Distinguished Professor Tebello Nyokong and the legacy of knowledge creation

By Owami Kunene

 

When Professor Janice Limson, Director of the Rhodes University Biotechnology Innovation Centre (RUBIC) and SARChI Chair in Biotechnology Innovation and Engagement, opened the conversation on Science, Research and Postgraduate Supervision, she began not with theory or milestones, but with memory.

As the first PhD graduate supervised by Distinguished Professor Tebello Nyokong, she reflected on the academic path she helped to establish and the many researchers who followed it. She spoke about the sense of intellectual community Professor Nyokong created through her supervision, a community that now extends far beyond Rhodes University.

In the lead-up to the opening of the Tebello Nyokong Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation in 2024, former students were invited to submit short reflections on Professor Nyokong’s supervision legacy. The response was overwhelming. What began as a tribute initiative became a book capturing the scale of her influence on postgraduate science and mentorship.

That legacy formed the backdrop to the launch of the book, aptly titled: “Dear Professor Nyokong” and the evening’s conversation led by former Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Saleem Badat, now a Research Professor of History at the University of the Free State. The conversation returned repeatedly to one central question: what postgraduate study should mean in a research-intensive university.

Postgraduate study as knowledge creation

Professor Nyokong’s position on postgraduate supervision was clear and direct.

“Postgraduate studies are about knowledge creation.”

For her, postgraduate research is about developing new ideas, critically revisiting existing theories and knowledge with fresh purpose, while contributing meaningfully to the scientific record.

Her supervision approach reflects a strong commitment to youth development and intellectual confidence. She encourages students to engage with research environments beyond South Africa and to experience international collaboration as part of their scientific growth. Exposure to different research contexts, she explained during the conversation, helps students recognise their own potential as contributors to global knowledge production.

from having a passport and learning to drive, Professor Nyokong requires her students to want to learn, unlearn and relearn. She knows that in order for her students to thrive, they need to be willing to be stretched beyond what they can imagine. Traveling, she believes is an important part of that learning process. Her commitment to offering opportunities for her students to travel is an attempt to help them see and know that they are worth more than what they can possibly imagine. The idea that better is “out there” is something she strongly opposes and constantly affirms to her students, telling them that they are the best.

Curiosity, in her view, remains central to this process. Students who are willing to question assumptions and rethink established approaches are better positioned to contribute original research.

Recognising researchers early

Despite supervising generations of postgraduate students, Professor Nyokong continues to teach first-year classes. For her, this creates an opportunity to identify potential researchers early in their academic journeys.

“Seeing first years allows me to see who will be a future researcher and allows for us to cultivate that while it is still early.”

Her continued engagement at entry level reflects a supervision philosophy that begins long before postgraduate enrolment.

 A standard worth protecting

During the conversation, Professor Nyokong reflected on changes she has observed in universities over time. While postgraduate enrolments have increased nationally, she expressed concern about whether this growth has consistently been matched by equivalent levels of research output. ““Universities no longer produce knowledge creators, rather they produce people that are able to write colourful dissertations that they do not look

Professor Nyokong firmly believes that no PhD graduate should walk across the graduation stage unless they have proven that they can create knowledge. This means research publications in peer-reviewed journals. One of the world’s most prolific publishers of original scientific research in the world, her more than 1300 research articles serves as a testament to this belief. 

Her remarks highlighted the responsibility universities carry in maintaining strong standards of scholarship while expanding access to postgraduate study. Through her leadership as a SARChI Chair in Medicinal Chemistry and Nanotechnology, she used research funding to expand opportunities for students to participate in international collaboration and advanced research environments.

The Tebello Nyokong Scholarship Fund that she launched aims to continue supporting similar opportunities for future generations of science students.

Together, these initiatives reflect a supervision legacy rooted in the belief that postgraduate education should prepare students not only to complete degrees, but to contribute meaningfully to knowledge creation in South Africa and beyond.

Through tributes and reflections from former and current students, the book ‘Dear Professor Nyokong’, tells the story of excellence in teaching and postgraduate research, of a committed Professor whose hundreds of graduated students are themselves continuing this legacy.

Copies of the book, 'Dear Professor Nyokong' by Janice Limson, are available from the Rhodes University Biotechnology Innovation Centre. All proceeds from the sale of the book go to the Tebello Nyokong Scholarship Fund. Email: rubic@ru.ac.za or phone 046 603 7673.