On campuses across the country, students are digging into where their schools invest—and what those investments really mean. Through careful research and collaboration, students are uncovering connections between their institutions and companies tied to apartheid systems. These findings are not only sparking conversations but also fueling calls for transparency, accountability, and divestment.
This kind of analysis goes far beyond academic interest. For many students, it’s a form of resistance. By exposing how universities may be complicit in systems of oppression, they’re shining a light on injustices often hidden behind financial reports and vague investment language. It’s hard work, but it’s also powerful—and it’s helping to shift the narrative on what responsible education should look like.
What This Article Covers
This post explores how student researchers are identifying institutional ties to apartheid, what methods they use, and why their work matters for movements focused on justice and accountability.
You’ll also learn about the challenges they face, the tools they rely on, and the broader impact of their efforts across campuses and communities.
Why Students Are Leading This Work
Students have always played a key role in challenging unjust systems. From South Africa to Palestine, campus movements have helped build momentum for global solidarity. What makes these efforts stand out is their attention to both the big picture and the fine print.
Many schools hold large endowments invested in a wide range of industries. While these funds help support scholarships, research, and operations, they also raise serious ethical questions when linked to companies involved in apartheid, surveillance, land grabs, or arms sales.
By asking tough questions—where is this money going, and who is being harmed?—students are holding their schools to a higher standard. This analysis pushes institutions to live up to the values they often promote in mission statements and public speeches.
Digging Into the Numbers
Researching investment ties can feel overwhelming at first. University endowment reports aren’t always easy to read, and some are not fully public. But students are finding ways to access this information through public records requests, financial disclosures, and conversations with staff and faculty allies.
Once they get the documents, the real work begins. Students look for specific companies or sectors—such as weapons manufacturers, surveillance technology providers, or firms involved in illegal settlements. They then match those names with academic research and human rights reports that document corporate involvement in apartheid systems.
This detailed process turns abstract financial data into something real. It shows how a line in a spreadsheet might connect to violence, displacement, or the undermining of basic freedoms elsewhere in the world.
Building Collective Knowledge
No one person can do this work alone. That’s why students often form research teams or coalitions that include people with different skills—finance, law, political science, history, and grassroots organizing. These collaborations make the work stronger and more accessible.
Study sessions, teach-ins, and working groups help spread what’s been learned. Some campaigns publish reports or interactive websites so the broader campus can understand the findings. Others present their research at student government meetings or use it to start public petitions.
By making the analysis public, students invite conversation and encourage others to take action. It turns a private concern into a collective demand.
The Emotional Weight of the Work
Researching apartheid ties is not just about numbers—it’s about people. Many students involved in this work are directly connected to the communities affected. Others have learned about the issues through their own studies, activism, or relationships.
This can make the work feel deeply personal. Reading reports about violence or discrimination while seeing your university’s name linked to those systems is hard. It can bring up feelings of anger, grief, or even betrayal.
That’s why support networks are so important. Peer solidarity, mentoring, and collective reflection help students process what they’re learning and stay grounded in community care.
Turning Research Into Action
Student-led analysis often becomes the foundation for broader campaigns. Once the data is clear, students can build strong arguments for divestment or policy change. They can meet with administrators, present findings to boards of trustees, or hold public forums to demand transparency.
Some campaigns focus on getting universities to disclose all of their investments. Others call for cutting ties with specific companies or industries. Whatever the goal, research gives campaigns a sense of focus and credibility.
Clear data helps shift the conversation. It’s no longer just a moral appeal—it’s a concrete claim backed by facts.
Connecting to Broader Movements
Campus divestment campaigns don’t exist in a vacuum. They are part of larger movements for justice, liberation, and human rights. That’s why many student researchers work in partnership with advocacy organizations, civil society groups, and solidarity networks.
These connections help students stay informed and grounded in the lived experiences of those most impacted. They also make the movement more resilient. When schools push back, having the support of national and international groups helps keep pressure alive.
This networked approach turns student research into a building block for global solidarity.
A Path Forward Through Accountability
The work of student researchers reveals something that’s often overlooked: the power of knowledge combined with purpose. By asking hard questions, analyzing complex data, and sharing what they find, students are shaping the future of ethical education.
Their work shows that divestment isn’t just about money—it’s about values, priorities, and responsibility. It asks schools to choose sides, to stand for justice not just in words but in practice.
Through careful analysis and public advocacy, students are reminding everyone that institutions don’t get to stay neutral when injustice is on the table. And that truth, spoken clearly and with care, is what keeps this movement moving forward.