Rendani Doizen Khashane - DST/NRF Science Communication Intern 2010/11

Rendani Doizen Khashane is a former DST/NRF Science Communication Intern for the financial year 2010/2011. She completed her BA Honours in Communication Science degree in 2008 at the University of Zululand. She was based at SAEON National Office in Pretoria during the entire period of her internship programme with the DST/NRF. "I was groomed and capacitated to become a professional Science/ Corporate Communicator as well as a Science Educator, and all these skills are of great significance and are being applied in the position that I am currently occupying in the Department of Defence." I was involved in a number of activities and projects that any communication or education officer would engage in, ranging from writing corporate communiqués (two pieces published and available on SAEON website), marketing and publicity, planning and executing events, such as the SAEON Summit in Cape Town and the SAEON Education Symposium in Phalaborwa, and the DST IBSA Conference. Moreover, Rendani also formed part of developing and implementing the integrated marketing and communication strategy and branding, which resulted in the redesigning of the present SAEON exhibition stand and also learnt how to manage the exhibition stand. "Branding enlightened me on factors to consider when purchasing promotional items." Website content management, data analysis and capturing, budgeting, travel arrangements for staff and external guests and/or stakeholders, collecting and compiling the mailing list for SAEON electronic online news, and office and technical support were also the activities that formed part of the training. Ms Rendani Khashane is currently working for the National Department of Defence, Reserve Force Division as Assistant Director: National Coordinator-Reserves Corporate Communication. Basically, what she does is to market, communicate and promote the Defence Reserve Force System. Part of her work also includes editorial activity in which she runs the bi-annual publication, The Reserve Force Volunteer Magazine. Her hobbies includes: Reading, Research and Social Media.