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences,” he says.”
Professor Mini has done extensive work outside the academia. Some of his work included being the Advisor to Public Funded Institutions: Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), where he acted as the advisor to the CEO.
In 2014 he was the adviser at the National Research Foundation on Thuthuka Applicationsand he was responsible for reviewing applications and making recommendations on the funding applications.
He was also the advisor to the Chairman of the Municipality Demarcation Board where he was responsible for reviewing applications and requests for municipal demarcations and applications from municipalities to be metropolitan municipalities.
@ Story by Lisa Thabethe. Pictures by ChrisplPhoto.