The Faculty of Science IPL is perfectly placed at the George Campus, which is the University’s sustainability hub and home to the Natural Resource Science and Management (NRSM) Cluster that offers a comprehensive approach to the question of sustainability.
From an academic, research, and engagement perspective, the location of the Cluster and the Campus itself are at the interface of the environmental, sociocultural and business spheres of the region.
The Garden Route region is internationally renowned for its high levels of biodiversity, cultural heritage and Indigenous Knowledge systems. Research themes of common interest centre around ecosystem integrity, as well as the establishment of resilient multifunctional landscapes as a foundation for stable socio-ecological systems.
It is with this context and background that the Faculty of Science is pleased to be hosting its inaugural Institutional Public Lecture in George.
One of the University’s values is environmental stewardship, posing a challenge to rethink humans’ relationship with the natural world and urging a move beyond the traditional view of “man and nature” to a more integrated and holistic understanding of “man in nature”.
“Achieving sustainable well-being is not a challenge that can be addressed solely through scientific advances. It requires a comprehensive approach that includes sociological insights, business innovation, and, importantly, behavioural change in how we consume and procure resources,” says the Acting Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science, Professor Zenixole Tshentu.
Former Director General of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, will deliver the keynote address, with Mandela University’s NRSM scholar Dr Rhoda Malgas and PhD student Nelsiwe Mpapane as respondents.
Media are invited to attend and cover the inaugural Faculty of Science IPL as follows:
Date: 25 September 2024
Time: 17:30 for 18:00
Venue: Mopani Lecture Theatre, George Campus