The Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS) has marked its silver jubilee with a grand celebration, reflecting on 25 years of groundbreaking research, intellectual exchange and global collaboration. The event, held on 10 March 2025, also saw the inauguration of a new extension to the STIAS Wallenberg Research Centre, reinforcing the Institute's ongoing growth and impact.

A landmark occasion

Welcoming 220 guests to the event, STIAS Director Prof Edward Kirumira acknowledged the trust and commitment that have sustained STIAS over the past quarter-century.

“Today, we celebrate, knowing that in its first 25 years, STIAS has truly been a creative space for the mind," he said, quoting the Institute's slogan.

He paid tribute to his predecessors, emphasising their roles in shaping STIAS into an institution that has welcomed more than 900 fellows, including Nobel laureates. Prof Bernard Lategan was the founding director, and Prof Hendrik Geyer succeeded him in 2008, and Kirumira took over in 2019.

“Rest assured, the idea that was planted has since germinated and is now growing exponentially," Kirumira said.

He highlighted the Institute's impact on the rest of Africa, particularly through its Iso Lomso (“the eye of tomorrow" in isiXhosa) programme, which supports emerging scholars from across the continent. It has hosted fellows from 16 countries.

“We are an unapologetically African institute that has organically grown to have global stature," he said.

Strengthening the knowledge ecosystem

In his address at the celebration, Stellenbosch University (SU) Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers lauded the decision in 1999 establish STIAS, calling it “a jewel in the crown of SU-related initiatives."

STIAS was created “to provide a fellowship programme that advances cross-disciplinary research at the highest level," the jubilee booklet reads. “Leading researchers and intellectuals from across the globe are supported to think innovatively and pursue sustainable strategies for the world, with a focus on Africa."

In 2007, the SU Council approved a proposal to make STIAS independent, but while fostering its own distinct identity, the Institute has maintained close ties with SU.

“STIAS has evolved into an independent powerhouse of intellectual inquiry while maintaining a deep and meaningful partnership with the University. Our association with STIAS is invaluable. The Institute enhances our research landscape, strengthens our global reputation, and nurtures the next generation of scholars," De Villiers said.

A vision realised

Kirumira thanked the Wallenberg Foundations, the SU Council and other donors, including the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, the Donald Gordan Foundation and the South African government through the Future Professors Programme, for their support through the years. (Click here for a complete list of donors.)

For Peter Wallenberg Jr, the event was an opportunity to honour his family's enduring support for STIAS. The Wallenberg Foundations of Sweden have been instrumental in funding the Institute since its inception, seeing it as a way to give back to Africa – a continent that left a profound impression on his late father, Peter Wallenberg Sr.

In his speech, Wallenberg Jr reflected on STIAS's global standing and its growing influence.

In 2018, STIAS was invited to join a select group of nine similar bodies, known by the acronym SIAS – Some Institutes for Advanced Study. This makes STIAS the first body of its kind in Africa and the southern hemisphere to become part of the consortium, which includes institutes at Princeton, Stanford and Harvard, as well as in the Netherlands, Germany and France.

“STIAS is unique. You should be proud that you are now presenting the Nobel symposia – the first time this has happened outside of Scandinavia," Wallenberg said.

STIAS has been hosting the Nobel in Africa initiative in partnership with SU and under the auspices of the Nobel Foundation and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences since 2022.

Physics, chemistry, economics and medicine/physiology have so far been covered, with a literature symposium planned for November 2025. These prestigious gatherings provide an international forum to share high-level scholarship while also engaging the broader public.

A space for growth and innovation

Beyond its intellectual contributions, STIAS has now expanded physically. The new extension provides additional meeting and interaction spaces, reinforcing the Institute's role as a platform for global discourse.

Kirumira applauded the construction team for completing the new wing within 12 months as planned. Dr Morné du Plessis, Chairperson of STIAS's Board of Directors, cut the ribbon to formally inaugurate the new wing. And he proposed a toast: “Let's see STIAS produce knowledge for a better and kinder world."

A toast to creativity

As part of the celebration, guests also witnessed the unveiling of a sculpture commissioned for STIAS's silver jubilee, a collaborative work by sculptors Rose Namubiru Kirumira and Kobus la Grange.

It was created from a century-old pine tree on the grounds that was uprooted during a storm in 2024. Titled Guardians of Knowledge, the work symbolises the importance of protecting and nurturing knowledge.

Following the formal proceedings, attendees toured the STIAS facilities, including its historic Mostertsdrift Manor House and gardens, before enjoying a cocktail reception, where they sampled Aliquid Novi Pinotage.

The wine is made from grapes harvested in the STIAS vineyard, planted in 2006 to honour Abraham Izak Perold (1880–1941), the first professor of Oenology at SU and the creator of Pinotage. The wine's name is derived from the dictum of Pliny the Elder, a first-century Roman philosopher: Ex Africa semper aliquid novi (“Out of Africa, always something new").

Looking to the Future

As STIAS matures, its leadership is focused on advancing science and scholarship across disciplines, for the benefit of Africa and the rest of the world.

Kirumira reaffirmed the Institute's commitment to quality and sustainability, ensuring that STIAS continues to make a positive impact on society.

“We set our sights on expanding our footprint on the African continent, engaging in mutually beneficial conversations with the best minds across the world," he said, adding that STIAS is now also partnering with the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and the Academy of Sciences of South Africa (ASSAf).

Wallenberg Jr reaffirmed the Wallenberg Foundations' ongoing support: “We have supported STIAS for 25 years, and we hope to continue doing so in collaboration with SU for at least another 25 years, to start with."

For SU and its partners, STIAS remains a beacon of excellence, a testament to the power of intellectual curiosity, and a model for cross-disciplinary research that serves both Africa and the world.

Drawing: An artist's impression of the STIAS Wallenberg Research Centre, with the new extension on the left. Image: VKDB Architects.

* Article by freelance journalist Desmond Thompson.