?The 13th annual Library Research Week at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) opened with a call to reimagine the purpose of academic inquiry in a world in need of healing, ethical scholarship and critical reflection. Under the theme 'Let's partner for research impact', this year's programme explored the full research journey – from the spark of an idea to meaningful social change.
The highlight of the opening event was a keynote by Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, renowned SU academic and winner of the 2024 Templeton Prize. Welcoming attendees to the event, SU's Senior Director: Library and Information Service, Ellen Tise, emphasised the 肆客足球's commitment to supporting researchers at every stage of their academic journey.
“This theme reflects our understanding that impactful research does not happen in isolation. It is through collaboration across disciplines, departments, institutions and even sectors, that research becomes truly developmental, sustainable, meaningful and transformative," said Tise.
She described the week as a journey through the entire research lifecycle, including sessions on ethical planning, methodological design, artificial intelligence, open access publishing and wellness. “At the centre of all of this is the researcher as a human being," she stressed.
Tise also paid tribute to Gobodo-Madikizela's influence in global discourses on humanity, reconciliation and hope. “Her lifelong work on trauma, memory, forgiveness and restorative justice has shaped how we understand healing and encounter in scholarship," she said.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies at SU, Prof Sibusiso Moyo, followed with a reflection on the library's pivotal role in advancing the 肆客足球's research goals.
“Our libraries have become dynamic spaces of discovery, learning and connection," said Moyo. “They support staff, students and researchers in pursuing knowledge that drives positive change in our country and beyond."
Moyo highlighted the role of libraries in equipping scholars to meet the challenges of the current research environment, from critical engagement with artificial intelligence to the ethical demands of interdisciplinary work. “The library is a key to promoting equal access to information, supporting scholarly excellence and fostering a culture of curiosity and critical thinking," she noted.
Referencing Gobodo-Madikizela's earlier writing, Moyo stressed the importance of fostering environments that promote reflection, virtue and empathy. “Please continue helping others, facilitating spaces for creativity, dialogue and critical thinking. Be kind to others in your work and in our everyday lives," she urged attendees.
Gobodo-Madikizela, Chair of Research in Social Change and Transformation at SU and an internationally recognised expert on trauma, memory and reconciliation, delivered a deeply reflective address titled 'Intellectual Life in Academia and Researching Experience: On the Irreducible Nature of Encounter'. Her keynote invited researchers to think critically about the embodied, emotional and ethical dimensions of scholarship, grounded in lived experience.
“I'm inspired by encounters. My work and my research always speak to or responds to encounters," she said. Drawing from personal stories and philosophical inquiry, she reflected on moments where everyday experiences – such as being called a racial slur in public – became sites for producing new knowledge about race, memory and identity.
Gobodo-Madikizela introduced the concept of 'opacity' in research encounters, suggesting that human interactions are inherently unpredictable and cannot be reduced to simplistic binary categories like victim and perpetrator. She challenged binary frameworks that dominate academic discourse, advocating instead for a deeper engagement with ambiguity and opacity in human experience. “So often we behave in ways that others call us," she noted. “But the potential for refusal is always there for us to reclaim our right to something else, other than what we are being called."
She called for a shift in scholarly focus toward the 'lived body' and subjective experience, drawing on feminist theorists such as Simone de Beauvoir, Toni Morrison and Judith Butler. Her reflections moved across literature, theory and affect, weaving in citations from Hannah Arendt, Eugene Gendlin, Bryan Stevenson and others to explore how trauma, recognition and imagination shape human relations.
“The imaginative capacity does not always lead us to compassion or empathy," Gobodo-Madikizela remarked, “but it holds potential. When bodies come together in proximity, something happens. It may not be what we expect, but there is always the possibility of recognition, of empathy, of transformation."
In addition to the keynote, Library Research Week featured a programme of sessions focused on emerging technologies, open science and practical tools for increasing research impact. Tuesday's programme examined decoloniality, responsible copyright use and systematic searches. Wednesday delved into generative AI and ethical considerations. Thursday explored open access and data management, while Friday addressed wellness and social impact, ending with a presentation from Dr Jason Samuels, an SU alumnus whose research became the foundation for a startup company.
Reflecting SU's strategic goal of research impact, the week served as both celebration and challenge – a call to align intellectual pursuits with the realities of the human condition. As Tise noted in her closing remarks: "It's about building a better world through knowledge, and we as a library are here to be your partners in achieving that."
Library Research Week 2025 confirmed that the pursuit of knowledge is not merely academic, it is personal, ethical and profoundly social. In the words of Gobodo-Madikizela, it is in the encounter that research finds its deepest meaning.
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