MISTRA’s Monthly Briefing #15 announces the completion of two research reports. The report, “Mapungubwe Reconsidered: Exploring beyond the Rise and Decline of the Mapungubwe State” was released on 25 May 2013 at a conference of experts and policy-makers, including Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Joe Phaahla who delivered the Closing Remarks.  MISTRA also released the research report on “The Concept and Application of Transdisciplinarity in Intellectual Discourse and Research” on the 25 June 2013.
We highlight the roundtable held by MISTRA in collaboration with the Wits School of Public and Development Management, on the crisis within the South African NGO sector.
In this issue, we also report on a skaftin session presented by the Director of Publications at the Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA), Mr Solani Ngobeni. He offered insights into the publishing industry and how researchers and scholars can get their work published.
Included in this issue is a range of media articles produced by MISTRA staff on topical issues. Mr Joel Netshitenzhe contributes to the debate on the National Development Plan. Mr Yacoob Abba Omar comments on South Africa/ USA relation following President Obama’s visit to SA.  Dr Mcebisi Ndletyana reflects on the black middle class’ duty to the poor, Mr Jeffrey Sehume writes on the transformation of discourses beyond the Cartesian revolution, and Mr David Maimela analyses the recent spate of attacks against foreigners in Diepsloot and the Vaal.
We also share the podcast of a discussion on Jenny Chrys-Williams show on 702, with Maanda Malaudzi and Alex Schoeman about the findings of the research project on the rise and decline of the Mapungubwe civilization.
And we’re happy to announce that the full transcript of Dr Francis Fukuyama’s lecture on “The Origins of Political Order” is now available on our website.
In this issue we introduce Ms Thabiso Chiloane, who has joined MISTRA as an intern in the Humanity Faculty and we also welcome Ms Alexandra Davis, a visiting scholar from the University of Delaware, USA, who will be conducting some of her research on South African small and medium enterprise development while at MISTRA.