Engaged Research and Teaching for the Public Good: The Interconnection of Head, Heart, and Hands

"Dr Cockburn’s award lecture was not merely a recitation of achievements but a profound reflection on her praxis as a ‘pracademic’-a practitioner and academic intertwined. With themes of respect, warmth, fun, mud, engagement, and togetherness, she illustrated the humanitarian imperative underlying her endeavours.
Central to her lecture was the Tsitsa Project, a six-year endeavour rooted in the Northeast Cape. The Tsitsa project began around 2014. It was a sustainable land management initiative initially designed and initiated to reduce land erosion because there were plans to build a large dam. It quickly became apparent that the project needed to look at sustainable landscape management to benefit residents of the catchment. Initially conceived as a sustainable land management initiative, the project evolved into a holistic endeavour addressing the needs of residents and other relevant stakeholders. Dr Cockburn’s and the project team’s immersion in the community, including a shift to communicating primarily in isiXhosa to facilitate effective communication, underscored their dedication to fostering genuine engagement."
Excerpt from 'Rhodes University rallies for resilience: Dr Jessica Cockburn’s award-winning engagement celebrated' by Siviwe Mxuma.