I feel very lucky to have been here at a time when so many unexpected and serendipitous encounters yielded so much fruitful thought. It was a pleasure to be in the midst of such a distinguished and friendly group of scholars.
STIAS Fellows are invited as part of cohorts spanning two semesters – February to June and July to December each year. Respective cohorts bring together a multi-disciplinary mix of individuals, teams, Iso Lomso and Artists-in-residence Fellows of different ages, genders, and worldwide geographies.
Fellows can look forward to a packed programme of seminars, public lectures, inclusion in workshops and meetings hosted by STIAS, as well as many other personal and collective highlights during their stay, many of which the Fellows themselves initiate.
Fellows’ seminars are held twice weekly on Tuesdays at 11:00 and Thursdays at 15:45 and last approximately 90 minutes (40-minute presentation followed by discussion). Fellow seminars are intended for Fellows in residence to share their research with their cohort and to receive feedback. The presenting Fellow may invite a guest.
Fellows are encouraged to present their work at a level that is accessible to a multi-disciplinary audience. Past Fellows may participate in seminars online.
Some Fellows may be requested to present broader-themed public lecture presentations. For these lectures, a public invitation is circulated to audiences outside STIAS, including research communities at various universities in the Western Cape, scientific networks in South Africa and globally and the general public.
The public lectures are distinct from the seminars in that they offer an opportunity to academics, researchers, students and members of the public to learn more about the work of STIAS Fellows. The public lectures are live-streamed.
STIAS Fellows are also welcome to attend other public events, workshops and conferences hosted by STIAS over the course of each semester. A major highlight of the second semester of each year is the Nobel in Africa Nobel Symposium held in October/November. The 2025 Symposium is the fifth and is on Literature, with the theme Retrieving Pasts, Imagining Futures: Creative Forms in African Writing.”
During their residency, Fellows are expected to participate in the STIAS weekday lunch served from 12h30 and to attend the Fellows’ seminars and public lectures. Both obligations are deemed important to enhance collegiality and conversations across disciplines and experiences among the Fellows.
Fellows are encouraged to visit, meet with and collaborate with academics at other institutions in South Africa during their stay, and STIAS staff are on hand to assist with forging necessary connections and introductions.
Fellows are further encouraged to take advantage of the many and varied unique experiences that the space presents by its location in Stellenbosch, the Western Cape, South Africa and the African continent.