The Collaborative for HIV and AIDS, Religion and Theology (CHART) was founded in 2007 and is a collaborative space for research, reflection and engagement. It seeks to coordinate current HIV and AIDS research initiatives in the School and to promote new ways of engaging with the pandemic from a religious and theological point of view.
CHART has the following eight aims:
- To build collaboration in research around HIV and AIDS amongst staff within SORAT.
- To understand religious obstacles to prevention and treatment and to communicate these in a language accessible to non-religious people.
- To coordinate relationships and represent the work being done within SORAT with other appropriate groups within UKZN.
- To provide a channel for collaboration with agencies outside of UKZN, including religious groupings, faith based organizations, other Universities, and funding agencies.
- To develop and oversee post-graduate research and reflection focusing on HIV and AIDS, religion and theology, through formal teaching programmes at this level.
- To create a cadre of CHART researchers through sponsorships of postgraduate students working in the field of HIV and AIDS, religion and theology.
- To create a structured environment conducive to hosting post-doctoral fellows from UKZN and other international institutions.
- To develop a resource centre that documents all research which directly links HIV and AIDS, religion, and theology.