Tata Africa
Announcing the awards in August 2008, Dhawan called on students to conduct their business on the basis of values like integrity, honesty, transparency, excellence, unity and social responsibility. “Your education gives you power and tomorrow you become the new leaders of society. I leave you with two messages - avoid any form of corruption, and give back to society.” Nongxa added that t h e s ch o l a r s h i p s should be seen as an acknowledgement of achievement. “It is the responsibility of each recipient of this award to emulate this achievement,” he said. “When visiting India recently, I made two distinctive observations which speak directly to the establishment of these prestigious awards the investment by corporations and the private sector into higher education and knowledge institutions, and the emphasis on producing quality teaching, learning and research (academic excellence) despite socio-economic disparities.”
'It is the responsibility of each recipient of this award to emulate this achievement'
Oluwatoyin Kolawole, an award recipient and pharmacy PhD student, said: “These awards have led to the furtherance of academic knowledge, the creation of new ideas and the development of scarce and critical skills much needed by Africans living in a globalised economy in the 21st century.” Completing her PhD in demography studies (a scarce skill) under Prof. Clifford Odimegwo, Head of Population and Demography Studies October 2008
at Wits, bursary recipient Nicole de Wet expressed her sincere gratitude to Wits, Tata and her mentors for their contribution to her future. Evans Netshivhambe, a student reading for his PhD in music, emphasised the obligation of students to use financial support fruitfully. “We are fortunate to have been given the key that can open several doors. However, we must use our knowledge to search for and open the right doors to achieve success. In this way we can create new ideas and new knowledge and information to further develop our society.” “Wits University is proud to partner with Tata on a number of initiatives,” said Prof. Moore. “In addition to the Tata Africa scholarships, the group has donated a top-of-the-range offroad vehicle for use in the Ndlela Research and Clinical Trials Unit, a rural community health project driven by Wits’ School of Public Health. It was established in 2006 to conduct clinical trials for the prevention and treatment of HIV and related diseases like tuberculosis in rural South Africa.” Wits University also enjoys a strong relationship with Tata Consulting Services (an IT-focused subsidiary) and negotiations are underway for Tata and Wits to partner in a programme to provide access to technology for marginalised communities. Prof. Yunus Ballim, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic and Vice-Principal, paid tribute to the students for challenging the assumptions made in society. “This is the mark of a good graduate - it is more than just passing high-level examinations,” he said. WITSReview 17
