As the new academic year begins, students embark on their undergraduate and postgraduate studies, while early-career academics consider their next steps in research and professional development. To support them on this journey, Rhodes University hosted a two-day engagement event, led by Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation, and Strategic Partnerships, Dr. Kwezi Mzilikazi, alongside Honorary Professor Stephanie Burton and Dr. Mandy Hlengwa. The event provided a blend of strategic insights, practical guidance, and hands-on training to help participants strengthen their academic careers.

The Rhodes University Theatre came alive on the 20th of March with a bold and innovative fusion of theatre and lived student experience in a production titled RU Game. Presented by the Rhodes University Drama Department in collaboration with the Division of Student Services and Development, the performance offered a thought-provoking and immersive simulation that mirrored the realities of university life — all through the powerful medium of performance.

Several past and present students can attest that being part of the Law Faculty is undoubtedly a rigorous journey, but it is also gratifying and filled with growth. Despite the rainy weather, the Rhodes University Law Faculty still managed to host its annual "Market Day" on Friday, 14th March. The gazebo was packed to the brim, alive with the energy of young, ambitious minds eager as ever. St Peter's Lawn offered a scenic landscape bustling with students taking every opportunity to network with potential employers, mingle with their peers, and get a taste of what their futures would look like.

Getting into university is a critical and often difficult transition; hence, Rhodes University is committed to supporting those starting with the help they need to successfully transition to this new stage of their life. The Pathways to Success – Conversations with First-Year Students program under Professor ‘Mabokang Monnapula-Mapesela, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs, is a key program to bring to their studies and life the resources they will require to succeed.

Rhodes University hosted its annual Commerce Extended Studies Programme (CESP) welcome function at the Amazwi Literary Museum on the 11th of March 2025 in collaboration with Investec. The event warmly welcomed first-year students, introducing them to Investec's invaluable support throughout their academic journey.

The Peer Educators programme at Rhodes University is an initiative dedicated to student well-being, leadership development, and social impact. Established under Higher Health in collaboration with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), this initiative empowers students to support their peers in navigating various challenges, including mental health, sexual and reproductive health, LGBTQIA+ rights, and gender diversity. The programme has become integral to student life by fostering a sense of community and responsibility.

The RU Water Wonders was a team of dedicated students from Rhodes University who participated in the 7th edition of the Water4Future Student Hackathon, organised by the UNESCO International Centre on Freshwater (ICIREWARD) in Montpellier.

Rhodes University is set to host its Autumn Graduation between 2 and 4 April 2025, a momentous occasion honouring the achievements of its graduates while recognising four distinguished individuals with honorary doctorates. Adding to the significance of this year’s ceremony, the University bids farewell to its esteemed Chancellor, Justice Lex Mpati, after more than a decade of inspiring students and young graduates through transformative leadership.

Associate Professor in Political and International Studies at Rhodes University, Siphokazi Magadla has been named a joint winner of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) Humanities Book Award in the Established Scholar category, marking the fourth accolade for her acclaimed book, Guerrillas and Combative Mothers: Women and the Armed Struggle in South Africa.

On the 11th of March, Distinguished Professor Tebello Nyokong was honoured at Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) in Makhanda through a tree planting ceremony, an annual tradition recognising individuals who have significantly impacted education and the community. Observed on International Women's Day, the ceremony inspires the learners at DSG as it acknowledges the inspirational women who are influencing their world.

When South Africa’s MeerKAT radio telescope was switched on in 2018, it cemented itself as one of the world’s most powerful astronomical instruments, capable of uncovering deep cosmic mysteries. Behind its success is a network of engineers and astronomers who worked tirelessly to fine-tune its performance. Among them is Dr Benjamin Hugo, a key player in the commissioning and science verification of MeerKAT and one of the country’s leading experts on its use.

“Africa hasn’t mattered,” declared Wits academic, Dr Westen Kwatemba Shilaho during a thought-provoking seminar hosted by the Department of Political and International Studies at Rhodes University.

On Wednesday, 26 February 2025, Rhodes University’s School of Languages & Literatures and the Political & International Studies department hosted the launch of Izimpabanga Zomhlaba (The Wretched of the Earth), Frantz Fanon’s seminal work translated into isiZulu by Dr Makhosazana Xaba. Dr Xaba received an honorary doctorate from Rhodes University in 2022.

In a rare moment of coming full circle, Rhodes University will honour Mrs. Nontsikelelo (Ntsiki) Biko by robing her at the Steve Biko Centre in Ginsberg in the Eastern Cape on Thursday, 27 March 2025.

Curated by Fine Art Painting lecturer and Fine Art Practice 3 course coordinator Robyn Munnick, the Fine Art Practice 3 exhibition embodies an interdisciplinary culmination and creative collaboration of selected Fine Art Practice 3 student work of 2024. The show offers individual perspectives on conceptual themes such as chaos, order, time, space, cultural identity, familial ideology, world-building, belonging, and ways of seeing, all while exploring the technical facilities of printmaking, digital art, photography, painting, sculpture, and installation.

Rhodes University has once again made its mark globally—this time through its involvement in supporting the delivery of the global media hub for the prestigious 2025 Invictus Games, held in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada, from 8 to 16 February. Although the University’s contribution was remote, its impact remains significant.

The MEQOQO Playback Theatre Collective recently hosted Mammatli Thakhuli-Nzuza, a representative of the South African Playback Theatre Association (SAPTA), for a weekend-long training session in Makhanda. The workshop focused on Playback Theatre techniques and was attended by members of MEQOQO as well as the 14-member cast of the 2025 Orientation Theatre Initiative (OTI), all of whom are Honours students.

New York-based investment banker, philanthropist and Board member of the Rhodes University USA Trust, Justine Mannering, has capped off the success of a spectacular year-long Rhodes University’s 120th anniversary in 2024 with a year-end share donation.

Rhodes University strongly condemns the disruptive actions that took place earlier today, instigated by a small group of individuals with thinly veiled anarchic motives. Such actions interfere with the core academic mission of the University and undermine the rights of students and staff to learn and work in a stable, safe and conducive environment.

Rhodes University’s Community Engagement (RUCE) Office hosted a welcome cocktail event for first-year mentees of the Nine-Tenths programme, marking a major milestone in the University’s efforts to transform education in Makhanda.