South African Professor Honoured for Groundbreaking Resilience Research

Professor Linda Theron is recognised by Utrecht University for her internationally influential research on resilience among young people facing adversity.

Pretoria, South Africa (10 April 2026) – A leading South African academic has been recognised on the global stage, with Professor Linda Theron from the Department of Educational Psychology in the Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria receiving an honorary doctorate from Utrecht University. The degree was officially conferred in March during the institution’s Dies Natalis celebration.

The recognition speaks to more than two decades of impactful research, during which Professor Theron has helped reshape how resilience is understood, particularly among children and young people facing adversity. Rather than viewing resilience as something individuals must develop on their own, her work highlights the role of relationships, communities, and broader systems in supporting young people to cope and thrive.

In her acceptance speech, Professor Theron reflected on the lived realities of many young people, noting that “deprivation, discrimination, disrupted schooling, and climate-related distress do not tell the whole story of their lives”. She emphasised that resilience is built through connection.

“Caring and connection between young people and their social, cultural, and physical ecologies”.

Utrecht University’s Dynamics of Youth research unit, which motivated for the award, pointed out that her work strongly aligns with its focus on Caring and Connecting. The unit also recognised her role in advancing multisystemic approaches that bring together educators, mental health professionals, policymakers, and communities to create supportive environments where young people can flourish.

Although Professor Theron has not directly collaborated with Utrecht University, her research has already influenced the thinking of its scholars. Her emphasis on co-creating resilience with communities, and valuing local and indigenous knowledge systems, has been particularly impactful in shaping global conversations in this field.

When reflecting on the honour she emphasised that it’s not hers alone.

“A cogent reminder of the ongoing duty to advocate for policy and practices that strengthen the ecologies that create the conditions that enable resilience. It belongs equally to the young South Africans who respond adaptively to stress-saturated realities and the social, cultural and physical ecologies that partner in their resilience processes”.

She also acknowledged the many collaborators, students, and funders across Africa and beyond who continue to contribute to research grounded in care, connection, and meaningful social change.

Sources: University of Pretoria 

Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google. 

Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes and hear their incredible stories:

Or catch an episode of Good Things with Brent Lindeque or our Weekly Top 5 below. The videos here are always changing, updated with the latest episodes from these two shows. Both are part of Good Things TV, created to bring South Africans balance at a time when the news can feel overwhelmingly negative. Our goal is simple: to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in our country – and to leave you feeling a little more proudly South African. 

The post South African Professor Honoured for Groundbreaking Resilience Research appeared first on Good Things Guy.