Dear UJ community,

Every week at the University of Johannesburg, we see many developments that remind us of our commitment to living the UJ brand. Knowing that our work and actions advance our vision and mission statements – the promises we have made to students and society – gives me great comfort. As an institution of higher education, it is only when we turn our institutional goals into real-world impact that we remain relevant.

UJ and SAMCT bring Eye Care to Communities with a Mobile Clinic

In line with our University’s mission to transform and serve humanity through innovation and the collective and collaborative pursuit of knowledge, we unveiled a brand new R2.5 million, fully equipped Mobile Optometry Clinic on Monday. The mobile clinic, which was launched in partnership with the South African Muslim Charitable Trust (SAMCT), is designed to deliver comprehensive eye care directly to communities. I cannot begin to emphasise the importance of this clinic because, for millions of people, the gap between eye care and accessing it remains a significant barrier, particularly for underserved communities.

The UJ-SAMCT Mobile Optometry Clinic is an intervention that bridges this gap.  Instead of waiting for patients to travel to the University, our optometrists can go to them. The mobile clinic project is more than just a vehicle – it is about closing the loop between diagnosis and immediate treatment by bringing clinicians, equipment, and a spectacle lab to communities. Through this initiative, we demonstrate that access to healthcare should not be determined simply by where a person lives or by the resources available to them. I thank Professor Annie Temane (Executive Dean: Faculty of Health Sciences) and her team, as well as the South African Muslim Charitable Trust, for this important initiative. To read more about this, click here.

Honorary Doctorates for Eminent Individuals

On Wednesday, we concluded the Spring Graduation season  by conferring honorary doctorates on two eminent individuals, Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and Justice Sisi Khampepe. Both their acceptance speeches were inspirational, especially to our new graduates and young people in general. For more stories about this, visit our website www.news.uj.ac.za. You can also watch here.

Professorial Inauguration

Please join me in congratulating Professor Faraimunashe (Farai) Chirove, a researcher in the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, within the Faculty of Science, on his professorial inauguration on Wednesday. Professorial inaugurations are a major milestone, as universities formally celebrate a newly promoted full professor. At these events, newly minted professors present their academic journey to colleagues and the community. Prof Chirove’s research builds models to predict how a virus or bacterium operates among many people connected by contact, movement, and shared environments. His research has modelled the spread of Ebola, malaria, bilharzia and COVID-19, amongst others. It has also provided useful data to help African health leaders make better public health policies.

In his inaugural speech, Professor Chirove reminisced about his early research, when he worked on ways to predict how infectious diseases would spread inside a human body. One question that he explored was: “When several strains of a virus, that is, a wild type and one or more mutants, compete for the same pool of target cells inside one host, which strain wins, and under what conditions?” That question, he said, is key to understanding whether people with HIV can stay healthy. It applies to other infectious diseases as well. You can read more about his research here.

International Translation Day

Yesterday, as we marked the end of Heritage Month, our Department of African Languages within the Faculty of Humanities celebrated International Translation Day. The event was hosted in collaboration with the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) and the Gauteng Province Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation (SACR). International Translation Day serves as a moment to reaffirm commitment to social cohesion and innovation. Yesterday’s event brought together various stakeholder representatives to discuss the role of multilingualism in social justice and inclusion. Among them were Professor Pragna Rugunanan, Vice-Dean of Research in our Faculty of Humanities; Dr Soyiso Khetoa, Chairperson of the Gauteng Provincial Language Committee (GPLC); and Dr Celimpilo Dladla, Head of the Department of Translation and Interpreting Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand.

The event also featured two panel discussions that discussed the critical role of translation and interpretation in promoting multilingualism and social inclusion. To close off Heritage Month, attendees were treated to a vibrant entertainment programme. Standalone UJ poets captivated the audience with poetry performances in various South African languages, celebrating the country’s rich cultural diversity. The OkaNdaba UJ Society further united everyone in the room through energetic traditional dance performances that incorporated sign language, showcasing the importance of inclusivity and cultural expression.

UJ Choir at KUESTA 2026

This past weekend, our renowned UJ Choir represented the University with distinction at the KUESTA 2026 concert, which was hosted by Stellenbosch University. Held every two years, KUESTA brings together leading South African university choirs to perform, learn from one another and celebrate the country’s rich choral traditions. This year, the UJ Choir joined choirs from Stellenbosch University, North-West University and the University of the Free State. A memorable moment for UJ was seeing our choirmaster, Sizwe Mondlane, lead the combined choir beneath the silos of Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town. I congratulate Sizwe and every member of the UJ Choir for flying our flag so high. I am also delighted to announce that UJ has been named the host of KUESTA 2028. We look forward to welcoming these choirs to the City of Gold and sharing Johannesburg’s energy and creativity with them.

Celebrating Sport Achievements

Our UJ Sport athletes continue to make us proud across various codes. In a tense final match in Mahikeng earlier this week, our ladies delivered a masterclass performance to win the Varsity Netball title for the first time. They defeated the defending champions, North-West University (NWU Eagles), with a commanding 56-44 scoreline. This was more than just a win – it was a story of resilience and consummation. Winning eight of their nine matches since opening their campaign in Stellenbosch back in August, this victory stands as a true masterpiece of skill and grit. My heartiest congratulations to the players, the technical team, and every member of our UJ Sport family. A special word of thanks goes to our passionate supporters who travelled across the country – from the semifinals in Bloemfontein to the final in Mahikeng – to ensure that our team felt our unwavering support every step of the way.

In football, our Senior Men’s Football Team’s quest for a second Varsity Football title came to an end on Friday, 25 September, following a hard-fought semifinal against the University of Pretoria at our Soweto Stadium. Echoing their impressive 2025 campaign, our team brilliantly dominated the round-robin stage with flair and resilience. While the result was not what we hoped for, we remain immensely proud of the beauty and passion of their journey. We stand behind them fully, knowing that they will return stronger and ready to claim their moment in 2027. To all our student athletes, thank you for flying the UJ flag high and reminding us of what true sportsmanship is all about.

High Tea with the VC

I have the pleasure to invite you to an afternoon of High Tea and book discussion with Professor Bhaso Ndzendze on his book Umlawuli: Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince in IsiXhosa. What happens when one of the world’s most influential works on power, leadership and political strategy is reimagined in isiXhosa? In his book, Prof Ndzendze (Senior Director: Division for Global Engagement and Professor of Politics and International Relations: Research and Innovation at UJ) discusses Umlawuli, which offers more than a translation of Machiavelli’s The Prince. This work brings Machiavelli’s influential ideas on power and leadership into an African linguistic and intellectual context. It opens a space for language, culture, politics and knowledge to intersect, bringing a seminal work of political thought into an African linguistic and intellectual context. As usual, the event will be held at the UJ Library at our Auckland Park Kingsway (APK) Campus at 14h00 (CAT). To attend, register here.

Ke a leboha, ngiyabonga, thank you, baie dankie!

Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi: Vice Chancellor and Principal

Times mentioned in this newsletter refer to the South African time zone.