experiences and trauma, the need to tell the histories of migration, refugee plight and deep historic and ongoing social injustices. A public lecture formed part of the conferral of the Honorary Doctorate on Prof Gurnah, under the theme “Colonialism and the Refugee Experience’. Professor Kinta Burger, the UJ Registrar, on the significance of Honorary Doctorates: An Honorary Doctorate is conferred upon an individual as an acknowledgement of their significant contributions to a specific field or outstanding service to society, which relates to the University’s vision, mission, values and strategic goals and objectives. The University looks forward to welcoming the new cohort of honorary doctorates to the UJ community. UJ honorary doctoral degrees Honorary doctoral degrees
Nigerian novelist, Ms Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, as well as Professor Robert Doyle Bullard, a leading figure in environmental justice scholarship and activism. Ms Adichie was honoured virtually, while Prof Bullard accepted in person, on Friday 14 October 2022. Lastly, Professor Abdulrazak Gurnah – the first black African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature (awarded in 2021) since the world-acclaimed novelist and playwright Wole Soyinka in 1986 – was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate at a special graduation ceremony on Wednesday 09 November 2022. Through his invaluable contribution to literature, Prof Gurnah has demonstrated what it means to be a public intellectual, an academic and an engaged author exploring the fractured past with a deep desire to reimagine the future. His writings delve into topics and themes that derive from colonial
are conferred on candidates with outstanding intellectual contributions of high academic distinction; and/or relevant meritorious or outstanding contributions to public life or significant benefit to society at large with evidence of a contribution that is innovative, beyond the norm and characteristic of a leader in the field, self-initiated and self-directed; related to the University’s vision, mission, values and strategic goals and objectives. UJ strives for a robust pool of honorary doctoral degree recipients enriched by individuals from all backgrounds, and therefore encourages nominations of distinguished individuals with a connection to the University or its precursor institutions, the City of Johannesburg or the Gauteng region, whose accomplishments are worthy of academic celebration.
Professor Lethokwa Mpedi & Honorary Doctorate loreate Professor Abdulrazak Gurnah
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