Services

IKS offer the following services:

Teaching and learning

  • Facilitating IKS modules to students
  • Develop short courses
  • Multilingual pedagogies
  • Indigenous pedagogies
  • Recognition of prior learning as one important aspect of the IKS discourse.
  • Both IK holders and practitioners are involved in the teaching and learning programmes in order to provide the graduates with the necessary skills, knowledge and values of IKS.

Research

  • Post-graduate students research projects, on various fields (i.e. African Indigenous Astronomy; African Traditional Medicine; African Traditional Governance; African Indigenous Agriculture; Ethnobotany of plants used for treating skin diseases; Indigenous strategies of mitigating and adapting to climate change; Production, utilisation and economic value of indigenous food crops, etc).
  • In 2013, Mme Grace Meiki Masuku passionately called ‘Namola Leuba” (Agent of Poverty Relief) was awarded the Chancellor’s Medal at a spring graduation ceremony, in recognition of her profound understanding of indigenous knowledge and systems and extraordinary commitment to use indigenous knowledge to champion the cause for sustainable rural development.
  • Due to the holistic nature of IKS, the centre creates a link between researchers, indigenous knowledge holders and practitioners in local communities through research, community engagement and knowledge brokerage activities.

Community engagement

  • Engage with various communities and organisations across the country and the African continent on IKS issues.
  • Collaborate with other institutions and communities to drive social cohesion.
  • Attend and participate in annual community events, workshops conducted by various organisations, departments and also communities.
  • Some of the community engagement projects include: The African Ginger (Serokolo, indungulu, isiphephetho, xirungulu) Project which is a Research and Collaboration Initiative between the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and the IKS Centre. Also, The Indigenous Knowledge Systems Act Public Awareness Campaign which is an initiative between the Department of Science and Innovation and the IKS Centre.