Dear UJ community,

As I settled down to put the proverbial ink to paper, I found myself reflecting on how quickly time has passed since the beginning of the year. In no time, we are over the registration period, and the annual Academic Opening has come and gone. Time is indeed precious. As the famous naturalist and father of evolutionary biology, Charles Darwin, memorably put it, “A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life”.

Autumn Graduations

With next week marking the start of March, and in keeping with the traditional harvest season, we will commence with our Autumn Graduations on Monday, 2 March 2026. During this graduation season, we will have 61 main ceremonies and seven additional graduations, with a total 13 125 graduands walking across the stage to receive their qualifications. Each crossing represents years of perseverance, intellectual growth and determination, transforming UJ’s campuses into vibrant spaces of celebration and achievement. This is more than a milestone moment for thousands of graduates. It is a season that reflects the expanding depth of UJ’s academic excellence and its growing contribution to society, industry and the continent.

Honorary Doctorates

During this graduation season, we will also recognise six extraordinary leaders by conferring honorary doctorates. Their conferral affirms the University’s commitment to honouring influence that transcends professions, borders and disciplines.  The highest accolade a university can confer, an honorary doctorate, follows a rigorous and deliberate process and is reserved for individuals whose leadership and achievements have reshaped industries, influenced society and global discourse, among other achievements.  The distinguished individuals are as follows:

• Monica Geingos: A lawyer, entrepreneur and globally recognised advocate for health equity who has transformed public leadership into a platform for action.
• Francois Pienaar: As captain of the Springboks during the historic 1995 Rugby World Cup victory, Mr Pienaar embodied reconciliation in action.
• Tryphosa Ramano: A Chartered Accountant and transformative financial leader, Ramano has shaped South Africa’s fiscal governance architecture across public and private sectors.
• Prof Njabulo Ndebele: The former Chancellor of our University and one of South Africa’s foremost literary and academic figures, Prof Ndebele has reshaped South African intellectual discourse by illuminating the depth and dignity of ordinary lives.
• John Samuel: One of South Africa’s most influential education policy architects who played a pivotal role in shaping a unified, democratic education system to replace apartheid-era fragmentation and inequality.
• Prof Loyiso Nongxa: A distinguished mathematician and the first black South African Rhodes Scholar who has combined scholarly excellence with visionary institutional leadership.

Beyond the Autumn ceremonies, additional honorary doctorates will be conferred later in 2026 during the University’s Spring graduation season. The three are Justice Sisi Khampepe, former First Lady of South Africa Ms Zanele Mbeki, and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al Missned, who has been actively engaged in education and other social reforms in Qatar for many years.

UJ Digital: A Model in Online Learning

In an era where university space is increasingly limited, our online learning platform, UJ Digital, is proving to be a viable option and model for higher education. Launched in May last year, UJ Digital is a strategic response to limited physical campus space while expanding flexible, digitally enabled learning aligned with UJ Strategy 2035. Since its launch, UJ recorded just under 15 000 registrations across its online offerings in 2025, reflecting strong demand. Engagement continues to grow, with a peak of 3 190 logins in a single day (20 February 2026) and an average of nearly 1 000 daily logins to the UJ Digital Storefront.

The most popular programmes are in Business and Management, Digital Skills and Future-of-Work, as well as Law and Health and Education and professional development. Language offerings such as seSotho, isiZulu, and French are also attracting strong interest. These trends reflect national and global demand for upskilling, reskilling, and career mobility. UJ Digital expands access locally and globally while diversifying income and advancing digital innovation.

Media and Publicity: UJ Driving Electric Car Adoption

Last week on this platform, I urged the importance of sharing our research outputs with the broader society through the mainstream media and our internal communication platform. I am pleased to see that many of our faculties and research institutes are beginning to share their research work with our colleagues from the University Relations Division. I am pleased to see an increase in the number of research stories featured in the media.

One such story is the one about UJ stepping firmly into the electric mobility arena, as South Africa confronts rising fuel costs, grid instability and mounting pressure to decarbonise its transport sector. Through the Centre for Automotive & Electric Vehicle Innovation (CAEVI), UJ is building a high-impact, multidisciplinary platform that moves beyond research papers to real-world implementation, reducing carbon emissions, stimulating green industrialisation and positioning South Africa as a serious player in Africa’s electric vehicle transition.

Hosted within UJ’s Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, CAEVI is far more than a conventional research centre. It is an action-driven implementation platform that brings together engineering, artificial intelligence (AI), battery science, policy research and community development to tackle one of the country’s most urgent priorities, the transition from internal combustion engines to a competitive, locally driven and sustainable electric mobility ecosystem. To read more about this exciting project, click here.

UJ Secures R1.5 million grant to spearhead research in TVET colleges

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges in South Africa, as we know, face challenges ranging from underfunding and poor infrastructure. However, there is renewed hope for these institutions. I am pleased to share that Prof Tankiso Moloi, our Executive Dean of the College of Business and Economics (CBE), has been awarded a research grant totalling R1,500,000 to support these institutions.

Awarded by the Insurance Sector Education and Training Authority (INSETA), the grant will fund two distinct yet complementary research projects, the ‘Strengthening Institutional Capacity and Industry Alignment in TVET Colleges. As part of this, Prof Moloi will serve as the Principal Investigator to lead two high-impact studies designed to bridge the gap between academic theory, vocational training, and the rapidly evolving demands of the modern economy. We are deeply grateful to INSETA for this opportunity and for their continued trust in our research capabilities.

UJ inaugurates 21st SRC leadership

Friday last week marked a new era for the UJ Student leadership, as we inaugurated the newly elected Student Representative Council (SRC). This follows the successful elections held in October last year. As a University, we value student leadership as a strategic partner in tackling the enduring challenges pervading the higher education sector, such as funding, accommodation, safety and wellbeing. As our successive SRCs have demonstrated over the years, leadership is about inspiring others and making a positive impact on fellow students and in our country at large. I wish our new SRC the best of luck and know that their tenure in office will inspire the UJ student community! To read more about this, click here.

Book Launch in celebration of the life of author and journalist Bloke Modisane

In an event highlighting our prowess in the literary space, UJ, in association with the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF), launched the book Bloke of All Ages: Perspectives on Bloke Modisane, yesterday. The book is edited by Dr Siyabonga Njica, from Cambridge University, United Kingdom, and our very own Prof Siphiwo Mahala. Modisane was a South African writer and journalist from the 1950s, illustrious pantheon of Drum magazine journalists. Forced into exile, he escaped South Africa via Botswana and settled in several countries. He died in Germany on 1 March 1986, and this year marks exactly forty years since his passing. This book launch was more than just a celebration of his life and works; it brought together scholars, writers, readers, journalists, and members of Modisane’s family to reflect on his enduring legacy and interrogate pertinent issues.

High Tea with the VC

As communicated, we will resume the High Tea with the VC hybrid book discussions today, when Thebe Ikalafeng will join me to discuss my latest book, From Predator to Prey: Leadership Lessons from the African Wild and Beyond.  Holding an honorary doctorate from UJ, Thebe Ikalafeng is the founder of The Brand Leadership Group, a multi-disciplinary advisory group at the intersection of strategy, creativity and intellectual property law. A consummate pan-African, Thebe is also the founder of the independent non-profit Brand Africa movement for a brand-led African renaissance and the ‘Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands’ initiative, which is widely referenced as the definitive barometer of brands in Africa.

We will meet at the UJ APK Library, Chinua Achebe Auditorium, Level 6, at 14h00. For in-person attendance, RSVP here: High Tea with the VC. For virtual attendance, book here to join. Let’s engage in a conversation that moves beyond the classroom and into the heart of what it means to lead effectively in an ever-changing landscape.

First Semester VC Campus Engagement

Next week marks the beginning of the First Semester VC Campus Engagements. Members of the University’s Management Executive Committee (MEC), the Executive Leadership Group (ELG), and I will update staff on important developments and challenges at our University. These events also provide a platform for our staff to raise any matters and concerns that can contribute towards the development of our institution. The events are scheduled as follows:

Monday, 2 March: Auckland Park Bunting (APB) Campus
Venue: Johannesburg Business School Park, Auditorium GLV1

Monday, 9 March: Auckland Park Kingsway (APK) Campus
Venue: UJ Arts Centre

Monday, 16 March: Doornfontein (DFC) Campus
Venue: Exam Centre, Second Floor, John Orr Building

Thursday, 19 March: Soweto Campus (SWC)
Venue: VIP Lounge, Imbizo Hall.

We will meet at the usual time of 12h00 to 13h30. Your engagement is essential as we continue to steer the University into the future as a leading institution. If there are any specific issues you would like addressed or any questions you would like answered, please send them to bernicem@uj.ac.za.

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.