On 19 September 2023, the Student Representative Council (SRC), hosted a remarkable event at the Oppidan Dining Hall. This event featured a distinguished guest speaker, Landa Mabenge, the author of "Becoming Him: A Trans Memoir of Triumph," who shared his invaluable experiences on the path to self-acceptance and empowerment.

Last week, Rhodes University hosted an evening on the Commercialisation of Research themed “Transforming ideas into impact”. Vice-Chancellor Professor Sizwe Mabizela, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation, and Strategic Partnerships, Dr Nomakwezi Mzilikazi, Associate Professor and Head of Political and International Studies, Professor Siphokazi Magadla, Economics Professor and Head of Department, Professor Jen Snowball, distinguished guests, and students.

A recent men's Dialogue hosted by Higher Health in collaboration with the Eastern Cape Liquor Board at Rhodes University featured a panel of men from all walks of life discussing and addressing topics about manhood and masculinity.

Rhodes University lecturer in the Department of Drama, Gavin Krastin, was recently honoured for his work in theatre and performance with the prestigious Forty under 40 Award. The event was held at the Houghton Hotel earlier this month and hosted and supported by the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, the National Youth Development Agency and Xodus Communications.

Rhodes University Faculty of Law LLM Candidate, Tafadzwa Mavindidze, has been announced as the first-place recipient of the prestigious South African Law Reform Legal Essay Competition (SALRC) prize for 2023.

Rhodes University recently celebrated its retiring staff members during a memorable tree-planting tradition held on campus. Among them was Professor Justin Jonas, referred to by Dr Bernie Faranoff as the “spiritual guru of the SKA”. Prof Jonas first enrolled as a student at Rhodes University in 1976.

The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities (The Guild) have launched a new Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE) on Creative Economies: Cultures, Innovation and Sustainability, which includes Rhodes University.

The Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching and Learning's (CHERTL’s) Trojan Academic Initiative (TAI) student peer mentoring programme at Rhodes University marked its 20th anniversary with a celebration dinner which highlighted the profound impact of mentoring for first-year students as well as their senior student mentors.

Makhanda's River Rescuers put in a big effort this past weekend to do their housework for the planet. Helen Holleman of River Rescue calls it the "Spring Cleaning". The efforts were driven by a service learning partnership between River Rescue and the Rhodes University Department of Environmental Science, along with contributions from other partners.

Investec recently hosted an awards dinner to honour top academic achievements within the Rhodes University Commerce Faculty over the past four years, who had gone through the Extended Studies Programme.

Rhodes University recently gathered to celebrate the inaugural lecture of Professor Dion Nkomo, a distinguished scholar from the School of Languages and Literatures, who also serves as the NRF SARChI Chair: Intellectualisation of African Languages, Multilingualism and Education, as he assumed the prestigious rank of full professor.

Rhodes University recently hosted a 5-day workshop as part of a project called 'BAQONDE' (Boosting the use of African languages in education: A Qualified Organised National DEvelopment strategy for South Africa). This was the final workshop for the project, with other partners having hosted similar workshops in which about twenty Rhodes academics participated since 2022. The project ends at the end of the year.

Rhodes University 2023 Student Representative Council (SRC) Sports and Societies Councillor, Buhle Luthuli, has been selected as the 2023 ambassador of the International University Sports Federation (FISU).

The Global Leadership Summit held on 22 August in Durban, South Africa, brought together leaders of international education from numerous countries around the world to discuss the most pressing issues currently facing international higher education in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world.

The Annual Rhodes University Postgraduate Conference enthusiastically kicked off on 8 September 2023. This two-day event, themed "Shaking the Table," brought together diverse students and academics from across all faculties at Rhodes University and beyond to exchange knowledge, engage in meaningful discourse, and present their cutting-edge research projects.

A recent book award lecture was held in honour of former Deputy-Vice Chancellor Professor Chrissie Boughey and the Director of Postgraduate Studies, Professor Sioux McKenna, for their collaborative book, “Understanding Higher Education: Alternative Perspectives”.

Rhodes University’s Institute for Water Research (IWR) is responding to the threats to water quality and availability across the African continent by helping in the establishment of institutional partnerships to equip researchers and communities with the tools to respond to significant challenges.

Each year, Rhodes University proudly recognises its outstanding alumni who have excelled in their respective fields and significantly impacted society. The recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award 2023, chosen by the Old Rhodian Union selection committee, are exemplary individuals who embody the values of Rhodes University: excellence, leadership, and service.

It is with great sadness that Rhodes University has learnt of the passing of the founder of Pick ‘n Pay and one of the University's esteemed honorary doctorate recipients, Dr Raymond Ackerman. Dr Ackerman was conferred with a Doctor of Laws (LLD) (honoris causa) by Rhodes University in 1986, in recognition of his role as a foremost entrepreneur, a committed humanitarian and the immense contribution he made to business and society. In a ceremony comprising a multitude of individual celebrations of students' achievements, there was a collective celebration of the unique achievement of Dr Ackerman.

Founded in 1911 by Sir George Cory and Professor Cullen Bowles, the Old Rhodian Union (ORU) administers bursaries for children of Old Rhodians and current University staff members. This year, the Union granted 31 bursaries to the value of R325 000.

Ground-breaking research by two Rhodes University PhD graduates, Tamryn Marsberg and Michael Jukes, has now led to the patent of viral-based products, MultiMax and CodlMax, as alternatives to the conventional use of chemical pesticides on citrus, apples, and litchi. The advantage of these products includes their lack of non-target effects such that the pest is controlled without the knock-on environmental harm.

In an increasingly interconnected world, the importance of diplomacy and international cooperation cannot be overstated. Rhodes University recently welcomed the Brazilian Association of Rectors of Provincial and Municipal Universities (ABRUEM), who have been visiting a selection of universities across South Africa, to its campus for the first time.

Responding to concerns about the presence of Escherichia coli (better known as E. coli) in Makana’s water supply, the Rhodes University Biotechnology Innovation Centre (RUBIC) activated its newly launched Water Testing Laboratory services to successfully allay fears about the presence of this bacteria in drinking water.

This year, Rhodes University is celebrating the long-service milestones of 140 dedicated employees, who have a cumulative 2240 years between them.

Rhodes University Durban-based alumni came out strongly to support the much-anticipated foundation of alumni chapters nationwide. This sentiment was shared during last night's alumni reunion at the Umhlanga Rocks in Durban. Proud alumni of the institution came out in numbers to reconnect with each other and get an update on important matters concerning their alma mater. Members of the media were also part of this momentous occasion.

In a ground-breaking acknowledgement of excellence, the Centre for Radio Astronomy Techniques and Technologies (RATT) has been awarded the highly-coveted NRF Science Team Award for 2023.

Nokubonga Msweli, a 3rd-year Bachelor of Pharmacy student at Rhodes University, is a beneficiary of a Clicks Foundation bursary through Rhodes University's Isivivane Fund. Originally from Mandeni in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Nokubonga expressed that her upbringing and background inspired her to choose a STEM-related profession.

The Office of Equity and Institutional Culture is excited to announce the return of the 'My Body, My Choice' campaign to Rhodes University. The phrase, 'My Body My Choice,' originates in the women-led movement for reproductive rights in the United States but has been widely used by different activist collectives pursuing their rights to bodily integrity and self-determination. Rhodes University can boast a history of active feminist work on campus, including a decade's worth of photographic campaigns under the banner of 'My Body, My Choice' focused on the reclamation of embodiment.

Rhodes University Student Representative Council (SRC) recently held its inauguration, which saw the emergence of new student leaders for 2024. Simphiwe Inako Mnyande, a second-year student majoring in Economics and Politics in a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree, was elected as the president for the year 2024.

Having been raised by a single mother in a rural township with low economic resources, Yamkelani Sopapaza overcame many obstacles to pursue higher education. With the help of funding through Isivivane Fund, this brilliant student graduated from Rhodes University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy earlier in 2023.

Lorraine Phahlamohlaka, a young woman in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is passionate about the importance of shaping the recognition of young women in the field. Originally from Limpopo, Lorraine pursued her studies in Pharmacy at Rhodes University. With the financial aid provided by Aspen Holdings through Rhodes University’s Isivivane Fund, Lorraine completed her degree in June 2023.

The Registrars’ Imbizo is an annual event bringing together Registrars across South African universities to engage on various issues impacting the higher education sector. During 21-22 August 2023, Rhodes University welcomed the Imbizo to its campus for the first time, with Registrar Professor Adéle Moodly as the host.

The African Masculinity Symposium, co-hosted by the Critical Studies in Sexualities and Reproduction (CSSR) and the School of Journalism and Media Studies, occurred earlier this month at Eden Grove Blue. The event aimed to tackle the topic of Challenging Patriarchal Norms for a Safer and More Equitable Society. The objective was to address pressing matters such as Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and its connection to violent masculinities; and how it has provoked social media movements and prompted national debates calling on the need for change.

In a bold move to articulate its ambition in postgraduate education, Rhodes University hosted an event to encourage third-year students to apply for Honours studies. The event was held at the Barrat Lecture Theatre on 18 August 2023 and was hosted by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor responsible for Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships, Dr Kwezi Mzilikazi.

In a grand celebration of educational distinction and pedagogical innovation, Rhodes University once again demonstrated its commitment to exceptional teaching by hosting the 2022 Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award Lecture - a testament to the University’s dedication to recognising and celebrating outstanding educators. The highlight of the evening was the introduction of the recipient of the 2022 Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award, Dr Ntethelelo Sibiya.

Rhodes University has joined the ground-breaking ArtMathsScienceTech project, a unique initiative that seeks to revolutionise how mathematics and science are taught at schools. Through the fusion of theatre, music, dance, and crafts, this innovative approach aims to create engaging and playful environments, transforming traditional subjects into captivating learning experiences.

Students, members of the Ink Society and staff at Rhodes University recently participated in an open mic event in celebration of Women's Month. The event, themed "Celebrating African Women Writers", was to honour and shine a light on African women authors.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has been navigating turbulent waters for the past year but always seems to come through in the clear. Lately, he has dodged past the rugged rocks of Phala Phala and narrowly missed the cataclysmic vortex of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.

Fifty-eight Rhodes University staff members were recognised at this year’s Vice-Chancellor and Thomas Alty Awards on 14 August 2023. This ceremony acknowledges staff members who have attained further qualifications within the last year, either through Rhodes University or an external institution.

The topic of women in leadership holds personal significance to many due to the pervasive patriarchal norms affecting societies worldwide.

Nostalgia and innovation intertwined as Rhodes University's current Student Representative Council (SRC) and SRC Alumni gathered to launch the SRC Alumni Board on 12 August 2023. This historic moment saw a fusion of past and present, birthing a new era for preserving the SRC legacy.

For the first time in the history of Eastern Cape Intervarsity, Rhodes University emerged victorious at the 2023 tournament, beating the nearest competition by 16 points to take the winning spot from titleholders, Nelson Mandela University (NMU).

The Rhodes University Political and International Studies Department successfully hosted its annual Teach-In lecture series, a significant event on the academic calendar since 2002. This year's series, "Energy is the Life-blood of Development: Perspectives on the South African Energy Crisis", took place over lunch and spanned an hour, inviting students and the wider Rhodes community to participate actively.

In keeping with its cherished tradition, the Rhodes University community gathered to attend the Inaugural Lecture of Professor Adrienne Edkins. This time-honoured ritual accompanies the University's recognition of an academic's elevation to the esteemed rank of full professor.

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Thembi Nkadimeng called for a reduction of municipal councillors’ power in order to achieve good governance. The Minister was making a keynote address at Rhodes University during first day of week-long Student Representative Councilor’s (SRC) Leadership Week series.

Education is the real lever to transform our society. We are supposed to rediscover, discover, replant and plant because what matters the most is the seed that we plant, and with current crop of students, the country can harvest that. These were the sentiments shared by the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature Deputy Speaker, Mlibo Qoboshiyane, during the second day of the Student Representative Council (SRC) Leadership Week last night.

“Strijdom, you have tampered with the women, you have struck a rock, you will be crushed!” These are the words of the song composed by the women of 1956 as they staged a peaceful march to the Union Buildings on 09 August 1956 to confront the might of the ignominious apartheid regime that had enacted a law designed to extend the cruel and iniquitous ‘pass law’ to African women.

Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sizwe Mabizela has pleaded with the National Parliament to keep the Seat of the High Court in Makhanda. He highlighted the potential loss of jobs and destruction of livelihoods that could result from such a move.

The air of excitement was palpable as close to 100 young learners from St Mary’s Primary School gathered on the main cricket field at Kingswood College on Wednesday, 01 August, for their coaching activation with nine cricket coaches from the Gary Kirsten Foundation, along with four local coaches.

Plans are underway for the brand-new Postgraduate Diploma in Advancement and Resource Mobilisation to be offered next year by the Rhodes Business School.

Rhodes University in the Eastern Cape has honoured the late SEK Mqhayi, one of the greatest Xhosa writers in history. This comes, as the institution celebrates 200 years of the written isiXhosa language.

Rhodes University Drama Lecturer Selloane ‘Lalu’ Mokuku and MA student Khanya Ngcuka each won a Bronze Award at this year’s National Art Festival (NAF).

On 20 July 2023, Dr Jessica Cockburn gave her 2021 Special Vice-Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award Lecture titled: "Becoming a teacher in turbulent times: cultivating connection and care in context". The event was well-attended by Dr Cockburn's friends, family, fellow lecturers and students.

Former South African president Nelson Mandela was celebrated through knowledge-sharing at the Barrat lecture theatre at Rhodes University on 18 July 2023.

Rhodes University's Eden Grove Blue Lecture Theatre was abuzz with excitement as scholars from various fields gathered to witness the inaugural address of Professor James Gambiza. The event, a prestigious milestone in an academic's career, marks the conferral of full professor status on a scholar who has showcased exceptional scholarly contributions to their discipline.

Rhodes University School of Journalism and Media Studies (JMS) unveiled its mural, which celebrates and honours industry legends, on Friday at the Afrika Media Matrix.

Rhodes University alumna and former Student Recruitment Officer, Tulisa Mondliwa, has received government recognition and a boost for her Afrikare beauty product business. The Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) recently held awards for top-performing women farmers in the Sarah Baartman district.

Rhodes University’s international recognition was boosted last week when the South Korea Ambassador, His Excellency Chull-joo Park and administrative official, Jung In Myeong, visited Rhodes University.

In celebration of Nelson Mandela International Day, the interns at Rhodes University's Community Engagement (RUCE) took proactive steps to engage with local high school students by providing guidance on the application processes for higher education institutions. Sinazo Sonjica and Makube Qinela, visited grade 12 pupils at Nathaniel Nyaluza Senior Secondary School, shedding light on opportunities at Rhodes University and other local colleges. Their efforts aimed to address the lack of information hindering students from pursuing tertiary education.

Nelson Mandela Day, observed annually on 18 July, honours the iconic South African leader by encouraging ordinary people to emulate his legacy of social justice, reconciliation, and investment in education. This year, the Rhodes University Community Engagement (RUCE) office focused on supporting local schools in underserved communities with a generous donation of educational materials.

Professor Cliff Jones, Rhodes University Head of the Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science (DIFS), an African Centre of Excellence, accompanied by Professor ‘Mabokang Monnapula-Mapesela, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Academic and Students Affairs, recently welcomed a large delegation from Liberia on their arrival to Rhodes University.

The Rhodes University Student Recruitment hosted a Life Orientation teacher’s workshop last week to celebrate and honour top provincial feeder schools.

Rhodes University welcomes the appointment of its Board of Governors Chairperson, alumnus and the Executive in Residence at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), Mr Andile Sangqu, to the position of the chair of the Transnet Board.

The Allan Gray Centre for Leadership Ethics (AGCLE) is thrilled to announce its partnership with the Career Centre and sponsorship of the annual Top 100 Student Awards. Henceforth, the awards will be known as the “Rhodes University & Allan Gray Centre for Leadership Ethics Top 100 Student Leadership Awards”.

How much significance should we read into Ace Magashule’s expulsion from the ANC, and will it have ripple effects on coalition possibilities for the 2024 elections? A look at June’s news coverage of the ruling party raises these questions, and reminds us of the deep moral gutter South African politics has descended into.

A team of four final-year Rhodes University Faculty of Law students boarded a 13-hour flight to Geneva, Switzerland, to participate in the prestigious John H Jackson International Trade Law Moot Court Competition.

Rhodes University’s Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation Director, Distinguished Professor Tebello Nyokong, has been appointed to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

At the end of June 2023, Rhodes University academics and directors participated in an international, interdisciplinary seminar themed ‘Leadership for Workplace Health Promotion in Educational Institutions & Community Settings: Post-Tuberculosis (TB) Lung Disease’.

Rhodes University, nestled in the heart of Makhanda, is renowned for its commitment to academic excellence. Recently, Dean of Science Professor Tony Booth emphasised the town's ability to nurture exceptional minds, urging grade 12 learners from six no-fee paying schools in Makhanda to take advantage of the University's resources.

Scientists, including Rhodes University Visiting Professor Dr Gyula Józsa, use the LOFAR telescope to observe low-frequency radio waves from satellites in large constellations for the first time. “Unintended electromagnetic radiation” emanating from onboard electronics in Starlink satellites was detected, which could impact astronomical research.

It was a week in which academics wrote poems with ChatGPT and learned computational methods to collect data from thousands of online news sites. Rhodes University's School of Journalism and Media Studies (JMS) hosted the DigiMethods 2023 event from 19 to 24 June 2023. Academic staff and postgraduate students came from as far as Uganda and Kenya to attend the event, which included a winter school on digital research methods and a colloquium on future-proofing the media and journalism curriculum.

Rhodes University is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Claire Kelly, a well-respected researcher, teacher and facilitator in social justice and critical diversity, as its Director: Equity and Institutional Culture, with effect from 1 July 2023.

Rhodes University, in collaboration with the University of Pretoria, will host the Future Earth Africa Hub Leadership Centre from 2023 to 2026.

Rhodes University is delighted to announce that Dr Nomakwezi Mzilikazi will assume her role as the new Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships on 1 July 2023.

What constitutes effective training to ensure research supervisors are well equipped to work with doctoral students? Sioux McKenna and Puleng Motshoane share advice based on their research in South Africa.

Rhodes University is currently hosting fellows from the last African Humanities Programme (AHP) cohort. Since 2009, the AHP has awarded fellowships to more than 450 early career scholars in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda, with the generous support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY). The programme that began in 2008-09 was due to conclude in 2020-21 but was extended due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rhodes University has been drafted to take up key roles in various clusters of the newly launched Africa-Europe Clusters of Excellence, including co-leading the establishment of Water Resource Management for a Sustainable and Just Future Cluster.

“Besieged” is the word the Eskom’s former board chairperson Malegapuru Makgoba used to refer to the ailing power utility when he appeared before the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) last month.

In May, Rhodes University dedicates a month-long celebration to Africa, encompassing International Week and culminating in Africa Day on the 25th. In response to a call from the Rhodes University International Office, numerous departments collaborated and organised activities, exhibitions and displays independently to acknowledge and celebrate Africa Month.

The Canadian Society for Pharmaceutical Sciences (CSPS) has announced Emeritus Professor Isadore Kanfer as the 2023 recipient of the CSPS Lifetime Achievement Award in Toronto for his outstanding contributions over the length of his career.

Africa Day (25 May 2023) was broadly acknowledged on campus, with an exhibition in the English Department, displays on each floor of the Library and campus screens rotated interesting facts about every single country in Africa, to educate the whole community.

Loved ones and members of the Rhodes University community gathered at the 1820 Settler's Monument in Makhanda on 10 June 2023 to pay tribute to and celebrate the life of one of the University’s most prominent alumni Eusebius McKaiser.

Guests to the Internationalisation Awards event held in early May were welcomed by the uplifting sounds of a Rhodes University ensemble from the International Library of African Music (ILAM), led by Mr Elijah Madiba.

Following a Makana Municipality statement regarding the detection of E. coli in Makana’s water supply last month, Rhodes University’s Biotechnology Innovation Centre (RUBIC) availed its water-testing capabilities to the community to provide consistent and transparent monitoring of the effectiveness of the municipality’s disinfection measures.

While over 10% of the registered full-time student body comes from beyond the borders of South Africa, mainly from the SADC region, Rhodes University has shorter-term international students on campus, as part of credit-bearing semester abroad programmes, throughout the academic year.

Acclaimed South African Theatre Collective, Empatheatre, which was established as part of Dr Dylan McGarry’s postdoctoral research, will present its new short film "Indlela Yokuphila: The Soul's Journey" at United Nations World Ocean Week in New York on 07 June 2023.

Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sizwe Mabizela, welcomed 62 graduates to campus last week as they joined the University as part of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) programme.

Rhodes University’s basketball team, the Titans have emerged with unparalleled might and immeasurable strength to claim the title as the Eastern Cape's Basketball Champions once again.

Lecturer in Rhodes University's School of Journalism & Media Studies, Dr Chikezie Uzuegbunam, has been selected among other international research scientists to join the IPIE, the International Panel on the Information Environment.

The Rhodes University community, its alumni network in its expanse - far-flung all over the globe - students, and employees of the University are in deep mourning over the passing of the respected alumnus, Mr Eusebius McKaiser.

Twenty-seven (27) students who came through the 9/10ths programme were awarded different qualifications in the recent Rhodes University graduation ceremonies held earlier this year. The University regards this achievement as confirmation that the programme works incredibly well.

Most philosophers of education or philosophically inclined scholars of education in the past century and a half would agree with the claim that, ideally, education should be the practice of freedom. That is, it ought to cultivate the ability to intelligently decide how we want to shape our lives. The aim of education should be to foster human autonomy.

Professor Justin Jonas, Professor of Physics and Electronics at the Rhodes University Department of Physics and Electronics, gave a lecture following his bestowal of the inaugural esteemed Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Award (2020). In attendance were family and friends, students, and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sizwe Mabizela.

Community Engagement is not a new concept, as it has played a significant role in society over the years. However, its formalisation as a core function of universities is relatively recent. Community engagement helps universities to contribute to the socio-economic development of local communities.

Rhodes University hosted the first sector-wide Language Resources Audit conducted by the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLAR) at the Continuing Education Centre this week.

Recognising her exceptional leadership, dedication, and achievements in advancing internationalisation at Rhodes University, Professor Sioux McKenna, the Director of the Centre for Postgraduate Studies (CPGS), has been awarded the 2022 Internationalisation Award. Her tireless efforts have strengthened the institution's global presence and significantly contributed to the advancement of knowledge and understanding on a worldwide scale.

On the second day of Rhodes University's Community Engagement Learning Symposium at the Amazwi South African Museum of Literature, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs, Professor ‘Mabokang Monnapula-Mapesela, encouraged attendees to engage in difficult and uncomfortable conversations. She argued that universities must make community engagement an integral part of academics and not simply "a contribution".

On the evening of 9 May 2023, Rhodes University’s Deputy Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs, Professor ‘Mabokang Monnapula-Mapesela, introduced the 2022 Vice-Chancellor's Distinguished Community Engagement award winners at Amazwi South African Museum of Literature in Makhanda. The winners’ lecture formed part of a three-day Community Engagement Learning Symposium hosted by Rhodes University.

On 09 May 2023, the Rhodes University Community Engagement division launched its Community Engagement (CE) Learning Symposium, which included speakers from all over the globe. This was the first of three days of discussions and workshops centred around highlighting, as per the official website, the "developmental and transformative roles of universities" in incorporating CE in their institutions to serve "as a platform to build community-university relationships for the mutual benefit of all those involved in CE, such as students, communities and academics".

Rhodes University’s Director of the Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation, Distinguished Professor Tebello Nyokong, has been selected as a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Rhodes University has appointed its alumnus and retired advocate, Torquil John Macleod Paterson SC, as the University’s new Ombud. He takes over from Advocate Les Roberts.

Rhodes University’s International Office recently hosted the International Education Association of South Africa’s (IEASA) Director Forum, the advisory body of IEASA. It was the first face-to-face event of the year of IEASA’s silver jubilee.

The GADRA Matric School, alongside Rhodes University, celebrated the graduation of Junaid Denston, a former GADRA student, during the 2023 graduation season.

The International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA), the leading and only national organisation dedicated to higher education internationalisation in South Africa, is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2023.

The Rhodes University Pharmacy Department hosted its annual White Coat ceremony to officially welcome new students into the professional world of pharmacy.

Two students from the Institute of Physics at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, are visiting Rhodes University on a staff-student exchange programme to learn more about the luminescence properties of natural Brazilian minerals.

Rhodes University’s Music and Musicology PhD candidate and jazz singer and songwriter, Natalie Rungan, has recently been awarded for her love, dedication, and hard work in music. She won an international Akademia Music Grand Award for her lively and introspective Jazz EP, 'There's A Sound in My Head.' The album was composed as the creative foundation of her PhD. In it, she reflects on her musical journey and the life turns and revelations that made her the artist and teacher she is today.

Rhodes University’s Director of the Centre for Postgraduate Studies, Professor Sioux McKenna, was one of ten panellists comprising academics and Chief Executive Officers of tech companies, at the latest CogitAIt Colloquium. The Colloquium was held on Tuesday, 18 April 2023, and it looked at the applications of emerging technologies in education, research, and training.

The Student Bureau at Rhodes University is not only the first point of contact for new students, but their involvement in the graduation ceremonies means that they get the chance to see a student’s academic journeys right to their brilliant end.

Wine was first produced in South Africa as far back as the mid-1600s by Dutch colonisers who sold it to passing ships. The industry developed further during the colonial and apartheid eras and wine became an important part of the South African economy.

Rhodes University Chemistry PhD candidate, Kristen Burgess, has been selected for the illustrious Gates Cambridge scholarship. Burgess is part of the Gates Cambridge Class of 2023, made up of 77 outstanding new scholars from across the world.

Rhodes University has come out strongly to re-affirm its decision not to participate in scientifically dubious and anti-transformation international university ranking systems.

Rhodes University student Anelisa Mfenyana's story perfectly illustrates how, if you are determined and work hard for what you want, you will achieve it.

There are a lot of key role players involved in making Rhodes University's graduation an auspicious occasion that is filled with excitement and celebration. A critical, but often invisible role is that of the Academic Administration section within the Registrar's Division.

Resilience is a theme in Mbongeni Shabangu's story. As a person living with a visual impairment, he had to constantly perform the arduous task of not allowing himself to be the product of his circumstances. At this year's March graduation ceremonies, Shabangu graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Computer Sciences and Economics) degree.

Rhodes University and UK’s leading innovator for Greentech environmental solutions in the carbon fuels industry, ElimiNOX, have signed a ground-breaking memorandum of understanding that aims, among other objectives, to set up R300 million fund for carbon offset tax-free allowances to big industry players.

The South Africa Sweden University Forum (SASUF), of which Rhodes University is a member, recently held its Research and Innovation Week 2023. Several Rhodes University academics and executives participated.

In the hopes of combining her passions for conservation, Indigenous storytelling and cinematography, PhD Candidate and Student Representative Council (SRC) Vice-President Putuma Balintulo fulfils her dream as a fellow at the Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers (NEWF).

Intercultural Education China's Founder and Director, Ms. Linda Liao, and the Director of Overseas Recruitment, Ms. Talen Tan, visited the Rhodes University International Office and Career Centre to encourage Rhodes University final year and postgraduate students to consider teaching opportunities in China.

After suffering a catastrophic stroke while performing on stage in 2019, with only two months left for him to finish his master’s degree in ethnomusicology, Joe Makhanza had to pause his academic journey.

Graduation week at Rhodes University is a momentous occasion for graduates and their loved ones, as it marks the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. To ensure the smooth running of the prestigious event, the University relies heavily on the support of student helpers behind-the-scenes.

In May 2022, the government in Ghana introduced a deeply unpopular tax on mobile money transactions, known as the e-levy. When it was introduced, the levy was structured as a 1.5% charge on all electronic and mobile money transactions over 100 cedis per day.

The Department of Higher Education and Training has awarded Rhodes University R13 497 000 to run three projects aimed at making a national impact on the higher education sector.

Rhodes University’s communications officer Velisile Bukula was one of hundreds of graduates capped this week at the institution’s autumn graduation which took place over three days.

During the 14h30 graduation ceremony of 30 March 2023, the Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Community Engagement Award was jointly awarded to Professor Megan Campbell, Nqobile Msomi, Dr Duane Booysen, Christine Lewis and Mandisa Ndabula from the Rhodes University Psychology Department.

Rhodes University usually dresses up its campus during its annual graduation celebrations, but this year it boosted efforts to include an even wider area.

Investec recently hosted a welcome event for first-year students of Rhodes University's Commerce Extended Studies Programme (ESP). Representing Investec were Mr Setlogane Manchidi, the Investec Head of Corporate Social Investment (CSI), and Mrs Thembiso Kodisang, an Investec CSI Practitioner. The Acting Dean of Commerce, Professor Lynette Louw, also attended the welcome event.

At its graduation ceremony on 30 March 2023, Rhodes University will confer a degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) (honoris causa) on the Professor of Development Studies at Nelson Mandela University, Janet Cherry.

Rhodes University BSc alumnus, Nkululeko Ngqinambi has produced a biofertiliser to help lower production costs for farmers who have been battling high fertiliser prices.

At its graduation ceremony on 31 March 2023, Rhodes University will confer a degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) (honoris causa) on Professor Debra Roberts, who heads the Sustainable and Resilient City Initiatives Unit in eThekwini Municipality.

At its graduation ceremony on Friday, 31 March 2023, Rhodes University will confer a degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) (honoris causa) on Executive Director at Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute Professor Helen Rees.

Named Koko, Nqonqo, Knock knock! Arts for Life!, Rhodes University and Wits University held a series of arts-based interventions in March 2023 to create meaningful dialogue and connections and destigmatise student mental health issues.

At its fourth graduation ceremony on Thursday, 30 March 2023, at 14h30, Rhodes University will confer a degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) (honoris causa) on its alumnus and Judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, Justice Mbuyiseli Russel Madlanga.

In an unprecedented follow-up, the upcoming Rhodes University graduation will see a substantial majority of women graduates. Of 1733 graduands, a staggering 1120 are women.

At its graduation ceremony on 29 March 2023, Rhodes University will confer a degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) (honoris causa) on the Chairperson of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into allegations of state capture and Chief Justice of South Africa, Judge Raymond Mnyamezeli Zondo.

Imagine a world where a few drops of your blood, saliva or tears could give you early warning of impending cancer, heart attacks or other dread diseases. This field of ultra-sensitive disease diagnostics is already in the making, and Philani Mashazi, Associate Professor of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry at Rhodes University, is right at the forefront.

Digital archives are an essential aspect of the educational sphere. They serve as a form of immortalising knowledge, which can easily be lost if time is not taken to ensure its survival. The Rhodes University Library, in collaboration with the Environmental Learning Research Centre (ELRC), recently presented an initiative to ensure that knowledge is stored and packaged for years and years to come through a digital archive project.

Last week, the Rhodes University Biotechnology Innovation Centre (RUBIC) officially launched a water testing facility at the Biological Sciences building.

The United Nation’s (UN) 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to create a more peaceful and sustainable world, and university research can play a vital role in achieving them. The Rhodes University Library and Community Engagement division have initiated SDG projects to promote access to this knowledge across society.

The Rhodes University Library recently held a two-day Open Science Colloquium under the theme “Climate Justice Through Open Knowledge” at the Amazwi South African Museum of Literature. The event was aimed at discussing the climate crisis and the ways in which it continues to impact different groups of people in a variety of ways.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a shock to higher education systems everywhere. But while some changes, like moving lectures online, were relatively easy to make, assessment posed a much bigger challenge. Assessment can take many forms, from essays to exams to experiments and more.

From marching in the town centre to occupying parks, people often gather to challenge the status quo in public spaces. Street art is no different. Though it might not come to mind when we think of protest, plastering graphics and words onto city walls is a political intervention.

Rhodes University’s Masters of Biotechnology candidate, Ntobeko Songcata, recently won the Eastern Cape Innovation Challenge Award for his MSc project pitch.

Twenty-four years of uninterrupted service, dedication, and love for her job have earned Jayalakshmi Pillay a promotion to the Director of Residential Operations. ‘Jay’, as she is better known, arrived at the Institution in 1999 as the Food Services Manager. She was appointed as the Deputy Director of Residential Operations in 2013.

Relocating the seat of the high court would be nothing short of a death knell for this city. Makhanda would become a ghost town.

It was not ‘research as usual’ for six MSc students from the Institute for Water Research (IWR) at Rhodes University on 16 and 17 February, 2023. The six students, Andrew Ali, Havilah Nnadozie, Esther Seriki, Peter Wasswa, Sakikhaya Mabohlo and Sofia Lazar participated in the 5th edition of the W4F Hackathon organised by the UNESCO ICIREWARD International Centre in Montpellier, France.

Rhodes University today welcomes Dr. Pakiso Tondi as the new Director of Student Affairs. He takes over from Ms Nomangwane Mrwetyana, who has served the University for many years.

A celebratory dinner was recently held to acknowledge the achievements and financial donors of Nine Tenths, a successful mentoring programme which forms part of Rhodes University’s Community Engagement (RUCE) initiatives. The dinner was attended by several high-level individuals, including the Vice Chancellor of Rhodes University, Professor Sizwe Mabizela, mentors, mentees, and donors who had provided critical support.

Students from schools in Makhanda and nearby communities, including Port Alfred, Bathurst, and Gqeberha, met on 17 February 2023 for the Rhodes University Mathematics Experience (RUME) at the Barratt Lecture Theatre Complex at Rhodes University.

Rhodes University Environmental Learning and Research Centre (ELRC) recently hosted a welcoming launch in celebration of the new qualification, the Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainability Learning [PGDip (SL)].

After a fulfilling 11-year journey at Rhodes University, Division of Student Affairs (DSA) Director, Ms Nomangwane Mrwetyana, bids farewell to the University. ‘Mam’ Noma’, as she is affectionately known by students, leaves her alma mater with fond memories. She started as a Senior Psychologist at the Counselling Care Centre and worked her way up to the Director position.

At the age of 61, people are generally considering retiring and spending quiet time with their families. However, this is not the case for the newly-elected Student Representative Council (SRC) Oppidan Councillor, Adrian February. He is the oldest student in the history of Rhodes university to be elected to serve as an SRC Councillor.

The Rhodes Business School recently held a graduation ceremony for its Manager’s Development Programme (MDP) and Supervisors’ Development Programmes (SDP). The two programmes were launched in 2021 to improve leadership skills for managers and supervisors within Rhodes University.

Millions of women in South Africa struggle to afford sanitary products. This can stop them from attending school and working, undermining their health and dignity. Last week, the Mina Foundation visited Rhodes University to promote its durable and cost-effective period solution. The Mina Cup is a reusable silicon menstrual cup. They also launched a campaign to increase awareness of women’s reproductive health and de-stigmatise the conversations around menstruation.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sizwe Mabizela welcomed hundreds of students from different initiatives such as Gadra Matric School (GMS), the Bridging programme and the Nine-Tenths mentoring programme last week. Professor Mabizela congratulated them for making it to Rhodes University and encouraged them never to give up on their dreams.

Hartbeespoort Dam, locally called Harties, is a popular getaway destination known for its scenic views and water activities. For decades, the dam has been infested with an alien plant species that regenerates quicker than it can be removed – the hyacinth.

One of the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) finest journalists and Rhodes University’s School of Journalism and Media Studies’ (JMS) alumnus, Thami Dickson, has been appointed News and Current Affairs Editor for Channel Africa. Dickson is an experienced journalist with almost 20 years of working experience in radio and television news production.

Dedication, enthusiasm, and love for his job have made Dawie Van Dyk’s promotion to Director of Facilities and Infrastructure at Rhodes University possible. Van Dyk arrived at Rhodes University in March 2014 and assumed the responsibility of Deputy Director: Facilities Services, and in May 2022, he became the Deputy Director of Projects, Space and MIS.

Rhodes welcomes new academics

Fighting climate change is high on the world’s agenda, and many believe planting trees is a powerful way to fix the crisis. Forests can capture and store carbon dioxide (CO2), the main culprit behind our warming atmosphere. But Associate Professor Susi Vetter, from the Rhodes University Botany Department, argues that the drive to reforest the earth can be misleading and, at worst, harmful to people and the planet.

Last week, the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology at Rhodes University held a talk under the theme: “Transdisciplinary research, sustainability, data and ethics - global trends shaping the future of academic research” with alumna Professor Stephanie Burton at the Biosciences Building.

About 1600 First Time Entering Students (FTENs) and their parents and guardians descended on Makhanda for the start of the University's Orientation Week this past weekend. They completed their registration and were allocated to their respective residences.

If there was one person in South Africa all eyes were watching in 2022, it was Cyril Ramaphosa. His vertiginous swing in fortunes from almost resigning at the beginning of December to winning a second term as ANC president less than three weeks later left many of us with our hearts in our mouths.

As the 2023 academic year begins, the Rhodes university mentorship program is excited to welcome first-year students and assist them in this beautiful and exciting journey they are about to embark on. Rhodes University prides itself on excellent retention and throughput rates. For Rhodes to sustain its performance in relation to retention, throughout and graduation rates, it aims to keep strengthening its claim as an institution of solidarity and care, one that deliberately builds the resilience and character of its students.

Keeping track of the world’s wildlife populations is fundamental to conservation efforts in the face of the continued deterioration of global biodiversity.

More than Nollywood films, Afrobeats is arguably Nigeria’s strongest cultural export since the turn of the millennium. It is a hugely dynamic music category that incorporates a range of moods, languages, styles, and existing genres. To understand its impact, a cultural connoisseur has equated good Afrobeats music with well-made, smoky Nigerian party jollof rice!

It was smiles and jubilation at Khutliso Daniels Secondary School yesterday when 135 learners received new school shoes from Standard Bank Tutuwa Community Foundation and Bata Shoes. This results from a fruitful partnership between Standard Bank and Rhodes University Community Engagement (RUCE).

Twenty-two students from South African universities have converged at Rhodes University to participate in the MeerKAT Grand Tour Data Science workshop held from Sunday, 15 to Saturday, 21 January 2023.

Megan Reid, a PhD candidate in the Department of Zoology and Entomology at Rhodes University, has won the prestigious Young Entomologists Essay Prize from the Entomological Society of South Africa (ESSA).

Renowned African musician, songwriter and storyteller Latozi “Madosini” Mphahleni passed away late in 2022. The cultural and indigenous music activist, who laughed as often as she played, was loved by everyone she met. She has left behind a rich legacy of Xhosa music, heritage and history. She also taught and nurtured a new generation of bow players, reinvigorating an art that was dying.

Rhodes University LLM student and part-time lecturer, Hugh Harnett has been announced as the winner of the prestigious South African Law Reform Legal Essay Competition (SALRC) for 2021. The results were delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions and were only announced last week.

The Rhodes University community is saddened by the passing of one of its honorary doctorate recipients and the first Speaker of the National Assembly in the democratic South Africa, Dr Frene Ginwala. Dr Ginwala died on Thursday following a stroke.

Rhodes University has learnt with deep shock and dismay about the cold-hearted murder of the executive protection officer and security aide, Mr Mboneli Vesele, and the assassination attempt on the University of Fort Hare’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sakhela Buhlungu.

The Rhodes University community is saddened by the news of the passing of one of its honorary doctorate recipients, Mama Latozi Madosini Mphahleni. Mama Madosini was one of South Africa’s most celebrated artists, teachers, composers and storytellers.

Rhodes University commerce alumna Taryn Woodbridge has recently been appointed the first-ever woman Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Executive Director: Finance and Controlling of Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA).

Storytelling and science may, at first glance, seem like strange bedfellows. Scientists usually share their research through academic journals and books or at academic conferences.

Rhodes University recently bade farewell to one of its longest-serving staff members, outgoing Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation Professor Peter Clayton.

Over the past 30 years, the Rhodes University Environmental Learning and Research Centre (ELRC) has created a plethora of scholarship on social innovation, environmental education, and the transformative potential of university and civil society partnerships.

Rhodes University School of Journalism and Media Studies (JMS) wrapped up its 50th-anniversary celebrations and awards last week.

Last week, at the Barratt lecture theatre, Rhodes University hosted a two-day Department of Science and Innovation (DSI)-Mintek Nanotechnology Innovation Centre (NIC) annual workshop.

South Africa is famous for its amazingly rich and diverse fossil record. The country’s rocks document more than 3.5 billion years of life on Earth: ancient forms of bacterial life, the emergence of life onto land, the evolution of seed-producing plants, reptiles, dinosaurs and mammals – and humanity.

On 21 November 2022, Rhodes University said goodbye to its retirees at a special tree planting celebration event hosted on the Barratt Theatre Complex’s lawns.

South Africa’s population is urbanising at a rapid pace. The sheer rate of change poses challenges to planning for sustainable and liveable cities.

Many universities expend vast sums of money to improve their place on the rankings. And they make strategic decisions that favour rankings placement over transformation.

Drug-resistant infections caused by the misuse of antibiotic treatments killed over 1.2 million people worldwide in 2019. Without global action, this silent pandemic is projected to lead to 10 million deaths every year by 2050. People living in low-to-middle-income countries with limited access to new and effective antibiotics will be most affected.

Writing a thesis is tough, but as many students can attest to, explaining it to the world can be just as difficult. Last week, the Centre for Postgraduate Studies (CPGS) hosted an awards ceremony for its internal #3MinuteThesis (#3MT) competition.

The police-catch-punish approach neglects to address plagiarists’ misunderstanding of what higher education is all about, says Sioux McKenna.

Durban theatre company, Empatheatre, performed its play ‘Lalela Ulwandle’ at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh on 14 November. The intention of the cast and crew was to place an ‘acupuncture point’ within COP27 decision-making and spark deeper consideration of grassroots coastal realities of the climate crisis.

This week, Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sizwe Mabizela, warmly welcomed 81 new staff members to Rhodes University. The 81 staff members started at the University from January until October 2022.

On Sunday, 13 November 2022, citizens of Makana filled the Cathedral of St Michael and St George to experience the newly-formed Makana Community Orchestra's inaugural concert.

Through his recently awarded PhD degree, Dr Angelius Kanyanga Liveve demonstrates how the indigenisation of the science curriculum through drums and dance can make for a more holistic understanding of the subject for African school-going children.

Dr Seeprarani Rath, who recently graduated with her PhD degree at Rhodes University, has been awarded a prestigious Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Toronto, Canada, to the value of approximately R800 000. Dr Rath, who submitted her doctoral thesis in 2019, was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Rhodes University Biopharmaceutics Research Institute (BRI) until recently.

No matter the circumstances and challenges, informal traders were able to parlay the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant into supporting and even in some cases, growing their businesses, write Senzelwe Mthembu, Sophie Plagerson, Laura Alfers, Mike Rogan and Lauren Graham.

Supervised by Associate Professor Eduard Jordaan, Gemma-Mae Hartley recently graduated with a Master of Arts degree at the October graduation ceremonies. Her tertiary journey began with uncertainty and after changing her degree multiple times, Hartley eventually found her calling in Political and International Studies.

Education should be at the forefront of the country to achieve all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These were the sentiments shared by Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sizwe Mabizela during yesterday’s site visit by Nedbank for an update on the bridging programme they support through the Nedbank Eyethu Community Trust.

A recent international scholarship information session had Eden Grove Blue lecture theatre filled to capacity, showing Rhodes University students' interest in exploring opportunities abroad.

Recently graduated with her PhD, Dr Yolande Ikala Openda, is a Rhodes university PhD science graduate in Chemistry.

His love for science as a young boy has paid off for Mbulelo Jokazi, who recently graduated with a Master of Science degree at the Rhodes University October graduation ceremonies.

The Rhodes University Division of Student Affairs (DSA), in collaboration with the Health Care Centre (HCC), held a breakfast at the Oppidan Dining Hall on 21 October 2022 to raise breast cancer awareness.

Nine years of consistent hard work and dedication have finally turned a dream into a reality for Dr Mikaela Oosthuizen. She finally received her PhD in Media studies from Rhodes university at the October graduation ceremony.

Rhodes University academic, administrative, and support staff recently gathered at the Senior Common Room to celebrate those who have been in service at the University for 30, 35 and 40 years.

Earlier this month, the International Library for African Music (ILAM) received a long-anticipated visit from the Acting Director-General of Arts and Culture, Vusithemba Ndima.

The Centre for Social Development (CSD), situated at Rhodes University, hosted a graduation ceremony at the 1820 Settlers’ Monument on 10 October, for 93 candidates who were awarded a National Diploma in Early Childhood Education (ECD).

Two academics from Rhodes University, Distinguished Professor at the Environmental Learning Research Centre, Professor Heila Lotz-Sisitka and Computer Science Lecturer Dr Dane Brown, were inaugurated as Members of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) at the annual Awards Ceremony. The two academics were among the 29 scholars and scientists that ASSAf inaugurated.

The Kenya High Commission Education Attaché, Mr Adan Mohamed Ibrahim, accompanied by Ms Ditlalane Mapadimeng, visited Rhodes University recently as part of a national mission.

For the recently held October graduations at Rhodes University, two PhD graduates were gifted gowns from well-respected academics in their respective fields.

After giving up his high school career and joining the struggle, former Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) underground operative Mzimasi Hala found the courage to complete his studies and acquire his master’s degree in history.

Rhodes University’s director of communications and advancement, Luzuko Jacobs, was among those who acquired their hard-earned doctorates at the university’s graduation ceremony on Friday.

On Tuesday, 04 October, the Rhodes Business School (RBS) held its 8th Annual Archbishop Thabo Makgoba Development Trust (ATMDT) Lecture on Values-Based Leadership. The School hosted the CEO of Business Leadership South Africa, Ms Busisiwe Mavuso as guest lecturer.

Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sizwe Mabizela, last week hosted a legacy luncheon for the University bequestors at the Lagoon Beach Hotel, Cape Town

Our Rhodes University Community Engagement student volunteers work tirelessly and selflessly to uplift the community through mentoring, early childhood education, engaged citizenry and social change. Meet Takudzwa Makuwa, a student leader for the BuddingQ Volunteering Programme – and hear about what inspires him.

In its October postgraduate graduation, Rhodes University will bestow an honour of Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) on journalist and anti-apartheid activist, Thenjiwe Mtintso. Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sizwe Mabizela said the honour was in recognition and celebration of Mtintso’s long and sustained contribution as a dedicated freedom fighter and a committed gender activist.

On Thursday, 06 October 2022, the Rhodes University community celebrated the achievements of some of its most brilliant students in various academic, leadership, sporting, and cultural fields. The Rhodes University Top 100 Awards were established in 2009 and were introduced as a tool to honour and celebrate student excellence.

The seventh edition of NORRAG Special Issue (NSI) entitled “Education in Times of Climate Change” is published and now available. Produced in partnership with the Rhodes University Environmental Learning Research Centre (ELRC), the journal was launched on 6 October by NORRAG in an online webinar to an expansive audience.

The Rhodes University Community Engagement Awards saw several inspiring individuals and groups rightfully honoured for their selfless contributions to creating a better society for all.

On 27 September 2022, Rhodes African Studies Centre (RASC) hosted a book launch in the Humanities seminar room and online. One of the editors, Professor Kirk Helliker was present at the Centre, and the other editors and contributors of the book joined online. He also chaired the launch on behalf of the Dean of Humanities and Head of the RASC, Professor Enocent Msindo.

During Rhodes University’s reunion cocktail event with its alumni in Durban last night, Vice-Chancellor Professor Sizwe Mabizela made an unprecedented move when he paid homage to South African media. The cocktail was held at Cuba Lounge, Moses Mabhida stadium, to reunite Rhodes University alumni through social engagement. However, in the presence of Durban-based media, Professor Mabizela went off script and called for the protection of media freedom.

On 15 September, the Rhodes University Political & International Studies Department, in conjunction with Nelson Mandela University's Centre for Women & Gender Studies, the Political Sciences Department of the University of Pretoria and the University of Cape Town's Historical and Political Studies Department, hosted a forum titled "Women & 20 Years of the African Union".

On 28 September 2022, the Division of Student Affairs (DSA), the Disability Committee and the Equity and Institutional Culture Office at Rhodes University hosted a seminar on invisible disabilities. The seminar gave a platform to engage different stakeholders on matters affecting students and staff living with disabilities, with a particular emphasis on ‘invisible disabilities’.

The month of October is usually reserved for graduating Masters and PhD students, however, this year, Rhodes University will add a series of graduation celebration ceremonies for graduates who had to undergo virtual graduations due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Four decades ago, a group of six first-year art students from Rhodes University decided that they would get together to exhibit in 10 years' time.

The first direct evidence of orcas killing white sharks in South Africa has been captured by both a helicopter and drone pilot, and a new paper published today in The Ecological Society of America’s journal Ecology presents both sets of video footage, which provide new evidence that orcas are capable of pursuing, capturing and incapacitating white sharks. One predation event was filmed on a drone, but the researchers believe that three other sharks may also have been killed.

In commemorating its 50th anniversary in 2022, Rhodes University’s School of Journalism and Media Studies (JMS) is honouring 50 of its most distinguished alumni across the globe. Seven alumni were honoured at a Gala Dinner hosted by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sizwe Mabizela, at Lagoon Beach Hotel in Cape Town last night. These are Audrey Brown, Rebecca Davis, Ray Hartle, Leonie Joubert, Daneel Knoetze, Karyn Maughan, Minoshni Pillay and Professor Alison Gillwald.

The evening of 23 September 2022 was a significant one for the Rhodes University calendar as it marked the inauguration of the incoming Student Representative Council for the year 2023.

In a transforming society, the way we think about teaching economics needs to change. Economics lecturer, Mr David Fryer, won the Vice-Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award in 2020 and presented his accompanying lecture last week, focusing on the potential to reconfigure undergraduate economics so that it is more in touch with the realities of students and the futures they face.

As a Heritage Month celebration, the Albany Museum hosted a public lecture on an intellectual giant of the Eastern Cape, John Knox Bokwe. The lecture, presented by the Head of Classical Studies at Rhodes University, Dr Hleze Kunju, also recognised the centenarian year since Bokwe's passing.

Rhodes University’s A team has made history by clinching the provincial chess league trophy over the weekend. The five-member team played their last game at Walter Sisulu University’s (WSU) Komani campus against WSU. Captain and Chairperson of Rhodes University Chess Club, Lucas Mnguni, attributed the win to the team’s dedication, hunger, and hard work.

In collaboration with Company Wellness Solutions (CWS), Rhodes University hosted a two-day staff event last week, followed by a fun walk on Friday. The event's main goal was to educate employees about the RUWELL Employee Wellness App and how they can benefit.

Ensuring access to quality higher education is central to growing and strengthening South Africa's democratic project. This week, Rhodes University hosts a panel from the Council on Higher Education (CHE), which is conducting institutional audits of all public and private universities in the country.

Our Rhodes University Community Engagement student volunteers work tirelessly and selflessly to uplift the community through mentoring, early childhood education, engaged citizenry and social change. Meet Jodi-Anne Rooi, a student leader in the 9/10ths Matric Mentoring Programme – and hear about what inspires her.

Ghana’s introduction of a a 1.5% tax on mobile money transactions in May 2022 has been watched closely by policymakers across Africa. The proponents of the electronic transaction levy (e-levy) argue that taxes on mobile money — commonly referred to in Ghana as MoMo — present an opportunity for cash-strapped governments to raise funds in the complex post-pandemic context.

On 13 September 2022, colleagues, Heads of Departments, Deans and students alike gathered in Eden Grove Blue to honour Professor Philani Mashazi's 2021 VC's Distinguished Research Award. Professor Mashazi of the Rhodes University Chemistry Department received recognition for his significant research strides within his field.

Rhodes University Library has initiated the development of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) webpage. It is an online portal project designed to provide the Rhodes University community and the world at large with access to the multidisciplinary research that the Rhodes University research community has conducted

Rhodes University senior lecturer at the Philosophy department, Dr Lindsay Kelland, was featured in the Sunday World’s phenomenal women feature for 2022.

History may be seen as a thing of the past, but with each passing year, the need to preserve it for future generations grows. Many stories were buried with the deaths of struggle heroes who fought for our freedom.

Rhodes University recently welcomed new Student Life, Support and Development Manager, Saphu’lwandisile Vika. Vika is no stranger to higher education as he brings a wealth of experience from the sector.

The Old Rhodian Union selection committee has chosen four worthy recipients of Rhodes University's Distinguished Alumni Award 2022: Million Belay Ali, Ann Burroughs, Kathleen Heugh and Raphael Tshimanga.

Esteemed professors, family, colleagues and friends of Professor Horst Kaiser recently gathered at the Eden Grove Blue lecture theatre for his long-awaited lecture that was meant to take place last year but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 7 September 2022, the Rhodes University Deputy Vice Chancellors, Faculty of Law staff, fellow academics, students, family and friends of Professor Graham Glover gathered in the Eden Grove Blue Lecture Theatre for his inaugural lecture entitled “‘Please Call Me’ Agent: The Taxonomy of Agency Law in South Africa.”

At the Basic Education Sector Lekgotla in 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa said, “We need a functional leadership and accountability system that involves the school management teams, the teachers, the representative councils of learners, the school governing bodies and the community at large.

Rhodes Music Radio (RMR) is fully back on air after having had a reduced programming schedule since December 2021. The newly-appointed Station Manager, Unathi Koboka, officially relaunched the station with her new team last week. RMR is a campus-based community radio station located in the heart of Rhodes University.

Rhodes University Sports Administration has had a facelift recently. According to the Sports Administration Manager, Frans Mamabolo, this was necessitated by the fact that the infrastructure is as old as the University.

Postgraduates from around the country and the world gathered on 02 September 2022 to take part in a panel hosted by the Centre for Postgraduate Studies (CPGS) of Rhodes University.

On 01 September 2022, the annual Rhodes Postgraduate Conference kicked off with a discussion on how we can ensure that knowledge created in higher education institutions crosses borders and is utilised to address the needs of the people and the planet.

On Saturday 03 September 2022, Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor Professor Sizwe Mabizela officially handed over a hood and gown to Dr Latozi Madosini Mpahleni, in full view of Dr Mpahleni’s family and the community at Mkhankatho village in Libode, outside Mthatha.

Two Rhodes University Honours graduates, Kristen Paige Burgess and Emily Ann Webster, were awarded the Patrick and Margaret Flanagan Scholarship this year (2022). Burgess is currently enrolled for a Master's in Chemistry at Rhodes University and Webster for a Master's in English Literature at the University of Cape Town (UCT).

Rhodes University School of Journalism and Media Studies TV Lecturer and PhD candidate Thandeka Gqubule-Mbeki has been appointed to President Cyril Ramaphosa's National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council.

Much of Southern Africa's documented history is dominated by the written records of the colonial project. As a result, the region's history is either murky or neglected. But Rhodes University’s Library Services, through its Cory Library branch and in collaboration with the University of Cape Town (UCT), plans to change this through the Five Hundred Years Archive (FHYA) project. The project seeks to make diverse historical materials available to researchers.

On 25 August 2022, the Rhodes University community and public at large were invited to the fourth virtual public lecture in which the Registrar of Rhodes University, Professor Adéle Moodly, reflected on the advancement of women in leadership in higher education institutions. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation Professor Peter Clayton, welcomed everyone to the public lecture.

The University of Bayreuth and four African universities will continue their successful cooperation in the Cluster of Excellence "Africa Multiple" in the next three years. High-ranking representatives of the five partner universities signed an agreement to this effect today in Lagos. The University of Lagos (Nigeria), Moi University (Eldoret, Kenya), Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso) and Rhodes University (Makhanda, South Africa) will thus continue to strengthen and advance joint projects in the fields of research and knowledge transfer with their "African Cluster Centers (ACCs)".

Following two preliminary exclusive screenings at Rhodes University and the University of Fort Hare, the 65-minute-long documentary film, Intellectual Giants of the Eastern Cape, officially premiered at the 25th Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) in June 2022.

When six former Rhodes University fine arts classmates decided to revive their love of printmaking six years after graduating, they formed a collective and mounted a life-changing art exhibition at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda.

The Rhodes University Chamber Choir (RUCC), conducted by Mr Kutlwano Kepadisa, are currently on their first tour since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. They are visiting Johannesburg and Bloemfontein between 19 and 23 August 2022.

On 16 August 2022, Associate Professor in Chemistry Kevin Alan Lobb delivered a lecture titled "Software-based chemistry and its ideal placement in remote and post-COVID learning". The lecture explored teaching strategies that assisted students during remote and online teaching and how they remain useful now that in-person instruction has resumed.

On 12 August 2022, Nombulelo Gongqa, a Rhodes University alumna and the current Director of Organisational Change/Transformation at Diocesan School for Girls (DSG), hosted a conversation titled "Work of the Heart" for the postgraduates of the Organisational Development course at Rhodes University.

Manager of Academic Administration Suzette Flanagan presented the effect of horses on people's well-being in her motivational address at the annual Registrar's Division Women's Day event on 10 August 2022. This event recognises women's strengths in adversity and is done in commemoration of women and girl-children who continue to experience the injustices of a patriarchal system.

The draft university policy is not about the public sector at all. Instead it sets out the future designations that will be available in the private higher education sector. It attends to the demand by private institutions that they too should be able to call themselves ‘universities’.

Situated for years in full view in the Alumni House foyer, a historical Visitors’ Book has been available for students, parents, alumni, and visitors to comment in and leave their details. Sadly, due to the Protection of Personal information Act (POPI), this book will no longer be able to be used for its intended purpose.

Proctoring software monitors a student’s computer or phone while they write exams. These programs have been around for some time but became ubiquitous during online learning in the pandemic.

Rhodes University constituencies converged at Mpekweni Beach Resort in Port Alfred from 12-14 August 2022 to deliberate and review the current Institutional Development Plan (IDP).

It has become a tradition, started by Rhodes University’s Registrar, Professor Adéle Moodly, to host a Women’s Day seminar within her Division and to honour women staff. This year, the Registrar’s Division flipped the script and celebrated her instead.

Associate Professor Susi Vetter from the Department of Botany was recently elected President of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa (GSSA). The GSSA elects a new incoming President every year who serves on their Council for the following three years (as Vice-President, President, and Immediate Past President, respectively).

Rhodes University Master of Science student, Ariana Watkins, will fly the Rhodes University flag in London after she was selected for a studentship at the Francis Crick Institute through University College London (UCL).

One of the sources of social discontent in post-apartheid South Africa is the legacy of white racism. This toxic legacy is evident in racialised poverty and inequality.

Rhodes University is committed to providing a safe and conducive environment for its students.

Celebrations and ululation were the order of the day on Friday, 5 August 2022 as Rhodes University Sports Administration cut the purple ribbon to officially re-open the swimming pool outside Bantu Steve Biko Union Building.

The notion of ‘six degrees of separation’ is a fundamental network analysis concept in social sciences, in which persons who are quite removed from one another are linked by a chain of, at most, six shared acquaintances. Therefore, we find ourselves using the phrase "Such a small world" to express our astonishment when we discover that we share a friend with another person. Beyond that, would it not be even more astonishing to consider amino acids as social groups of people with different roles and interactions? What's in store if proteins mutate or a few amino acids change?

Distinguished academics, lecturers, Deans, DVCs, and other special guests gathered to hear the inaugural lecture delivered by Professor Joanna Dames late last month. The mood was celebratory as Dames stood to give her first lecture as a full Professor at Rhodes University.

Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sizwe Mabizela, today officiated the sod-turning ceremony to mark the commencement of a R90 million state-of-the-art building that will house a global Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation (INI).

Rhodes University Law Faculty on Wednesday hosted a public lecture by former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships) at the University of Ibadan, distinguished visiting Professor Oluyemisi Bamgbose.

Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sizwe Mabizela, welcomed 61 graduates to campus this week as they joined the University as part of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) programme.

Last week, Rhodes University hosted a two-day colloquium on Language Policy Framework for Public Institutions of Higher Education. Various academics from different departments and external speakers converged at the Amazwi South African museum of Literature. According

A vibrant and diverse group of professors, linguistic experts, students, and other members of the Rhodes University community converged on Friday at the Amazwi South African Museum of Literature.

A delightful evening filled with laughter and smiles, with everyone interacting and conversing with one another. This week, Rhodes University hosted a dinner in honour of the visiting African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) special guest, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at the University of Ibadan: Professor Oluyemisi Bamgbose and ARUA Secretary General, Professor Ernest Aryeetey.

As part of its continuing transformation agenda, Rhodes University has renamed two of its residences after two of South Africa’s struggle icons - Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu and Dr Hugh Masekela.

Julia Arbuckle, a Rhodes University Master’s student in Fine Art, has been awarded the Javier Rosón Prize for her work entitled “Root/Rot: The Family Bible.

The month of July is significant in the global calendar as the world celebrates the life and legacy of the late great leader, Nelson Mandela. As an annual celebration, the United Nations officially declared Nelson Mandela International Day in November 2009. Since then, every 18 July, Mandela's birthday, people from all walks of life are rallied to action to recognise their power to make a difference in the lives of those around them. In commemorating this day, Rhodes University, in partnership with Standard Bank's Tutuwa Community Foundation, hosted a celebration at Khutliso Daniels Secondary School to recognise the Bank's significant contributions to uplifting education in the Eastern Cape. The School is one of 67 schools that received brightly painted water tanks from Standard Bank for Mandela Day.

Taverns are a sphere of the broader daily ‘normalised’ structural violence in townships. This type of violence happens on a daily basis, if not every weekend. The only difference is that the current high number of deaths happened in one day.

The late Nelson Mandela is celebrated as a leading figure of the liberation struggle against Apartheid, renowned for a morality always turned towards empathy, forgiveness, and a commitment to the freedom and equality of all.

Rhodes University Community Engagement (RUCE) joined millions of people worldwide on Monday in celebrating and reflecting on the heroic efforts of the late Former President of South Africa and anti-apartheid activist, Dr Nelson Mandela. RUCE celebrated Nelson Mandela International Day, which falls on his birthday every year.

Masters in Economics student Claire McCann was recently selected as one of thirty students to attend a highly competitive, fully-funded economics training programme.

Rhodes University’s Department of Political and International Studies hosted its Teach-in seminars at the Barratt Lecture theatre this week.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has dominated the news and is having global ramifications. This week’s Politics Teach-In, hosted by the Department of Politics and International Relations at Rhodes University, focuses on the ins and outs of this war. The seminar series began with insights from Associate Professor Martha Bradley from the Department of Public Law at the University of Pretoria. She looked at how Vladimir Putin has justified the invasion and how this holds up against international law.

Rhodes University Honours in Philosophy student Jesse Ferguson and 17 other South Africans have been chosen for the Abe Bailey travel bursary this year.

Several alumni from Rhodes University are among this year’s Mail & Guardian top 200 Young South Africans. Every year, the Mail & Guardian celebrates the most interesting and talented young South Africans under 35, who have shown themselves to be leaders.

Rhodes University New Generation of Academics Programme (nGAP) lecturer Yolani Ndamase recently got back from New York where she spent a year on a Fulbright Visiting Fellowship.

Dean of Science Professor Tony Booth officially launched the Rhodes University Transient Array Radio Telescope (TART) at the Waainek (Makhanda) site last week.

Africa has great potential for drug discovery. The continent has natural resources, indigenous knowledge and human capacity. And it has the need: it bears more than 20% of the global disease burden. There are many internationally recognised African scientists undertaking cutting-edge research. But a lack of resources makes it difficult to conduct world-class science. A team of African biochemists, cell biologists and bioinformaticians shares some thoughts on what it would take to establish an Africa-wide drug discovery ecosystem. The authors are the key members of the COVIDRUG-AFRICA Consortium – the consortium for rapid COVID-19 drug development in Africa.

Four Rhodes University professors recently attended a project meeting for the EU-funded Creating Postgraduate Collaborations (CPC) in Kisumu, Kenya, together with representatives from eight other universities included in the project.

The UK government’s announcement of a new work visa option aimed at attracting top graduates has elicited some backlash because the list of eligible institutions features no universities from Africa, Latin America or South Asia. The Conversation Africa’s Nontobeko Mtshali asked Orla Quinlan, Director of Internationalisation at Rhodes University in South Africa, to share her thoughts on the implications such visa programmes have for international integration and intercultural efforts in higher education.

Professor Justin Jonas, a much-acknowledged architect of the international Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, recently gave a talk at his old school, Muir College in Uitenhage, to about 150 Grade 12 science learners from the Gqeberha/Kariega area.

Rhodes University hosted its first Thomas Alty & Vice-Chancellor's Awards in three years last week, where a total of 111 staff members were recognised for earning an educational qualification during 2019, 2020, or 2021.

Professor Sioux McKenna is a devoted researcher who has consistently sought ways to improve the Higher Education system. Later this year, she will continue her journey as Visiting Professor at the highly esteemed Centre for International Higher Education (CIHE) at Boston College in the United States of America.

"Eskom” must be one of the most hated names in South Africa, a reputation that has only been entrenched after another run of load-shedding in May and indications of more to come as winter deepens.

As Rhodes University increasingly engages with intra-Africa mobility programmes, issues regarding the equivalency of qualifications, credit transfers and joint degrees are becoming more prevalent. A hybrid workshop was recently hosted at the Environmental Learning Research Centre (ELRC), where relevant institutional leads at Rhodes University had the opportunity to share experiences with European Union (EU) colleagues through identifying gaps and sharing lessons from implementing such programmes.

Last month, the Rhodes University Career Centre hosted a Computer Science and Information Systems career fair on campus. A full day was dedicated to student and potential employer interaction. The four companies that exhibited were Deloitte, Open Box Software, KPMG, and Singular Systems.

In keeping with the traditions of Rhodes University, the inaugural lecture of Professor Julie Coetzee was held on 2 June 2022 in Eden Grove Red Lecture Theatre to honour her achievement of the title of Professor. There she presented her body of work and the most recent results of her research on the invasive water plant species Pontederia crassipes, commonly known as water hyacinth, and her efforts to understand and control it.

Dr Carol Leff’s ‘The Afropolitan Flâneur in Literature’ marks the third book by Intersecting Diasporas Group (IDG) members launched this year.

Rhodes University has well-established mobility programmes with Pädagogische Hochschule PHBern and Pädagogische Hochschule Luzern in Switzerland. The programme allows Swiss education students to spend six months to a year at Rhodes University on a credit-bearing study abroad experience. In return Rhodes University Bachelor of Education degree (BEd) and Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) students get the opportunity to do a component of their teaching practice in Switzerland.

Rhodes University's Anthropology Department recently hosted one of its 'Anthropology in the Making' Seminar series events to introduce orangcosong, an art collective from Japan, to students, academics and the community.

A staff member and two students from Rhodes University’s International Library of African Music (ILAM) will be stars of their own show during the National Arts Festival (NAF) in Makhanda this year.

Rhodes University is pleased to announce that the applicants in the matter of Makhanda Against Mandates & Others v Rhodes University (Case no.: 124/2022) have elected to abandon their application in regard to the University's vaccine mandate.

Concluding Rhodes University's International Week (23 May-28 May) activities was the Postdoc Story Circles and Brunch Reception at Steve Biko Dining Hall on 28 May 2022. The Postdocs trickled in and began networking just before the official opening by the Director of Internationalisation, Ms Orla Quinlan.

In collaboration with the Centre of Postgraduate Studies (CPGS) at Rhodes University, the International Office recently hosted a postgraduate panel discussion titled, "Choices, benefits and lessons learnt from educational migration".

The Ukraine-Russia conflict has not only devasted many parts of Ukraine but is also having ripple effects throughout the world. The challenges it presents to Africa are particular to its vulnerabilities. At an event hosted by the Internationalisation Office, the Law Faculty, and the Africa Centre, academics from Rhodes University discussed how the war would affect the African continent.

Throughout International Week at Rhodes University, the International Office collaborated with various departments and hosted events on campus to promote Internationalisation. On 27 May 2022, the International Office collaborated with the Geography Department to host a Geography quiz at the Rat and Parrot restaurant.

The Rhodes University Internationalisation Office announced four individual and four collective Internationalisation Awardees during its International Week.

On 25 May, Rhodes University joined the rest of the continent in the commemoration of Africa Day.

On 25 May, otherwise known as Africa Day, Rhodes University’s Department of Music and Musicology hosted Professor Kofi Agawu, Distinguished Professor at The Graduate Center, City University of New York and Adjunct Professor in the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon.

As part of Africa Month this May, the Rhodes University International Office has been hosting several activities during its International Week, running from 22 to 28 May. The Office has been raising awareness about nutrition and food security, the African Union’s theme for 2022, through a Makhanda-wide collaborative food drive.

Over the last decade, biological control has significantly reduced the negative impacts of invasive alien plants in the country in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way.

Rhodes University Chess Club is proving to be a force to be reckoned with after securing two medals at the recent regional Nelson Mandela Bay Chess trials.

“What is a story? A story has a beginning, middle and an end. A story takes you into a different world and paints a picture. A good story contains a moral lesson, loveable characters; characters the audience can relate to and resonate with.”

With the fifth COVID-19 infection wave now upon us, there is no better time to get your vaccine booster. But what is a booster? And why do you need it? We asked Professor Rosemary Dorrington, virologist at Rhodes University and member of the Provincial COVID-19 Expert Panel, all the essential questions about boosters.

In an effort to create awareness and promote mental healthcare around Makhanda, Rhodes University’s Psychology department has embarked on a roadshow to engage the community.

As per tradition, Rhodes University recently hosted the 2022 VC's Distinguished Community Engagement Award Lecture by Professor Rod Walker.

It is mandatory for each South African institution to develop its own policy and plan on internationalisation two years after the Policy Framework for Internationalisation of Higher Education in South Africa was published on 6 November 2020, and at a time when international student numbers are decreasing.

Rhodes University's Community Engagement (RUCE) division plays a significant role in the wider Makhanda through its various projects. But lesser known is the long-lasting impact it has on its volunteers. To launch RUCE's Community Engagement Week for 2022, previous Student Volunteer of the Year Award winners took part in a panel discussion. Looking back on their volunteering experience, they reflected on how it has contributed to their personal and career development.

After two isolating pandemic years, the Rhodes University Anthropology Department's Postgraduate Diploma in Heritage Management (PDHM) saw its first in-person graduates this year.

The Rhodes University Department of Anthropology recently hosted a talk with anthropology Senior Lecturer Dr Dominique Santos, Heritage Management Lecturer Dr Pascall Taruvinga, and seasoned Content Director and Producer, Ayanda Mncwabe-Mama.

This year’s graduation was bursting with accolades and festivities as Rhodes University held sit-down ceremonies on campus for the first time in two years. Among the honours was the conferral of the Vice-Chancellor’s Book Award to Political and International Studies Lecturer, Dr Bongani Nyoka.

When South African writer Antjie Krog was just 17, she wrote a poem for her school magazine which was shocking enough to upset Kroonstad High’s parents. The furore caught the attention of the Sunday newspapers, who descended on the town in the Free State province.

In the days Sisipho Hamlomo attended school without shoes or a jacket, he never imagined that he would be a master’s graduate one day.

On 05 May 2022, in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day (03 May), the Rhodes University School of Journalism and Media Studies (JMS) hosted a discussion under the theme “Reclaiming African Journalism in the Public Interest”. This discussion also formed part of the School’s 50th Anniversary this year. The panellists offered enlightening insights and solutions to address the current plights of the profession.

During the recent Rhodes University graduation ceremonies, Sandile Phakathi was conferred her PhD through the Department of Economics and Economics History, where she is also a lecturer in the New Generation of Academics Program (nGAP).

As per tradition, Rhodes University recently hosted an inaugural hybrid lecture by Professor Uchenna Okeja, titled ‘What is Justice’. Due to the large volume of numbers and diversity of the audience, this auspicious event represented not only academics but also students, colleagues, family, and the public.

As part of a series of leadership conversations, Rhodes University’s Alumni Relations Office, Student Representative Council President Mr Botlhale Modisaotsile and Vice-President Ms Tinashe Hlako held an Inaugural Young Alumni Leadership Conversations with Mr Charles Faul and Ms Palesa Mcimbi in celebration of Freedom Month.

If there is one musician as commonly associated as Fela Anikulapo-Kuti with the West African musical movements Afrobeat and Afrobeats (never mind Afro-Blues and Afro-Soul), this is the preserve of Orlando Julius Ekemode. Given Fela’s immense stature it would seem impossible to speak of another musician from whom he gained musical direction. Yet, one must, in the case of his fellow multi-instrumentalist Orlando Julius.

Global maize production is worth billions of dollars annually and is key to global food security because it’s a staple food for billions of people. Most maize production relies on natural rainfall, making it vulnerable to changing rainfall patterns.

World Press Freedom Day 2022 (3 May) takes place at a time when the world is caught in an information war.

Despite the challenges that come with two young children and funding constraints, six years after embarking on her PhD journey, Pindiwe Ntloko can now proudly put the title ‘Dr’ before her name.

During the latest graduation ceremonies, a special parallel event was held in which Ms Gabriella Solomons was awarded a bursary contribution from infectious diseases epidemiologists Professors Quarraisha and Salim Abdool Karim for graduating as the top microbiology student in 2021.

As per its time-honoured tradition, Rhodes University held the inaugural lecture of Professor Helena van Coller on 26 April 2022, after she received her status as a full professor. Inaugural lectures serve as a recognition and celebration of induction and a platform for professors to showcase their scholarly contributions to their field.

Dwarf galaxies are known to be pristine probes of the early Universe, especially when they are isolated and not interacting with massive galaxies. Observations with the MeerKAT radio telescope of Wolf–Lundmark–Melotte Galaxy (WLM), an archetype of such a galaxy, have revealed its strong interaction with the intergalactic medium.

Rhodes University Council has elected the Executive Director at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG), Ms Gugu Ndebele, its new deputy chairperson.

No one who has ever received a degree would say it came without obstacles. For some, however, those obstacles take the form of mountains. Through his journey of true grit and determination, Mr Siya Sibindi, who graduated with his Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the recent Rhodes University 2022 graduation ceremonies, completed his degree despite near-impossible challenges.

For the second consecutive year, over 50 Gadra Matric School (GMS) alumni graduated from Rhodes University in a single graduation ceremony, which marks a significant milestone in the journey to transform education in Makhanda.

The Shona and the Ndebele are Zimbabwe’s two most dominant ethnic groups. Explaining the ever-present tension between them, historian Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni points to the abuse of the post-colonial state by the ruling Shona-dominated government “in its drive to destroy Ndebele particularism”. He explains, “This sets in motion the current Matabeleland politics of alienation, resentment and grievance.”

Rhodes University ombud, Advocate Les Roberts’ contract has been extended by Council from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2023.

Bite by bite, the army of tiny goggas that have been deliberately released at the polluted Hartbeespoort Dam to tackle the infestation of water hyacinth are winning the battle.

Rhodes University and its UK trust are set to establish a premier, high-value Ally Weakley Memorial Scholarship ahead of the 30th anniversary of the death of the legendary sportsman, teacher, and lawyer, Alastair Weakley.

Cancer incidence in South Africa and globally is on the rise and it is predicted that the burden of non-communicable diseases such as cancer will overtake that of infectious diseases in Africa in the next decade. In the Eastern Cape, in particular, cervical cancer has a high incidence rate among rural women, who are underrepresented in terms of medical research and genetic analyses. Rhodes University Lecturer and Researcher in Biochemistry, Dr Jo-Anne de la Mare, hopes to change this. The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) has awarded her with funding made available by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), through the Strategic Health Innovation Partnerships (SHIP) programme, to study cervical cancer based on tumour samples from Eastern Cape women.

At Rhodes University’s morning graduation session today, the festivities were heightened as Ambassador Lindiwe Mabuza’s honorary Doctor of Literature (DLitt) was posthumously conferred, following the decision of the Rhodes University Senate and Council.

It is one thing to read about great historical moments in history books, but to be within history, as a critical participant, is something else altogether. In a graduation event full of 'firsts' for Rhodes University, the 09h30 ceremony today showed Rhodes University alumnus Professor Steve Olivier capping honorary doctorate recipient Lord Peter Hain.

The School of Journalism and Media Studies (JMS) will mark its 50th anniversary by honouring 50 of its most distinguished alumni. The first ten will be celebrated at a graduation ball on Friday 8 April. This graduation season is a return to in-person events for Rhodes University and newly-minted journalism graduates will be capped at three ceremonies on Thursday and Friday.

At its graduation ceremony on 08 April 2022, Rhodes University will confer a degree of Doctor of Literature (DLitt) (honoris causa) on the late cultural activist, diplomat and Ambassador Lindiwe Mabuza.

On 31 March 2022, the South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) released its 2022 Economic Mapping Report of the Cultural and Creative Industries to a worldwide audience. This is the first comprehensive study of the contribution of the cultural and creative sector to the economy in the post COVID-19 environment.

Another Grammy Awards season and there is a growing list of African nominees. For African music enthusiasts, it is heartwarming that recognition is being accorded to practitioners in the Afrobeats space.

At its graduation ceremony on 06 April 2022, Rhodes University will confer a degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) (honoris causa) on poet, award-winning anthologist and short storyteller, Professor Nomakhosazana Xaba.

At its graduation ceremony on 08 April 2022, Rhodes University will confer a degree of Doctor of Science (DSc) (honoris causa) on epidemiologist Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim, who is well-known for her research on preventing HIV infection in adolescent girls and young women.

Rhodes University officially unveiled its state-of-the-art X-ray facility yesterday, which will better prepare its science students for possible future professions.

On its graduation ceremony on 06 April 2022, Rhodes University will confer a degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) (honoris causa) on activist, politician, and author The Right Honourable Lord Hain of Neath.

Rhodes University notes the judgment of the Supreme Court of Appeal handed down today in the case of Ms Yolanda Dyantyi.

Following two years of virtual graduation ceremonies due to COVID-19, Rhodes University is to hold physical ceremonies for over 2000 graduands from 06 April, with numerous firsts in the line-up.

Last week, Rhodes Business School (RBS) has launched the Entrepreneurial and Technological Empowerment Programme (ETEP).

On 15 March 2022, Kingswood College held its annual Neil Aggett memorial lecture, which was presented by Rhodes University honorary doctorate (2008) Jonathan Shapiro, also known by his pen name ‘Zapiro’.

The Rhodes University Faculty of Law kicked off its 2022 academic year by hosting a faculty opening event. The event was attended by staff, students and the guest of honour, Mr Mbuso Mtshali, an alumnus of the Rhodes University Law Faculty and the Head of Corporate Governance and Company Secretariate of Sanlam.

A long-serving Rhodes University Board of Governors member and Chairperson, Mr Mike Spicer, passed away this week.

Rhodes Business School has launched two programmes for Rhodes University staff members to better prepare and develop them in supervision and management roles.

It will be a spectacular weekend at Rhodes University from Friday, 04 March 2022 to Sunday 06 March 2022, when the opening games of the Varsity Shield take place at Rhodes University Great Field.

Professor Rod Walker from the Rhodes University Faculty of Pharmacy has been named the recipient of the prestigious 2021 Vice Chancellor’s Distinguished Award for Community Engagement. He describes this honour as “a wonderful recognition of the many who supported, facilitated and assisted in ensuring the success of the sanitiser project”.

In an article published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, Rhodes University PhD student Aviwe Matiwane shows, along with six other researchers, how colonial history and global economics distort our understanding of deep-time biodiversity.

A festive atmosphere and scenes of jubilation and excitement characterised the return of students and staff to campus at Rhodes University as hundreds of first year students reported for registration over the weekend. Returning students are expected back this week.

The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) has released a new MeerKAT telescope image of the centre of our Galaxy, showing radio emission from the region with unprecedented clarity and depth. The international team behind the work is publishing the initial science highlights from this image in The Astrophysical Journal. The lead author, Ian Heywood, is a Rhodes University Visiting Professor, and the second author, Isabella Rammala, is a Rhodes University PhD student.

Rhodes University hosted a symposium to reflect on the two decades since the Language Policy for Higher Education (LPHE) was adopted in 2002.

Rhodes University congratulates the matric class of 2021 for showing their mettle as the future of humanity and making it against all odds in the face of unsettling circumstances wrought by the unpredictable COVID-19 pandemic during their critical milestone year.

The Rhodes University Enactus team recently reached the 2021 MTN ICT Challenge's finals. This was a unique competition and collaboration between Enactus and MTN to develop digital services to address socio-economic challenges in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Rhodes University student Marina Khoza, who will be graduating with a distinction in MSc (Botany) this year, was part of a team that won a $5000 cash prize for its Africa THINKS indigenous knowledge teaching solution at the Business of Conservation Conference (BCC) in Rwanda last year.

A group of radio astronomers led by the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics has conducted a multi-frequency and multi-band study of the Shapley Supercluster, where the formation of large structures is ongoing at the present cosmological age.

Prof Roy Sargeant, who was appointed Head of Speech and Drama at Rhodes University in 1973, passed away at the end of 2021. In addition to establishing the University's reputation as one of the premier drama training schools in South Africa, Prof Sargeant co-founded the National Arts Festival in 1974 with Prof Guy Butler. He was also integral to the creation of the Student Drama Festival and the Standard Bank Young Artists Awards.

A collaboration between Rhodes University astronomers, University of Cape Town (UCT) and Swinburne University of Technology (SUT) based in Melbourne, Australia, has resulted in a discovery of a mysterious chain of hydrogen gas clouds with the size of a massive galaxy through the South African MeerKAT radio telescope. The international team is led by an Astronomer from the Max-Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and Rhodes University visiting Professor Gyula Józsa, SUT’s Professor Michelle Cluver, and Professor Thomas Jarrett from UCT.

South Africa’s coalition negotiations after the November 2021 election were full of unexpected plot twists. November’s news reporting reveals clear, almost cartoonish characterisations of our largest three parties emerging from a backdrop of extremely complex negotiations and a soap-opera-worthy web of love-hate relationships.

The word corruption has its roots in the Latin adjective corruptus which refers to something that is spoiled, corrupted or perverted. In South Africa, evidence of the perversion of public funds abounds. In his 2021 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement the country’s finance minister Enoch Godongwana warned that rampant corruption was a persistent issue draining public finances.

Rhodes University's Old Rhodian Golf Club hosted its first Old Rhodian Bursary Day since 2019, raising more than R80 000 recently.

Rhodes University hosted its fourth and final Leadership Conversation for the year, with its 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, Dr Roger Scoon, on 30 November 2021.

The Rhodes University community is saddened by the passing of Ambassador Lindiwe Mabuza, who died yesterday afternoon at the age of 83. A few months ago, the University Senate and Council voted to confer the degree of Doctor of Literature (D Litt) (honoris causa) on Ambassador Mabuza at the April 2022 graduation ceremonies.

In 2020, the Foundation for Human Rights and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA approached the Rhodes University Library to make accessible the Zietsman/Goniwe Inquest documentation, archived at the Cory Library for Humanities Research.

Claire McCann, a Rhodes University Community Engagement student leader and joint Honours in Economics and Politics student, has been granted a Southern African Rhodes Scholarship to complete her Masters degree at the University of Oxford in England.

Vaccines are ultimately the best way to ensure that we beat COVID-19, yet vaccine hesitancy remains a threat to protecting our community. In this series, Virologist at Rhodes University and member of the Provincial COVID-19 Expert Panel, Professor Rosemary Dorrington, addresses queries, fears, and misinformation.

As per its tradition, Rhodes University presented the inaugural lecture of Professor Kenneth Mlungisi Ngcoza last week. The hybrid lecture titled ‘From poverty to University: Journeys, Challenges and Opportunities’ welcomed guests who attended virtually and face-to-face.

Rhodes University’s Distinguished Professor Tebello Nyokong recently received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from her alma mater, McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, where she completed her MSc in Chemistry in 1981. This award marks her second international honorary doctorate and her fifth honorary degree overall.

Rhodes University, home to the oldest biotechnology academic programme in South Africa, boasts no less than seven graduate distinctions from the Biotechnology Innovation Centre this past October.

Siphumze Bani is a Rhodes University October 2021 graduate who started his journey at the University in 2013. He has now completed his Masters in Biotechnology (distinction) with an impressive thesis project on water desalination through the Rhodes University Biotechnology Innovation Centre (RUBIC).

After successfully incorporating a Mental Health and Wellbeing course as part of its first-year psychology curriculum, the Vice Chancellor’s Mental Health Task Team decided to cater for staff and academics and train them on Basic Counselling Skills.

Earlier this month, the University of Cape Town (UCT), along with Rhodes University, co-hosted the Association of College and University Housing Officers International – South African Chapter’s (ACUHO-I SAC) annual conference.

Claims and counter claims regarding an alleged sexual assault incident involving a lecturer and a student recently featured prominently on various media platforms.

The Rhodes Business School will add a beneficial module to its full-time Postgraduate Diploma in Enterprise Management (PGDip EM) programme next year to better equip entrepreneurs with technology skills for successful business projects.

As part of a series of its leadership conversations, Rhodes University’s President of Convocation, Dr Michele Ruiters held a conversation with the 2021 Distinguished Alumni Awardee Ms Heloise Henning Emdon.

An international team, led by Rhodes University Research Fellow, Dr Kenda Knowles, has just announced a comprehensive overview paper for the MeerKAT Galaxy Cluster Legacy Survey (MGCLS), accompanied by the public release of a vast trove of curated data that astronomers worldwide can use to address a variety of challenging questions relating to the formation and evolution of galaxies throughout the universe.

From climate change to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world looks to scientists to pave the way toward a more secure and sustainable future. Last night, the National Research Foundation (NRF) gathered to celebrate South Africa's local research talent at the annual NRF Awards ceremony, where two of our own – Professor Tebello Nyokong and Dr Takudzwa Madzivanzira – were acknowledged.

On Wednesday, 20 October 2021, Rhodes University launched the African Water Resources Mobility Network (AWaRMN), a five-year multi-partner project funded by the Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme of the European Union (Agreement N° 2019-1973/4 - Project N° 614587). The network is set to address the pressing water-related challenges faced by the African continent, through cooperation in higher education.

Rhodes University's Siphokazi Msengana won first place at the national #3MT competition, securing the University's position at the top for the second year in a row.

On 26 November, Rhodes University 2021 Distinguished Alumni Awardee Bernard Agulhas discussed the future of auditing with Rhodes University Dean of Commerce, Professor Dave Sewry, as a part of a series of Rhodes University Leadership Conversations.

Justice and Correctional Services minister, Ronald Lamola, will be among the speakers at the inaugural Fort Calata Memorial Lecture in Lingelihle, Cradock on 5 November 2021.

Jonathan Benjamin, a 25-year-old Environmental Sciences Masters student at Rhodes University, competed in the Africa Duathlon Championships in Windhoek, Namibia recently.

On Wednesday, 20 October, the 2020 Vice Chancellor's Distinguished Community Engagement Award public lecture was held at the Amazwi Museum of Literature and virtually by the award recipient Ms Mapula Maponya.

In a world facing many global challenges amidst faltering leadership, bottom-up community projects are often the humble heralds of social change. But their pivotal role is often overlooked. This was the sentiment shared during Rhodes University Community Engagement (RUCE) Symposium on Thursday.

At its second virtual graduation ceremony for Masters and PhD students on 29 October 2021, Rhodes University will confer a degree of Doctor of Science (DSc) (honoris causa) on epidemiologist Professor Salim Abdool Karim, who is widely recognised for his scientific and leadership contributions in AIDS and COVID-19.

On Friday, 08 October 2021, Rhodes University Chamber Choir (RUCC) collaborated with Zolani Youth Choir (ZYC) and Makhanda KWANTU Choir to hold a concert at Cathedral of St Michael and St Georges. The audience comprised various citizens from the Makhanda community, including the Dean of the Cathedral, Reverend Mzinzisi Dyantyi. The event brought pride to the town of Makhanda with supporters and lovers of choral music coming out in numbers.

Community engagement should not be a one-way street but rather an exchange of knowledge from which all parties involved benefit. These are the sentiments of the South African Higher Education Community Engagement Forum (SAHECEF) Chairperson, Professor Darren Lortan. He was speaking on the second day of the Community Engagement Symposium hosted by Rhodes University the Durban University of Technology.

At its second virtual graduation ceremony for Masters and PhD students on 29 October 2021, Rhodes University will confer a degree of Doctor of Letters (D Litt) (honoris causa) on retired SABC isiXhosa news anchor, Ms Noxolo Grootboom. Ms Grootboom is recognised nationally for her significant promotion of national pride and culture through her journalistic career, which spanned 37 years.

For the second time in over 100 years of its existence, Rhodes University will, on Friday 29 October 2021, host an exclusive graduation ceremony for Masters and Doctoral graduates. The virtual graduation will be the fourth since lockdown measures were implemented.

Starting on Tuesday, 19 October 2021, Rhodes University Community Engagement (RUCE) Division hosted the 5th annual Community Engagement Symposium under the theme ‘The role of Community Engagement in the reimagination of Higher Education during and post the Covid 19 pandemic’.

Performance, film, live music, a street market and a Rhodes University-published book will all feature at the 2021 Schreiner Karoo Writers Festival (SKWF) which takes place between 20-23 October 2021.

Leadership across the globe faces a crisis. Those meant to guide us through historical changes and challenges are failing. But this is not without exception. In August this year, the Old Rhodian Union Committee awarded four Distinguished Alumni Awards to outstanding University alumni, one of whom is the newly appointed Financial Sector Conduct Authority Commissioner, Mr Unathi Kamlana.

Rhodes University Community Engagement (RUCE) hosted its annual award ceremony on Tuesday 12th October 2021.

Two Rhodes University basketball players have been rewarded for their brilliant work during the recent University Sports South Africa (USSA) national basketball Championships.

One of the world’s most spectacular marine migrations is the KwaZulu-Natal sardine run. The so-called “greatest shoal on Earth” takes place during the southern hemisphere’s winter. It involves the movement of tens to hundreds of millions of sardines from the warm-temperate waters of South Africa’s south coast to the subtropical waters of the east coast, over a thousand kilometres away.

Vaccines are ultimately the only way to ensure that we beat COVID-19, yet vaccine hesitancy remains a threat to protecting our community. In this series, Virologist at Rhodes University and member of the Provincial COVID-19 Expert Panel, Professor Rosemary Dorrington, will address queries, fears, and misinformation that many of our citizens face.

Rhodes University's award-winning community engagement programme, the Nine Tenths Matric Mentoring Programme, celebrated its win of the MacJannet Prize for Global Citizenship on Sunday, 3 October 2021.

The Rhodes Business School hosted its 7th Archbishop Thabo Makgoba Trust annual lecture on values-based leadership on Monday, 04 October 2021.

South Africa’s Department of Higher Education and Training released a policy framework in 2020 to enhance the sector’s effort towards internationalisation. The Conversation’s Nontobeko Mtshali asked Orla Quinlan to share her insights.

The Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching, and Learning (CHERTL) hosted an online lecture on Wednesday the 15th of September 2021 for academics, students, and staff interested in using language as a resource for teaching in diverse learning contexts, specifically in the context of the student-lecturer partnership.

There comes a time in some people’s lives when the seeds they have been carefully planting throughout their careers, come together to form a beautiful tree. This is the sentiment of the recently-appointed Development and Fundraising Manager at the Division of Communication and Advancement, Ms Siyasanga Hompashe.

As scientists explore how life in the abyss could generate new medicines, deep-sea mining is threatening to wipe it out

Ngolwesibini, umhla we-21 KweyoMsintsi 2021, isikolo seeLwimi noNcwadi: Icandelo leeLwimi zesiNtu kwiYunivesithi iRhodes belibhiyozela ulwimi lwesiXhosa likwaphehlelela neencwadi zemibongo.

There is ample space in academia for brilliant young black minds, especially young black women. Rhodes University Psychology lecturer Ms Dineo Diale, is an exceptional example of the bright minds in this space.

The Old Rhodian Union selection committee has selected four worthy recipients of Rhodes University's Distinguished Alumni Award 2021: Dr Roger N. Scoon, Mr Unathi Kamlana, Ms Heloise Henning Emdon and Mr Bernard Peter Agulhas.

From Rhodes University in South Africa, Sioux Mckenna asks whether the technological arms race of plagiarism detection is of any benefit to students and learning

Vaccines are ultimately the only way to ensure that we beat COVID-19, yet vaccine hesitancy remains a threat to protecting our community. In this series, Virologist at Rhodes University and member of the Provincial COVID-19 Expert Panel, Professor Rosemary Dorrington, will address queries, fears, and misinformation that many of our citizens face.

As the first accredited course in South Africa focusing specifically on the knowledge and skills to teach early literacy, Rhodes University’s new Advanced Certificate in Foundation Phase Literacy Teaching has received high ratings from external examiners.

Rhodes University alumni have entrusted Dr Michele Ruiters with the role of President of Convocation. Dr Ruiters is a senior lecturer at Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), associated with the University of Pretoria. She teaches human and organisational behaviour courses, diversity, equality, and inclusion.

The uptake of educational technology in South Africa’s higher education sector has been highly uneven and very slow. Before the pandemic, most courses offered in South African universities had some form of Learning Management System presence. Students could access course guides and readings, upload their assignments, and possibly communicate with their lecturer and peers via forums. But beyond that, many academics seemed to resist making use of the technology, even though it could allow for greater engagement and interactive learning.

The International Society of Critical Health Psychology (ISCHP) recently launched its inaugural awards at its bi-annual conference, hosted across several virtual hubs worldwide. Rhodes University researcher and academic Distinguished Professor Catriona Macleod and two of her Critical Studies in Sexualities and Reproduction research programme (CSSR) alumnae featured extraordinarily well at the awards.

South Africa has failed to produce a higher education system that meets its fundamental social and developmental needs in the democratic era, according to a new book, Understanding Higher Education: Alternative perspectives by two academics at Rhodes University, Chrissie Boughey and Sioux McKenna.

Rhodes University and the Makhanda Circle of Unity hosted a youth chat about the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccine myths yesterday.

Dipalo is a play co-written by Selloane 'Lalu' Mokuku, a lecturer in Applied Drama and Theatre at Rhodes University, and Ginni Manning, a playwright and theatre-maker from Liverpool, England.

Rhodes University lecturer and project manager for First Physical Theatre Company, Gavin Krastin, has been awarded the prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist Award (Performance Art) for 2021.

As women's month drew to a close for 2021, Rhodes University connected virtually with some of its inspiring alumnae, including Dr Mandy Hlengwa, Ayanda Mbanga, Janet Heard and Kim Cloete. Leboghang Nkambule, 2021 Student Representative Council President, also provided a current Rhodes University perspective, connecting past and present experiences.

Vaccines are ultimately the only way to ensure that we beat COVID-19, yet vaccine hesitancy remains a threat to protecting our community. In this series, Virologist at Rhodes University and member of the Provincial COVID-19 Expert Panel, Professor Rosemary Dorrington, will address queries, fears, and misinformation that many of our citizens face.

Botlhale Phurulla Modisaotsile has been elected as the Rhodes University Student Representative Council (SRC) President for 2022.

Monday. The first day over-18s are allowed to vaccinate on Rhodes University campus – and the response is overwhelming as Rhodents make the trek up to the Gavin Relly Postgrad Village site.

Back in full swing in 2021, the annual Highway Africa summit conference ran virtually over three days in June, with 136 unique attendees.

uest speaker at the seminar in the Registrar’s Division, in celebration of Women’s Month, Mrs Desiree Wicks presented an insightful and well-articulated talk on Quilting, Fabric Art, Fabricology and other craziness – Life Balance, Therapy and an amazing Community.

August is not only a month of the celebration of womanhood and women in South Africa, but also a time to commemorate women who fought against the injustices of our societies.

The plan for the full return to campus of both staff and students took an important step on Wednesday, 18 August 2021, with the constitution of several technical Task Teams to conduct targeted assessments of the ‘COVID-19 lessons’ of the past year-and-a-half and accordingly facilitate preparations for the safe resumption of the normal University system.

The story of how a shy radio astronomer from the Eastern Cape came to be a central character in building of one of the world’s most sensitive scientific instruments involves a series of unlikely events, a startling amount of beer and popcorn, and a team fuelled by the stubborn conviction that South Africa could pull it off.

In an effort to revive and preserve indigenous African languages, Rhodes University has joined a consortium of universities to collaborate in a project funded by the European Union called BAQONDE.

The 10th of August marked the second day of the virtual Women and the Armed Struggle Colloquium presented by the Political and International Studies Department at Rhodes University, in partnership with the Centre for Women and Gender Studies at Nelson Mandela University and the Historical Studies Department at the University of Cape Town.

On the morning of 10 August, the multifaceted storyteller, poet, nurse, and uMkhonto we Sizwe veteran, Makhosazana Xaba, orated a moving keynote address.

Women's Day in South Africa marks the anniversary of the great women's march of 1956, where strong, confident, resilient and powerful women gathered at the Union buildings to protest against the carrying of passbooks.

As part of a two-day colloquium, ‘Women and 60 Years of the Armed Struggle in South Africa’, an influential panel recounted their experiences as uMkhonto we Sizwe and Azanian National Liberation Army veterans.

In a two-day virtual colloquium, the Rhodes University Political and International Studies Department collaborated with Nelson Mandela University Centre for Women and Gender Studies and the University of Cape Town's Historical Studies Department to bring together the voices and stories of women who participated in the armed struggle in South Africa.

Vaccines are ultimately the only way to ensure that we beat COVID-19, yet vaccine hesitancy remains a threat to attaining herd immunity and protecting the whole community. In this series, Virologist at Rhodes University and member of the Provincial COVID-19 Expert Panel, Professor Rosemary Dorrington, will address queries, fears, and misinformation that many of our citizens face. Question: “What are all these different coronavirus variants I keep hearing about? And which ones are affecting South Africa?”

Language constituted in how and what we ‘hear’ and ‘speak’ impacts various aspects of our reality, including how we experience the South African democracy as it stands. Those were some of the words from Judge Belinda Hartle at the virtual launch of A handbook on Legal Languages and the quest for linguistic equality in South Africa and beyond by Rhodes University alumna, Dr Zakeera Docrat, in partnership with Professor Russell Kaschula and Professor Monwabisi Ralarala.

Vaccines are ultimately the only way to ensure that we beat COVID-19, yet vaccine hesitancy remains a threat to attaining herd immunity and protecting the whole community. In this series, Virologist at Rhodes University and member of the Provincial COVID-19 Expert Panel, Professor Rosemary Dorrington, will address queries, fears, and misinformation that many of our citizens face.

Earlier this month, the final year Pharmacy students were vaccinated against COVID-19 at the Faculty of Pharmacy, followed by approximately 200 second and third year BPharm students. Pharmacy students were included in the first cohort eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines, as they perform Work Integrated/Based Learning in clinical platforms as an essential component of their curricula.

Vaccines are ultimately the only way to ensure that we beat COVID-19, yet vaccine hesitancy remains a threat to attaining herd immunity and protecting the whole community. In this series, Virologist at Rhodes University and member of the Provincial COVID-19 Expert Panel, Professor Rosemary Dorrington, will address queries, fears, and misinformation that many of our citizens face.

Rhodes University has joined other universities in the fight against COVID-19 by establishing an on-campus vaccination site situated at its Gavin Relly Postgraduate Village.

Rhodes University lecturer in Human Kinetics and Ergonomics (HKE), Dr Jonathan Davy, has been elected President of the Ergonomics Society of South Africa (ESSA) for a period of three years.

Rhodes University academics are now using digital storytelling as an assessment tool for service learning and to generate rich qualitative data.

The Rhodes University Drama Department will be presenting two works – Mafungwashe (drama) and The Witch’s Party (physical theatre) – at the 2021 National Arts Festival. Both productions will be available through video-on-demand streaming from 13-31 July.

Rhodes University’s academic and Associate Professor Julie Coetzee has been elected President of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa (ESSA).

Rhodes University’s Department of Accounting has achieved an impressive 94% pass rate in this year’s Initial Test of Competence (ITC) set by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA).

In line with the National Department of Health’s (NDoH) mandate to vaccinate as many eligible people as quickly as possible, the Rhodes University Faculty of Pharmacy has started vaccinating its qualifying students against COVID-19.

A team of three Rhodes University students and two external collaborators have won first prize at the recently concluded nationwide Hackathon challenge.

The Impact of Science conference, which took place online from 23 to 25 June, investigated the transformative nature and role of science in society. PhD scholar in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Biotechnology at Rhodes University, Blessing Mabate, attended this high-profile event.

In an effort to better equip students to cope with the impact the pandemic has had on their mental health, the Psychology Department has implemented a Mental Health and Wellbeing course as part of its first-year psychology curriculum.

Reabetsoe Buys, a Counselling Psychologist and representative from the Tomorrow Trust, recently spent two days at Rhodes University to check in with the organisation’s 19 funded students.

Day three of the Highway Africa virtual conference, which consisted of several academic and research tracks, was launched with a keynote by Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Cape Town, Francis Nyamnjoh.

The afternoon session of the second day of the Highway Africa virtual conference kicked off on 22 June with the highly anticipated panel discussion titled: ‘Big tech and data, disinformation, truth and inertia’.

Journalists worldwide do unpopular work that places them under threat – and this is not just a reality in autocratic states but one faced by journalists around the world. Cyberattacks have become the latest attack method of choice against journalists, with cases continuing to rise exponentially. This was the topic of discussion for the last seminar on the second day of the Highway Africa virtual conference, which ran from 21-23 June 2021.

In today’s digital world, big data is becoming central to society’s functioning, and the media is no exception. Journalists can use data to tell new stories about the world we live in and better understand how people consume them. But as with any technology, the datafication of the media presents both opportunities and threats. This plays out in the African context in unique ways, and local media stands at a precipice in trying to deal with these changes.

On 22 June, Adi Eyal, Founder of OpenUp, a civic tech laboratory that blends data and technology to drive social change, gave a keynote address on Harnessing Big Data by African Media to Improve Journalism Innovation in a well-attended presentation as part of the Highway Africa three-day virtual conference.

On 21 June 2021, Highway Africa started its virtual conference on the perils and promise of platformisation for Africa with an introduction and welcome from Dr Sizwe Mabizela, Vice-Chancellor of Rhodes University.

Although 2020’s unexpected COVID-19 pandemic limited Highway Africa to a series of webinars, this year’s virtual conference will see the usual magnitude of this 24-year old event restored to its former glory.

The Rhodes University Council, at its meeting last week, unanimously resolved to extend Dr Sizwe Mabizela’s contract as Vice-Chancellor for a further seven years “to continue the proud academic story of quality of the past seven years,” Council Chairperson Judge Gerald Bloem, said.

On Friday, 11 June 2021, the Rhodes University African Studies Centre hosted a two-session panel colloquium titled “COVID-19 in Retrospect: Drug R&D and Traditional Medicine in Africa”.

On 11 June, the Rhodes University African Studies Centre hosted an online colloquium that focused on COVID-19 drug research & development and the role of traditional medicine in Africa. The webinar saw a total of 64 registered delegates and five panellists in attendance.

Rhodes University honorary doctorate Dr Bernie Fanaroff, and several physicists associated with Rhodes University, have recently revisited the Fanaroff-Riley classification (FRI/FRII morphological classification) in a paper called ‘A new look at old friends. I. Imaging classical radio galaxies with uGMRT and MeerKAT’.

In celebration of Youth Month, the National Research Foundation (NRF) is honouring the Youth of the NRF who are advancing knowledge, transforming lives and inspiring a nation. Rhodes University alumna, Dr Zakeera Docrat, is among these NRF-affiliated young achievers.

The Rhodes University community was saddened by the news of the passing of one of its honorary doctorate recipients, Professor Mahavishnu Padayachee over the weekend.

Rhodes University recently became the first South African university to win top place for the prestigious 2021 MacJannet Prize for Global Citizenship for its Nine Tenths Matric Mentoring Programme.

Rhodes University’s Head of Music and Musicology, Associate Professor Catherine Foxcroft, recently had a sit down with the Communications and Advancement Division and reflected on the effect 2020 had on her personal, academic, and teaching and learning experiences.

On Thursday 20 May, Rhodes University and the International Library of African Music (ILAM) launch a new podcast series called African Music Activists. The series will showcase some of Africa’s most dedicated and influential music activists.

After struggling with anxiety and depression in his second year, law student Tshepo Mantje decided to share his painful lessons with others through a podcast - turning a complicated subject into a positive experience. A recent LLB graduate, Mantje recounts the interesting trajectory of his academic career.

Hot on the heels of the devastating fire at the University of Cape Town narrowly missing the famous Bolus Herbarium, the Albany Museum’s Selmar Schonland Herbarium, closely associated with Rhodes University, barely escaped a devastation of its own last week.

Rhodes University alumnus, Unathi Kamlana, has been appointed a Commissioner of the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA). Kamlana, who was appointed by Finance Minister, Tito Mboweni, will head the FSCA for a period of five years.

For the first time since its inception, the annual National Symposium on Biological invasions, was held as a virtual online event last week. It took place over three days, from 5 – 7 May and saw over 404 delegates register from 21 countries across the globe, including seven African countries.

The prospect of pursuing university studies while working full-time can be daunting. But this has not stopped Rhodes University support staff from taking on the challenge over the years. In a world that is forever changing, committing to personal and professional growth, as these staff members have, is essential.

For the first time ever, over 50 Gadra Matric School alumni graduated from Rhodes University in a single graduation ceremony, which marks a significant milestone in the journey to transform education in Makhanda.

After overcoming remote learning challenges and contracting COVID-19 in 2020, sheer determination and hope drove Luvo Myobe to graduate with a Bachelor of Journalism degree, against all odds.

The 2021 Rhodes University graduation ceremony marked a special day in Lindiwe Tsope’s life and academic career, as she became the first Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) alumni to graduate with a PhD.

While it is well known that surfing the internet can leave you vulnerable to theft, web-based ‘crypto-jackers’ are not after your money or files: they are looking to use your computer’s power to mine cryptocurrency. The research of Computer Science Masters graduate, Rob Len, explored just how prevalent web-based crypto-jacking is.

Recent Master’s graduate Esihle Lupindo has earned himself the Fulbright Foreign Student Exchange Scholarship to study towards a Doctoral degree in the United States of America (USA) at the University of Nebraska. The scholarship will provide full funding for his tuition and boarding and allow him to participate in a cultural exchange programme, amongst other things.

When Dr Desire Chiwandire first joined Rhodes University in 2009, he had a dream of one day completing his PhD at the university and in 2021 his dream was realised.

With a global pandemic in our midst, universities all over the world have been forced to find new and creative ways to celebrate the students’ graduation day, robbing them of the normal ways of celebration. However, this is not the worst that the pandemic has done to students, as some are forced to celebrate graduation without parents, who were lost due to COVID-19.

On Friday, 23rd of April 2021, Rhodes University African studies Centre hosted a virtual panel for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) discussion.

On Thursday, 22 April 2021, the Rhodes University African Studies Centre, in association with the Institute for Africa and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Lagos, hosted the first day of a two-day colloquium aimed at examining fundamental questions relating to the politics of global health and Africa’s position in the world health systems architecture.

According to the Rhodes University Student Disciplinary Code, online harassment, bullying, and other forms of intimidation towards staff or fellow students are offences that can lead to severe consequences.

We cannot use the internet today without giving away our personal information. Everything, from social media and online shopping to reading the news, requires you to sign up and disclose personal data, while websites continually ask you to accept ‘cookies’ that track your location and IP address. But do South Africans care? Recent Masters in Information Systems graduate Heather Parker focused her research on this question.

The SA Netflix documentary My Octopus Teacher won the Oscar for Best Documentary Film feature early on Monday morning.

On its 72nd graduation ceremony on the 28th of April 2021, Rhodes University will confer a degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) (honoris causa) on its alumnus and notable educator Mr William Smith.

Rhodes University’s Chemistry Department has made history by being the first department in any South African university to join the Green Chemistry Commitment programme.

On its 72nd graduation ceremony on the 28th of April 2021, Rhodes University will confer a degree of Doctor of Letters (DLitt) (honoris causa) on researcher in natural products chemistry, Professor Berhanu Abegaz.

On Thursday, the 15th of April, Rhodes University Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) hosted a live webinar that focused on the meaning of ‘home’ in the context of the urban housing crisis. Chaired by ISER Director, Professor Cyril Nhlanhla Mbatha, the webinar saw close to 100 participants registered across the country.

On its 72nd graduation ceremony on the 28th of April 2021, Rhodes University will confer a degree of Doctor of Letters (DLitt) (honoris causa) on alumna and prolific author of fiction and non-fiction works, Dr Marguerite Poland.

The story of democratic South Africa and its approach to human rights in the rest of the world is a tale of woe. For two-and-a-half decades, its foreign policy mostly failed to defend internationally – and quite often contradicted – the human rights principles contained in its constitution.

On its 72nd graduation ceremony on the 28th of April 2021, Rhodes University will confer a degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) (honoris causa) on community builder, Nontsikelelo Ntsiki Biko.

Rhodes University has appointed retired provincial Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Les Roberts as the University’s first Ombudsperson. His two-year appointment expires in 2022.

On its 72nd graduation ceremony on the 28th of April 2021, Rhodes University will confer a degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) (honoris causa) on activist for political and human rights, Ms Mary de Haas.

On its 72nd graduation ceremony on the 28th of April 2021, Rhodes University will confer a degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD) (honoris causa) on African Court for Human Rights and People’s Rights Judge and Cricket South Africa’s Social Justice Ombudsman, Advocate Dumisa Buhle Ntsebeza SC.

Sixty-six percent (66%) of the people graduating in Rhodes University’s third virtual graduation ceremony are women.

Since the 25th of January 2021, Rhodes University has recorded four (4) positive cases of COVID-19, with one staff member and three students testing positive. To date, a total of seven (7) staff members have passed away due to COVID-19 complications.

Rhodes University athlete, Jonathan Benjamin, is set to represent South Africa under 30 at the World Triathlon Championships in Canada later this year. He recently participated in the South African Triathlon Championships that took place in Bloemfontein, representing Eastern Province Buffalo City region.

Rhodes Business School Senior Lecturer, Professor Tshidi Mohapeloa has been unanimously elected by all 26 universities as the Deputy Chairperson of the national Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) Communities of Practice (CoP) for Entrepreneurship Learning and Teaching.

The Rhodes University Law Faculty recently kicked off its 2021 academic year by celebrating the success of academic staff and students alike.

Rhodes University 2020 Student Representative Council President, Katlego Mphahlele has been selected as the 2021 ambassador of the International University Sports Federation (FISU).

It is with great consternation that we share the news that our official Rhodes University Facebook page has been hijacked and is no longer under our control.

An international team of astronomers has published the most sensitive images of the Universe ever taken at low radio frequencies, using the International Low Frequency Array (LOFAR).

A PhD student in the African Language Studies Section in the School of Languages and Literatures, Mr Ignatius Mabasa, has been awarded a PhD for the first-ever thesis written in ChiShona at Rhodes University.

Rhodes University's Associate Professor Julie Coetzee from the Department of Botany recently weighed in on how South Africa has successfully brought Salvinia molesta under control thanks to the release of the weevil into its freshwater systems since 1985.

A second year Statistics Masters student, Babalwa Falteni, is participating in the 2021 FameLab programme that starts today online and will end tomorrow.

Mapula Maponya from the Allan Gray Centre for Leadership Ethics (AGCLE), is the recipient of the 2020 Vice Chancellor’s Distinguished Award for Community Engagement.

Being in nature has benefits for people, as studies have shown. There’s ample evidence that experiences of nature have positive physical and psychological outcomes. But these insights have largely come from the Global North. There’s very little research on how urban communities in the Global South experience or view urban nature.

The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration, who produced the first ever image of a black hole, has revealed today a new view of the massive object at the centre of the M87 galaxy: how it looks in polarised light. EHT collaboration members Dr Iniyan Natarajan and Prof Roger Deane, both with roots in Rhodes University, were involved in this discovery.

Pearce was a boy from Klerksdorp who could never quite believe that he was a partner in the world’s largest law firm, a member of the MCC and the Reform Club. Someone who had spoken to the Crown Prince of Japan in Japanese, even though he had not said “I hang upon your eye” as the courtliest Japanese demanded.

Various departments of the University were hard at work over the long weekend in an endeavour to cover accumulated backlogs in critical areas of operation. The backlogs include the registration of some first time entering students (FTENs), processing of students allowances, distribution of laptops for new students and cleaning of students’ residences. The following update relates to some of the work completed and/or in progress:

Professor Chris Mann, who was based at Rhodes University’s Institute for the Study of the Englishes in Africa (ISEA) and founded Wordfest, died peacefully at his home in Makhanda last week, following a cancer diagnosis in 2020.

Legal and disciplinary breaches by protesting students, including intimidation and abuse of staff coming to work, abuse of University property, threats targeted at students and parents visiting campus to drop-off students, have compelled Rhodes University to review with immediate effect the strategy to ensure safety and health on campus.

Someone who has read the novel Ityala Lamawele by Samuel Edward Krune Mqhayi or watched the telenovela on SABC 1 would know that it is sometimes rare for twins to see eye to eye, let alone love the same things. However, two sets of twins who came to register at Rhodes University this week paint an altogether different story.

Rhodes University acknowledges the announcement yesterday by the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation (DHET), Dr Blade Nzimande, that Cabinet took a decision that funding for DHET would have to be reprioritised to address the National Student Financial Aid Scheme is a South African (NSFAS) funding shortfall.

A new study published in Nature is prompting the rewrite of all biology textbooks relating to the origin and evolution of vertebrates – including the modern human. The study, by Professor Rob Gess from the Albany Museum in Makhanda (Grahamstown) shows that the foundation on which most of the research done on the origin of vertebrates (any animal with a backbone such as goldfish, lizards, crows and people) has been based on incorrect assumptions.

When a young girl from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) was diagnosed with leukemia in 2013 and admitted to Red Cross Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, she wasn’t sure if her studies would ever extend beyond Grade 5.

An initiative that started as a small idea in 2000 at Albany Museum under Nonceba Shoba's leadership has grown into a fully-fledged partnership between Rhodes University and GADRA Education.

Published on 1 March 2021 in the SA Medical Journal, the article titled Viruses, variants and vaccines was co-authored by Rhodes University’s Professor Rosemary Dorrington from the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology.

After ten years at the helm of Development and Fundraising at Rhodes University, Qondakele Sompondo bowed out in February to take on a new challenge as the Director of Institutional Advancement at Sol Plaatje University.

Makhanda schools have bounced back from the disappointing results of 2019 in style and in the process recorded a collective pass rate of 80% for the first time in the city’s history!

The Makhanda Circle of Unity (MCoU), an apolitical, multi-stakeholder civil society coalition, welcomes Mr Sisesakhe Ntlabezo, as the newly appointed Programme Manager to drive a novel collaborative pact for the advancement of the city’s socio-economic interest.

The drug whoonga has plagued South African communities for at least a decade, yet only gained significant public attention when it appeared more visibly in the inner-city and surrounding suburbs of Durban, the major city in the country’s KwaZulu-Natal province.

The rise of fake news in the COVID-19 era has had terrible consequences already and looks likely to continue to do so.

In response to the COVID-19 context, the Centre for Higher Education, Research, Teaching and Learning (CHERTL), offered the annual Academic Orientation Programme (AOP) in a distance mode this year.

Dr Jono Davy, Mr Andrew Todd and Mr Ben Ryan of Rhodes University’s Department of Human Kinetics and Ergonomics (HKE) have been recognised as the recipients of the 2019 Vice Chancellor’s Distinguished Award for Community Engagement.

On 04 February 2021, the three winners of the 2019 VC’s Community Engagement Award gave attendees an inspiring look into the possibilities of transforming classroom-based teaching and laboratory-based research into an embedded and transformative experience for students, academics and community members.

The confluence of language and justice is at the heart of Rhodes University academic Dr Zakeera Docrat’s work.

Rhodes University would like to join the millions of South Africa in paying homage to a world-renowned opera singer and jazz music legend, Dr Sibongile Khumalo.

It is with great sadness that we record the passing of a former staff member in the Faculty of Law, Professor Emeritus Richman Mqeke.

Rhodes University alumnus, Wamkele Mene, was last week installed as the secretary-general of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a first for the continent.