Universities South Africa
RethaDeBruyn
New fee capping framework sparks debate over higher education sustainability
A newly proposed Draft Fee Regulation Framework for South African universities, released on 1 November 2024, by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET)...
Using Digital Art to teach Mathematics: a practical, fun, innovative way of teaching Mathematics
A novel initiative to empower township learners with algorithmic thinking and digital art – even traditional African fabric shweshwe is being used as a teaching...
Helping a sister study leads innovator to a prize winning tutoring and mentoring business
Bridget’s Learning Hub, an e-learning hub that provides tutoring and mentoring services to primary and high school students all across South Africa, won its 24-year-old...
Greatfuel produces biodiesel from cooking oil
“Can you drive Africa? Well, I can.” So began Hope Mapheto, founder of Greatfuel, her business which was established in 2021 and produces biodiesel from...
Banana wine wins its maker the top Social Impact prize at Intervarsity finals
When Anga Mzozo, co-founder of winning business AL Winery in the Existing Business: Social Impact category said Bye Nana at the end of her pitch...
Disability solution seeking turns into an award-winning business for a dyslexic medical student
Nothile Ngema turned her dyslexia and slow speech into a winning business, e-Aggrandizer, that won her the Existing Business: Tech category prize and R20 000....
A DHET chief director applauds six years of entrepreneurial innovation at students’ intervarsity award ceremony
The EDHE programme represents an important contribution to transformation in Higher Education in terms of growing studentpreneurship, developing an entrepreneurial mindset in academics across disciplines...
New French partnership with USAf calls for AI and Blue Ocean Tech researchers
The Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) programme is going international through the French Embassy in South Africa. These were the introductory words of Dr...
Drug re-invention wins young pharmacist R100 000 and Studentpreneur of 2024 title
“I hate death. I want to save our people.” These words have driven the overall winner of the EDHE Entrepreneurship Intervarsity 2024, 28-year-old Emmanuel Kiyonga,...
The EDHE Intervarsity national finals event draws a prestigious high level crowd
The Director: Entrepreneurship, Universities South Africa (USAf), Dr Edwell Gumbo, began his opening address by naming those on the guestlist that included vice-chancellors, their deputies,...
Build differently: global tech opportunities for SA Entrepreneurs
“One in four people in the world will be African by 2050,” declared global entrepreneur Ms Christine Souffrant Ntim at a roundtable discussion hosted by...
Beyond the classroom: SWEEP empowers the next generation of women entrepreneurs
“Success doesn’t happen overnight,” Ms Zana Boshoff, Project Manager for Universities South Africa’s (USAf) Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) programme emphasised in a one-on-one...
“Mission accomplished” pretty much sums up USAf’s Higher Education Conference 2024
The 3rd Universities South Africa (USAf) Higher Education Conference 2024 set out “to bring the university sector with its multiple publics to engage in conversations...
Cutting operational costs is one way public universities could survive, long-term
Stellenbosch University is considered to be a very well-resourced institution compared to others, said Bismark Tyobeka, yet it still faces a projected six-year deficit of...
Universities South Africa’s Strategy groups recap the outcomes of their sessions at the HE Conference
One of the intended outcomes of the recent Higher Education conference of Universities South Africa (USAf) was to come up with proposals to enhance the...
North-West University’s sustainability programme aims to drive societal change
Plastic litter is a big no-no at North-West University (NWU). From banning plastic bottles on its three campuses in Mahikeng, Potchefstroom and Vanderbijlpark, to prohibiting...
“A university cannot survive without water,” says Professor Kirsty Carden of UCT on Day Zero
“The availability of water of acceptable quality is one of our single greatest and most urgent development constraints. So we really do need to do...
Sustainable development goals present viable opportunities for sustainable entrepreneurship – Kerrin Myres
South Africa, though plagued by huge social problems amid rich natural resources, also presents significant opportunities in sustainable entrepreneurship – if only we could respond...
Audience insights on work-integrated learning and the responsibility of universities
Entrepreneurship Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) and the Responsibility of Universities brought to the fore, the gaps warranting attention at universities, if entrepreneurship education is to yield...
Preparing graduates for an ever-evolving world
The man who prides himself for creating youth-centred brand experiences offered some insightful counsel to universities at the recent Higher Education Conference in October. Mr...
Murimbika’s vision for Higher Education is to transform universities into innovation catalysts
At the October Higher Education Conference of Universities South Africa (USAf), Dr McEdward Murimbika, Director at the University of the Witwatersrand’s (WITS) Centre for Entrepreneurship and...
Innovative teaching approaches could yield most career-ready, entrepreneurial graduates – Olebogeng Selebi
Today's high levels of youth unemployment and increasing graduate unemployability strengthen the business case for more innovative approaches to teaching, if universities are to ensure...
A call for innovation: reimagining artisanship and Work-Integrated Learning in South Africa’s Higher Education
At a pivotal moment in South Africa's educational landscape, delegates at the recent Higher Education Conference in Pretoria highlighted the urgent need to rethink the...
Universities must re-model themselves around Artificial Intelligence
Universities may cease to be as relevant as they are today if they don’t change their way of teaching and their curricula in the face...
Big tech and implications for higher education
Tech giants – particularly Google and Microsoft – have become, in many cases, de facto mediators to fundamental rights such as access to information and...
We need to shift philanthropy in Africa’s favour
Philanthropy has a critical role to play in the future of the university in Africa, more so now than ever, but higher educational leadership cannot...
Tshilidzi Marwala’s vision for transformative Higher Education
The plenary session titled The University, its Future and Academic Freedom – A Global Conversation presented a range of perspectives, from a veteran politician advocating...
Navigating the intersection of educational technology and ethics; insights from a higher education strategist
With technology still shaping the current educational landscape, there has never been a more important time to consider ethical dimensions in developing and implementing technologies...
University leaders reflect on the academic freedom discourse
The discussion that followed the address by Dr Naledi Pandor, a politician and the former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, at the recent 3rd...
The erosion of academic freedom; Pandor’s call for intellectual integrity in higher education
At the 3rd Higher Education Conference hosted by University South Africa (USAf), Dr Naledi Pandor, former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation in South Africa,...
Can SA universities realise genuine transformation and endure, long-term?
How to achieve transformation without risking sustainability; what defines a university; whether blackness is synonymous with dysfunctionality, and whether black elites are enforcing an educational...
Transformation must not become synonymous with instability
The concept of transformation in higher education needs to transform, itself, if it is not to be made synonymous with instability and unsustainability. Universities also...
Imperfections in the transformation of South Africa’s higher education – Lis Lange’s perspective
Deviating from what is considered a norm in the South African higher education system requires conviction and an ability to take a risk that very...
Will there be a need for universities in future, or not?
Two presentations at the breakaway session of Universities South Africa’s (USAf’s) Teaching and Learning (T&L) Strategy Group triggered an informative discussion at the recent 3rd...
The future of teaching and learning: a perspective from the African continent
“We asked our former students how much of the content that we taught them they used in their current work lives. One very prosperous student...
The type of leaders universities need right now to endure, long-term
The African proverb “If you want to go fast, go alone but if you want to go far, you go together” could provide a solution...
Good governance is vital in higher education
Leadership and governance are inextricably linked, says Dr Jane V Usher, MBA Programme Coordinator at Boston City Campus. “Strategic leadership is made up of individuals...
A glimpse into the future and the way forward for universities
Just how do we envision the future? Are people ready for the new jobs envisioned in the years to come -- thanks to rapidly changing...
Institutional strategy has rendered the Arizona State University most innovative, socially responsive and sustainable
The green economy offers tremendous potential, especially in Africa, where it is projected to generate 100 million new and enhanced job opportunities across the continent...
Universities must lead with purpose and ambition to seize the future and endure
As globalisation blurs borders, there is a need to balance global relevance with the delivery of a locally significant education. At the same time, the...
How collaboration could stretch research funding in a climate of diminishing resources
In a world of shrinking resources, universities in South Africa face a pressing challenge: how can university-led research and innovation address the country's triple burdens...
How South Africa’s higher education sector must adapt to avoid system deterioration
If South Africa’s higher education sector proceeds with business as usual and maintains the current status quo, the system will deteriorate. This was among the...
Adapt or perish: a call for academics to embrace artificial intelligence
If academics do not embrace artificial intelligence (AI), they will soon find themselves having to teach students who grew up and studied in AI enabled...
SA universities must shoulder some responsibility for funding challenges
Just before a representative from the Auditor-General's office was set to address delegates during the Higher Education Funding and Financial Sustainability into the Future session...
Students must assume some responsibility for university tuition fees, a Stellenbosch professor says
Professor Stan du Plessis, Chief Operating Officer and Economics Professor at Stellenbosch University, has labelled the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) as “poorly designed...
South African universities need to make difficult decisions to sustain the system
Delegates at the 3rd Higher Education Conference engaged robustly over all the topics presented at the event. We present below, an edited version of the...
The Future of the University put under the spotlight at the 3rd Higher Education Conference
Universities have a significant impact on the advancement of society – shaping the education system; producing and honing skills and competencies needed for the economy; contributing...
Universities SA invites research proposals for the National Graduate Destination Survey set to commence immediately
Following years of engaging relevant stakeholders on a National Graduate Destination Survey (NGDS), Universities South Africa (USAf) secured a partner during 2023 and is now ready...
South African and Canadian universities are pondering research partnerships ahead of an NRF Call for Proposals
A recent webinar between South African and Canadian universities closed on a high note as prospective researchers walked away with a sense of anticipation for what...
The South Africa-Canada Universities Network (SACUN) formalises a long-standing relationship
The inaugural webinar or South Africa-Canada Universities Network (SACUN) on Thursday, 5 September, was launching a relationship that started in April 2023 with a visit...
Entrepreneurship remains the most viable route to economic freedom; start now, in universities’ safe environments – Wits Chancellor
Students would do well to start business enterprises while still studying, to optimise the opportunity of experimenting in universities’ protected environments that offer support and...
Human Resources Directors in Higher Education pay tribute to a departed beloved peer
The Universities South Africa Office has from Monday been showered with tributes and accolades as members of the Human Resources Directors’ (HRD) Forum acknowledged receipt...
The South Africa-Canada Universities Network begins to take shape with today’s inaugural webinar
South African universities will today (Thursday, 5 September) meet online with their Canadian counterparts in a webinar to identify opportunities for joint research between and among...
Universities South Africa’s Board of Directors’ Response to a Resolution of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training
The Board of Directors of Universities South Africa (USAf Board) has seen and read the resolution of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and...
The Carnegie Math Pathways project is key to advancing students’ quantitative skills for enhanced success in mathematical sciences
Persistent disparities in students’ mathematics performance highlight the need for a more cohesive and dynamic approach to teaching mathematics, remarked Professor Alfred Msomi, Acting Chair...
From vision to strategy: transforming postgraduate mathematics training through NGA(MaSS) Research Training Networks
“Innovative and collaborative strategies are essential in addressing the challenges in mathematics education,” Professor Alfred Msomi (right), Acting Chairperson of the Community of Practice for...
The SAJU Forum has yielded visible successes over time, which could be enhanced through expansion
The South Africa - Japan Universities (SAJU) Forum was this week hailed as a uniquely successful network, characterised at its core by trust, mutuality, co-design...
A celebration of enduring and fruitful partnerships
The not so hospitable weather in Stellenbosch this week was downplayed as speaker after speaker at the opening of the SAJU 6 Conference counted on...
The SAJU Forum is a model of effective North-South partnerships
South Africa’s collaboration with Japan is a model of productive North-South partnerships, benefiting both nations through advancements in research, internationalisation efforts and mutual progress in...
Universities South Africa’s Board of Directors pays tribute to the late Professor Brian O’ Connell
The Board of Directors of Universities South Africa (USAf) joins the community of the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in paying tribute to UWC’s...
A research study highlights key impediments to student women participation in entrepreneurship at SA universities
Low self-esteem is a significant barrier to student women participation in entrepreneurship at universities, according to findings of the study titled Barriers Faced by student...
Universities South Africa’s second Student Affairs and Student Success cohort begins their leadership programme
Wednesday, 14 August saw the Higher Education Leadership and Management (HELM) programme launching its second intake of the Student Affairs and Student Success (SASS) programme,...
Registration for the 3rd biennial Higher Education Conference extended to 30 August
Join us in-person for USAf’s 3rd biennial Higher Education Conference taking place, in person, from 9 to 11 October 2024 at the CSIR Convention Centre....
Optimism in Higher Education as the new Minister of Basic Education promises to hear USAf out on priority issues
It was one meet-and-greet in a series of scheduled stakeholder meetings between the new Minister of Basic Education, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, MP, and a myriad...
SWEEP is a response to South Africa’s national challenges and is therefore justified
According to findings of Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey of 2024, the youth unemployment rate reached 32.9% in the first quarter of 2024....
Universities South Africa congratulates Dr Nobuhle Pamela Nkabane on her appointment to the Ministry of Higher Education and Training
The Board of Directors of Universities South Africa (USAf) has congratulated Dr Nobuhle Pamela Nkabane, MP, for her appointment, last Sunday, to the position of Minister:...
Universities South Africa congratulates Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela for winning the Templeton Prize 2024
The Board of Directors of Universities South Africa (USAf) has congratulated Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, the SARChI Chair for Violent Histories and Historical Trauma and the...
Advancing African Languages in Education: Prospects and Progress for Teaching and Learning
The increased need to integrate African languages in South Africa's basic and higher education system to improve learner performance and foster inclusive teaching and learning environments...
NSFAS consultation with senior university administrators advances clarity on the new Loan Scheme
In a consultative session held on 26 March 2024, registrars, chief financial officers and senior administrators from public universities engaged in a dialogue that sought to...
NSFAS presents new loan scheme to the USAf Board of Directors
Vice-Chancellors of South Africa’s 26 public universities were last week engaged on the Government-launched loan scheme earmarked for students not qualifying for the full bursaries...
A financial inclusion enterprise wins Intervarsity 2023 finals in the Tech category
It was a big week for the founder of Libex, a Web3 ecosystem company whose primary aim is to promote financial inclusion and democratise financial...
A plastic waste transforming company wins in new Research Based Business category of Intervarsity 2023
“The plastic pollution crisis is here. But luckily, we have the ultimate solution: Bioplastics: plant-based and biodegradable alternatives to regular plastics. WRONG!” Ms Dominique Rocher, 1st...
Proud Eastern Cape community celebrates Walter Sisulu University student farmer’s R120 000 win
An entire community celebrated after a young student farmer was named the Studentpreneur of 2023 at the 5th EDHE Entrepreneurship Intervarsity finals held in Johannesburg...
Successful businessman inspires at Entrepreneurship Intervarsity Awards event
A giant video screen flashing snippets of media footage illustrated how an entrepreneur turned a fictitious boerewors roll vendor called Vuyo into reality. So began the...
Changes sweep across Entrepreneurship Intervarsity Awards
The fifth Entrepreneurship Intervarsity Awards saw a few firsts and an end to a year-long process on 1 December 2023, as Universities South Africa (USAf) showcased...
What does student success mean, and how can universities contribute to it?
Student success at South African universities should not be reduced to a simplistic, one dimensional measure based on grades and academic accomplishments, according to research...
Supporting the well-being of Student Affairs and Support Staff in higher education
“Who cares for the caregiver?” was a question posed by Dr Thembi Kweyama, Dean of Students at Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT), during one of the...
Notwithstanding increased State investment in NSFAS, there is little improvement in universities’ stability and outcomes, says Professor Adam Habib
South Africa is spending R35-billion more on higher education than it did five years ago, largely due to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)...
South Africa should have made early childhood education free for those who cannot afford it, not higher education, says Dr Max Price
Dr Max Price (left), who was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town (UCT) at the time of the #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall student movements,...
SA universities are consolidating planning towards integrating African Languages in their core functions and in administration
The 3rd Vice-Chancellors' Language Policy Colloquium that takes place from 5-6 December 2023 will sharply focus on implementation practices, monitoring and evaluation of the Language...
Inaugural SASS programme is an overwhelming success, with applications set to open during December for 2024
When Professor Sibusiso Chalufu (right) first heard about the launch, this year, of the inaugural HELM (Higher Education and Leadership Management) SASS (Student Affairs and Student...
Career advancement for SASS participants
They are the graduating class of 2023 – the 51 participants in the inaugural SASS (Student Affairs Student Success) programme which was conceptualised by a...
A SASS peer learning group examines the effect of NSFAS funding on student experience of higher education
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has been in the headlines recently with its former CEO fired over “breach of trust”, on-going reports of...
USAf’s Teaching and Learning of Mathematics Community of Practice learns of an innovative use of AI to support learning
An artificially intelligent learning, tutoring and assessment programme, ALEKS – combined with the crafting of a student support system using National Benchmark Test (NBT) data...
AI is here to stay and academics need to embrace its use
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay. Academics should embrace the excitement around it and explore its potential and many possibilities while incorporating it into...
The USAf Board Directors welcomes the decisions of the NSFAS Board pertaining to findings of an investigation into the appointment of student allowances direct payment service providers
The Board of Directors of Universities South Africa (USAf) welcomes the decisions of the Board of the National Students Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS): To terminate...
Teachers preferred adapting words from English rather than using coined terms in their first languages — a study revealed
Last week, Universities South Africa (USAf) held a Colloquium on Multilingualism in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics – Enhancing Success but framing mathematics education...
EDF’s further investigation into the Teacher Supply and Demand Study gains support from education stakeholders
In 2019, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) commissioned Stellenbosch University to carry out the Teacher Supply and Demand Study to understand the national landscape in...
During Women’s Month 2021, USAf’s TMF and HERS-SA examine burning gender issues within Higher Education
August 2021 marks the beginning of a second round of a collaboration commemorating Women’s Month, between Universities South Africa’s Transformation Managers’ Forum (TMF) and Higher...