An emotional celebration unfolded in emails this week as Professor Nokuthula Sibiya, MUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal, responded with heartfelt pride upon hearing the news that her former student and current collaborator, Dr Thandokuhle Emmanual Khoza, an Acting Head of the Department of Radiology at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), has been granted a National Research Foundation (NRF) Y2 rating.
“I have tears of joy! God is good, all the time. This is indeed good news,” exclaimed Professor Sibiya. “You were the first nGAP candidate under my supervision to graduate with a PhD at DUT. You are now my second NRF-rated scientist at DUT that I supervised and mentored. We will both graduate our second PhD student next month. You are the best, Doc!” said Professor Sibiya, an NRF rated researcher herself.
The journey between Prof Sibiya and her protégé began in 2017 when the latter joined DUT as a New Generation of Academics Programme (nGAP) lecturer—an initiative by the Department of Higher Education and Training aimed at developing the next generation of academics.
“As a new lecturer in academia, my first priority was completing my PhD,” said the now NRF-rated Dr Khoza. “I was looking for a supervisor within the Faculty of Health Sciences, and Professor Sibiya’s name quickly rose to the top. She was then the Head of the Nursing Department. Through her expert supervision, I was able to complete my PhD in record time, while co-supervising my first Master’s student under her guidance,” said Dr Khoza.
What began as a traditional supervisor-student relationship quickly evolved into a dynamic academic partnership. Professor Sibiya not only mentored her protégé through postgraduate research; she also modelled what it means to be a balanced and productive academic.
“Professor Sibiya taught me how to juggle academic responsibilities effectively, especially how to manage multiple postgraduate students while maintaining constant research output. She emphasized clear communication, strict deadlines, timely feedback, and how to break down complex research projects into manageable tasks,” said Dr Khoza.
Their collaborative efforts have seen the successful supervision of numerous Master’s and PhD students. Currently, they are preparing to graduate their second PhD candidate together in the upcoming September graduation ceremony.
“I have learned invaluable lessons from Professor Sibiya as a co-supervisor,” said the NRF-rated academic. “From structuring a thesis to pacing students through research, and even defending student work during reviews. Professor Sibiya’s mentorship has been unmatched. She taught me how to support students at every step, including the often-daunting examiner feedback process,” Dr Khoza said.
This mentorship has also laid the foundation for independent supervision. With Professor Sibiya’s encouragement, her mentee has already graduated several Master’s students independently, and is now supervising a third PhD student as main supervisor.
The influence of Professor Sibiya’s mentorship extends beyond academia and research. Dr Khoza is now a recognised leader at his institution; he is an acting Head of Department, a member of both the Faculty Research and Ethics Committees, and the institution’s Timetabling Forum.
“Professor Sibiya taught me the importance of being an engaged academic; how to collaborate across departments and institutions; and the necessity of conference participation and publishing. These teachings played a vital role in my recent NRF Y2 rating, a rare achievement in our profession,” said Dr Khoza.