Annual Research Report 2020

20 I have been involved in work and research related to work, in- dustrial relations and trade unions for more than two decades. My research takes a special interest in the sociology of work and how work changes over time. My PhD focused on strikes – why strikes remain prevalent and at times violent within the context of a highly institutionalised labour relations regime. This interest was inspired by my past work experience, firstly as a locomotive driver with the National Railways of Zimbabwe, where I became a union activist and national executive member of the national train driv- ers’ union in Zimbabwe – the Railways Association of Enginemen (RAE). I attained my first degree, a Bachelor of Commerce, while working on the railways and being heavily involved in the unions. I was later awarded a scholarship to pursue my postgraduate studies in Sociology at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) funded by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) through its Global Labour University Project. Sociology offered me a much broader and comprehensive lens for understanding work and how and why it changes over time. For both my masters and PhD, I was assigned to a supervisor who shared a similar background to me. My supervisor had just moved to Wits from COSATU after many years of working with trade unions. At Wits, I was based in the Society, Work and Development Institute (SWOP) which focuses specifically on work, workers and trade unions. This exposed me to some of the leading experts in my field, both nationally and globally. I would say I was very fortunate to get the best training possible in my field and this inspired me to always pursue excel- lence in my scholarship and public engagement. As part of this pursuit for excellence I applied for an NRF rating. I was conscious that the NRF application would expose my work to a rigorous peer review which I saw as critical for my growth and development as an academic. I had already been exposed to publishing my work from my masters. Part of my work as a masters and PhD candidate was published in cutting-edge journals and edited volumes. I con- tinued with this momentum after my PhD as a postdoctoral fellow and as a researcher and academic at the University of the Free State and, later, Sol Plaatje University. I moved to SPU in 2018 and set myself a target to apply for an NRF rating within two years of my appointment. I received support from the university and started working on my application early when the call for 2019 opened in September 2018. The NRF rating is important to me as it gives me the opportunity for my work to go out there and be reviewed by my peers. This is critical for any successful academic. I believe that part of being a successful academic demands that we put our work out there for peer review which in many ways helps us to stay engaged and is critical for academic development and growth. In addition, the NRF rating presents opportunities for me to apply for other grants tied to the NRF and beyond. I have consequently become part of a network of researchers working within my field of research. I seek to incul- cate this spirit of excellence in all my students and would like my work to have a positive effect on the lives of our people and the community at large. I had the opportunity of receiving my academic training from some of the best experts in my discipline both nationally and globally. This in many ways inspired me to strive to one day reach the pinnacle of my discipline. This will enable me to strengthen the quality of my research work and ensure that my work has a positive effect on the lives of real people through an engaged scholarship. Life as an academic can often be alienating. The DHET FPP presented me with an opportunity to become part of a community and be involved in a structured and intense pro- gramme aimed at accelerating my readiness for greater heights within my discipline. The FPP has been invaluable as it provides me with the mentorship that will fast-track me to get to the highest level within my discipline. It has also facilitated me to become part of a community and a national network of peers who are at the same level and thus able to share our varied experiences and develop together. Furthermore, this collabo- ration has deepened my commitment to advanced scholarship and is helping me in identifying an easier route to get to the top. The FPP programme is an important space for promoting, encouraging, and supporting academic excellence, growth and improvement. It is a critical intervention which nurtures and de- velops academic excellence and the future of the South African professoriate. I am very proud to have been selected as one of the two to represent my university and the only one so far to represent my discipline nationally in this fellowship. From work activism to the passion for generating and advancing new knowledge on the world of work Dr Crispen Chinguno