SEALIFER stands for Strengthening Sustainability, Engagement, Art and Learning Innovation through Fostering Excellence in Research.
The SEALIFER programme will be jointly coordinated by Professor Rosabelle Boswell from Mandela University and Professor Steven Van Wolputte from KU Leuven in Belgium.
This partnership forms part of a long-term institutional collaboration designed to strengthen research, education, and community engagement between Mandela University and a consortium of Belgian universities.
The project aligns strongly with Mandela University’s strategic vision for the Ocean Sciences Campus and its commitment to advancing transdisciplinary research addressing pressing social and environmental challenges.
SEALIFER will focus on the complex relationships between people and the ocean, with particular attention to coastal communities, sustainable livelihoods, and the role of cultural heritage, knowledge systems and innovation in addressing climate change and ecological transformation.
IUC SEALIFER Belgium team leaders and members attending the formulation week at Nelson Mandela University, from left, Elke Piessens, Tammy Schellens, Roeland Janssen, Thomas Remerie and Aleidis Deville
The programme places the Eastern Cape at the centre of its work, recognising both the ecological importance of the region and the socio-economic challenges faced by many coastal communities.
Through an intersectional and engaged research approach, SEALIFER seeks to contribute to sustainable development and social justice while strengthening the University’s research and teaching capacities.
During its initial five-year phase, the programme will focus on six interconnected themes:
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Closing the digital divide in coastal and First Nations communities
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Gender and sustainable entrepreneurship in the ocean economy
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Ecology, coastal commons, and environmental change
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Ocean governance and the intersections of gender and poverty
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Youth engagement, indigenous knowledge, and ocean literacy
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Heritage infrastructure and coastal landscapes
Together, these initiatives will support institutional capacity building, innovative teaching approaches, and collaborative research that bridges the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The programme will also strengthen international collaboration and contribute to the University’s efforts to revitalise the humanities while advancing transdisciplinary sustainability science.
The SEALIFER programme will officially be launched in October 2026 at Nelson Mandela University, marking the beginning of the first implementation phase of the partnership between Mandela University and KU Leuven under the VLIR-UOS Institutional University Cooperation framework.
The launch event will bring together project partners, researchers, university leadership, and stakeholders from government, civil society, and coastal communities to introduce the programme’s objectives, highlight the collaborative research agenda, and explore opportunities for engagement and impact across the Eastern Cape and beyond.
IUC SEALIFER team members engaging with community leaders and stakeholders, including Gaos Margaret Coetzee and Captain Edmund Wayne Stuurman. during the formulation week
The event will also provide a platform to showcase the transdisciplinary vision of SEALIFER and its commitment to strengthening sustainable livelihoods, ocean knowledge, and inclusive innovation.
Subproject 5: Youth, Knowledge and Ocean Literacy team leaders and members engaging with local schools and teachers. from left Jennalee Du Plessis of Tsitsikamma High School, Helene Cappelle, Valérie Lehouck and Thomas Remerie.
The University congratulates Prof Boswell and the broader SEALIFER consortium for securing this important grant and looks forward to the transformative opportunities it will create for research, teaching, and community engagement across Nelson Mandela University and its partner institutions.
Further information about the programme will be shared as the initiative moves into its implementation phase.