Faculty of Veterinary Science
Prof Gerry Swan, Dean
Telephone number: 012 529 8201
Fax number: 012 529 8313
E-mail address: vetdean@up.ac.za
Message by the Dean
In 2010, the Faculty adopted a new strategic plan. A
main feature was expanding and focusing the Faculty’s
research programme and increasing its training of
researchers at a postgraduate level, as well as placing
more emphasis on collaboration with other institutions,
both nationally and internationally. The thrust remained
on animal diseases prevalent in southern Africa. An
important event during the year was the acceptance
by the University of the responsibility for managing the
research programme at the Hans Hoheisen Wildlife
Research Station in the Lowveld, which concentrates
on animal disease problems at the interface of wildlife,
livestock and human health issues.
After some much-needed refurbishments, the
Hans Hoheisen Wildlife Research Station was
officially reopened in 2010. This is a research and
training platform managed by the Faculty as part
of a collaborative agreement with the Peace Parks
Foundation and the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks
Agency. Research conducted at this station will
primarily focus on the interface between wildlife,
domestic animals and humans in transfrontier
conservation areas. The research undertaken at the
research station is enhanced by the Mnisi Community
Research Programme and Hluvukani Animal Health
Centre. The station serves as a home base for final-
year veterinary students doing their clinical rotation at
the Hluvukani Animal Health Clinic.
The year under review was characterised by significant
changes to the Faculty’s senior staff. Three new
applications for National Research Foundation (NRF)
ratings were successful, bringing the total number of
rated staff members to 19. A total of 168 scientific publications in 2008 were submitted for subsidy purposes, earning
the Faculty 81,58 subsidy units, which was significantly higher than the 62,73 of the previous year. This translated
into a research budget of R1,375 million for 2010 compared to R1,1 million in 2009. A consistent feature of the
Faculty’s publications is that they were all published in Institute for Scientific Information (ISI-)accredited journals,
reflecting a continued high quality of research outputs. These outputs form the basis of the Research Committee’s
annual selection of the Researcher of the Year, which was awarded to Prof Banie Penzhorn, and two Young
Researcher of the Year awards, which were awarded to Dr Sarah Clift and Dr Raksha Bhoora. A new top award for
outstanding scientific achievements over a lifetime was awarded for the first time to Prof Kobus Eloff.
The amount allocated to the Faculty for postgraduate bursaries was slightly higher than the previous year at R468 276,
sufficient for 10 PhD and 16 master’s bursaries.
Prof Gerry Swan
|
