University of the Witwatersrand Joins the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies

Following the visit of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska to the Republic of South Africa, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, establishing a Center for Global Ukrainian Studies. The document was signed with the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi.

The University of the Witwatersrand is one of the oldest and most prestigious higher education institutions in South Africa. The university boasts strong research capacity: it is home to dozens of leading scholars, 28 South African Research Chairs, and six Centres of Excellence. Wits is recognized as a hub of progressive thought and critical inquiry, particularly during the apartheid era, when it actively championed equality and academic freedom.

The university consistently ranks among the top higher education institutions in Africa and worldwide.

The university also has a unique connection to Ukraine: among its distinguished figures is Borys Ivanovych Balinsky (1905–1997), a Ukrainian biologist, embryologist, entomologist, and a pioneer in experimental embryology, electron microscopy, and developmental biology. Born in Kyiv, Balinsky became a professor at Kyiv University (now Taras Shevchenko National University) at the age of 28. After World War II, he emigrated to the Union of South Africa (now South Africa), and beginning in 1949 worked at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he headed the Department of Zoology.

He authored over 140 scientific publications and the globally recognized textbook An Introduction to Embryology. He also founded the South African Society for Electron Microscopy and served as its president until 1973. His name is held in high esteem within the academic communities of both Ukraine and South Africa.

The Global Coalition for Ukrainian Studies was established with the support of Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska as a joint initiative of the Ukrainian Institute, the Presidential Foundation for the Support of Education, Science, and Sports, the Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea / Crimea Platform, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. The initiative aims to promote the development of Ukrainian Studies, including Crimean Tatar Studies, ensuring professional research of Ukraine’s history and culture, and fostering the use and appreciation of the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages and heritage.