VICE CHANCELLOR’S RESEARCH AWARDS FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT AND COMMERCE WINNER: Dr Palesa Makhetha-Kosi Dr Palesa Makhetha-Kosi has fourteen years’ experience as a lecturer in the Department of Economics at the University of Fort Hare (UFH) and has served as Head of the Department for the last eight years. She has been a coordinator for the Extended Curriculum Programme in the Faculty of Management and Commerce since 2010 and also for the BCom honours programme funded by the Bank SETA since 2017. Dr Makhetha- Kosi has a passion for mentoring young academics, and took this up actively in her leadership of the Department of Economics. Her work providing guidance to younger members of staff has paid off as 90% of staff members have been developed within the Department, a remarkable example of the philosophy of ‘growing one’s own timber’. Dr Palesa Makhetha-Kosi holds a Doctor of Commerce degree in Economics from the Nelson Mandela University and a Master of Commerce degree in Economics from UFH. To date, she has acted as sole supervisor of ten Master’s degrees and as co-supervisor for another five. In addition, she has supervised 61 honours students. Dr Palesa Makhetha-Kosi Her current supervision load includes nine Master’s students and one doctoral study, work that is performed in addition to that of coordinating postgraduate studies within the Department overall. She has been involved in several research initiatives including a project conducted for the Eastern Cape Provincial Treasury and the National Department of Employment and Labour. As a result of a partnership that she secured between the University and the Department of Employment and Labour, Dr Makhetha-Kosi is the South African representative on the BRICS Research Network for Labour. She is currently working on two papers resulting from her doctoral thesis, a paper in the field of teaching and learning and another collaborative paper on inclusive growth and financial exclusion. Her research interests include banking, labour economics, and economic development. VC’S INNOVATION AWARDS 73 | University of Fort Hare