Mandela-Rhodes Scholarship Fuels Aspiring Researcher’s Ambitions

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Securing the Mandela-Rhodes Scholarship has opened up a world of new possibilities for Ms Humairaa Moosa who is currently pursuing an Honours in Management Accounting degree at Stellenbosch University through the scholarship.

‘It is an immense honour to be funded by Nelson Mandela’s Legacy Foundation and to be part of a wonderful, diverse cohort of students from across the African continent,’ said Moosa.

‘Without the scholarship, I would not have met friends from Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya and The Gambia. My time as a scholar in residence over the past few months has already been transformative, opening up new worlds of thinking,’ she added.

Having graduated with her Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting summa cum laude in May, Moosa’s initial career aspiration was pursuing a career as a chartered accountant but her passion for research has steered her on a different path.

‘It was daunting to choose between what I love and going the seemingly more stable, practical CA (SA) route. However, I had great mentors and friends who helped me evaluate my choices. My economics academic development officer in my first year, Priyanka Harrichuran, was brilliant, and over the years, has become a cherished friend that I can always turn to for advice. My family, particularly my mother, Naadira, were also supportive of my interest in research and instrumental in the success of my studies,’ she said.

As part of her long-term goal of establishing herself as a researcher and an academic, Moosa is currently conducting research on solar power as a loadshedding solution to the retail sector which she aims to expand on through her master’s degree in the future.

‘Postgraduate studies are designed to equip students with the ability to provide strategic advice, effectively manage risk, and make critical decisions across any organisation and research is a key part of this,’ she said. ‘Reliance on knowledge from a single field is inadequate to solve most real-world challenges. This drives my passion for interdisciplinary approaches, as evidenced by my current research which is part of my contribution to the evolution of business practices.’

Words: Thandiwe Jumo

Photograph: Supplied