About

The Centre for Emerging Researchers (CER) brings together a network of Africa’s emerging researchers to contribute towards the generation, application and advancement of reliable alternative solutions to Africa’s developmental challenges in pursuit of total liberation and complete self-determination. CER pursues this objective through the facilitation of interdisciplinary research collaborations, sector specific policy dialogues, capacity building, training and support for emerging African researchers

Central to our vision is the determination to grow and empower emerging researchers into Africa’s leading researchers, analysts and policy makers whose work will inform decision making in the development of public and industrial policies towards the attainment of the countries’ National Development Goals.

Focus Areas:

  • Socio-Economic Transformation
  • Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security
  • Health and Social Security
  • Higher Education, Innovation and Technology Commercialisation
  • Public and Industrial Policies and Strategies
  • Law, Governance and Security Studies
  • History, Culture and Decolonisation

Post-colonial African states have identified Poverty, Inequality, Underdevelopment and resultant instability as a persistent threat to the continent’s current and future odds at achieving a socially, politically and economically stable countries whose people are collectively socially mobile. Paralysed social mobility not only adversely affect the achievability of national development goals but further makes self-determination and total liberation a distant dream.

The attainment of these developmental goals firmly relies on reliable research and analysis capacity that informs innovative policy development, monitoring and evaluation. As the world moves towards a knowledge-based economy, a culture of strong research and analytical competence becomes a necessary pre-condition to the achievement of nations’ developmental goal. Hence an urgent need for the Centre for Emerging Researchers (CER).

For Emerging Researchers:

Research Capacity Building, Training and Networking of emerging African researchers and analysts across fields of study.

Recruitment of senior academics and specialists to assist emerging researchers with : Improved Research Proposal Writing, Research Project management and Reporting, Grant Proposal Writing , Research Ethics and Plagiarism, Managing Online Presence, Conference Attendance, Academic Publishing and Measuring Research Impact.

  • Organising Professional Development Seminars and Workshops
  • Mobilisation of resources and scholarships in support of postgraduate/research students from socio-economically marginalised households and communities.
  • Facilitating collaborative fundraising for research projects by bringing together local and international researchers, funding agencies and institutions of higher learning.
  • Promotion of People-Centred Scientific Research and Innovation for the alleviation of poverty, inequality and underdevelopment.
  • Facilitating collaboration to promote inter/intra and multidisciplinary collaborative research networks between and within various public sector research institutions, private sector and community based organisations.
  • Publishing emerging researchers’ research findings and communicating their contribution to policy and practice through traditional and unconventional platforms of knowledge distribution.

For Public and Industry/Private Sector Clients:

  • Facilitation and Compilation of sector-specific research reports, reviews and evaluations of existing public and industrial policies and strategies.
  • Conduct reliable socio-economic and industrial research and analysis to contribute towards the requisite levels of expertise in service of our clients’ policy trajectory and developmental goals.
  • Development of sector-specific policies and strategies to enhance the achievability of client’s developmental goals.
  • Identify and analyse institutions, laws and policies directly or indirectly impeding on government or industry’s transformational objectives and targets.
  • Evaluation and analysis of existing developmental initiatives and interventions towards the alleviation of Poverty, Inequality, underdevelopment and resultant instability.

Mukovhe Masutha | Executive Director

Dr Mukovhe Masutha is Director of the Centre for Emerging Researchers and Postdoctoral Fellow under the DST/NRF South African Research Chair in Teaching and Learning (PSET) at the University of Johannesburg. Dr Masutha is also Chairperson of Thusanani Foundation, a Non-Profit Organisation that works with over 200 rural and township high schools to facilitate the access and success of rural and township youth in post schooling opportunities. Dr Masutha holds BA in Economic Geography and BSc Honours in Cities Planning and Development from the University of the Witwatersrand. He completed his Misters of Science in Local Economic Development and SMMEs from the University of Johannesburg, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Policy and Management from the University of Bath’s International Centre for Higher Education Management. He is currently an MA candidate in National Security and Intelligence Studies at Kings’ College London’s Department of War Studies. He has published peer-reviewed book chapters and journal articles locally and internationally.

Mukovhe has positions as a Lecturer at the University of Johannesburg and the University of the Witwatersrand, Policy and Strategy Analyst at the City of Tshwane’s Division of Economic Intelligence and Manager for Research Strategy and Policy Analysis at the governing party’s Policy Unit.

Dr Masutha has served in the South African Presidency’s National Youth Working Group, the Task Team on the feasibility of a Basic Income Grant in South Africa and the Technical Task Team of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Higher Education Funding. He is a former President of the Student Representative Council and member of the Council for Readmissions Committee at the University of the Witwatersrand. He led a research team that developed a higher education student funding model aimed at bringing about a policy-based resolution to the higher education student funding crisis. The model was presented to the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Higher education and the Inter-ministerial Committee on higher education funding, with some of its major recommendations making it to the official Higher Education Funding Policy Model adopted by the South African Government in 2017. Dr Masutha’s teaching and research interests include: Higher Education Funding Policy and Leadership, Social Reproduction in Education and Society, Critical Race Theory in Education, National Security and the Public Policy Making Cycle. He is most proud of having served as a member of the House Committee of Men’s Hall of Residence at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Research Interests:

  • Public Policy Making Cycle
  • Higher Education Commodification and Imperialism in the 21st Century
  • Small Business Incubation and Local Economic Development
  • Energy and Food Security

Publications:

  • Masutha, M. and Rogerson, C.M., 2014: Small enterprise development in South Africa: The role of business incubators. In: Rogerson, C.M. and Szymańska, D. editors, Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, No. 26, Toruń: Nicolaus Copernicus University, pp. 141–155.
  • Masutha, M., and Rogerson, C.M. (2014). Small business incubators: an emerging phenomenon in South Africa’s SMME economy. Urban Izziv, 25, S48-S63
  • Masutha, M., and Rogerson, C.M. (2014). Business incubation for small enterprise development: South African pathways. Urban Forum

Media Articles :

1. Biko Must Be Smiling in his grave (2014)
2. Free Higher Education: The Biggest Raise Our Mothers Will Ever Receive
3. Thusanani Foundation Rejects ISFAP and other views on Free Higher Education
4. White Economic Supremacy Presided over by White Males Justified by Priests
5. Reject Nxasana’s student financial aid plan , Implement Free Higher Education and Save us from loan Sharks


Mutangwa Muimeleli | Senior Researcher (Chemical Engineer)

Muimeleli is a Director and Senior Researcher at the Centre For Emerging Researchers. He is a Chemical Engineering graduate from the University of the Witwatersrand with a passion for applied scientific research. Muimeleli is also a researcher at Tailor Klinik, a start-up specialising in formulating detergents for cleaning footwear and accessories. He is a published author and founder of Ink Matter, a publishing company focused primarily on publishing the work of emerging authors.

In 2016 Muimeleli won the Best Student Presentation during the 4th International Conference on Sustainable Chemical Product and Process Engineering (SCPPE) held in Nanjing in the People’s Republic of China. Other achievements include a 2nd place spot in the National Inter-Varsity Business Pitch Competition and 2 Bronze Medals in World Martial Arts Games.

He is the Former President of Wits Business School Toastmasters, Writing Consultant at Wits University’s Writing Centre and a volunteer and mentor in Thusanani Foundation’s Rural High School Learner Support Programme and the Continuous On-Campus Support Programme.

Muimeleli is currently completing his Masters in Chemical Engineering with focus “utilising mathematical optimisation and process integration techniques to minimize the amount of waste water generated in multipurpose batch processes” at the University of the Witwatersrand. He is also a prospective PhD Candidate in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Johannesburg.