UKZN NdabaOnline

Left: A sunbird draws nectar from a flowering aloe. Right: Dr David Cuban’s camera set-up behind the Animal House on the Pietermaritzburg campus.

Trailblazing: UKZN Scholars Co-Author Study Documenting Birds Drawing Nectar Using Tongues Alone

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Research published in the Current Biology journal and co-authored by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Professor Colleen Downs and Professor Steve Johnson describes the first observation of a vertebrate that uses only suction from its tongue to draw nectar from flowers.

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UKZN’s Head of Dermatology, Professor Ncoza Dlova.

UKZN Dermatology Expert to Lead Global Campaign Against Harmful Skin Bleaching

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The International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) has established a Strategic Working Group on Skin Bleaching to address the growing global public health threat posed by harmful skin lightening practices. University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Head of Dermatology, Professor Ncoza Dlova, has been appointed Chair of the Working Group.

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Highlights from the community outreach.

Mental Health Intervention Launched at eMaqadini Tribal House in Inanda

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The son of His Royal Highness, the late King Goodwill Zwelithini, Prince Nhlanganiso Zulu, expressed his sincere gratitude to representatives from the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Disciplines of Psychiatry and Social Work for recognising the need for a mental health intervention tailored to the social challenges facing communities in Inanda, Durban.

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Ms Luyanda Mnyanyi (left) and Ms Nandi Zulu are contributing meaningfully to research on contemporary social issues.

UKZN Master’s Students Recognised for Research Advancing Menstrual Equity

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Two University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Master’s students have been recognised on the national stage after winning top honours in the South African Sociological Association (SASA) Essay Competition, with their research shining a spotlight on menstrual health, gender justice and social inclusion in South Africa.

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Celebrating the transformative power of dance through an inspiring programme of local and international performances.

JOMBA! 2026 Brings Global Dance, Activism and Creative Excellence to Durban

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The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Centre for Creative Arts will once again transform Durban into a hub of contemporary dance when the 28th JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience takes place from 26 August to 7 September 2026.

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Delegates from UKZN and partner universities during the virtual MAGNETISE workshop.

UKZN Hosts International Workshop to Advance Gender Equality in Higher Education

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The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) hosted the international MAGNETISE workshop recently, ‘Embedding Gender Equality: Aligning Policy with Practice’, bringing together 94 delegates from Rhodes University, Nelson Mandela University and UKZN in South Africa, and Muni University and Makerere University in Uganda.

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The organising committee of the 4th International Business Rescue Conference.

UKZN Business Rescue Unit Strengthens Global Research Networks at Fourth International Conference

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The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Business Rescue Unit (BRU) reaffirmed its position as a leading centre for research and professional engagement when it successfully hosted the Fourth International Conference on Business Resilience, Continuity and Regeneration in Durban recently.

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Professor Sadhana Manik and Ms Pertunia Mutheiwana.

UKZN Academic and Instructional Designer Present Innovative Digital Curriculum Transformation

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As part of the ‘Digital Curriculum Transformation’ project, UKZN’s Professor Sadhana Manik recently collaborated with module instructional and learning designer, Ms Pertunia Mutheiwana, to present at the two-day Instructional and Learning Design Symposium, held under the theme ‘Advancing Digital Curriculum Transformation through Evidence-Led Design’.

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The inaugural KZN Coastal and Marine Science Seminar Series was hosted by UKZN’s School of Agriculture and Science.

New Seminar Series Brings KZN’s Coastal and Marine Science Community Together

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The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has launched the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Coastal and Marine Science Seminar Series, a new monthly initiative designed to bring together researchers, students, conservation practitioners, government agencies, non-governmental organisations and ocean enthusiasts to share knowledge and strengthen collaboration in coastal and marine science.

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Makhumbuza High School teachers and UKZN staff members.

UKZN Winter School Reimagines isiZulu Language Teaching

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The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) successfully hosted its Winter School Outreach Programme at Makhumbuza High School in the Umlazi District from 29 June to 4 July as part of the research project ‘Reimagining the Teaching of isiZulu: A Comprehensive Pedagogical Approach to the Teaching of Linguistic Aspects of Language and Grammar in Basic Education’.

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The 2026 YEBO Hackathon team.

YEBO! Empowers UKZN Students to Shape the Future

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Bridging the aspirations of Youth Month and the ubuntu values of Mandela Month, the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) hosted a student-focused hackathon aimed at developing innovative solutions to societal challenges.

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Dr Thulani Mkhize.

Celebrating the Enduring Legacy of Poet Nontsizi Mgqwetho

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The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Library Services, through the Special Collections: Killie Campbell Collections, hosted a discussion on Nontsizi Mgqwetho: The Poet of the People (1919-1929).

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Enactus UKZN at the Enactus ZA National Exposition 2026, Gauteng.

Enactus UKZN Shines at 2026 National Exposition

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The Enactus University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) team took part in the 2026 Enactus South Africa National Exposition recently. Through its flagship enterprise, MyPanic, the team achieved several notable results at the national competition.

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Highlights of the Digital Transformation in India and KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa panel discussion.

UKZN GSB&L Hosts Panel Discussion on Digital Transformation in India and KZN

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The Graduate School of Business and Leadership (GSB&L) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) recently hosted a panel discussion titled ‘Digital Transformation in India and KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa’, bringing together government leaders, industry experts, academics and postgraduate students to explore how digital innovation is reshaping economies and societies.

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Commitments to Truth-Telling, Ethical Leadership and the Protection of Democratic Spaces

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South Africa’s debate on undocumented migration has become one of the defining ethical and political questions confronting the country’s constitutional democracy. While governments possess the sovereign authority to regulate borders and enforce immigration laws, democracies are ultimately judged by how they exercise that authority.

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Highlights from the Green Campus Conference.

UKZN Excels at ACUHO-I SAC Green Campus Conference

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The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) showcased its commitment to environmental sustainability at the ACUHO-I Southern Africa Chapter (SAC) Green Campus Conference, hosted by the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg recently.

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CCS second Activist Convening attendees.

UKZN Centre for Civil Society Hosts Activist Convening to Advance Movement Knowledge

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The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Centre for Civil Society (CCS), within the School of Social Sciences, recently hosted its second Activist Convening for 2026, bringing together activists from across South Africa to strengthen movement-building, foster collaboration and document activist knowledge for a forthcoming publication.

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Mr Pikolomzi Qaba.

Opinion: It Is Still in Our Hands? What Mandela Day Should Ask of South African Higher Education

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Every July, South Africa pauses for 67 minutes. We paint schools, hand out blankets, serve soup, and post about it. This year’s official theme, “It’s still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity,” is a good one. It resists nostalgia. It refuses to let Madiba become a soft, safe memory we visit once a year and then leave behind.

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Learners at the Amandungwana Youth Summit in the Eastern Cape receive STEM career guidance.

UKZN Science Centre Empowers Eastern Cape Youth Through STEM Career Guidance

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The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Science Centre recently marked Youth Month by participating in the Amandungwana Youth Summit held at Greenville Junior Secondary School in Mbizana, Eastern Cape.

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Alumni reconnect and network at the UKZN Johannesburg Alumni luncheon.

UKZN Alumni Reconnect and Inspire at Johannesburg Alumni Luncheon

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The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Alumni Relations Office, in partnership with the UKZN Foundation, recently hosted the Johannesburg Alumni Luncheon, bringing together graduates from across the region for an afternoon of networking, inspiration and reconnecting with their alma mater.

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Attendees from the two-day Instructional and Learning Design Symposium.

UTLO Symposium Advances Digital Curriculum Transformation

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The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) University Teaching and Learning Office (UTLO) hosted the Third Instructional and Learning Design Symposium, bringing together academics, instructional designers, professional services staff, students and colleagues from the Durban University of Technology (DUT), Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) and the University of Zululand (UNIZULU) to explore the future of digitally enabled teaching and learning.

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Ms Yonela Petse exploring Frankfurt Germany.

UKZN Student Broadens Academic and Cultural Horizons in Finland

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A semester spent studying in Finland has broadened the academic outlook and global perspective of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) student Ms Yonela Petse, who said the experience transformed the way she learns, thinks and engages with people from different cultures.

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