Duchess announces study grants in surprise university visit

Four students from the African continent and three female academics in South African universities are set to receive a royal seal of approval to pursue studies through two separate grants announced by Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, during a surprise visit to the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in South Africa on 1 October.

Markle, who visited the university while her husband Prince Harry was in Malawi, is patron of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), which made available three new grants for researchers at the University of Johannesburg, Stellenbosch University and the University of the Western Cape, aimed at empowering female university staff members and promoting gender equality.

During her unannounced visit to UJ on Tuesday, the British royal spoke of the challenges faced by young women in accessing higher education and announced four new Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships, which will be given to students from Tanzania, Zambia and Nigeria to study in South Africa next year. These scholarships are part of ACU’s investment in young people through provision of international mobility opportunities.

Since the ACU Gender Grants were launched in 2016, 28 universities in 17 countries have benefited, and a minimum of 600 beneficiaries have participated in workshops supported by the grants. Each grant is up to the value of £1,000 (US$1,200). The ACU Gender Grants are awarded annually to ACU member universities to support initiatives that will boost gender equity and equality.

Round-table discussion

During a round-table discussion hosted by the association at UJ’s Kingsway campus outside Johannesburg, Markle said: “The goal here is to be able to have gender equality, to be able to support women as they are working in research and higher education roles, and also to have workshops to convene things that are really helping people understand the importance of gender equality,” she said.

ACU Chief Executive and Secretary General Joanna Newman told University World News that having a patron like the duchess, who is interested and keen to engage with the challenges facing African members states, can “only be a good thing”.

“She’s a great ambassador. Wherever she goes, people are reporting on what she says. But amazing work is being done, people are already reaching out to marginalised communities, working to create solutions to improve lives in the societies they live in,” she said.

Newman said the duchess took part in a “rich discussion” on gender equality for boys and girls, and one of the grants she announced will contribute specifically towards fostering a different culture on campus.

She said there were a variety of changemakers in the room, who brought different aspects for discussion, including topics such as gender violence, diversity, cutting-edge research, challenges at schools, etc. “At Stellenbosch, the grant will be used to create a walkway through campus where people can explore how spaces feel to different genders and creating an appreciation of how one person may feel a different way but by walking together we can understand each other’s perspective – it’s just one example,” she said.

Reaching out to marginalised communities

Newman said the association, with members in 53 countries, looks at how universities can create change and reach out to marginalised communities. She said the association has a long and distinguished track record working across Africa, and has long-standing relationships with Universities South Africa (USAf), South Africa’s National Research Foundation and other institutions.

UJ Vice-Chancellor Professor Tshilidzi Marwala said the royal visitor came with a serious message around gender-based violence and encouraging women to take their place as leaders in the economy.

“She [the duchess] is a fascinating woman, probably the first person of colour to enter the British royal family. She connects with youth, the ones who were there loved her, and you can see that she’s passionate about issues around equality and empowering women,” he said.

“UJ is already involved in mentoring women academics to ensure they progress in academia. We’re all about empowering women; I don’t think it was accidental that the duchess chose to visit UJ,” he said.

It was the second royal visit to UJ since he assumed the hot seat. “Three years ago, Prince Edward visited our science centre at our Soweto campus.”

The duchess is well known for her portrayal of paralegal Rachel Zane in the US television drama Suits. Her character aspires to study at Harvard, but ends up at law school at Columbia University.

“I didn’t watch her in Suits,” said Marwala. “My perception of her was that she was in the movie business, but I wouldn’t be able to name a movie that I’d watched,” he said.

South African media covered the royal visit generously. Asked if he had managed to take a selfie with the Duchess, Marwala said: “I don’t have a selfie with her but … friends have called me from London to say that my pictures with the duchess are in their newspapers.”