The Department would like to congratulate Brian Nkala, one of our Masters students, on receiving one of the prestigious Fredrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) New York scholarships to attend their FES New York Fall Academy: “Young Leaders Needed to achieve the SDGs! Brian was selected as one of the top 15 successful nominees from a pool of hundreds that had been nominated through FES offices from around the globe. He will now travel to New York to discuss how the Sustainable Development Goals can be used for progressive, transformative politics in his region. 

The FES New York Fall Academy focuses on the Sustainable Development Goals and provides successful applicants an excellent opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the UN 2030 Agenda, as well as the work, structures, and political dynamics of the United Nations. All participants will learn of the practical implications of the 2030 Agenda, with the aim of utilising these for progressive, transformative politics in their home counties.  

This is a well-deserved award. Brian, who holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences and an Honours degree in Geography and Environmental Sciences from the University of Pretoria, co-founded the Greenline Society at the University of Pretoria. He believes in using the Internet and technology to transform societies with the aim of changing consumers of technology into producers of technology. Brian also volunteers at several Non-Profit Organizations, facilitated computer classes in a Mamelodi Initiative, is Digital grassroots co-founder, was a member of the Student Representative Council (SRC) at the University of Pretoria in 2016, and was a Youth Fellow with the Internet Society Youth@IGF in 2017. He has also participated in the In­ternet Governance Forum in collaboration with the United Nations and the Internet society in Geneva Switzerland and is a current Common Purpose Fellow. In 2019, he attended the SUSI Closing Forum Alumni Panel of the 2019 Study of the U.S. Institutes for Global Student Leaders Closing Forum as a SUSI All-Star Alumni in recognition of his leadership and community engagement.