The University is indeed making significant strides towards achieving its vision of becoming ’a distinctive African university, advancing excellence and innovation in research, teaching, learning, administration, and social engagement‘ for 289 researchers who were due conditions in order to continue ranking. Earlier this year, UFH also to receive research incentive funds conducting research. Moreover, our performed well in the Scimago emanating from DHET-approved UFH researchers turned the lens Institutions (SI) Rankings, where, in research outputs for 2020. The on the Covid-19 pandemic itself, the overall ranking for South African created research cost centres allow and investigated the consequences higher education institutions – which funds to roll over indefinitely in order thereof and shifts it produced, so that considered research, societal impact to enable researchers to build up it became a research area in its own and innovation – UFH was clustered their research funds until they have right. in the second quartile. In terms enough funds available to carry out None of these achievements would of South African universities, the their research activities. have been possible without our UFH University of Fort Hare was placed researchers, postdoctoral fellows, in the 12th position with 23 South The University also received African institutions listed. There are, an unqualified audit for Grant postgraduate students, research and of course, many university ranking Management from the National finance support staff, funders, donors indexes available, and the UFH does Research Foundation’s auditors in and the communities that we engage not participate in all rankings or August 2022. The audit highlighted with within the province and beyond. perform equally well in all of these. We that findings identified in previous The University is indeed making are therefore focused on doing the audit cycles from 2016 had been significant strides towards achieving right things at the University, in the addressed effectively, and the 2022 its vision of becoming ’a distinctive knowledge that this will also reflect audit tests performed showed that African university, advancing the UFH Research and Innovation excellence and innovation in research, in the University’s position on ranking Office now fully complies with NRF teaching, learning, administration, indexes, without placing undue focus grant conditions and the Master Fund and social engagement‘. on chasing rankings. Doing the right Administration Agreement. The audit things means, in the first instance, verified the accuracy and validity of Whilst our UFH 2021-2022 Research investing in our researchers, inducting transactions and compliance with Report showcases only some of our our students in research methods pertinent UFH policies that include outstanding research projects, it does early on in their training, and, perhaps procurement and travel policies. not cover all our research activities. most importantly, encouraging and Independent external auditors also I have no doubt, however, that the rewarding the kind of intellectual reported zero findings in 2022, glimpse it provides of the diverse curiosity and tenacity that produce corroborating the findings of the NRF range of research and the innovative truly extraordinary research. audit. thinking underpinning these research projects demonstrates that research Although our research activities since is the cornerstone of our renewal early 2020 were negatively affected programme. by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Recently, the University of Fort Hare related lockdowns, which hindered was ranked on the prestigious Times fieldwork and data collection, our Higher Education World University researchers demonstrated resilience Rankings, one of only fifteen South and adaptability. This enabled African universities to receive a them to navigate the restrictive Research Report 2021/2022 | 2