"The GLU Programme, through its brilliant range of courses, has broadened my understanding and comprehension of trade unionism and its role in the agile global labour market."

"Through the Engage Programme was able to learn a lot about the trade union movement on a global scale and I had the opportunity to truly expand my knowledge and get out of my comfort zone. I was also able to build networks with other trade unionists from interesting backgrounds. Through interaction with other labour activists and trade unions from across the globe, I will be able to develop a network of other leaders in the industry and had an exchange of ideas and strategies to further the interests of workers in Zambia."

"I have gained very useful and in-depth-understanding of academic/applied research including analytical thinking skills that I can apply to trade unions, civil society and to the broader society. The course not only equipped me mentally but has also groomed me to become a global citizen. I had the opportunity to meet with other students coming from all parts of the world and have been integrated into a very strong global academic family."

"I am connected to a number of friends across the globe and feel that I am now part of the global village. When I made a presentation on ‘Trade Union Responses to Informalisation of Work’ at one of the workshops of trade union leaders, the reactions from the participants to my presentation made me realise why GLU has been a very important part of my life. Overall, I would like to thank the GLU team and teaching staff for the good job that you are doing."

“Attending the GLU-ENGAGE programme 2015 at Wits University was a wonderful experience for me. It was a good experience sharing amongst unionists from 14 countries worldwide. Being capacitated by…Professors like Eddie and Michelle was an incredible chance for my unionist career."

“Being a student under the GLU programme was both a challenging and exciting phase for me as it not only broadened my knowledge but also gave me an opportunity to meet and interact with other students from different countries, many of whom have become valuable networks. I especially benefited greatly from the workshops and seminars organized for postgraduate students, the well-stocked libraries and above all the hands-on dedicated guidance from the lecturers and support staff with GLU who were always at hand to assist both academically and personally."

"The experience in the programme kindled and further enhanced my critical thinking and sharpened and broadened my interpretation of the socio-economic and political world in which organised labour exist. This offered me critical lenses to analyse the complex socio-economic and political context and to challenge dominant societal discourses, and deconstruct ‘taken for granted’ knowledge."

"If Capitalists devote themselves in studying on how they will cut down the cost on the labour force that will result in oppressed lives of the working class society, us the working class must do a paradoxical job, that is to curb this affectless doing of the capitalist's people.

We may not see the fruits of our work during our lifetime but your plight today will surely have a huge effect in the future generations of the working class. As the great Mandela said: 'Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world'. Amandla!”

"Studying and graduating from GLU-WITS was a life-changing experience for a simple trade unionist like me and it was also an achievement for all my comrades in the trade union movement back home in Zimbabwe. It was a rare opportunity which I could not have achieved on my own. I would say the GLU programme was a game-changer in terms of my capacity as a worker representative. It gave me the opportunity to graduate from being an activist to being a scholar-activist and this was helpful in terms of my capacity to appreciate policy at the company, the industry as well as national level the sum being capacity to represent my constituency with confidence."

"Receiving the offer to read an M.A. Labour and Development, Economic Policy and Globalisation, at the Global Labour University (GLU)-University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, was one of the historic moments in my career in the labour movement. The academic life at GLU-Wits ranged from formally structured coursework on Labour & Development, Advance Research Methods, Economic Policy & Globalisation, the Research Report and other informal avenues of sharing experiences such as the monthly SWOP seminars, seminars with labour activists from local unions in South Africa and COSATU Education programmes. All these made the GLU-Wits experience all-encompassing in me appreciating the relationship between theory and practice in industrial relations in South Africa and beyond."

" The Global Labour University qualification has enhanced my knowledge, confidence and status academically, professionally and socially more than ever before."

“Coming from a developed country (Italy), the GLU programme was an eye-opening experience to challenges and opportunities of the labour movement in developing countries, particularly in Africa. Also, participating in the GLU masters allowed me to make contacts into the South African trade union movement and I met some of the best comrades and friends. Years after graduation I still think of myself as a GLU alumnus!”

“Being a GLU alumnus has helped in broadening my understanding of the dynamics within trade union movements and media. Studying at GLU made me appreciate that in addition to trade union internal media tools, the mainstream media is important for trade unions. This is critical during collective bargaining and other related trade union activities."

“The GLU programme has helped me to critically look at socio-economic issues with a different perspective. It has shaped my understanding of the political economy and the implication of globalisation and neoliberal policies on the labour market, and the role that trade unions can play to regulate the system. The course has offered me valuable knowledge to understand why the poor are not necessarily responsible for the conditions they find themselves and the uneven development of the West versus the global south.”

"The GLU programme was instrumental in shaping my career path as an upcoming scholar with interests in precarious labour and migrating for work. Currently, I am registered in the School of Architecture and Planning at Wits University and have taken my labour background and the skills I acquired through the GLU programme to Architecture and Planning)"

“I learnt a lot about globalisation, production-chains, economical exploitation, financial circular flows, hegemony, power-relations, dependencies, workers' movements and fights, brave women and men, history of capitalism, the impact of humans on nature, the power of grassroots movements, and much more. It was a wonderful experience to meet so many comrades from around the world and hear about their experiences. It was also interesting to get to know Germany (Kassel) through their eyes. This was topped by my amazing experiences during my stay at Wits"

“After attending the engage programme 2018 my working life and social life has never been the same. I was stuck for a long time in the traditional way of doing trade union business but the programme was my salvation and a beginning of a new life and way of doing my work and understanding it, since then I always approach my work with strategies informed by research.”

“Greater awareness, a network of like-minded comrades and friends, opportunity to package and present my strong feelings and advocacy on youth unemployment, skills, education, inequality, class contradictions, gender and the dynamic labour market!”

"The ENGAGE programme is very beneficial to any trade unionist that has workers’ interest at heart. It has set me off on a path of discovering new knowledge and reaffirmed my commitment to the labour movement knowing clearly that I am on the right path. I am looking forward to sharing everything I have learned with fellow comrades and I feel confident that the knowledge gained from the programme will really improve our union and increase our in-depth participation in national, regional and global working class emancipatory projects.”