The Department of Human Movement Science (HMS) at the University of Fort Hare (UFH) recently hosted Prof Habib Noorbhai, who presented his newly released book titled: Roadmap of the Professoriate: Strategic Guidance for Progression from Graduate Student to (Full) Professor.
The book, which has broken into the Kindle Top 100 rankings, offers practical and strategic guidance for navigating the journey from postgraduate studies to full professorship.
Held on the East London campus, the presentation drew an in-person and virtual audience of postgraduate students and academics. The session ignited timely conversations on mentorship, resilience, and academic impact.
Habib Noorbhai was a Fulbright Scholar at MIT and is currently a Professor of Health and Sports Science at the University of Johannesburg. He has published over 65 peer-reviewed articles, served as Associate Editor, innovator and academic mentor.
A Response
His new book is a response to the often isolating nature of academia, offering a clear, accessible playbook for those navigating doctoral research, publishing, supervision, and academic progression.
“We don’t speak enough about the barriers in academia: rejections, burnout, imposter syndrome, funding obstacles. Yet, these are part of the process,” said Prof Noorbhai during his address. “My hope is that this book offers a map, not a shortcut, but a guide that helps demystify the journey and empowers others to persist.”
Prof Maya van Gent, head of the HMS Department, lauded the book’s transparent and human-centred approach.
“The academic journey is not linear, and this book really highlights that beautifully. Too often, we see the end result, the title, the publication, the recognition, but not the invisible labour, rejection, and doubt. What Prof Noorbhai has done here is open up that hidden process and offer tools to navigate it. This is timely and needed, especially for young academics.”
The book has been endorsed by several leaders in academia, including Prof Thuli Madonsela, who described it as an “exceptionally important book” that will inspire young academics and help supervisors and scholars fast-track their professorship journey.