Inaugural Gobodo Memorial Doctoral Scholarships open for application

Supplied image: Nobantu and Thukela Gobodo

Promoting social justice and reconciliation

Named in memory of her parents, the scholarships were established by Gobodo-Madikizela to support research projects that examine the transgenerational effects of historical trauma and seek to investigate pathways for societal change.

Studies aimed at expanding understanding of how to promote social justice and investigate interventions of the repair of violent histories and traumatic pasts will be given priority.

Gobodo-Madikizela, holder of the SARChI Chair for Violent Histories and Historical Trauma and the founding director of SU’s Centre for the Study of the Afterlife of Violence and the Reparative Quest (AVReQ), pledged R8.5m from her Templeton Prize to the University.

From this, R5m has been allocated to an endowment for the Nobantu and Thukela Gobodo Memorial Scholarships, which aim to foster cutting-edge research in fields that address the complex legacies of violent histories.

Funding humanities and social sciences research

Each scholarship offers R200,000 per annum for up to three years, enabling students to focus fully on their research without the financial burden of seeking additional employment. The second and third years of funding are renewable if the student demonstrates satisfactory academic progress.

The scholarship is awarded on the grounds of academic excellence and financial need. Preference will be given to applicants from historically underrepresented groups.

Application process

Applications are due by 18 January 2025 and must include:

• A comprehensive research proposal (max 5 pages)
• A personal motivation letter detailing academic interests, alignment with the scholarship goals, and particulars of financial need
• Certified academic transcripts
• A detailed CV highlighting academic achievements
• Two academic reference letters
• Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews with the Scholarship Committee.

For further details and to apply, visit the application portal.

In honour

Speaking about the initiative, Gobodo-Madikizela said the scholarships are her way of following in the footsteps of her parents and honouring their profound influence on the values that are important in her life.

“The first graduation ceremony that my parents attended and celebrated at our home was for a graduate whose education they supported from an early stage,” Gobodo-Madikizela explained.

“My parents had identified talent in someone whose parents had no means of prioritising his education and they brought him into our home and supported his education through to Fort Hare University. In my home there were always children other than my siblings who lived with us whose schooling, and in some cases professional training, was supported by my parents.

“By supporting doctoral students in the humanities and social sciences, I hope the scholarships will empower the next generation of scholars to engage with the urgent questions to help us understand the challenges facing societies affected by historical trauma, to advance scholarship, and to contribute to new knowledge production that will inform public opinion and guide us to solutions,” Gobodo-Madikizela concluded.