Dear UJ community,
In times of uncertainty, universities have the ability to provide clarity and restore hope and public trust through verified research that replaces speculation with evidence. By investigating complex social, economic, and scientific problems, universities provide leaders and the public with reliable information to make informed decisions that are in the public interest.
UJ Launches Pioneering Global Research Centre to Measure Society’s Happiness in Real Time
On Wednesday, UJ officially launched the Centre for Well-being, Artificial Intelligence and Social Impact (C. WAIS), the first research centre globally dedicated to harnessing AI methodologies and Big Data analytics to advance how societies measure progress and understand the factors shaping people’s quality of life. Located within the University’s School of Economics in the College of Business and Economics (CBE), the Centre brings together expertise in happiness economics, subjective well-being measurement, machine learning, Big Data analytics, natural language processing, as well as applied econometrics and public policy to measure people’s quality of life. From tracking South Africans’ changing mood during elections to informing public policy, UJ is at the forefront of advancing a new approach to understanding societal well-being.
The Centre builds on the internationally recognised Gross National Happiness Today (GNH.today) project, the world’s first real-time Gross National Happiness (GNH) index that measures national sentiment by extracting and analysing public social media posts. Its ambition is to develop scientific approaches that complement traditional measures such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by capturing people’s quality of life, life satisfaction, social conditions and confidence in the future. Read more here.
Wiseman Nkuhlu Centre for Innovation’s Pioneering Research on the Future Sustainability of SA’s Audit Profession
It is gratifying to see that our Wiseman Nkuhlu Centre for Innovation, Thought Leadership, and Governance (WNCIG) is making an impact just a year since it was launched. Earlier this week, the Centre released a new White Paper on the audit profession in South Africa. The paper recommends that the long-term sustainability of the audit profession depends on a coordinated response across the audit ecosystem. Greater attention should be on the attraction, development and retention of auditors, professional formation in the workplace and technological change and the continued ability of the profession to serve the public interest. Titled Beyond Declining Numbers: Building a Sustainable Audit Profession that Serves Society in the South African Context, it argues that sustaining the profession requires a coordinated response across the audit ecosystem, including attracting, developing and retaining auditors. As Prof Ben Marx, Director of the School of Accounting, put it, the declining number of registered auditors is the starting point of the conversation, not the whole story. The next phase will examine what sits behind the trend. Read more here.
UJ Hosts the 21st Helen Joseph Memorial Lecture
On Monday this week, UJ hosted the 21st edition of the Helen Joseph Memorial Lecture, with Professor Emeritus Leila Patel (founder of UJ Centre for Social Development in Africa (CSDA) delivering a keynote address. This year’s edition was particularly special as it marked a special milestone – the 21st Annual Helen Joseph Memorial Lecture, and 21 years of UJ advancing knowledge, innovation, and social transformation, as well as the 70th anniversary of the historic 1956 Women’s March.
This year’s lecture was held under the theme South African Women’s Movements and the Care Agenda: Achievements, Broken Promises, and the Road to Transformative Gender and Equitable Care Policies. Prof Patel’s central message focused on how South African women’s movements succeeded in placing gender equality, social justice and care at the heart of the democratic project. She reminded us that struggles helped secure one of the world’s most progressive constitutional frameworks for gender equality and social rights but that the promise of a more equitable care society remains only partially fulfilled. She emphasised that the measure of justice lies not only in designing ideal institutions but in reducing real-world injustices. Read more here.
Professorial Inauguration
Please join me in congratulating Professor Mduduzi Biyase, a scholar in the School of Economics within CBE, on his professorial inauguration on Wednesday. His research began when he went back to Hlokozi, the rural KwaZulu-Natal village where he grew up, to find out whether the money migrants send home really helps their families. It does: once remittances were counted, the village’s poverty rate fell from 84% to 58%. His latest research with the University of Manchester maps remittances as a global network of 213 countries and more than 12,600 money flows. Next, he wants to find out how a country’s place in this network affects its development.
We also congratulate Professor Messai Mamo of the Department of Chemical Sciences on his professorial inauguration on Thursday. Prof Mamo’s research explores how chemistry can be used to build new materials with new “abilities”. His group designs materials that keep a “memory” in their electrical states even after the power is switched off, as well as sensors that can detect toxic gases, changes in pressure and contamination in food. Well done to both of you, Prof Biyase and Prof Mamo, and welcome to this elite club in the world of academia! To read more about this, click here for Prof Biyase and here for Prof Mamo.
UJ Student Leaders Take Global Leadership Exchange to China
In last week’s edition, I shared that two UJ students and Prof Tankiso Moloi (Executive Dean: CBE) have been selected to join the South African Presidential Artificial Intelligence Student Cohort heading to Silicon Valley in the United States. I am pleased to announce that 12 UJ student leaders will today travel to Beijing and Shanghai in China for a Global Leadership Student Exchange Programme. The trip is an annual initiative led by UJ’s Student Affairs division to broaden student leaders’ perspectives through engagement with international universities, leadership structures and innovation ecosystems. The programme will also include engagements with three of China’s leading higher education institutions: Peking University, Tsinghua University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
These engagements provide opportunities to explore how universities are responding to the changing demands of higher education, particularly the integration of technology, AI and digitalisation into teaching, learning and the broader student experience. Read more here.
World’s Library Leaders Coming to Johannesburg
A university’s library tells you a great deal about what it values. Next week, the UJ Library will host the 46th IATUL Annual Conference, and library leaders from around the world will be on our campus to discuss where their profession is headed. IATUL is a voluntary international non-governmental organisation of libraries, represented by the directors and senior managers responsible for information services and resources management. This year’s theme is Navigating the Future of Knowledge: Empowering Librarians Amidst Technological, Financial, and Role Transformation. Anyone working in a university will recognise those pressures.
A total of 74 submissions has been accepted as papers, posters, and workshops from colleagues in Africa, Asia, Europe, the United States, and the Middle East. They come at the same questions from very different positions. African libraries work under real constraints and have found real solutions. I want our guests to hear them, and hosting the conference here makes sure they do. Johannesburg will be ready to welcome everyone. The South African National Convention Bureau, the Association of Commonwealth Universities and the City of Joburg are joining us as partners. The programme is available here.
UJ Culture Survey 2025: Thank You for Making Your Voice Heard
On behalf of the University Management, I express my sincere appreciation to all employees who participated in the UJ Culture Survey that was conducted between November 2025 and January this year. The survey recorded 2,015 submissions, with 1,903 valid responses retained after data cleaning, representing a reported participation rate of approximately 45.3%. The overall findings reflect a 72.1% favourable culture rating, with particularly positive results in organisational commitment, job satisfaction and alignment with the University’s strategic direction. The survey also identified areas requiring further attention, particularly openness and psychological safety; ethical leadership and consistent policy application; employee participation in digital transformation; and measuring institutional impact. More on this will be communicated via University circulars.
Long Service Awards
Later today, we will host the 2026 Long Service Awards, dedicated to celebrating the commitment and enduring contributions of our staff who have served the institution for 20 years or more organised by the Human Capital Management (HCM) division.
Among those who will be honoured this year is Prof Jean Christoph Sonnekus (APK Private Law, Faculty of Law), who boasts 50 years of service under his belt. Four staff members have completed 40 years. They are Mr Madimetja Cedrick Ledwaba (DFC Library), Mr. Sekgoari Peter Leshaba (APB Sports Fields, Facilities Management), Mr. Motlhogelwa Daniel Mafoko (APK Protection Services), and Mr Kenny Vuma (DFC Physics). I will also be one of the recipients of the awards, having spent two decades working for the University! Congratulations colleagues!
UJ Orange Impact Couture Fashion Show
Later this evening, we will host the second edition of the UJ Orange Impact Couture Fashion Show. Organised by the Human Capital Management division in partnership with the Strategic Initiatives and Administration (SIA) division, JBS and Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA), the show is aimed at showcasing cutting-edge fashion that also embodies UJ Strategic Plan 2035. It brings the strategy to life through wearable garments designed by fashion designers and staff members from participating faculties and support divisions. The initiative, celebrating innovation, challenges emerging designers to break traditional conventions by transforming waste into wearable art promoting circular design and instilling future-oriented thinking, skills that are essential for navigating complex global challenges.
Celebrating Staff Achievements
Please join me in congratulating our academics and researchers who have won awards at the 2026 South African Education Research Association (SAERA) Annual Conference, hosted by the Nelson Mandela University. Prof Jace Pillay, South African Research Chair in Education and Care in Childhood, and UNESCO Chair in Mental Health and Psychological Support for Teachers and Learners, received the SAERA Research Honours Award. The award recognises his outstanding and career-long contribution to the development of education research in South Africa over a sustained period. This is the highest and most prestigious award presented by SAERA.
Additionally, the UJ Centre for Advanced Learning Technologies in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (CALTSTEAM), under the leadership of Professor Umesh Ramnarain, received the 2026 SAERA Research Recognition Award. The award recognises individuals or research entities that have made a specific and noteworthy contribution to addressing significant educational challenges in South Africa. CALTSTEAM was recognised for its research-driven innovations that address educational inequalities, broaden access to quality STEAM education and translate academic research into meaningful societal impact.
In the same vein, I congratulate Prof Tankiso Moloi (Executive Dean: CBE), who has added another significant milestone to his distinguished academic and professional career. He has been admitted as a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) with CPA Australia. The achievement further strengthens his international professional standing and underscores his commitment to academic excellence, professional development and leadership in an increasingly interconnected and technology-driven global economy. His admission represents an important recognition of his academic qualifications, professional experience and expertise in accounting, finance and governance. Read more here.
Celebrating UJ Sport Achievement
This week, our Senior Men’s Football Team Head Coach, Karabo Mogudi, and Senior Women’s Netball Team coaches, Head Coach Bongiwe Msomi and Assistant Coach Nkanyiso Yeni, received South African national team coaching invitations. Ms Mogudi was appointed as Assistant Coach for the South African Under-23 Men’s National Team ahead for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifying matches against Madagascar this month. Ms Msomi was appointed as the SA Under-19 Caretaker Head Coach for the Region 5 Games scheduled for 4 – 14 December 2026 in Mozambique. Mr Yeni was named as Head of Delegation and the USSA Netball Representative at the Males’ Super-Power Week that takes place from 10 to 15 November 2026 at Wembley Indoor Arena in Johannesburg. Congratulations to the coaches and the UJ Sport Division – thank you for flying the UJ and South African flags high.
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.
