Professor Charlene Downing is a full professor in the Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. She lectures on research methodology at undergraduate level. Prof. Downing's teaching and research are profoundly influenced by Jean Watson's Caring Science and the philosophy of Ubuntu, encapsulating the principle "I am because of you."

 

Since 2015, Prof. Downing has authored 80 articles. She currently supervises an impressive cohort of 38 Master’s and 41 PhD candidates, with most of her students focusing on her niche area of caring. Over the past decade, Prof. Downing has successfully guided 17 PhD and 48 Master’s students to completion.

 

Prof. Downing's exceptional contributions to nursing and research have been widely recognised. On December 5, 2022, she was awarded the Fellowship by Examination of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery (FFNMRCS) by the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland, University of Medicine and Health, Dublin. She was also inaugurated into the FUNDISA Hall of Fame for Research Excellence in Nursing on December 5, 2023. In 2022, she received a prestigious C2 NRF rating, effective January 1, 2023, and in 2024, she was honoured as a Fellow of the Academy of Nursing in South Africa.

 

Prof. Downing’s life and work are deeply rooted in her belief in the power of caring and interconnectedness, inspired by the African philosophy of Ubuntu.