Universities South Africa
Strategy Groups’ News
WiL alumni gathering in 2025: sustaining the momentum
A significant gathering of the Higher Education Leadership and Management’s (HELM’s) Women in Leadership (WiL) alumni is set for early 2025, and is envisioned as...
Growing a movement: Women in Leadership (WiL)
The final session of the 2024 Women in Leadership (WiL) programme on 1 November 2024 began with a seemingly simple but profoundly symbolic activity: a...
“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...
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...
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...
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...
Public universities are invited to showcase their positive impact on the South African society
Universities South Africa (USAf) recently invited universities to submit case studies illustrating the positive outcomes of their research and academic work in society. This initiative...
Academic mobility is about a lot more than students travelling between countries
Professor Loyiso Nongxa started his presentation at Universities South Africa’s (USAf’s) Research and Innovation Dialogue by declaring he was a dinosaur. He used to work at...
SA needs a serious rethink of postgraduate study if it is to address the declining uptake – especially in local students
Fewer and fewer South Africans are undertaking postgraduate studies. A national review of South African doctoral qualifications between 2020 and 2021 revealed that 56.7% of...
Student mobility was a hot topic at USAf’s Research and Innovation Dialogue
Universities South Africa’s (USAf’s) 7th Biennial Research and Innovation Dialogue lived up to its name of being a dialogue, a conversation, when a discussion in...
Universities are key actors in creating vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystems for sustainable prosperity and development
The university can be an excellent player in ecosystem development, enabling an environment in which entrepreneurship contributes to achieving sustainable development and societal changes. So...
What happens in neighbouring Thohoyandou is our business, says UNIVEN’s Professor Vhonani Netshandama
At the recent Universities South Africa’s (USAf) 7th Biennial Research and Innovation (R&I) Dialogue 2023, held on 21 and 22 September in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal, delegates...
Early findings show internationalisation is seen as part of SA universities’ core missions
Internationalisation is well embedded in the context of the core missions of South African universities, including research, teaching & learning and engagement. This emerged from...
Unpacking what went into the rapid trajectory of a successful Canadian university
The successful ecosystem-enabling experiences that drive social innovation and entrepreneurship at a Canadian university were shared with South African institutions and stakeholders at the 7th...
A clear vision and involved leadership; a recipe for achieving entrepreneurship and innovation goals
With only a decade in existence, the University of Mpumalanga (UMP) has an ambitious vision of becoming “an African university, leading in creating opportunities for...
Societally impactful research is already taking place in South Africa; institutions must locate the evidence and be more intentional about this approach
How can universities create impact with their research? Just start monitoring it, was the overriding message at a discussion on this topic at the 7th...
Africa, wake up and see your wealth creation and development potential – a visiting Ghanaian professor advises
Evidence of research and innovation generating jobs, sustaining wealth, and transforming societies for the better exists in so much abundance, globally, that Africa has no...
UCT’s Dr Linda Mtwisha calls for a national research impact assessment system
Dr Linda Mtwisha, the executive director of research at the University of Cape Town (UCT), said that it’s imperative to develop a national research impact...
Assessing the impact of university research is not complicated; it carries benefits for both the university and society, says Professor Chris Brink
Professor Chris Brink, who has been focusing on the societal impact of higher education research for about 10 years in both in the United Kingdom...
The HSRC’s Impact Centre is giving effect to the Council’s promise of “social science that makes a difference”
Creating impactful research in the knowledge system does not happen magically. Somebody needs to be driving it, says Professor Heidi van Rooyen, Group Executive: Impact...
USAf’s Transformation Dialogue seeks to shift higher education from a compliance-driven to an innovation and inclusivity-driven transformation process
Is there real transformative activity taking place in higher education, or has this been a box-ticking exercise? This question spurred Universities South Africa’s (USAf) Transformation...
Universities SA’s World of Work Strategy Group commits to an ambitious multi-year programme of action
Significant stakeholder engagements in the first half of 2023 sparked numerous project considerations in Universities South Africa’s World of Work Strategy Group (WSG) if the...
Unsettling paradigms; the quest for inclusive and democratised knowledge
From a scholarly project commenced in 2017, four academics had come together to share insights emerging from on-going research projects investigating what to change, how...
Unsettling paradigms; the quest for inclusive and democratised knowledge
She revolutionised the teaching of Instrumental Music Studies at Rhodes University by substituting western musical instruments for indigenous African performance practice. In just three years,...
Emerging researchers/silent majority study findings
The 2017 study on emerging researchers and the silent majority (the large number of early career academics at lecturer and senior lecturer level who are not...
Highlights from the Research & Innovation Dialogue 2018, 31 May – 1 June
The 6th Research and Innovation Dialogue of Universities South Africa (USAf), held at the Emperors’ Palace from 31 May to 1 June, attracted up to 80...
Research and Innovation Dialogue 2018
The 6th Research and Innovation Dialogue of Universities South Africa (USAf), held at the Emperors’ Palace from 31 May to 1 June, turned out to be...
The Research and Innovation Strategy Group (RISG)
The Rural Campuses Connectivity Project (RCCP) The RISG would continue to oversee the RCCP, whose objective it is to provide access circuits to connect rurally-based university...
Reconstituting institutional culture by focusing on the design of the universities around our students and around their more intensive engagement with their local and regional contexts:
There is a growing view that the TSG ought to be more engaged in the project of helping the sector to give effect to institutional...
Transformation Strategy Group
Implementation in 2018 of the transformation barometer in public universities: the Transformation Barometer is essentially a self-monitoring and reporting tool that enables institutions to set...
Study on Emerging Researchers:
There is deep concern about the fact that many young scholars who have graduated with doctorates are not developing into NRF-rated researchers. There is a strong...
Research and Innovation Strategy Group
National Site Licence for Journals: One of USAf’s signature projects in 2018 will be the move towards a national site licence for journals. First calculations indicate...
Curriculum transformation:
At its first meeting of the year in 2016, the TLSG identified curriculum transformation as a strategic issue for discussion. Under the theme: “Curriculum transformation in...
Teaching and learning technologies:
It was reported at the TLSG meeting on 30 May 2017 that there is a significant move by publishers towards the development of custom digital publications,...
Teaching and Learning Strategy Group
Enhancing the student experience at public universities: Following an indication by the TLSG, that enhancing students’ learning experiences was not receiving adequate attention through the Quality...
Projects of Strategy Groups
Funding Strategy Group The study to determine the appropriate level of funding of South Africa’s higher education sector: This study will take into account what...
Study to determine the Impact of Universities on Local and National Economies:
The concept paper in this regard was prepared during late 2016 and the project was duly scoped. The Office of the USAf CEO is making all...
Introduction
The biennial Research & Innovation conference was conceptualised by USAf’s Research and Innovation Strategy Group (RISG) in 2010. The initial event, held from 11-12 March 2010, was themed ‘Strengthening...
Black Researchers constitute only a third of DST development candidates
Speaking to the topic of Transformation and Human Capital Development in Universities, the Chief Director: Human Capital and Science Promotion in the Department of Science and...
Research & Innovation is central to performance on Sustainable Development Goals
The two-day Research & Innovation Conference on 7 and 8 April 2016 established that research and innovation is a key determinant in performance on the UN’s...
2016 USAf Research & Innovation Dialogue Report
USAf hosted the 4th Biennial Research and Innovation Dialogue with the theme ‘Levering Research and Innovation for South Africa’s Prosperity’. The Dialogue assisted to put...
2012 HESA Research & Innovation Conference Report
The global demand for greater social accountability, responsiveness and relevance on the part of higher education manifests as an emphasis on universities’ contribution to the...
2010_HESA_Research & Innovation Conference Report
It is in this consideration that Higher Education South Africa (HESA) hosted the Research and Innovation Conference on 11-12 March 2010, at the CSIR International...