Our Reworked Human Development Research Framework
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The CoE-HUMAN wishes its community a restful and restorative holiday period. We close on December 13, 2019, and will reopen again on January 8, 2020. What a yea
Our new director Professor Shane Norris, together with the CoE-HUMAN community of researchers and practitioners, have envisioned and co-created a thematic framework in which to approach and advance human development research in South Africa. This builds on the framework set up by Distinguished Professor, and founding director of the CoE-HUMAN, Linda Richter, in 2014.
We now see how bio-psychosocial processes affect a person's development across their lifespan from conception to death and through generations. Thus, the CoE-Human has adopted a position to inform and promote research excellence – that of framing human development as shaped by the social, biological, environmental, psychological and cultural forces and their intersection over the life course.
The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) Africa chapter is a virtual network of scientists and clinicians committed to exploring Africa-specific developmental origins of health. African DOHaD members connect via the website, social media, messaging channels and more to share resources and build contacts.
The Chapter will begin holding biannual meetings linked to the DOHaD World congresses. Become a member today.
In 2020, we aim to hone in on certain human development themes, and seek research that accounts for the biopsychosocial processes inherent therein:
* 4IR and human development
* Climate change and human development
* Human development in the rural context
We will publish the call for bursaries (masters, PhDs, and post-docs) in the first week of February 2020. Be sure to keep tabs on our website for more information.
Distinguished professor and founding director of the CoE-HUMAN, Linda Richter, presented at the 10th Child Health Priorities Conference held at the University of North West (NWU) in Potchefstroom in November. It was noted that while primary maternal and child health has improved over the years, other aspects of child development, such as early opportunities for learning, and income support for caregivers are lacking. Children, said Richter, are surviving but not thriving and urgent services, especially in the first 1000 days of life, must be implemented. More information is available here
The CoE-HUMAN was part of a team of researchers, NGO and government representatives, social and behavioural change experts, and film makers, who gathered at the Crowne Plaza in Rosebank at the end of October. The purpose of the collaboration was to inform Heartlines' new MAPP project - that of promoting Men's Active Positive Presence in the lives of children. The project will result in community activations as well as a film production. Heartlines has produced the award-winning film, Beyond the River. More information is available here.
In January 2019, the CoE-HUMAN embarked on a roadshow to support human development research at historically-disadvantaged institutions in South Africa. We visited many institutions and are proud to report that we have partnered with eight institutions, including Tshwane University of Technology, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Durban University of Technology, and the University of Venda.