Many bright and talented students are left behind as they do not qualify for government funding, but also can’t afford higher education fees in their own capacity. In an effort to support these ‘Missing Middle Students’, one professor is running the Comrades to raise funds!
Pretoria, South Africa (23 May 2025) — Professor André Ganswindt, Director of the Mammal Research Institute at the University of Pretoria will soon join runners from across the country at the upcoming Comrades Marathon. However, his reasons for running the phenomenal race are slightly different to most people’s driving factors. Prof Ganswindt is running with ‘missing middle students’ in mind, a gap that continues to grow in the struggling economy of South Africa.
‘Missing middle students’ as a term refers to those who are not in such a state of poverty that they can qualify for certain funding boosts (say, from the government or various trusts) but are not wealthy enough to afford university fees in a personal capacity either.
Prof Ganswindt hopes to run in support of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal’s Scholarship Fund which provides financial assistance to academically strong learners who’d otherwise struggle to complete their education due to funding.
A respected wildlife researcher who has dedicated his life to protecting wildlife and empowering students, Prof Ganswindt knows the power that cracking a door open can have not just for a talented individual, but for a greater Africa.
Having mentored the next generation of researchers in our continent as the holder of the Oppenheimer Chair for Emerging African Scientists in Non-Invasive Wildlife Research, the Prof knows well that the more learners who access opportunities, the better our chances of a brighter future are.
You can support the Prof’s campaign here.
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