UNIVEN Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Bernard Nthambeleni unveiling the plaques while being assisted by Thovhele MPK Tshivhase
The University of Venda has officially ushered in a transformative chapter with the launch of five Centres of Excellence and four Research Institutes, an initiative that Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Bernard Nthambeleni, described as “a bold step into a future defined by excellence, innovation, and meaningful societal impact.” Speaking at the ceremony held on 20 November 2025 at the University Auditorium, he emphasised that these platforms are not merely new structures but “dynamic engines of knowledge creation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community upliftment.”
Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Bernard Nthambeleni
In his address, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal emphasised that the Centres of Excellence and Institutes reflect UNIVEN’s mission to advance high-quality research, expand postgraduate training, and address some of society’s most pressing challenges. “These centres of excellence embody our commitment to producing research that matters, research that solves problems, shapes policy, and improves lives,” he said. The newly launched entities are designed as collabo-rative hubs where students, scholars, industry partners, and communities work together across various fields, including health, technology, governance, education, environmental sustainability, and cultural preservation. Through strategic investment in infrastructure, cutting-edge laborato-ries, and partnerships with science councils and global networks, the university aims to strength-en its national and international footprint.
Prof Nthambeleni also highlighted the importance of nurturing future leaders in research and innovation. “We are building platforms that will empower our students and academics to lead Africa’s next wave of scientific inquiry and social transformation,” he noted. The Centres of Ex-cellence and Institutes, including those focused on mass spectrometry, global health, African languages, governance, rural development, human rights, and African musicology, will contribute to shaping policies, informing best practices, and delivering tangible community impact through both local engagement and global collaboration.
As he declared the Centres of Excellence and Institutes officially launched, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal reiterated that this milestone marks the beginning of a long-term journey. “The true measure of our success will not be the accolades we receive, but the positive changes we bring about in our communities and the world,” he said. He called on students, staff, industry partners, and community leaders to seize this moment and help build a research ecosystem anchored in excellence and relevance. “Together, let us create a future where UNIVEN stands as a beacon of innovation, knowledge, and societal progress.”
Makhapa Makhafola, COO of the South African Qualifications Authority
Delivering the keynote address, Dr Makhapa Makhafola, COO of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), reflected on the origins of the concept, saying, “This idea started in 2002, to nurture, sustain excellence in research, and generate highly skilled human resource capacity.” He urged that research must be practical and impactful: “You have to be able to practicalise that research; it shouldn’t be something that sits in our offices.” Makhafola emphasised collaboration, governance, and adaptability as critical for success, warning, “You adapt or you die, it should not be business as usual.”
UNIVEN Chief Operating Officer Mr Botwe Kraziya
Opening the event, UNIVEN Chief Operating Officer Mr Botwe Kraziya, described the day as “one of those days made for us to celebrate and acknowledge the good work that’s been done.” Call-ing the occasion “historic,” he said, “We’re here to start something new… to set history in motion,” and stressed that the centres of excellence and institutes represent “national, continental, and global initiatives.” He also paid tribute to figures such as Chief Justice Ismail Mahomed and Presi-dent Oliver Reginald Tambo, whose legacies embody “excellence, service, intellectual leadership, and sacrifice.”
Director of Strategy and Risk, Dr Mutshinyalo Ratombo, linked the launch to UNIVEN’s Vision 2040, which is “anchored on two niche areas: African heritage and indigenous knowledge sys-tems.” He explained, “For the Vision 2040 to be realised, we are establishing centres of excel-lence and institutes… the driving force behind our vision of being a university leading in engaged scholarship.” These centres, he added, will act as “an engine of innovation, knowledge translation, and drive science-for-society agenda,” enabling researchers to contribute to national innovation systems and policy.
[L to R]: Prof Mellitus Nyongesa Wanyama Founding Dean, School of Music and Media at Kabarak Univer-sity, Kenya and Dr Refiloe Eunice Zwane – Senior Programme Manager, Vice President’s Office at the South
African Medical Research Council (SAMRC)
L – R: Mr Frank Mazibuko from NRF and Thovhele MPK Tshivhase of Tshivhase Royal Council
Messages of support reinforced the significance of this milestone. Virtual contributors, Melanie Jean Murcott and Frans Viljoen, commended the Ismael Mahomed Centre for Human and Peo-ples’ Rights for its pioneering work in human rights, climate justice, and global collaborations. Prof Mellitus Nyongesa Wanyama celebrated the African Musicology Institute as a model of Af-rican partnership, while Dr Refiloe Zwane applauded UNIVEN’s “scientific maturity” and pledged support to ensure research delivers real-world impact. Mr Frank Mazibuko described the launch as “a new chapter in innovation,” reaffirming NRF’s commitment to future partnerships. Adding a cultural perspective, Thovhele Vho MPK Tshivhase hailed the centres of excellence and insti-tutes as “beacons and catalysts” that will ignite innovation, restore dignity, and shape a future of shared prosperity.
Prof Fulufhelo Netswera, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Postgraduate Studies, thanked government departments, research councils, industry partners, municipal leaders, uni-versity executives, academics, and students for their support in making the launch a success. He highlighted UNIVEN’s vision of leading in engaged scholarship. He promised that the new centres of excellence and institutes will deliver measurable results through postgraduate training, pub-lications, patents, and commercialisation, ensuring sustainability and positioning the university among high-performing institutions.
Group photo of University of Venda executives with directors and heads of the newly launched centres of excellence and institutes
UNIVEN staff photographed with guests
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