Heritage beyond borders

It was a heritage festival of nations at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Kingsway campus on 20 September.

Students from different countries around the world celebrated Heritage Day in song, dance and food during UJ’s 11th annual international festival.

The festival is another platform UJ uses to embrace the diversity of its students and lecturers, while also providing room for learning about other cultures.

“This colourful festival celebrates the values, traditions and beliefs of world cultures and highlights the importance of international collaboration and communication as crucial elements of academic vitality,” said UJ’s media liaison, Herman Esterhuizen.

This year’s festival witnessed the participation of 23 countries who shared a hint of their culture through cuisine, art, music and performances.

Among the countries that took to the stage were South Korea, Nigeria, Zambia, Cameroon and South Africa, who all wowed the crowd with their creative display of culture and heritage.

“The university boasts a large number of 2 700 international students who are studying at the institution,” said Esterhuizen. “The festival recognises aspects of world cultures which are both tangible and intangible,” he added.

The festival, themed We are the World, proved to be a great success, keeping the massive audience entertained and intrigued.