Two leading scholars from the North-West University (NWU) took centre stage at the International Conference on Emerging Trends in Psychosocial Well-being (ETPW2025), hosted by the University of Namibia. Their contributions highlighted the critical link between decent jobs, mental health and human flourishing – issues at the heart of national productivity and sustainable development.

Professor Sebastiaan (Ian) Rothmann, a renowned scholar in psychosocial well-being and director of the Optentia Research Unit, and Dr Vedhna Dayanand-Lalla, an early-career researcher and lecturer in the Department of Social Work and a member of the Optentia Research Unit, took centre stage at the International Conference on Emerging Trends in Psychosocial Well-being (ETPW2025), hosted by the University of Namibia. Their contributions highlighted the critical link between decent jobs, mental health and human flourishing, issues at the heart of national productivity and sustainable development.

Delivering the keynote address, Prof Rothmann warned that the growing prevalence of vulnerable and informal employment poses a serious threat to the well-being of millions of workers across southern Africa. Dr Dayanand-Lalla presented on community-based approaches to psychosocial well-being, exploring how social-work interventions can strengthen mental-health support systems and empower vulnerable populations

Anjonet Jordaan, project manager at Optentia, said that by sharing insights from the cutting-edge research by the NWU, the two academics reinforced the importance of collaboration between African institutions in tackling the complex psychosocial challenges of the 21st century.

She added that this participation aligns with the internationalisation vision of the NWU – to position the institution as a globally connected university that contributes meaningfully to knowledge creation, social transformation and sustainable development across borders.

“Through research partnerships, academic exchanges and conferences such as the ETPW2025, the NWU continues to strengthen its footprint on the African continent and beyond,” she said.

Photo: From left are Prof Ian Rothmann, Dr Vedhna Dayanand-Lalla and Lynn Booysen from the NWU’s Optentia Research Unit at the International Conference on Emerging Trends in Psychosocial Well-being.