Not your average mathematician

11 July 2024 - Wits University

Inspirational leader, Professor Loyiso Nongxa honoured for his exemplary contribution and commitment to the mathematical sciences.

Former Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Wits University, Professor Loyiso Gordon Nongxa, was awarded an honorary degree at the Faculty of Science graduation ceremony on 10 July 2024.

An eminent mathematician, a formidable higher education intellectual, and a committed social leader, Nongxa was honoured for his intellectual contribution to mathematics, for his leadership in higher education and research development, for his dedication in enabling young people to access higher education, and for advancing the societal good. Read the full citation.

Professor Loyiso Nongxa's Honorary Doctorate ceremony

Nongxa delivered a heartfelt keynote address to graduating students where he offered advice, emphasised the importance of studying mathematics, and lamented the persistence of the underperformance of the South African educational system.

“Graduations are not just ancient rituals: they are special occasions for graduands as a just reward for your hard work and application. They are special occasions for your loved ones – your parents, your partners, your family members; they are special occasions for your communities, especially those of you who, like me, were the first in the village to go to university, let alone receive a university qualification” said Nongxa.

He advised graduates to never lose the capacity to learn, to never stop being intellectually curious and to retain “that sense of wonder” that they had as a young kid growing up. He encouraged students to read beyond their discipline and specialty areas,  and to be conscious of the intractable challenges in society: poverty, unemployment, and conflict.

“There are no easy and obvious answers to the questions that really matter,” said Nongxa. “Don’t be afraid to tackle the real difficult problems since their solutions may lead to important breakthroughs. Always doubt anyone who has easy explanations to complex matters or oversimplifies issues that you see as difficult. Finally, whenever you can, land a helping hand to anyone that would benefit from your assistance. You didn’t get to be where you are without the helping hand of someone else.”

Dr Judy Dlamini, Chancellor of Wits University confers Honorary Doctorate on Prof. Loyiso Gordon Nongxa

Dr Judy Dlamini, the Chancellor of Wits University conferred the University’s highest honour on Nongxa.

“Professor Loyiso Nongxa exemplifies humility, integrity and the principles of lifting as you rise,” she said. “There are so many initiatives that he started and lead, some of which have made a systemic change to rural communities and peri-urban communities. One that is close to my heart…is the Targeting Talent Programme, which enabled many young people from all over the country to access higher education.”

Dlamini added that holding positions of power and influence matters in a country as unequal as South Africa. It is thus a duty and a responsibility to assist those from disadvantaged communities.

A champion of the mathematical sciences

Nongxa has contributed significantly to the South African higher education landscape, through leading various programmes to promote the mathematical and statistical sciences. He is the current Project Manager for the National Graduate Academy for Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, which focuses on the development of the next generation of mathematicians and statisticians in South Africa.

“We cannot build academic excellence on shaky foundations, and South Africa’s foundation in the mathematical sciences is not that strong, by global standards. We need a concerted effort to firm them up and Wits University is uniquely positioned to play a leading role in such a critical national project,” said Nongxa.

He added: “We are embarrassingly ignorant about the evolution of mathematical ideas and intellectual traditions in South Africa, and this is critical to inspire the next generation. Very few people have heard of Dr Joseph Albert Masite Mokoena. who grew up in Everton, Vereeniging. In 1958, he became the first Black South African to receive a PhD in mathematics, just seven years after the first Mathematics PhD was awarded by a South African university; and just four years after Verwoerd pronounced that it was pointless teaching Bantu children mathematics. His name has never cropped up in our conversation. The degree was awarded by Wits University, his PhD thesis is in the Wits archives, and he deserves recognition.”

Nongxa continued: “We are very far from the national development target of 75% of academics teaching mathematics at South African universities having PhDs. The proportion currently stands at 61% for mathematics and 45% for statistics. The depressing news is that only 45% of those younger than 40 have PhDs, and these should be the academic leaders of tomorrow. How can we succeed in building world-class universities when a large majority of our staff wouldn’t be considered for appointment at world-class universities in many parts of the globe?”

He lamented the gap between historically advantaged and disadvantaged institutions. “For example, between 2005 and 2020, all the eight historically disadvantaged institutions in South Africa combined, received less than 10% of the research grants allocated to Wits University.”

He added that the second Decadal Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation has prioritised, amongst other things, building a digital economy but that there was little awareness about the foundational and fundamental role of the mathematical sciences in innovation and development. “Many technological innovations of the last thirty or forty years are founded on the mathematical sciences: PageRank for Google; the Black-Scholes model in financial innovations; the trilateration for GPS; number theory, modular forms and elliptic curves for information security; the Fourier Analysis for image and signal processing; etc.”

Nongxa has held senior academic roles in the higher education sector and has overseen a process of significant improvements in the transparency and effectiveness of the distribution of research funds to academics.

Born in the rural Eastern Cape, Nongxa himself is worth celebrating. A cum laude graduate in BSc Mathematics he was selected as South Africa's first black Rhodes Scholar which allowed him to complete his doctoral studies in mathematics at Oxford University in 1982.