By Ntombekhaya Busuku
The Department of Human Kinetics and Ergonomics (HKE) at Rhodes University celebrated 80 years of transforming lives.
What began in 1945 as the Department of Physical Education has undergone major transformation and rebranding over the decades.
“We started as the Department of Physical Education… then in 1982 we became Human Movement Studies, and in 1995, we became Human Kinetics and Ergonomics,” said Andrew Todd, a senior lecturer in the HKE Department.
These changes reflected the goal of understanding how humans move and work in different environments, from sports fields to workplaces.
“When we think about humans’ physical characteristics and cognitive characteristics holistically, we can
start to understand how you interact with the environment, whether that environment is on the
sports field, whether it is activities of daily living or in the workplace,” said Todd.
HKE is the only Department in Africa that teaches ergonomics full-time. Ergonomics is the study of how people interact with their work environment. It also helps ensure that tasks match human abilities to prevent injuries like back pain or sciatica.
“We look at how humans, tasks, tools, and the environment all work together. And if the task fits the person, it reduces stress and increases productivity,” he said.
HKE ‘s work goes far beyond the classroom; the Department leads major research projects that aim to improve health across all ages. Healthy Active Kids South Africa is a project led by Professor Candice Christie, and it looks at how active children are and how physical activity helps them do better in school.
“Physical literacy is knowing how to move your body well, and having a good relationship with being active,” explained Todd.
Another exciting project is Sleep Champs, led by Professor Jonathan Davy. His team is studying how sleep affects grade 8 learners in Makhanda. “We’re asking, are kids getting enough sleep. What keeps them up? Phones? Stress? Unsafe neighbourhoods? And if we know the problem, we can help fix it, and make sure our kids are healthy and ready to learn,” he said.
The Department of HKE prides itself on producing a long list of successful alumni who work in top sports teams worldwide. One of the HKE alumni worked for the South African Proteas, England’s cricket team, and the Chennai Super Kings. The Department also produced an overseas University leader, Steven Oliver of Robert Gordon University.
“Many of our former students are doing great things in sports, healthcare, education, and industry,” he said proudly.
