“VUT’s Tshepo Mahlangu reflects on a transformative journey of culture, identity, and global connection at the Intercultural Competencies Conference in Morocco.”
10 November 2025 | Story: Nontobeko Moimane | Photo: Supplied
3 minutes read time.
A journey beyond borders
After returning from Morocco, maVUTi Bits & Bites 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.
“When I boarded that plane to Rabat, I thought I was simply attending a conference,” he recalls. “But I soon realised I was travelling towards a deeper understanding of myself.”
As the South Africa–Sweden 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, offered something far more intimate, a lesson in identity and human connection.
One of the defining moments for him came during the pre-conference workshop titled “Root or Routes?”
“It challenged us to reflect on our cultural identities and biases,” he says. “It reminded me that self-awareness forms the foundation for any meaningful intercultural engagement.”
The discussion opened a space for vulnerability. Participants from across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East unpacked their histories, assumptions, and inherited perspectives.
“It was humbling and deeply personal,” Mahlangu reflects. “I realised that intercultural competence isn’t something you study, it’s something you live.”
Story circles: the language of humanity
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.
“It was powerful,” he says. “Those stories showed that our shared humanity runs deeper than our nationalities or accents. Storytelling became a bridge between worlds.”
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.
Africa’s voice in the global conversation
Conference sessions such as “Wise Leadership and Pro-Environment Behaviour: Comparison across African Nations” and “The Kulani Arts Project as a Platform of Intercultural Competences” reframed how Mahlangu viewed the continent’s place in global dialogues.
“There’s an abundance of wisdom in African ways of knowing,” he reflects. “The world has so much to learn from us, not as an afterthought, but as equal contributors to global innovation and leadership.”
Beyond the conference, Rabat itself became an education. Its vibrant markets, historic architecture, and rhythmic music turned the city into a living textbook.
“The cultural tour brought theory to life,” he says. “It made me appreciate how culture isn’t something you observe; it’s something people live every day through pride, language, and tradition.”
Returning with purpose
For VUT, Mahlangu’s participation signifies the university’s expanding footprint in global spaces and its vision for producing graduates who are internationally aware and socially grounded.
According to Mr Prajesh Bhikha, Acting Manager for Internationalisation, “Tshepo’s journey mirrors our internationalisation strategy. It shows how our students are becoming culturally competent global citizens who engage meaningfully with the world.”
Back on campus, Mr Mahlangu returns not only with memories but with renewed clarity of purpose.
“Intercultural competence is about embracing our shared humanity,” he says. “It’s about listening with respect, leading with empathy, and being open to learning from others.”
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’s ongoing mission to shape globally engaged graduates.
“Global impact is not built through travel alone; it is built through courage, curiosity, and the willingness to connect.”