Posted on by mauro95cesar

Presenting at the SSAG-SAAG 2021 Online Conference.

During my PhD, I have been conducting research to produce the first peatland map of the Angolan Highlands. As a young scientist, the opportunity to present this research at a conference was extremely exciting. Academic conferences provide a platform in which you can showcase your research to an expert audience, demonstrating your research techniques, results, and conclusions. Conferences are also an opportunity to network with fellow researchers and engage in scientific conversation.  

The Society of South African Geographers (SSAG) and Southern African Association of Geomorphologists (SAAG) are professional bodies who specialise in conducting research in both geography and geomorphology within the Southern African context. A joint online conference was held online from the 6th to the 8th of September 2021. My supervisor, Professor Jennifer Fitchett had encouraged me, along with many of her other students, to present my research at the conference.

It was my first time attending a conference, let alone presenting at one. I was scheduled to present results from the research I had conducted. I was due to present on Tuesday the 7th, the Monday was a completely brand-new experience for me. Through my inexperience of having attended conferences, I expected that the conference would simply be filled with many presentations just as my own.

To my delight, the conference was in fact a lot more than just presentation after presentation of research projects and publications. For example, a panel of academics and professionals spoke about their experiences during the pandemic, which gave me a sense of awe. I distinctly remember thinking to myself, ‘I am not alone. The troubles that I have endured, had been endured by many others as well’. Although sad to hear about people struggling during troubled times, their words provided immense comfort to me.

After learning an incredible amount from the first day, I took away some distinct lessons from those that had already presented. The most captivating presentations were by those who were able to convey the message of their research through a compelling story. These storytellers, to no surprise, were usually those with incredible research experience. I truly admired the way in which they simplified complex research into well rounded and comprehensive stories, creating genuine interest and intrigue in me. I also learned that keeping to time is of critical importance in the conference as facilitators place time caps on individual speakers. We had a total of ten minutes to present, with five minutes for questions.

Tuesday came as quick as a flash, and before I knew it, I was called to start my presentation. I was well prepared; I had my presentation ready to go and I wanted to start off on a good note. First impressions last forever, even online ones. My presentation was entitled: Towards a peatland inventory for the Angolan Highlands using Google Earth Engine where I presented the very first peatland map for the region.

The online audience who attended had prominent researchers who have research interests in peatlands, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS). These were the main scientific disciplines and tools that I had used for this research. During my presentation, I felt that I presented well. I kept to my time limit, and I felt that the message of the research was conveyed effectively. I received positive feedback, and I was able to answer all questions adequately. It was a great success; all the hard work and practice had paid off.

The remainder of the conference was an absolute blast for me, I could finally relax and enjoy the presentations even more so now that I had finished my own. It was a breath of fresh air for us geographers who have been away from our research sites. Seeing new research, faces and ideas was much needed.

All good things must come to an end, after three academically stimulating days, the conference had ended. I am so thankful that I could participate alongside my colleagues, supervisor, and fellow researchers, some of which I had only read their work and never met. In the end, I truly felt as though I was made to feel part of the SSAG and SAAG family. I cannot wait for the next Biennial SSAG Conference at the University of Pretoria in 2022.

Posted on by Maseteditshego

Beyond my days as a Master of Arts student

Earlier in the year I made a video narrating ‘a day in the life of a Masters student’. This is a similar video, but with some significant changes worth sharing. I am not a Masters student anymore; I am sure you have seen that already in my blogs. Upon getting my Masters with a distinction, I was appointed as a part-time junior lecturer in the Department of English, Media Studies and Linguistics at the University of Venda. Yes! Quite exciting, especially because I happen to be the youngest in the department. I teach English Studies. It is not a fancy contract, but it pays the bills and keeps me going. The experience will come in handy in the future of course, and it give me the opportunity to be properly positioned and grounded for a full-time career in academia.

Well, although a few things have changed, some things will always stay the same. I still put so many hours into work, just as I did with my Masters research. I have so much to prove to myself and my senior colleagues. My days are still as exciting. By 05:30 AM I am up because the by then the sun is already out here in Thohoyandou, and it is the perfect time for a morning jog in spring and summer. The early breeze is both refreshing and strengthening. It makes you look forward to the rest of the day. On a normal summer day, here the temperature sits at 37°C, it even gets above 40°C at times. But we get used to it.

I had taken some time off from postgraduate studies to focus on my job, and I am happy that I eased in to it with no difficulties. This break also allowed me to think critically of what I would want to do for my PhD. I focused on crime fiction for my Masters and it has been both enlightening and exciting but I feel it is time to focus on something else, Cultural Studies perhaps. I would have the opportunity to examine contemporary culture in South Africa, looking at how it emerges, how it sells and sustains itself. This is a critical study in South Africa right now given the influence of the film and telenovela industry in the country and abroad.

Well this has been my year in a nutshell. The year is not yet over and so many exciting things could still happen and I am looking forward to it all just as I look forward to life beyond this year into my PhD project and beyond.