In the heart of the Stellenbosch winter – and at the start of the quiet pause of the University's mid-year recess – a global gathering of sharp legal minds brought energy and critical inquiry to campus.
From 30 June to 4 July 2025, Stellenbosch University (SU) hosted the Global Scholars Academy (GSA), a week-long residential programme convened by the Institute for Global Law and Policy (IGLP) at Harvard Law School, in collaboration with SU's Faculty of Law. It was the third time the annual event has been held in Stellenbosch – and its largest yet.
This year's GSA brought together 80 early-career scholars from 42 countries for thematic discussions and writing workshops, guided by a global faculty drawn from leading universities across five continents. The 41 faculty members represented 24 institutions worldwide.
Participants – selected through a competitive application process – included advanced doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty working at the intersection of law, policy, inequality, and social transformation.
The Academy's goal is to support these emerging scholars in strengthening their research, building international networks, and situating their work within global conversations.
Platform for critical inquiry and connection
“What we're doing here is bringing people together in that early phase of their career – when they're on their feet but still searching – and building a network that can last for life," Prof David Kennedy, Director of the IGLP, said in an interview.
“The Institute was founded in 2009. We've since run workshops in Doha, Thailand, Madrid, Latin America – and here in Stellenbosch. More than 2 000 scholars have participated so far," he noted during his opening remarks at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS).
Prof Nicola Smit, SU's Acting Chief Operating Officer, welcomed participants and highlighted the shared values between SU's Faculty of Law and the IGLP.
“We mutually recognise the pressing need to strengthen the next generation of scholars and their academic institutions," she said.
“We also share a vision of deep and sustained collaboration among scholars from every continent – committed to critical thinking, open to developing unconventional solutions, and capable of working across national and disciplinary boundaries."
Noting that 73% of this year's participants hailed from the Global South, Smit described SU's hosting role as meaningful: “Our history is complex and intricate. But it is precisely our close involvement in our nation's past and our journey towards inclusivity that makes Stellenbosch an important gathering place for critical reflection and dialogue."
Unique model of peer learning
At the heart of the programme were intensive writing workshops. Participants submitted 8 000-word drafts, which were then workshopped in small groups facilitated by senior academics. No one presented their own paper at the outset – instead, a peer introduced each work, sparking collaborative and constructive discussion.
This format, coupled with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinarity, encouraged participants to think across boundaries. Many came from backgrounds in sociology, history, economics, or the natural sciences, and used the Academy to explore how legal research intersects with other fields.
In addition, participants joined various streams – thematic mini-courses curated by faculty. “This week's discussions aim to foster meaningful exchanges about the types of problems we encounter today, their causes, and the various approaches to addressing them," Smit said.
Topics ranged from clinical education in the Global South, critical and social theory, and decolonisation in a multipolar world, to gender and poverty, social justice in global value chains, global political economy, law and economic development, and labour and trade in tension.
Emerging voices, real impact
For María Ximena Dávila Contreras, a Colombian lawyer and sociologist pursuing a PhD at the University of Texas, the experience had practical value. “If I am able to communicate my work better, that means the communities I work with – rural women navigating environmental risk – will have a wider audience," she said in an interview.
Dr Jane Ezirigwe, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Ottawa and associate professor at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, attended the Academy for a second time. “The writing workshops are mind-blowing," she said. “They help you focus your research and work faster."
Prof Günter Frankenberg, an eminent legal scholar from Goethe University Frankfurt, has participated in GSA gatherings for over a decade. “This is the best part of my academic life," he said. “The diversity you find in this group – among both faculty and participants – is unique. It's rewarding to impart knowledge, but I also learn a lot from others. This is how it should be."
A continuing legacy
This year marked the final GSA gathering in Stellenbosch – but the organisers are exploring ways to sustain the initiative's legacy.
“It has been worth our while, through and through," Prof Juanita Pienaar, Acting Dean of SU's Faculty of Law, said in an interview. “We've built up expertise and connections, and we are looking at ways to continue, even if on a smaller scale."
What began as a week of exchange and learning will no doubt continue as a network of shared purpose – carried forward by scholars around the world.
* Desmond Thompson is a freelance journalist.
