{"id":29908,"date":"2025-11-10T11:45:44","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T11:45:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/?p=29908"},"modified":"2025-11-10T12:57:59","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T12:57:59","slug":"beyond-borders-a-vut-students-journey-of-discovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/beyond-borders-a-vut-students-journey-of-discovery\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond borders: a VUT student\u2019s journey of discovery"},"content":{"rendered":"

“VUT\u2019s Tshepo Mahlangu reflects on a transformative journey of culture, identity, and global connection at the Intercultural Competencies Conference in Morocco.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

10 November 2025 | Story: Nontobeko Moimane | Photo: Supplied<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 minutes read time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Beyond<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A journey beyond borders<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After returning from Morocco, maVUTi Bits & Bites<\/em> sat down with Mr Tshepo Glen Mahlangu, a proud representative of the Vaal University of Technology (VUT), whose experience abroad became a moment of deep personal discovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I boarded that plane to Rabat, I thought I was simply attending a conference,\u201d he recalls. \u201cBut I soon realised I was travelling towards a deeper understanding of myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the South Africa\u2013Sweden University Forum (SASUF) Student Coordinator at VUT, Mr Mahlangu had engaged in academic platforms before. Yet the Global Intercultural Competencies Conference, held from 29 September to 3 October 2025<\/em>, offered something far more intimate, a lesson in identity and human connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the defining moments for him came during the pre-conference workshop titled \u201cRoot or Routes?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt challenged us to reflect on our cultural identities and biases,\u201d he says. \u201cIt reminded me that self-awareness forms the foundation for any meaningful intercultural engagement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The discussion opened a space for vulnerability. Participants from across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East unpacked their histories, assumptions, and inherited perspectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was humbling and deeply personal,\u201d Mahlangu reflects. \u201cI realised that intercultural competence isn\u2019t something you study, it\u2019s something you live.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Story circles: the language of humanity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UNESCO Story Circles: Train-the-Trainer workshop became a highlight. In a quiet circle of strangers, each participant shared a piece of their life, stories of joy, loss, and hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was powerful,\u201d he says. \u201cThose stories showed that our shared humanity runs deeper than our nationalities or accents. Storytelling became a bridge between worlds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was in that space, he adds, that the notion of global citizenship transformed from theory to experience, a lived truth shaped by empathy and openness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Africa\u2019s voice in the global conversation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conference sessions such as \u201cWise Leadership and Pro-Environment Behaviour: Comparison across African Nations\u201d and \u201cThe Kulani Arts Project as a Platform of Intercultural Competences\u201d reframed how Mahlangu viewed the continent\u2019s place in global dialogues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s an abundance of wisdom in African ways of knowing,\u201d he reflects. \u201cThe world has so much to learn from us, not as an afterthought, but as equal contributors to global innovation and leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the conference, Rabat itself became an education. Its vibrant markets, historic architecture, and rhythmic music turned the city into a living textbook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe cultural tour brought theory to life,\u201d he says. \u201cIt made me appreciate how culture isn\u2019t something you observe; it\u2019s something people live every day through pride, language, and tradition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Returning with purpose<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For VUT, Mahlangu\u2019s participation signifies the university\u2019s expanding footprint in global spaces and its vision for producing graduates who are internationally aware and socially grounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Mr Prajesh Bhikha, Acting Manager for Internationalisation, \u201cTshepo\u2019s journey mirrors our internationalisation strategy. It shows how our students are becoming culturally competent global citizens who engage meaningfully with the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back on campus, Mr Mahlangu returns not only with memories but with renewed clarity of purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIntercultural competence is about embracing our shared humanity,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s about listening with respect, leading with empathy, and being open to learning from others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though the Global Intercultural Competencies Conference has ended, its impact continues to echo through the corridors of VUT, in the relationships built, the lessons learned, and the university\u2019s ongoing mission to shape globally engaged graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGlobal impact is not built through travel alone; it is built through courage, curiosity, and the willingness to connect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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