Johannesburg Varsity Honours Prof Sefotho With Community Service Award

Education expert Prof. Maximus Monaheng Sefotho has received the 2025 Community Engagement and Vice-Chancellor’s Awards from the University of Johannesburg, recognising his contributions to community engagement and university service.

The university announced that Professor Sefotho was awarded the 2025 Community Engagement Service Award, recognising his remarkable initiatives that connect academic work with broader societal needs.

He also received the 2025 Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Top Supervisor, an honour that acknowledges staff contributions to the university beyond routine academic responsibilities.

A statement issued by the university said his awards reflect a consistent record of work that links scholarship, institutional development, and engagement with communities beyond the university.” The colleague added that such recognition is typically based on ‘long-term impact rather than single projects.”

“His contribution has been in building structures that allow conversations on neurodiversity to take place within universities and across the continent, rather than focusing only on individual research outputs.”

Professor Sefotho is credited with leading the establishment of Neurodiversity at the University of Johannesburg, an initiative that brings together research, teaching, and engagement activities related to neurodiversity.

He is also recognised as the founder of the African Association of Neurodiversity (AAN), a continental organisation aimed at providing a platform for scholars and practitioners in this field. In addition, he serves as the editor-in-chief of the African Journal of Neurodiversity (AJN).

A member of an external academic network described these developments as “part of a broader effort to create African-led spaces for scholarship on neurodiversity,” noting that such platforms “help situate global debates within local and regional realities.”

The 2025 awards place Professor Sefotho among a group of staff members acknowledged that year for contributions to the institution’s academic mission and its engagement with society.