Universities South Africa
3rd HE Conference 2024
“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...
Transforming entrepreneurship education; Elona Ndlovu’s perspective
During Day 2 of the 3rd Higher Education Conference by Universities South Africa, Ms Elona Ndlovu, a Chartered Coach and Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at the...
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...
South Africans can access billions of Euros’ worth of research grants via the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation
Universities South Africa’s (USAf’s) 3rd Higher Education Conference in October 2024 revealed that the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) has a host of...
Impactful research case studies must demonstrate societal changes already achieved, not hoped-for
In May 2024, Universities South Africa (USAf) initiated a groundbreaking project to showcase how the 26 public universities it represents are making an impact on...
Funding research for impact can transform lives, says NRF executive director
Funding research is not only about handing out money. It is an investment that can extend far beyond the actual qualification it might provide for....
The SA universities’ SDGs study provokes animated response from conference delegates
The release of the South African Universities – Mapping the Sustainable Development Goals report generated a multitude of responses at USAf’s 3rd Higher Education Conference...
SA universities’ contribution to Sustainable Development Goals unveiled at the HE Conference 2024
During 2023, Universities South Africa (USAf) commissioned a study to map the contributions of the country’s 26 public universities to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)....
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...
Challenging established rules is the way forward for teaching and learning at universities
A university is a space for challenging established ideas and engaging in open-ended inquiry, where students and faculty alike are encouraged to question, reflect, and...
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...
Five crucial lessons learnt from the last 30 years in higher education
A dark dystopian future awaits our children and grandchildren, said Professor Adam Habib, Director: School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS) of the University of...
How universities can make globalisation achieve better results and longevity — Adam Habib’s perspective
The incentive structure on research subsidies and the ranking systems have pushed South African universities to try and be like each other. This undermines 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...
University councils need an overhaul if they are to perform their fiduciary functions effectively
“I am concerned that governance challenges continue to plague some universities, and there is a need for both a code of good governance practices and...
Universities South Africa’s 3rd Higher Education Conference starts in Pretoria today
South Africa’s universities converge in Pretoria this week for the 3rd Higher Education Conference starting at the International Convention Centre of the Council for Scientific and...
A feisty political scholar and analyst is set to address Universities SA’s Higher Education Conference in 2024
He is an accomplished scholar and former Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the Witwatersrand – a term he held for seven and a...
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....
Universities South Africa’s third higher education conference is set to be a deliberations powerhouse
The third biennial higher education conference of Universities South Africa (USAf) promises to be a deliberations powerhouse, judging from the range of speakers confirmed to...