The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) co-hosted a Careers Event on 27 August 2025. Under the theme ‘Future-Proofing Humanities Degrees: Careers Within a Shifting Global Order’, the event addressed the future of humanities degrees within a global environment characterised by social, legal, economic and technological uncertainties. With artificial intelligence advancing at breakneck speed, and questions swirling around the utility of international law and governance mechanisms, this event proved timely in providing students in attendance with the opportunity to listen to, and learn from, leading experts from various humanities and humanities-affiliated career paths so as to gain a better understanding of their post-university opportunities.
The event was opened by Ms Elizabeth Sidiropolous, SAIIA Chief Executive, and Dr Holger Dix, Head of the KAS Regional Programme Political Dialogue Sub-Saharan Africa. The keynote address was provided by Mr Kuseni Dlamini, Deputy Chair of SAIIA’s National Council and current President of the American Chamber of Commerce in South Africa, who provided a strong grounding for the event as a whole and emphasised the social, economic and political utility of the field of humanities within the context of a rapidly changing global environment.
Arguably the highlight of the evening was the contributions of the esteemed five-member expert panel. The panel included Dr Sithembile Mbete, South African political scientist and Executive Director of the Public Affairs Research Institute, Ms Hellen Mogashoa, a public policy specialist and the Head of Corporate and Government Affairs at Microsoft South Africa, Mr Stephan Malherbe, the founder and Chairman of Genesis Analytics, Ms Mbali Ntuli, Founder and CEO of Ground Work Collective, as well as Mr Chrispin Phiri, Spokesperson for the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO). The panel provided professional and personal reflections about their career paths, as well as the seminal role that their backgrounds in the humanities and social sciences played in the progression of their careers.
The students in attendance were also provided with opportunities to liaise with various expert exhibitors present at the event. These included SAIIA, KAS, the Electoral Commission of South Africa, DIRCO, Genesis Analytics, the Political Studies Department of the University of Pretoria, the Political Studies Department of the University of Johannesburg, and the International Relations Department of the University of the Witwatersrand. These exhibitors were well-placed to provide advice on the possible avenues available to the students in attendance and played a substantial role in making the event a success. One of the highlights of the evening in relation to the exhibitors was the presentation given by Mr Albert Geldenhuys from DIRCO where he showcased the department’s cadet programme, pointing students to the possibility of pursuing a career in South Africa’s diplomatic corps.
Apart from affording students access to high-level insights from the aforementioned speakers and exhibitors, the event also served to launch the 2026 KAS-SAIIA Scholarship. Running since 1999, KAS has funded a scholarship programme, with an internship component run by SAIIA, for prospective masters’ candidates in Political Studies, International Relations, Development Studies, Law, Economics, Journalism and other related subjects within the humanities and social sciences.
Ultimately, the evening highlighted not only the expertise shaping today’s policy debates but also the shared commitment to nurturing future leaders in the field. With the launch of the 2026 scholarship, SAIIA and KAS continue their longstanding partnership in advancing academic excellence and fostering meaningful contributions to research and policymaking.
Written by the 2025 KAS-SAIIA Scholars: Divashnee Naidoo, Muziwethu Ndlovu, Rendani Tshitangano, Tasneem Vania and Yaseen Tayob
