14 April 2026 – I am delighted to announce that I have been offered, and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has begun processing, my appointment as Honorary Research Associate in the School of Arts, with a primary affiliation to the Theology and Religion discipline.

This is a wonderful and unexpected honour. UKZN is one of Africa’s leading centres for contextual and engaged biblical scholarship, and I am especially excited to be connected with the renowned Ujamaa Centre, whose pioneering work in Contextual Bible Study has long been an inspiration to me.

What this means
As an Honorary Research Associate I will be able to:
Affiliate my research and publications with UKZN

Collaborate with faculty and postgraduate students in biblical studies, African hermeneutics, and constructive theology
Contribute to the vibrant scholarly community that bridges ancient texts with contemporary questions of justice, transformation, and lived faith in Southern Africa and beyond

The role is unpaid and non-residential (I remain based with the Chard Independent Research Programme), but it opens exciting doors for joint projects, seminars, and publications at the intersection of critical biblical scholarship and community-engaged theology.

Why this matters to me

My own work — through various channels, and my writing, and the independent research programme — has always sought to make the biblical texts speak freshly into today’s world. 

The opportunity to do this in conversation with UKZN’s scholars, many of whom are at the forefront of decolonial, liberative, and African-centred approaches to Scripture, feels like a natural and deeply enriching next step.

I am particularly grateful to:
Prof. R. Simangaliso Kumalo (Professor of Theology and History, Director of the Centre for Constructive Theology)
Rev Dr Sithembiso Zwane (Ujamaa Centre) for his warm message of welcome and expressed desire for future collaboration
Prof. Philippe Denis and the rest of the School of Arts team for moving the appointment forward

A separate Memorandum of Understanding between UKZN and the Chard Independent Research Programme has also been submitted for consideration, and we will see where that conversation leads.

Looking ahead

I will share more news as soon as the formal appointment letter arrives (expected in the coming weeks). In the meantime, I remain fully committed to the work you already see here — the videos, the writing, and the quiet task of letting ancient texts shed new light on living questions.

Thank you for walking this scholarly journey with me. Your support, comments, and encouragement mean more than you know.

Gratefully,
Mark Edward Chard
Biblical Scholar & Theologian
14 April 2026