This is the question Sol Plaatje University (SPU) will place at the centre of a new research agenda on Friday, 31 July 2026. At 16:00, the University will host the Inaugural Lecture and Launch of the DSTI-NRF South African Research Chair in Inclusive Rural Education and Early Childhood Development.
The Chair, held by Prof Boitumelo M. Diale, is the first South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) to be established at SPU, a significant step in the growth of the University’s research. It is funded by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) through the National Research Foundation (NRF).
Prof Diale will deliver her inaugural lecture on the topic: Towards inclusive career pathways in the becoming of neurodiverse children and youth beyond labelling. The Chair focuses on inclusive education and early childhood development in rural settings, and on building career pathways for neurodiverse children and young people: questions of pressing national importance and close relevance to the communities SPU serves as an institution rooted in the Northern Cape.
Online attendance is available via the official SPU YouTube channel and the Faculty of Education’s Facebook page.
Enquiries: mophato.motsilili@spu.ac.za
