A South African government minister praised the unique relationship between the University of Sussex and South Africa during a visit last week.
The University hosted South Africa’s Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Bonginkosi “Blade” Nzimande and a delegation of South African academic leaders and politicians to strengthen a significant partnership in knowledge exchange, research and training.
Alongside members of South Africa's Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), the delegation included representatives from the South African High Commission in London, the British High Commission to South Africa, South African research and innovation agencies, Nelson Mandela University, and the University of Cape Town.
During the visit, Professor Nzimande MP highlighted the special relationship between Sussex and South Africa. He said: “This university played a pivotal role in our people’s struggle for freedom. It served as a haven and academic sanctuary for South African students – many of which were activists, exiles, and freedom fighters from the turbulent 1960’s right until the end of apartheid.”
Professor Sasha Roseneil, Vice Chancellor and President of the University of Sussex welcomed the visitors to the University to take part in a day of presentations and discussions with students and staff last week.
“It was a great honour to welcome Professor Nzimande and his delegation to Sussex. We are very proud of the contribution that the Sussex community has made to the democratic transformation of South Africa.
“Throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s, Sussex provided an intellectual home and a refuge for exiled South African students and academics, many of whom went on to serve in the first democratically elected government of South Africa.
“President Thabo Mbeke studied at Sussex, along with half of President Mandela’s first cabinet, and the first draft of the post-apartheid constitution was drafted in the Library at Sussex. We continue to receive brilliant students from South Africa under our Mandela Scholarship programme, who return to their home country after their studies to build institutions and businesses that are improving lives for their fellow South Africans.”
The visit aimed to deepen collaboration between the University, the South African government, and national research institutions and universities, with a focus on digital transformation and human development, which feature in the South African government’s Science, Technology and Innovation plan. The University hopes to play a substantive role in delivering South Africa’s ambitious Presidential PhD Programme, which seeks to build a new generation of researchers. This aligns with South Africa’s ambition to strengthen and grow its innovation and research capacity.
Professor Blade Nzimande MP also gave a lecture on “Co-creating resilient innovations for sustainable futures: shaping the African continent” to students and staff. This was organised by the Sussex Africa Centre and provided an opportunity to reflect on how many South Africans had helped to shape Sussex over the years.
Sussex was the first British university to offer Mandela Scholarships. In a pioneering effort to counter the injustice of apartheid and raise the profile of Mandela's struggle for freedom, students at Sussex founded the Scholarship in 1973. More than 70 Mandela Scholars have now graduated from Sussex, returning home to become leaders in their field, scientists, environmentalists, development professionals and government ministers.
Dr Nhlanhla Msomi, who was part of the visit’s delegation from the University of Cape Town, was one of the first Mandela Scholars after he was invited to study at Sussex by former Chancellor Sir Richard Attenborough after fearing for his life during the apartheid regime.
At Sussex, Nhlanhla studied Molecular Genetics, subsequently completing a PhD in Genetic Engineering and now works as a research scientist, academic, corporate advisor and entrepreneur in South Africa.
Dr Msomi said: “The value of a Sussex education goes beyond academic learning. It extends to a way of life that propels individuals to become better human beings with a very good set of skills to make a difference in the world. That may be Sussex’s best tribute to the Mandela legacy.”
Following, the visit, the University hopes to move from individual research projects towards a more formal institutional partnership, focused on expanding the UK–South Africa Presidential PhD Programme which aims to increase the number of PhD scholars in the country.