UKZN doctoral student Melissa Sibanda to represent South Africa at BRICS debate finals in Moscow - IOL

UKZN student and staff member, Melissa Sibanda, will represent South Africa at the finals of the international BRICS Championships.

UKZN doctoral student Melissa Sibanda will represent South Africa at the BRICS Debate finals in Moscow in December after winning the national championship.

The 29-year-old, who is pursuing her PhD in the Discipline of Geography, Planning and Housing within UKZN’s School of Social Sciences, emerged victorious in the national debate hosted by the BRICS Research Institute.

Sibanda will now compete against national champions from the other BRICS founding countries: Brazil, Russia, India and China, at the finals in December. The winner will receive a fully sponsored academic exchange at a university of their choice in a BRICS country.

Her academic research focuses on the disproportionate burden faced by women living in informal settlements without reliable and affordable energy. Her work has also exposed her to wider issues of poverty, gender inequality, energy access and urban development across the Global South.

Sibanda said her interest in the BRICS debate was sparked after she received funding from the College of Humanities Research Office to attend the 3rd BRICS Research Institute Conference in China in 2024.

“I went in as a housing researcher and came out convinced that the questions I care about, such as poverty, gender, energy, and how cities are built globally, are exactly the ones being negotiated in multilateral spaces,” she said.

“It reinforced, for me, the importance of the Global South setting its own terms, rather than simply inheriting someone else’s.”

The experience prompted Sibanda to seek a more active role in these discussions, leading her to apply for the open call for the BRICS Debate in March this year.

In preparation for the competition, she immersed herself in the history, structures and institutions of BRICS, while also examining the political and economic interests of its member states and debates around reforming global governance.

“That tension is precisely the debate’s theme: whether BRICS reforms global governance or reproduces existing inequalities,” she said.

Sibanda said she intends to approach the international finals with the same composure that helped her through the national rounds.

“My strategy for the finals is to remain composed and think clearly under pressure. This is what the national rounds have taught me, and I intend to carry this with me,” she said.

She also believes effective representation of South Africa will require her to listen as much as she argues.

“To represent South Africa well doesn’t require out-talking anyone; instead, it calls on engaging seriously with their positions while maintaining my own evidence-based perspective with clarity,” Sibanda said.

Beyond her doctoral studies, Sibanda serves as an Academic Development Officer in UKZN’s College of Humanities, where she supports students in their academic growth and development. Her own academic journey at UKZN began with her undergraduate studies before she went on to complete her master’s degree at the university.

Dr Normah Zondo, Executive Director of UKZN’s Corporate Relations Division, congratulated Sibanda on her achievement, describing it as a proud moment for the university and a reflection of the calibre of its students and staff.

“We congratulate Melissa on this outstanding achievement, which reflects not only her intellectual ability and confidence, but also the global perspective and critical engagement that we seek to cultivate in our students,” said Zondo.

“Her success demonstrates the value of rigorous scholarship, informed debate, and the ability to engage with complex global issues with clarity, evidence, and purpose.”

Zondo said Sibanda’s ability to connect her academic expertise with pressing social challenges demonstrated the wider impact of scholarship.

“We are particularly proud of the way Melissa brings her academic knowledge to bear on issues with profound consequences for communities, including poverty, gender inequality, energy access and the development of cities across the Global South,” she said.

“In doing so, she demonstrates how scholarship can extend beyond the classroom to contribute meaningfully to the conversations shaping our shared future.”

Zondo said Sibanda’s achievement was a testament to the young scholars emerging from UKZN and their contribution to global intellectual discourse.

“We wish Melissa every success as she takes her place on the international stage and represents South Africa with the intellectual rigour, confidence and distinctive perspective that have defined her academic journey,” she said.