Message from UJ
FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR’S DESK
There is a proverb I have come to treasure, one that has guided my thinking on leadership and on the role of institutions such as ours in the fabric of our society: “If you think you are too small to make a difference, you have not spent a night with a mosquito”. It is a reminder that impact is rarely a function of scale alone but rather testament to our courage and willingness to act. In May 2025, UJ officially launched UJDigital. This is a transformative online learning platform that I believe marks one of the most consequential chapters in our two-decade history. At its core, UJDigital is a testament to our conviction that access and excellence are not mutually exclusive. We have never desired to be an elitist institution, and this initiative is perhaps our most direct expression of that value. UJDigital positions UJ as Africa’s leader in industry-relevant, flexible, and accessible online education. Through an extensive range of short learning programmes and non-subsidised whole qualifications, we are opening doors that geography and convention have long kept closed. We are living through a moment of profound disruption. We know all too well that a university that does not respond to these realities with urgency and imagination abdicates
Societal impact must also mean intergenerational responsibility. It is the very purpose that animates everything we do.
Here is where you, our alumni, become indispensable. Your journey does not end at graduation, it deepens. The UJ Alumni Network exists precisely because we know that the ties between an alumnus and their institution are among the most meaningful of all professional and personal bonds. You are our most vital partners in expanding what this university can offer to those who will come after you. Every rand donated to the UJ Alumni Annual Fund is a rand invested in ensuring that no deserving student misses out on a quality education due to financial constraints. Whether it is a scholarship or support for a community development initiative, your generosity has a direct and traceable impact on a human life. And that is not a small thing. But giving back takes many forms. You can give your time as a mentor to a student who is navigating the professional world for the first time. You can give your expertise and networks by offering internship and employment opportunities to our graduates. And beyond all else, you can give your voice by advocating for this institution, and for the transformative power of education, in every space you occupy.
its most sacred responsibility. Our Strategic Plan 2035 anchors everything we do in three defining pillars: Societal Impact and Sustainability; Global Footprint and Partnerships; and Technology for the Future. UJDigital is the living embodiment of all three. This initiative ensures UJ remains at the forefront of educational innovation, creating accessible pathways to higher education and equipping students with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving global economy. In a world where, by 2050, one in every four people on this planet will be African, the imperative to build scalable quality educational infrastructure could not be more urgent.
The UJConnect platform makes it easier than ever to remain engaged. Here, you can find fellow alumni, stay informed about developments at your alma mater, and identify the channels through which your contribution, whatever its form, can have the greatest effect. The good that you can do, and that you are already doing, when channelled in partnership with this institution, multiplies in ways that neither of us could achieve alone. The solution, as I have often said, lies not in looking outward for salvation, but in looking across our borders and networks
Higher education has a critical role that extends far beyond the lecture hall. Universities should empower communities and tackle key social issues through innovative research and engaged scholarship.
for collaboration. As we look to the next chapter of
UJ’s journey, I am energised by what is possible when a university and its alumni share a commitment to purpose.
ALUMNI IMPUMELELO
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