Dear UJ community,
This past weekend marked the beginning of Women’s Month in South Africa and Sunday, 9 August, is Women’s Day. It is a period when we honour the courage and sacrifices of the more than 20,000 women who marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria on 9 August 1956 against the unjust pass laws. Women’s Month is more than a commemorative occasion; it is a reminder of the courage, resilience and determination of generations of women who challenged exclusion, expanded opportunities and reshaped our institutions and societies. This year marks the 70th Anniversary of the Women’s March.
UJ to host the Inaugural Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka Annual Lecture
In a significant development, as South Africa marks the 70th Anniversary of the Women’s March, UJ will host the Inaugural Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka Annual Lecture next week, on Wednesday, 12 August 2026. The lecture, which is in honour of our Chancellor, is dedicated to advancing dialogue on issues of national and global importance. Dr Mlambo-Ngcuka has played, and continues to play, an important role in advancing social justice and the restoration of human dignity. The inaugural lecture, themed Women Driving Societal Impact: Legacy, Leadership, and the Future, will be delivered by Her Excellency Thenjiwe Mtintso, an anti-apartheid and gender activist. Her distinguished leadership and lifelong commitment to democracy, gender equality and social justice make her exceptionally well-suited to lead this important conversation.
The lecture forms part of the series of events that various faculties and divisions will host this year. Our Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study (JIAS) hosted the first of its Women’s Month series yesterday. Dr Pearl Sithole, CEO of the Humanities and Social Sciences, delivered the keynote address, while Zikhona Valela, historian and author of the Sunday Times longlisted book, Now You Know How Mapetla Died, was the guest speaker. On Tuesday next week, the UJ Library will host a Women’s Month Celebration event under the theme, Building Resilient Economies for All: Promoting Women’s Participation and Representation in Leadership and the Economy, to celebrate the achievements of women and their vital contributions to leadership, economic growth, and social development. You can register here.
UJ Stance on Gender-Based Violence: Know More
As we celebrate Women’s Month, we are also cognisant of the huge challenges that remain. Problems such as discrimination at the workplace, stigma, bigotry and all manner of stereotypes persist. More disturbingly, the rampaging pandemic of gender-based violence (GBV) continues unabated in the country. UJ has zero tolerance for any form of violence, intimidation, or bullying, whether in-person or online. Our commitment to gender equity and women’s rights will not be judged by our actions in a single month, but throughout the year. May we all embrace the rallying cry of Wathint’ Abafazi, Wathint’ mbokodo’. Malibongwe! To read the UJ stance on gender-based violence, click here.
UJ Raises Awareness of Human Trafficking
Human trafficking, a global crisis where people are forced, tricked, or threatened into slave-like conditions, poses another disturbing risk. Recognising that human trafficking often begins with false promises of employment, education and financial security, UJ recently held an awareness campaign about one of the world’s fastest-growing organised crimes. The campaign was hosted by the University’s Centre for Student Health and Wellness (C-SHAW), in partnership with ACT Africa, the Gauteng Department of Social Development, and other University divisions such as Community Engagement and Student Affairs.
Held under the theme, When Opportunity Becomes Exploitation: Understanding Human Trafficking Disguised as Employment, the event brought together students, experts and government leaders. They explored how traffickers exploit hope, ambition and vulnerability by disguising exploitation as opportunity. The aim was to equip students with practical knowledge in identifying warning signs, verify employment opportunities and protect themselves from exploitation. Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Ms Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, delivered the keynote address.
Global Footprint and Partnerships
On Wednesday, I had the honour of meeting His Excellency Fumio Shimuzu, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of South Africa and the Kingdom of Lesotho. In our engagement, we reaffirmed the importance of building meaningful international partnerships that advance higher education, research, societal impact and sustainability. Our discussions focused on strengthening the long-standing ties between South Africa and Japan while exploring opportunities for academic collaboration, student and staff exchanges, and joint programmes to enrich the educational experience of our communities.
These conversations align closely with the UJ’s Strategic Plan 2035, particularly our commitment to the Global Footprint and Partnerships strategic pillar, while reaffirming our dedication to expanding access to quality education, driving innovation, and developing globally engaged graduates equipped to address the challenges and opportunities of our time. I look forward to deepening this partnership and exploring the exciting opportunities that lie ahead for both our institutions and our nations.
UJ and DBE Join Forces on Ecological Solutions for Schools
On Wednesday, the UJ Centre for Ecological Intelligence (CEI) hosted Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Dr Reginah Mhaule, and a delegation from the department for a site visit and an engagement on future collaborations to strengthen food systems in schools and communities. They were welcomed by Prof Refilwe Phaswana-Mafuya (Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation) and Prof Daniel Mashao (Executive Dean: Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment). Discussions focused on the correlation between nutrition and academic performance. The delegation was taken on a guided tour through sites such as the seedling nursery, hydroponics facility, aquaponics system, outdoor gardens and sustainable sanitation solutions. Click here to read more about this.
Professorial Inauguration
I congratulate Professor Benjamin Smart, a researcher in the Department of Philosophy,Faculty of Humanities, on his professorial inauguration on Wednesday. He is also co-founder and director of the UJ Centre for Philosophy of Epidemiology, Medicine and Public Health. Prof Smart’s research focuses on Artificial Intelligence and Medicine, but brings a new dimension in that while he accepts that AI may bring big gains in medicine, and a steep rise in what the economy can produce, regulating it is not taken seriously enough by many of the people driving its development. For this, lawmakers still must ask a question that may be difficult to answer: ‘Would models that have the potential to replace human thinking, design dangerous germs, attack banks and control weapons of mass destruction, be good for us?’ To read more about this, click here.
Celebrating Student Achievements
As usual, our students continue to make us proud across several competitions. Please join me in congratulating four of our students who emerged victorious at the 2026Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) Intervarsity Challenge Gauteng Regional Rounds competition, which was hosted by Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University on Monday and Tuesday this week. The competition is one of South Africa’s flagship entrepreneurship initiatives, aimed at identifying, developing, and celebrating the country’s leading student entrepreneurs.
Students competed across five categories: Existing Business – Tech; Existing Business – General; Commercialisation of Academic Research; Innovative Industries; and Social Impact – all showcasing innovative business ventures and research-driven solutions that address real-world challenges. UJ’s student entrepreneurs once again demonstrated excellence by securing four of the five category titles, earning their place at the EDHE National Finals. The UJ Regional Round Winners are:
- Existing Business – Tech: Kamogelo Selepe
- Existing Business – General: Katlego Madumo
- Commercialisation of Academic Research: Tumelo Phasha
- Innovative Industries: Samukelisiwe Nomusa Shongwe
I wish our students every success as they prepare to represent the University at the EDHE Entrepreneurship Intervarsity Challenge National Finals. To read more about this, clickhere.
High Tea With the VC
If you missed the recent edition of the High Tea with the VC book discussion two weeks ago, I am pleased to share a video link to the event. As you would recall, I was joined by Dr Thebe Ikalafeng for a discussion of his book, Rooted and Rising: Reclaiming Our Culture and Redefining Our Global Influence. The book offers a daring African-centred vision that embraces identity, community, purpose, and genuine global influence, challenging traditional Western viewpoints on personal branding and leadership by drawing on the Ubuntu principle, “I am because we are”.
UJ Sport Matters
As announced recently, the 2026/27 edition of the Varsity Cup is now in full swing. Today, our Senior Men’s Football Team opens their campaign against Tshwane University of Technology at the UJ Soweto Stadium (kickoff is at 19h15). This fixture builds on a spectacular opening weekend by our Senior Women’s Football Team, who defeated top contenders TUT Ladies 1-0 and UP-Tuks Ladies 3-0 last weekend. Given our rivalry with TUT, tonight’s match is set to showcase university football at its finest. Our team’s performance has been inspiring, as tickets for tonight’s home opener were sold out as early as Wednesday. To read more about this, click here.
Lastly, I am pleased that tickets for our annual fundraising UJ Future Forward Fun Run are now on sale. This year’s event will take place on 26 September at the AW Muller Stadium on the Bunting Road Campus. I urge you to get your tickets early by clicking the entry link here.
Kea leboha, ngiyabonga, baie dankie, thank you!
Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi: Vice-Chancellor and Principal
Times mentioned in this newsletter refer to the South African time-zone.
