The annual Unisa Founders Lecture has become a premier platform for intellectual discussion and participation. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the lecture, which has over the years hosted luminaries who have reshaped the intellectual, political, and economic landscapes locally and internationally.

Her Excellency President Dr Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (centre), keynote speaker, flanked by Nkosi Phathekile Holomisa, Deputy Minister of Justice and Correctional Services of the Republic of South Africa, and Prof Puleng LenkaBula, Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor

Held on 29 November, the 2023 Founders Lecture keynote address was presented by Her Excellency President Dr Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first democratically elected female head of state, Nobel Peace Prize awardee and eminent economist, under the theme Reclaiming intellectual futures into the next 150 years and beyond.

20 years of hosting iconic leaders

Prof Puleng LenkaBula

In her opening address, Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Puleng LenkaBula, stated: "This year, we are not only celebrating the university’s 150-year milestone, but also 20 years of the Founders Lecture, and no one is more suitable to address us than the first woman president of the continent, Her Excellency President Dr Ellen Johnson Sirleaf." She added that Sirleaf was the 24^th President of Liberia, a country with a long track record of democracy.

The VC stated that the idea of the Founders Lecture was introduced in order to encourage the university and its epistemic communities to focus on critical, local and global issues in higher education. She said that the work of many of the past keynote speakers reverberates across generations.

The VC stated that Sirleaf serves as a member of The Elders, which is a distinguished group of former world leaders tasked with ensuring global peace and universal human rights formed by the late Nelson Mandela in 2007.

In anticipation of the keynote address, the VC said that she looked forward to drawing from Sirleaf’s experiences and insights.

A reinvigorated vision for the next 150 years and beyond

Sirleaf, who described herself as a development practitioner, said that Africa’s intellectual futures require African academia and the broader society to challenge the status quo actively. She said that this theme encapsulates a call to action, and a call for collective introspection, celebration and envisioning of the rich intellectual traditions of Africa that have stood the test of time, and which is there for everyone to see.

Her Excellency President Dr Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

She said that Africa’s legacy of intellectual achievement is deep-rooted, extending from ancient centres of learning to contemporary contributions across diverse fields. She added: "As we stand at the threshold of the future, we are compelled to confront the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead."

Sirleaf said the rapid evolution of global dynamics, coupled with the imperative of sustainable development, necessitates a reinvigorated vision for the next 150 years and beyond.

She said the African philosophical context of Ubuntu, which propagates the essence of mutual human compassion and collective communalism, has been incorporated into social studies, psychological treatment, workplace behaviours and diplomatic relations, making a significant intellectual contribution.

"In claiming Africa’s intellectual futures," she stated, "we are called to foster a vibrant and inclusive intellectual ecosystem which celebrates diversity, amplifies voices of emerging scholars and empowers the next generation of intellectual trial-blazers. This calls for nurturing an environment that cultivates innovation, creativity, and critical thinking, thereby positioning Africa as a wellspring of dynamic intellectual discourse with global resonance."

Concerning the vision of Africa’s intellectual futures, Sirleaf stated that it must encompass equitable access to education, the preservation and promotion of indigenous knowledge systems, and the cultivation of interdisciplinary approaches to address complex societal challenges. She added that by doing so, "we can harness the full breadth of Africa’s intellectual capital and make a meaningful contribution to the global knowledge economy". 

In conclusion, Sirleaf commended the VC for her innovation, and for how she has spread knowledge and creativity. She continued: "You have promoted sustainability and expanded the university intellectual horizons – this precedes you, and I am grateful to you and your university’s staff for your unwavering commitment in advancing the discourse on Africa’s intellectual futures." She added that the insights generated and shared in this event will serve as catalysts for transformative action and in positioning Africa at the vanguard of global intellectual leadership for the next 150 years and beyond.

* By Godfrey Madibane, Acting Journalist, Department of Institutional Advancement

** Photography by Shooheima Champion, Multimedia Centre