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South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI)
iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu recently attained another prestigious research milestone after being awarded two South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) Chairs through the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and National Research Foundation (NRF) Decadal Plan Aligned Research Chairs Programme.
Walter Sisulu made history as the first Historically Disadvantaged Institution (HDI) to have two SARChI Chairs appointed in a single funding cycle since the initiative was established in 2006. This achievement reinforces the University's progress towards becoming a research-intensive institution.
The award marks a significant institutional milestone, as SARChI Chairs are highly competitive and provide substantial long-term funding to attract world-class researchers, enhance institutional reputation, and significantly increase postgraduate research outputs.
Both Chairs are based in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. The first Chair, in Hypertension in Children and Young Adults, is led by Prof. Benedicta Nkeh-Chungag, an established NRF C2-rated researcher.
Prof Benedicta Ngwenchi Nkeh-Chungag is an NRF C2-rated researcher and Awardee of the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) in Future Generations, awarded under the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) Decadal Plan-Aligned Research Chairs Program at iYuniversithi Walter Sisulu. The Chair is hosted by the Faculty of Health Sciences.
Her academic expertise lies in cardiovascular disease risk assessment, with a strong focus on hypertension in younger populations. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, secured competitive research funding, and supervised numerous postgraduate students. Her leadership roles include serving as Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and as a member of national and international academic bodies.
The SARChI Chair she leads is dedicated to identifying risk factors for hypertension in children and young adults, which are necessary for informing prevention and intervention strategies and policy.
Professor Benedicta Nkeh-Chungag SARChI Chair
Professor Constance Sewani-Rusike is a Professor of Physiology at iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu and holder of the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) Chair in Rural Health Systems Research and Development. Her academic expertise spans physiology, medicinal plants, non-communicable diseases, reproductive health and translational biomedical research.
Research leadership: She leads multidisciplinary research and postgraduate capacity development, with a strong emphasis on community-engaged research, indigenous knowledge systems and strengthening rural health systems.
Achievements: Professor Sewani-Rusike has an established record of research publications, postgraduate supervision, mentorship, and research capacity building, and has successfully led and contributed to nationally funded research programs.
Focus of the Chair: The SARChI Chair seeks to generate evidence for the safe, culturally responsive integration of indigenous and allopathic healthcare, while addressing NCDs, strengthening community-based health interventions and developing the next generation of African health researchers.
Professor Constance Rusike Designation
