As a leader of an African university, I carry the spirit of many great African men and women—ancestors whose wisdom and courage helped shape this continent and the world. Their teachings flow through me as I express and celebrate my Africanness. Through this message, allow me to touch you this Africa Day, from the University of Pretoria (UP).

At the University of Pretoria, we have learnt how to connect deeply with communities both near and far. Through our research, innovation, and academic work, we continue to make a difference that transcends borders. Today, I extend an invitation: to join us on a new journey of purpose and impact.

Here in Africa, we believe in Ubuntu, the philosophy that reminds us of our shared humanity and that each of us plays an important role in strengthening African communities. In that spirit, while the African Union leads this African Month under the theme “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations,” UP is doing its part by launching Africa Week 2025 on this Africa Day, 25 May 2025.

Africa Week is a biennial science leadership summit hosted by the Future Africa platform, in partnership with the National Research Foundation and the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation. This year’s theme, “Global Security, Global Africa,” invites us to reflect on the continent’s role in shaping a safer, more just world.

I invite you to join this summit and be part of a future where Africa not only participates in global conversations about security, but helps lead them. Africa Week 2025 will be a space for open and urgent dialogue among scientists, scholars, policymakers, civil society, and the media. Together, we will ask the difficult but necessary questions:

• What are the most pressing security threats facing the world today?
• What are the limitations of current governance and policy frameworks in ensuring global security?
• Why are scientists increasingly under threat and what can be done to address this?
• What should Africa’s primary security concerns be, and how should they be articulated?
• And how can Africa contribute meaningfully to global security frameworks?

This is more than a summit, it is a movement.
Join us on this journey of collaboration, insight, and possibility. Let us touch the future together—not through proximity, but with vision, purpose, and heart.

Register to watch the summit and participate virtually: https://upevents.co.za/registration-africa-week-2025/