Annual Research Report 2020

44 Research Committee Report Prof. Godfrey Maringira Chairperson In 2020, the School adopted a school research plan, which assists in guiding academics to contribute to the university research agenda in terms of developing postgraduate writing and research clusters, and resourcing and raising funds for research, conference attendance, co-authorship, mentoring and NRF rating applications. While the School research plan runs from 2020–2024, some of the planned activities have begun to take place. These include attending conferences, co-publishing and applications for NRF rating. It has never been easy for academics to adapt within the conditions created by Covid-19, however, they have shown resilience in terms of pursuing their goals despite the adversities of the pandemic. The school has seen two books being published in 2020 and 2021. Thus, in this case the school is producing an average of one book per year, which is an enormous achievement given the school’s capacity in terms of numbers and active researchers. The school has also produced and published several DHET accredited articles and book chapters. This is clear testimony that despite the pandemic, academics have not been totally affected in terms of writing for publica- tion. Several seminars have also been presented and online conferences attended, with some members of the School presenting key papers. Academics within the School will continue to engage in research and on issues that have to do with increasing their visibility both nationally and internationally through research collaborations and development.