Projects and Initiatives

Creating a Mandela Observatory

Nelson Mandela University is committed to embodying Mandela’s legacy and ethos. This initiative aims to create a repository of projects, programmes, documents, media, research, and entities that evidence the University’s embodiment of the Mandela legacy.

Although a work in progress, the catalogue of links listed below provides an overview of the University’s expression of its Mandela identity. The current list only reflects a small number of initiatives as TIMS is still in the process of reviewing. Please contact Nadia.Mukadam@mandela.ac.za if there is an initiative or programme that should be included.

At Nelson Mandela University, the students requested a foundational course to enable understanding of basic social issues tied to justice, fairness, freedom, sustainability, dignity and recognition.  (https://scsf.mandela.ac.za/)

Mandela University Governance Portal provides access to governance information resources and links to institutional committees, legislation, policies, procedures, forms and documents of interest. (https://governance.mandela.ac.za/)

This page gives the history of Mandela University, explains the living legacy of our name, and links to A timeline of our history and Nelson Mandela - The Man. The latter provides interesting biographical accounts, the legacy of the name, and details about the name change process. (https://www.mandela.ac.za/About-us)

The New Name page captures the exciting journey towards our new generation university named in honour of one of the world’s greatest statesmen. (https://newname.mandela.ac.za/)

The My Future portal page aims to guide students through each step of their university journey from initial exploration to graduation. It serves as a one-stop hub for all things related to applying to and attending the university – with resources for career guidance, student support services, accommodation, campus facilities and student life. (https://myfuture.mandela.ac.za/)

The Get2KnowMandelaUni Blog provides information about studying at Nelson Mandela University for prospective and new students. (https://myfuture.mandela.ac.za/Get2KnowMandelaUni-Blog)

The 2016 Staff Handbook is useful archival information about NMMU, the old logo, and the former mission statement. (https://staff.mandela.ac.za/staff/media/Store/documents/Staff%20Handbook/Staff-Handbook.pdf)

News aims to establish Nelson Mandela University as a thought leader in the media landscape through the distribution of institutional news, publication of opinion pieces (https://news.mandela.ac.za/Opinion-pieces), and chronicling articles from the media where Nelson Mandela University has been featured. (https://news.mandela.ac.za/)

Student Governance and Development promotes Nelson Mandela University's commitment to developing well-rounded, socially responsible graduates. It provides resources and support for student development at Nelson Mandela University, serving as a hub for all non-academic student services and enrichment opportunities. (https://studev.mandela.ac.za/)

Student Life and Development is a central online hub for all student support services at Nelson Mandela University. It provides students with key information, resources and contacts to assist them throughout their academic journey. (https://studentaffairs.mandela.ac.za/)

The Student Representative Council (SRC) is the highest decision-making body of student governance. It represents all students and their overall interests and social well-being in the university. It is involved in policy-making and cooperative decision-making on campus. (https://src.mandela.ac.za/)

Learning Development focuses on programmes that seek to enable students to build their success. Their goal is “Empowering students holistically on their learning pathways through nurturing, targeted and collaborative learning experiences.” (https://ld.mandela.ac.za/)

The Centre for Law in Action is a service provider for the training of municipal and government employees in the implementation and enforcement of legislation. The Centre includes the Refugee Rights Centre (RRC https://cla.mandela.ac.za/CLA-Profile/Access-to-Justice) with its primary focus on improving access to justice for refugees and asylum seekers and the newly established Fisheries Law Enforcement Academy (FishFORCE - https://fishforce.mandela.ac.za/), which has fisheries crime law enforcement as its key focus area. (https://cla.mandela.ac.za/)

The Centre for African Conservation Ecology (ACE) is a dynamic and exciting postgraduate research and training centre within the Faculty of Science at Nelson Mandela University. You can use this website to track ACE news, learn about ACE’s history and goals, download annual reports and find out about ACE research activities, identify research project opportunities, and more. ACE is strongly committed to supporting sound decision making in the environmental field, and explicitly provides management advice from our science. For more focused advice, ACE provides consultancy services.  (https://ace.mandela.ac.za/)

The Action Research Unit at Nelson Mandela University's Faculty of Education aims to expand opportunities for researchers, students and practising teachers to conduct action research for social and educational improvement. (https://aru.mandela.ac.za/)

The focus of the University Psychology Clinic (UCLIN) is to provide outpatient services to the general public such as assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, and adults who are experiencing educational, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The Clinics are also training and research units where postgraduate psychology students receive professional training.  (https://clinic.mandela.ac.za/)

The Ukhanyo Community Clinic is a community mental health partnership initiated by the Walter Sisulu University (WSU) Department of Psychiatry at Dora Nginza Hospital (DNH) and the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth. The name Ukhanyo means “light”or “enlightenment”. It was chosen to represent a beacon of hope in an impoverished sector of the community where access to mental health services is impeded by a number of factors including poverty and low levels of education. (https://clinic.mandela.ac.za/Missionvale-Campus-Psychology-Clinic/Services-Offered/Affiliation-with-Ukhanyo-Community-Clinic)

The Arts, Culture, and Heritage website functions as a digital repository and promoter of the university's broad contributions to the local, national and global art scenes. It offers insights into the university's vibrant creative landscape through featured stories, news updates, event listings and multimedia content. Special programmes, like the Naming and Renaming Project are highlighted, underlining the university's social impact through culture. (https://artsandculture.mandela.ac.za/Digital-packages-2020/Africa-Day)

Projects & Initiatives

The list below recounts and highlights some of the major steps the University has taken in its engagement with its stakeholders since 2015, through projects, initiatives and events. The timeline attempts to briefly showcase the making of a locally responsive, nationally active, regionally alive, and globally aware African university. The work presented here is not exhaustive. It should be considered in conjunction with the myriad of strategic and programmatic initiatives taken across the institution. Should you wish to see additional projects, initiatives and events reflected here, please contact us.

Also, see the short mapping of key University activities speaking to the social figure, Mandela: "Embodying Mandela at Mandela University"

African Engagements and Partnership Programme (July 2022)
TIMS Focus Group Discussions (2022-2024)
Mandela Studies Concept Note (October 2020)
Responding to the pandemic (COVID-19 Coordinating Committee) (2020-2023)
Partnership between Mandela University and the Nelson Mandela Foundation (February 2020)
Transdisciplinary Institute for Mandela Studies (TIMS) established (November 2019)
Formation of the Engagement and Transformation Portfolio (ETP) (July 2019)
Naming and Renaming Project (2019)
Social Consciousness and Sustainable Futures Course (August 2018)
Mandela Bench (May 2018)
Vice-Chancellor’s Listening Campaign (2018)
Swartz & Muthwa Council Think-Piece: What Identity and Posture for Nelson Mandela University? (December 2017)
Institutional Identity and Brand (2017)
Alumni Award Recipients: What does the name Nelson Mandela mean to you? (July 2017)
University Survey: What does the name Nelson Mandela mean to you? (April-July 2017)
Government Gazette: Notice of change of name of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University to Nelson Mandela University (June 2016)
The Institutional Culture Enlivening Process (2013-2017)
Mandela Symbolism on our campuses (2015)

Events

Mandela University Science Centre Launch (March 2024)
Advancing Critical University Studies across Africa (ACUSAfrica) Colloquium: Radical Openness (November 2022)
Africa Day Celebration: Advancing the Academic Expression of Mandela (May 2022)
Transformation Indaba Panel Discussion: Mandela in the context of University Transformation (February 2022)
Medical School Launch (November 2021)
Politics & Cultures of Naming Workshop (August 2021)
Mandela Posture, Identity & Scholarship Workshop (April 2021)
Compl [y,x]: The Gender Debate (August 2019)
Dalibhunga: This time? That Mandela? Colloquium (2019)
Mandela Centenary Celebrations (July 2018)
Inaugural Address: Vice-Chancellor Professor Sibongile Muthwa (April 2018)
Ocean Sciences Campus Launch (September 2017)
Launch of Name: Nelson Mandela University (July 2017)
Symphony Orchestra Concert: His Day is Done - Remembering Mandela (August 2016)