Dr Precious Simba, Co-Chair of the UNESCO Chair on Intercultural Competence, delivered the keynote address. Image: UWC Media

The University of the Western Cape (UWC), through its Institute for Social Development (ISD), proudly hosted the inaugural UNESCO Chair in Wellbeing, Gender Equity and Education Symposium from 12–14 May 2026. 

Convened in partnership with the University of Minnesota, Christ University, and the University of the Free State, the symposium brought together scholars, policymakers, researchers and postgraduate students to critically engage with the intersections of education, gender equity and wellbeing in the Global South.

Opening the event, Professor Robert Balfour, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of UWC, framed the symposium as a moment of deep alignment with UWC’s mission: “The scholarly work that we are looking at today is also fundamentally about Ubuntu, being together and feminism. I mention that because in all our thinking about how we frame this symposium and its programme, we must recognise the transformative impetus that underpins the importance of this Chair. I want to acknowledge how much this aligns with our institution’s vision for itself and how grateful we are that you have come all this way to come here.”

This emphasis on Ubuntu and transformation resonated throughout the programme, which featured keynote addresses, panel discussions, doctoral and postdoctoral research sessions, and a writing and publication workshop.

The UNESCO Chair in Education, Wellbeing and Gender Equity is a collaborative initiative linking institutions in Africa, India and the United States. It aims to strengthen international partnerships, advance research on wellbeing and equity, and build the capacity of junior researchers. Within UWC, the ISD serves as the academic home for the Chair, integrating social policy, economics and governance research to address poverty, inequality and human development.

Professor Robert Balfour, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of UWC opened the symposium. Image: UWC Media

This partnership unfolds against a backdrop of profound demographic change. Africa’s population is projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, with two in every five children globally being African. These shifts intensify demands for education, equity and wellbeing, making the Chair’s work both urgent and globally relevant.

The keynote address was delivered by Dr Precious Simba, Co-Chair of the UNESCO Chair on Intercultural Competence. She challenged prevailing notions of wellbeing. 

“Much of contemporary wellbeing discourse remains tethered to an individualist imaginary, resilience, optimisation, coping, self-care, productivity and flourishing. The individual subject often remains the starting point of wellbeing. We are largely indifferent to the relational constitution of the self. This is where Ubuntu can offer an intervention – not as a replacement framework – but as serious conceptual work that is still in a transitional moment.”

Her remarks underscored the symposium’s commitment to reframing wellbeing through relational and collective lenses, situating Ubuntu as a critical intervention in global debates.

Across three days, the symposium showcased doctoral and postdoctoral research on themes ranging from gender and racial inequalities, to education policy, livelihoods and economic wellbeing. Sessions highlighted how structural inequities, policy systems and institutional arrangements shape educational and wellbeing outcomes.

Panels brought together academics, policymakers and practitioners to discuss structural barriers, institutional change and practical strategies for advancing gender equity and wellbeing. The final day focused on building writing and publication capacity among emerging scholars, ensuring that the next generation of researchers can contribute to global discourses with confidence and rigour.

The symposium demonstrated the value of South–South and South–North collaborations in generating inclusive understandings of education and wellbeing. By linking scholars across continents, it created space for comparative learning and knowledge exchange rooted in diverse histories and contexts.

For UWC, the event reaffirmed its legacy as a socially responsive institution committed to equity and transformation. From its origins as a site of resistance under apartheid to its current role as a hub for interdisciplinary research, UWC continues to position itself as an active agent of change in Africa and beyond.

As Professor Balfour noted, the symposium’s themes of Ubuntu, feminism and collective wellbeing align closely with UWC’s vision. The partnership with UNESCO and global institutions ensures that African perspectives inform frameworks that shape education and wellbeing worldwide.