Faculty of Humanities at Nelson Mandela University

04/06/2026

From 20 to 29 May 2026, Visual Communication and Applied Design lecturer, Micaela Scholtz, and Visual Arts lecturer, Vhuhwavho Sikhwivhilu from the Department of Visual Art visited the Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA) in Tallinn, Estonia, as part of an ongoing partnership between the institutions.

The visit was supported through ERASMUS+ funding. The objectives of this visit to the EKA included fostering academic and professional exchange between institutions, sharing best practices in evaluation and examination methods, and exploring potential avenues for future academic and creative collaboration.

Additionally, the visit aimed to provide insight into EKA’s student-focused events, such as the TASE graduation exhibition and the ERKI Fashion Show, as well as MA defence presentations to enhance participants’ understanding of innovative approaches in art and design education.

This mobility initiative supports both institutions’ strategic goals for internationalisation and modernisation by facilitating cross-cultural dialogue, academic networking, and the exchange of innovative methods.

04/06/2026

The Faculty of Humanities, in collaboration with the Faculty of Science and the DVC: Research, Innovation and Internationalisation, is proud to present Quantum Technology and Experimental Music.

This unique interdisciplinary event brings together Prof Thomas Konrad, Director of the Centre for Quantum Computing and Technology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and Ernest Dawkins, acclaimed Chicago-based saxophonist, composer, and educator, for an exploration of the connections between quantum science, creativity, improvisation, and musical innovation.

Supported by our partners the Mandela Bay Theatre Complex, and featuring scientific presentation, live musical performance, and audience discussion, the seminar invites participants to engage with ideas from both scientific and artistic perspectives.

📅 Monday, 8 June 2026

🕟 16:30–18:00

📍 South Campus Auditorium, Nelson Mandela University

🎟 RSVP: https://forms.office.com/r/uXVqtKwDU4

We look forward to welcoming staff, students, musicians, researchers, and members of the public.

01/06/2026

🕊️ In Loving Memory of Banele Dlulane 🕊️

It is with deep sadness that the Faculty of Humanities acknowledges the passing of our student, Banele Dlulane.

We extend our sincere condolences to Banele’s family, friends, classmates, and all who knew and loved him during this difficult time.

May his soul rest in peace.

🕊️ It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of Banele.

As the Department of Music and Performing Arts, we extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time.

Banele was a valued member of our department whose warm and kind spirit left a lasting impact on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.

His absence will be profoundly felt, and he will be dearly missed by all whose lives he touched.

May his soul rest in peace. 🕊️

29/05/2026

🚨 MISSING PERSON ALERT 🚨

The Nelson Mandela University Faculty of Humanities is deeply concerned about the disappearance of music student Banele Dlulane.

Banele was last seen on 26 May 2026, wearing jeans and a red hoodie in the Gqeberha area.

If you have any information that may assist in locating him, please contact his family on 072 721 8966 or reach out to Humewood SAPS immediately.

Please share this post to help bring Banele home safely. 🙏

22/05/2026

As South Africa approaches the 50th anniversary of the 1976 student uprising, retired Major General Gordon Yekelo urged students at Nelson Mandela University to reflect critically on democracy, inequality and the unfinished project of freedom in post-apartheid South Africa.

Speaking at a seminar hosted by the Centre for Security, Peace and Conflict Resolution, Yekelo challenged students to think beyond elections and political rights, arguing that democracy must also be measured through the lived realities of ordinary citizens and the broader question of human security.

“Our democracy remains tested because many South Africans still live under conditions shaped by structural inequality,” he said.

Yekelo, who previously served as South Africa’s Ambassador to South Sudan and held senior leadership roles within the South African National Defence Force, drew on his experiences in the liberation struggle, exile, democratic transition and continental peacebuilding to reflect on the enduring impact of colonial and apartheid structures on contemporary society.

Read more at: https://news.mandela.ac.za/News/Former-SANDF-Major-General-urges-students-to-rethi

20/05/2026

Happening now!

Faculty of Humanities
Center for Security, Peace and Conflict Resolution present
SOUTH AFRICA'S YOUTH AND DEMOCRACY:
A Human Security Perspective

20 May / 11:00am - 13:00pm
Council Chambers South Campus

RSVP: [email protected]

15/05/2026

📞Calling all Humanities postgraduate students!

Join us for the Faculty of Humanities Postgraduate Scholars Induction Workshop — an opportunity to connect with fellow postgraduate students, gain valuable insights into your postgraduate journey, and discover the support and opportunities available to you at Nelson Mandela University.

📍 Ocean Sciences Dome
📅 Monday, 18 May 2026
⏰ 14:00 – 16:3

Whether you’re starting your honour's, master’s, or doctoral journey, this workshop is designed to help you begin the year informed, inspired, and empowered 📚✨

15/05/2026

The Department of History and Political Studies recently hosted an engaging two-part engagement led by Professor Simphiwe Sesanti from the University of the Western Cape, consisting of a masterclass and seminar exploring African philosophy, decolonised education, Black Consciousness, and Pan-Africanism.

The masterclass, “Justice Through Education 50 Years On: An Afrocentric Engagement”, reflected on the enduring intellectual and political significance of the 1976 Soweto Uprising and the philosophy of Black Consciousness. Prof Sesanti challenged participants to rethink education as never neutral, but deeply ideological, shaped by culture, values, and power. Central to the discussion was the continued relevance of Afrocentric and decolonised education in reclaiming African intellectual traditions and advancing social transformation.

This conversation flowed into the seminar, “African Languages as Carriers of African Philosophy and Instruments for African Unity (Pan-Africanism)”, which examined African languages as living repositories of African memory, identity, and philosophy. Through comparative examples across African languages and cultures, Prof Sesanti demonstrated the deep philosophical and cultural connections that exist across the continent despite colonial borders and imposed divisions.

Together, the masterclass and seminar encouraged critical reflection on the relationship between language, education, identity, and liberation, while foregrounding the importance of African-centred thought in ongoing debates about curriculum transformation, social justice, and continental unity.

14/05/2026

13/05/2026

Public Lecture Explores the Role of Public Administration in South Africa’s Development

The Department of Public Management and Leadership, in collaboration with the South African Association of Public Administration and Management (SAAPAM), recently hosted a thought-provoking public lecture and officially launched the university’s SAAPAM Student Chapter.

Held under the theme “From Policy to Impact: How Public Administration Can Drive Industrialisation and Competitive Markets in South Africa,” the event brought together government leaders, public sector professionals, staff, and students to engage on the role of public administration in advancing ethical governance, economic transformation, and state capability.

Nelson Mandela University alumnus and Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Honourable Zuko Godlimpi, was one of three guest speakers who challenged students and public servants alike to rethink the role of bureaucracy in national development.

Drawing from developmental state theory and international examples such as China and East Asia, Godlimpi said South Africa needs to cultivate a bureaucracy capable of long-term strategic planning, regardless of changing political leadership.

Read more on: https://news.mandela.ac.za/News/Public-lecture-explores-the-role-of-public-adminis