Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) is taking deliberate action to address the barriers faced by women researchers by launching its Women in Research Initiative for Growth and Transformation (WRIGHT) on 16 October 2026.
Established by the Office of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal and supported by the Research Directorate, WRIGHT will create an institutional platform to support women researchers, postdoctoral research fellows, and female postgraduate students through mentorship, capacity development, networking, research funding support, and opportunities for collaboration.
The initiative responds directly to evidence showing that women experience challenges in pursuing research careers. An evaluation conducted through MUT’s collaboration with Carleton University under the Academics Without Borders programme found that 83% of women identified balancing professional and personal responsibilities as a barrier to research, compared with 38% of men. Low confidence, often linked to heavy workloads and family responsibilities, was identified as a barrier by 67% of women.
Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Rushiella Songca, said WRIGHT signals MUT’s determination to turn this evidence into institutional action. “The evidence tells us that talent is not the problem. Women have the intellectual capacity and ambition to excel in research, but we must ensure that the institutional environment enables them to do so. WRIGHT is about deliberately removing barriers and creating pathways for women to grow, collaborate and lead,” said Professor Songca.
WRIGHT builds on MUT’s existing support for women researchers, including seed funding for higher degrees, lecturer replacements during sabbatical leave, career development grants, writing retreats, and mentorship.
The new initiative will bring these efforts into a more cohesive research-support ecosystem. Planned activities include coaching and mentoring, academic writing and publication support, research funding proposal development, research integrity and ethics training, leadership development, and work-life balance programmes.
WRIGHT will also strengthen networks between women researchers and partners in academia, industry, government, communities and international institutions.
Aligned with IGNITE 2030, the initiative aims to increase women’s participation in research, improve postgraduate throughput and research outputs, attract external research funding and expand funded research collaborations and internationalisation.
“Transformation must be visible in who produces knowledge and who leads research,” Professor Songca said. “Through WRIGHT, we want women to move from participating in research to shaping MUT’s research agenda and becoming leaders in knowledge creation.”
The initiative will culminate annually in a WRIGHT Symposium, providing women researchers and postgraduate students with a platform to showcase their work, build collaborations and celebrate research excellence.
Professor Songca said the launch represents the beginning of a longer institutional commitment.
“WRIGHT is our commitment to ensuring that women at MUT have the support, visibility, networks and opportunities they need to thrive. As we advance towards 2030, women must be at the centre of writing and leading MUT’s research future.”