Carnegie Diversifying the Academy
CDTA Grantee Video Series: Leading Research for a Transformed Society
Welcome to a showcase of exceptional research conducted by grantees of the Carnegie Diversifying the Academy (CDTA) programme. These short videos offer a powerful glimpse into the minds and missions of a cohort of emerging academic leaders—scholars whose work is reshaping the future of knowledge, equity, and impact in South Africa and beyond.
Each grantee featured here is conducting cutting-edge, socially responsive research that speaks directly to the lived realities of our communities. Their work spans critical themes: from health justice, mental health, and environmental sustainability, to digital rights, economic inclusion, and indigenous knowledge systems.
These are not just researchers. They are changemakers—embodying the values of transformation, inclusion, and leadership. Their projects reflect the CDTA’s commitment to:
- Empowering transformation by addressing systemic inequality in both society and the academy.
- Healing and resilience through research that tackles trauma, poverty, and marginalisation with rigour and empathy.
- Inclusive excellence by supporting diverse scholars whose backgrounds and insights enrich academic life and public discourse.
- Systemic change by generating knowledge that informs policy, challenges norms, and inspires institutional and societal renewal.
Together, these grantees represent a future academy: bold, inclusive, deeply rooted in context, and committed to creating a more just, knowledgeable, and humane society.