UKZN PhD Student Awarded International Bursary for Research in Germany

A doctoral student from the College of Humanities has been awarded a prestigious international bursary that will enable her to spend six months conducting research at the University of Bremen in Germany.

Ms Siphosethu Minki Fela, originally from the small Karoo town of Steynsburg, is pursuing a PhD at UKZN. Her research explores the historical relationship between science and religion and how these intersections continue to shape the lived experiences of Black women in postcolonial South Africa.

Her doctoral study, titled ‘Entanglements of Science and Religion in Making Sense of Obstetric Violence in South Africa’, examines how 18th-century imperial religious perspectives about the Black female have influenced and continue to shape healthcare practices and attitudes toward Black women in South Africa.

Fela was awarded the World Youth Forum Grant, which supports South African postgraduate students to spend six months conducting research at the University of Bremen. The bursary covers travel expenses, accommodation, living costs, health insurance and university registration fees, as well as specialised expenses such as German language courses.

“I learned about the grant through one of my supervisors and decided to apply,” she said. “It is an incredible opportunity, especially because the University of Bremen has significant archival collections from colonial contexts that are highly relevant to my research. I also hope to travel around Europe, whenever the time and workload allow.”

Fela will undertake her research stay from mid-March to mid-September 2026, during which time she plans to complete a substantial portion of her doctoral work.

Her journey to postgraduate study has not been without challenges. She entered university two years after high school and faced some personal struggles during her undergraduate years.

“My undergraduate years were the most challenging period of my life,” she said.

“My postgraduate journey has been exciting and rewarding, and opportunities like this motivate me to keep pushing forward.”

Professor Federico Settler, Dean and Head of the School of Social Sciences, who serves as primary supervisor, noted that “the award is a culmination of several years’ determined scholarly work from an outstanding young researcher”. He added that Fela won the Best Student Paper at a national conference in 2023, whereafter she was elected as student representative to the Executive Committee of the Association for the Study of Religion in Southern Africa from 2023-2026.

Her co-supervisor, Professor Rozena Maart, who holds the South African Research Chair in the Study of the National Question at UKZN, said the bursary reflects both Fela’s academic potential and the importance of international research collaboration.

“Minki was selected through a competitive process based on several criteria,” said Maart. “Her research engages important interconnected questions on history, gender and knowledge systems, and the opportunity to access international archives will strengthen the depth of her work.”

Maart, who serves as an International Research Ambassador to the University of Bremen and a Mercator Fellow in its Contradiction Studies programme, also played a role in shaping the grant’s framework to ensure it was accessible to South African postgraduate students.

“Minki’s work speaks to broader questions of Black feminism, history and critical thought,” Maart said. “Opportunities such as this allow young scholars to deepen their research while contributing important perspectives to global academic conversations,” she added.

Settler further remarked that, “It is a privilege to journey alongside young scholars like Siphosethu Fela, whose research promises to bring exciting new insights to contemporary questions of race, gender, embodiment and social justice. I have no doubt that she will benefit from and take full advantage of this opportunity.”

Words: Lorna Charles

Photographs: Supplied