Dear UJ community,
In a period of increasing economic uncertainty, partnerships with different sectors, encompassing corporates, governments and NGOs have proven to be viable initiatives for innovation and sustainable development. Over the years, UJ has built a rich tapestry of partnerships with both the private and public sectors, in recognition of the potential of such collaborations to yield innovations for societal impact and sustainability.
JBS and Google.org in groundbreaking partnership
I am thus delighted to announce a groundbreaking partnership between UJ’s Johannesburg Business School (JBS), a leading African business school committed to innovation and societal impact, and Google.org. Supported by a generous USD 500,000 (approximately R4 million) grant, this significant collaboration has established the Cybersecurity Seminars Programme, a transformative initiative designed to address South Africa’s urgent cybersecurity skills gap. Aligned with UJ’s focus on Technology for the Future and its strategic emphasis on Societal Impact and Sustainability, this programme is positioned to prepare future leaders for the rapidly evolving digital world.
Under the expert leadership of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) champion Prof Stella Bvuma, the programme aims to train 100 unemployed graduates and matriculants from underserved provinces over two years. These participants will directly support 125 local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), significantly enhancing their cybersecurity awareness and resilience through practical skill application and targeted interventions. To read more about this exciting initiative, click here.
UJ wins an Intelligent ICT Award
I am also pleased to announce that UJ has been recognised with an Intelligent ICT Award in the category of Intelligent Implementation in Education for its groundbreaking OnePMO across the Chief Operating Officer’s (COO) domain. OnePMO is a project-planning software that reflects the real world and helps managers to anticipate and have control over elements that affect business performance. The Intelligent ICT Awards celebrate innovation, excellence, and leadership across the ICT sector in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, and we are honoured to be recognised among such esteemed company. UJ’s success was powered by the advanced PPO technology platform, underscoring our commitment to leveraging cutting-edge solutions in education. Well done to the entire team for your innovative spirit and unwavering dedication to excellence.
Congratulations to our COO, Dr Mpoti Ralephata and his team for this outstanding achievement . Special thanks to Mesiti Nkabinde, our extraordinary Project Manager, and Prof Andre Nel, the Project Owner. This achievement is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and the efforts of all our talented Project Managers who are part of the PMO. Here’s to more groundbreaking achievements!
UJ Future Walk 2025
Next Saturday, 24 May 2025, our University will host the 6th edition of the fundraising UJ Future Walk at the AW Muller Stadium. This year, the Walk is an official Central Gauteng Athletics race and will feature a 10km run from the Bunting Road to the Kingsway Campus, and back. I challenge all the UJ faculties, divisions and units to register in large numbers to participate. You will be attending to your health and wellness goals whilst also assisting our needy students. To register, click here. See you there!
A UJ Golf Day to remember
I thank everyone who participated in the inaugural fundraising UJ Golf Day, and for making the event such a great success. The event, which was held on Friday last week, 9 May 2025, at the Royal Johannesburg Golf Club, was an initiative of the UJ Sport Division, in collaboration with our Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (FEBE) and the Civil Engineering Society. It included a prize-giving dinner to foster collaboration and community engagement, with the primary goal of raising funds to support financially disadvantaged UJ Sport and Civil Engineering students with their financial commitments. My sincere appreciation to all involved in this wonderful day.
Celebrating UJ Sport Achievements
I congratulate six of our UJ Sport athletes who were part of a 19-member Team South Africa that won two gold and one bronze medals at the World Athletics Relay Championship in Guangzhou, China. The team did this in stunning fashion, setting world-leading times in the men’s 4x400m (2:57.50) and 4x100m (37.61 seconds). The six UJ athletes – Lythe Pillay, Precious Molepo, Tsebo Matsoso, Retshidisitswe Mlenga, and club athletes Shirley Nekhubui and Udeme Okon – were integral to this success.
Still on UJ Sport, our Football Head Coach, Karabo Mogudi, also made us proud by guiding the SA Under-20 Men’s Team to qualification for the upcoming FIFA U/20 World Cup in Chile in September and October 2025. This is after the team reached the semi-finals in the u/20 AFCON in Egypt. Additionally, our Goalkeeper Coach Lucky Shiburi was part of the Bafana Bafana team that recently qualified for the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN), which will take place in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in August this year. Well done!
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.
