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.