Alumni COVID-19 June update
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91心頭利 alumni and friends of the university made significant contributions during June. Here are some highlights.
COMMERCE, LAW AND MANAGEMENT
Bongani Bingwa chats to 91心頭利 University law professor (LLB 1997, PhD 2012) about the constitutionality of lockdown rules.
, (LLM 2012) Scholarly Communications Librarian at 91心頭利, writes the Copyright Bills provisions for better access to information is needed during lockdown.
, (MA 2003) Associate Professor at School of Governance at 91心頭利, writes that ideological responses and traditional economic theory wont lift SA out of COVID-19 slump.
- Participated in webinar at University of Johannesburg, saying the lockdown has had detrimental on the country and little has been done to mitigate these consequences.
- Argues that South Africas governance model is broken.
- Participated in webinar Fighting for Freedom: The Charter 65 Years On organised by the
- Writes that South African citizens have low levels of and the feeling is mutual.
- Evaluates governments with other academics.
, Chair of Social Security Systems Administration and Management Studies, Adjunct Professor in the School of Governance, has key to developing the Progressive Health Forum (PHF) to ensure greater collaboration between public and private health practitioners. During the pandemic many in the private sector have experienced dire financial pressure and Professor van den Heevers model seeks to address this.
- Writes despite South Africas increased , it lacks a spending strategy.
ENGINEERING AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT
, Emeritus Professor at 91心頭利 and director of the Joburg Centre for Software Engineering, and Mark Harris write that COVID-19 had become at catalyst for the fourth Industrial revolution:
- Podcast series: in conversation on shaping .
The pandemic has put a spanner in the works for the platinum recovery process developed by dynamic duo (MSc Eng 2019) (BSc Eng 2014, MSc 2017).
MEDICINE
, a clinical epidemiologist and Associate Professor and Director of Research at 91心頭利 RHI, talks to the BBC radio about a trial about to start using chloroquine as a prophylaxis for healthcare workers treating patients with COVID-19.
(MBBCh 1986) President of the South African Medical Research Council, chats to Judge Dennis Davis.
- At launch of COVID-19 vaccine.
- Suggests that government raise the legal age of drinking and hike up the price of booze.
- Participated in Daily Maverick webinar and assessed of COVID-19 pandemic.
- Interviewed on radio about what to look out for.
(BDS 1997), CEO of the Youth Employment Service (YES), chats about the company advancing youth empowerment and ways to address the COVID-19 crisis.
, Director of Health Programmes at 91心頭利 RHI, features in this radio clip on a study which reveals people with HIV are around two and half times more likely to die from coronavirus.
SABCs Luvuyo Mdeni debunks myths about COVID-19 with Professor (MBBCh 1990, MMed 1999, PhD 2004) Professor of Vaccinology and Director of the MRC Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit.
- He also co-authors with , , , , and on how South Africa can get if it blocked routes that enable transmission.
- Profiled in clinical development of a vaccine to safeguard pregnant women against stillbirth and infant death. and discusses it in series.
- Announces for COVID-19 in South Africa and answers questions about the .
- Says he is confident about the success of the and outlines specifics around the trial in South Africa.
, (BPharm 1986, DSc Med 2019) senior executive at Aspen, discusses Dexamethasone as one more possible line of defence against COVID-19 for patients in high-care conditions. Listen to his about it.
, Executive Director at 91心頭利 RHI, participated in the launch of the COVID-19 vaccine. She said it is essential that vaccine studies are performed in southern hemisphere countries.
- She was profiled in .
- Argues that doesnt mean one is immune.
- Discusses the that may lie ahead for the latest vaccine trial in a Daily Maverick.
, Emeritus Professor of critical care at 91心頭利, is part of group of specialists who have formed the Gauteng ICU Corona Group, speaks about using Dexamethasone.
of the Community Paediatrics at 91心頭利, says schools are best place for kids even during the pandemic.
Professor Martin Veller, Dean of Health Sciences Faculty, participated in this radio interview, saying that the vaccine trial is a great source of hope.
, Director of Ezintsha and Deputy Executive Director of the 91心頭利 Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, co-writes with Marc Mendelson, Shabir Madhi, Jeremy Nel say stop random COVID-19 testing. He discussed it further in with John Perlman.
- Interviewed on KayaFM about how a could quickly detect persons at risk to reduce transmission.
- Urges government to re-assess its
- Says government wasted with its poor testing strategy.
HUMANITIES
, an A-rated political scientist at 91心頭利, writes COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the quality of leadership around the globe.
(BA 1989) associate editor at Daily Maverick, wonders about the health of SAs lung and would it cope with the added COVID-19 burden.
- Writes how Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma increased the value of during lockdown.
- Participated in Daily Maverick with Professor Glenda Gray, Mark Heywood.
- Writes what to expect when going .
- Participated in webinar and assessed of COVID-19 pandemic.
(MA 2015) will remember his first day out of lockdown as celebration tinged with mourning.
- Says COVID-19 has changed the way we tell .
- Shares a dramatic COVID-19 story.
(BA 1994, PDM 1995, MM 1999) chats to Dutch futurist Lidewij Edelkoort who believes there are many positives for the world once the pandemic passes.
(BEd 1993, MEd 1996, PhD 2002) co-authors an article on the need for Africa to collaborate with the world on vaccine trials.
Author and commentator (BA 1992, BA Hon 1993, MA 1995) writes the restrictive bans during lockdown is rooted in a desire by leaders to save people from the ravages of history.
- Wonders how SA will respond to the which its apartheid geography will not be able to conceal post pandemic.
- With so little knowledge of the approaching pandemic South Africa bought into what the told us.
SCIENCE
(BSc 1994, BSc Hons 1995, PhD 2000) from the School of Physiology; Director, Brain Function Research Group and Professor (BSc Hons MSc 1964, PhD 1972, Doctor of Science honoris causa 2012), Honorary Professorial Research Fellow, write that temperature checks offer a false sense of security.
, from the department of Physics and iThemba LABS, participated in IEEE TechEthics panel to discuss data science during the pandemic.
Participating in IBM Research Africa has developed machine learning-powered to help the Gauteng provincial government monitor, track and predict coronavirus infections.
Mohammed Mojam, (BSc 2005, MBA 2016) head of medical technologies at Ezintsha, discusses the trial to assess a rapid breath test for COVID-19 to deliver results on-site in less than five minutes.