The 3rd USAf Higher Education Conference:
The Future of the University
Message from the USAf Chief Executive Officer
Dr Phethiwe Matutu
The 3rd Higher Education Conference of Universities South Africa (USAf), held from 9 to 11 October 2024 at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria, was a resounding success.
Assessing this premier event by the calibre of delegates it attracted, the profound insights shared, and the depth of engagement throughout the three days, I am proud to affirm that the conference not only met its objectives, but exceeded them.
Anchored by the theme The Future of the University, the event successfully attracted a diverse and distinguished mix of university executives, academic and administrative leaders (both local and global), industry leaders, and government representatives. It also delivered on its promise to provide a critical platform for in-depth discussions on the future of the higher education sector.
Building on the successes of the 2019 and 2021 editions, the 2024 conference adeptly explored how universities can navigate global crises, embrace technological advancements, and adapt to societal shifts.
I witnessed immense goodwill throughout the event. The appreciation for South Africa’s higher education system and the esteem in which USAf is held were truly remarkable. My sincere gratitude goes to the USAf Board of Directors, particularly the Chairpersons of strategy groups, who played an instrumental role in shaping the conference agenda. I also commend the Council on Higher Education (CHE) for collaborating with USAf on the plenary session, Insights into the Future: Learning and Teaching Scenarios in 2036.
We must also acknowledge the senior researchers, academics, registrars, human resources practitioners, and finance executives who attended and contributed to the rich exchange of ideas. Furthermore, we recognise the international guests from universities in Canada, the United States, Europe, and across Africa, some of whom participated remotely while others joined us in person to share valuable insights into the future of higher education.
Equal recognition is due to our local speakers representing our partner organisations, the National Research Foundation, the Office of the Auditor-General, private sector organisations, NGOs, non-profits, foundations, and philanthropic entities.
In conclusion, I commend the Organising Committee and the USAf staff for their exceptional professional execution and for providing seamless support to delegates throughout the conference.
The conference concluded successfully, with strategy groups reflecting on the outcomes and considering the next steps. May we maintain this momentum as we continue to guide our sector toward a sustainable future.
We will reconvene in 2026 to assess our progress.
Day 1: Wednesday 9 October 2024 |
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| 08:30 – 09:00 | ARRIVAL AND REGISTRATION Tea and coffee on arrival Venue: Foyer |
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| WELCOME AND OFFICIAL CONFERENCE OPENING Chair: Dr Phethiwe Matutu (Chief Executive Officer, Universities South Africa) Venue: Diamond |
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| 09:00 – 09:15 | Welcome and Official Conference Opening Chair: Dr Phethiwe Matutu (Chief Executive Officer, Universities South Africa) Venue: DIAMOND |
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| 09:15 – 09:20 | Dr Phethiwe Matutu Introduces the Minister | |
| 09:20 – 09:50 | OPENING KEYNOTE ADDRESS Minister Nobuhle Nkabane, MP (Minister of Higher Education and Training) |
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| 09:50 – 10:00 | Body Break | |
| PLENARY SESSION 1: SESSION CHAIR: Professor Rushiella Nolundi Songca (Deputy Chair, USAf Board, Vice-Chancellor & Principal, Walter Sisulu University) Venue: Diamond |
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| 10:00 – 12:30 | CONTESTED FUTURES | |
| 10:00 – 10:05 | SESSION INTRODUCTION | |
| 10:05 – 10:35 | Three Decades of Democracy: Reflecting on Higher Education Achievements & Challenges SPEAKER: Professor Adam Habib (Director: School of African and Oriental Studies, University of London) |
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| 10:35 – 10:50 | Discussion | |
| 10:50 – 11:05 | TEA | |
| PLENARY SESSION 2: SESSION CHAIR: Professor Rushiella Nolundi Songca (Deputy Chair, USAf Board, Vice-Chancellor & Principal, Walter Sisulu University) Venue: Diamond |
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| 11:05 – 11:10 | SESSION INTRODUCTION UNESCO Chairs Presentations |
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| 11:05 – 11:10 | SPEAKER 1: Professor Ruksana Osman (University of the Witwatersrand, UNESCO Chair in Teaching and Learning) SPEAKER 2: Prof Tel Amiel (UNESCO Chair in Open Education and Technologies for the Common Good, University of Brasilia) |
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| 12:00-12:10 | Discussion | |
| PLENARY SESSION 3: SESSION CHAIR: Professor Rushiella Nolundi Songca (Deputy Chair, USAf Board, Vice-Chancellor & Principal, Walter Sisulu University) Venue: Diamond |
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| 12:10 – 12:50 | TECHNOLOGY AND HUMAN INTERFACE IN THE FUTURE UNIVERSITY | |
| 12:10 – 12:40 | SPEAKER: Professor Ulrich Paquet (The Director of the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) South Africa) | |
| 12:40 -12:50 | Discussion | |
| 12:50 – 13:10 | PHOTO SESSION – Front steps of CSIR | |
| 13:10 – 14:00 | LUNCH Venue: The Deck |
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| 14:00 – 15:30 | STRATEGY GROUPS – PARALLEL SESSIONS 1A-C | |
TEACHING AND LEARNING IN THE FUTURE UNIVERSITY1A. TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGY GROUP (TLSG) |
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| 14:00 – 14:05 | SESSION INTRODUCTION | |
| 14:05 – 14:25 | SPEAKER 1: Dr Mandy Hlengwa (Senior Lecturer: Education and Coordinator: New Generation of Academics Programme, Rhodes University) | |
| 14:25 – 14:45 | SPEAKER 2: Dr Helen Beetham (Researcher & Educationist Consultant, United Kingdom) (online) | |
| 14:40 – 15:05 | SPEAKER 3: Dr Albert Luswata (Lecturer Ethics, Uganda Martyrs University) | |
| 15:00 – 15:30 | Discussion | |
THE FUTURE OF TRANSFORMATION IN SOUTH AFRICAN HIGHER EDUCATION:
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| 14:00 – 14:05 | SESSION INTRODUCTION | |
| 14:05 – 14:25 | SPEAKER 1: Professor Lis Lange (Special Advisor to Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Teaching, Stellenbosch University) (online) | |
| 14:30 – 15:00 | SPEAKER 2: Professor Nomalanga Mkhize (Associate Professor: Sociology and Anthropology, Nelson Mandela University) | |
| 15:00 – 15:30 | Discussion | |
FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS1C. FUNDING STRATEGY GROUP (FSG) |
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| 14:00 – 14:05 | SESSION INTRODUCTION | |
| 14:05 – 14:35 | SPEAKER 1: Professor Stan du Plessis (Economics Professor: Stellenbosch University) | |
| 14:35 – 15:05 | SPEAKER 2: Dr Kirston Greenop (Head, Corporate Citizenship, Standard Bank South Africa) | |
| 15:05 – 15:30 | Discussion | |
| 15:30 – 16:00 | TEA | |
| PLENARY SESSION 4: SESSION CHAIR:Professor Bismark Tyobeka (Chair of the FSG, Vice-Chancellor & Principal, North-West University) Venue:Diamond |
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| 16:00 – 17:00 | HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDING AND FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY INTO THE FUTURE, INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES |
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| 16:00 – 16:05 | SESSION INTRODUCTION | |
| 16:05 – 16:25 | SPEAKERS: Dr Dajana Dzanovic (Head of Global Research and Innovation Policy, UUKi) (Online) and Dr Harry Anderson (Deputy Director, Policy & Global Engagement, UUKi) (Online) |
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| 16:25 – 16:45 | SPEAKER: Dr Thamsanqa Zikode (Head of Portfolio: Regularity Audit representing the Auditor General) | |
| 16:45 – 17:00 | Discussion | |
| 18:00 – 19:30 | USAf CHAIRPERSON’S COCKTAIL RECEPTION & NETWORKING EVENT • Welcome and remarks (Prof Francis Petersen, Chair of the USAf Board) • Music Venue:The Deck |
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Please note: Speaker presentations have been hyperlinked to their names in the programme.
Day 2: Thursday 10 October 2024 |
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| PLENARY SESSION 5: SESSION CHAIR: Professor Sizwe Mabizela (Chair of the USAf Admissions Committee and Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Rhodes University) Venue: Diamond |
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| 09:00 – 11:00 | THE UNIVERSITY, ITS FUTURE AND ACADEMIC FREEDOM – A GLOBAL CONVERSATION | |
| 09:00 – 09:10 | SESSION INTRODUCTION | |
| 09:10 – 09:40 | SPEAKER 1: Dr Naledi Pandor (Politician and former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation) | |
| 09:40 – 10:10 | SPEAKER 2: Ms Anne-Marie Scott (Independent Scholar and Higher Education Strategist, Scotland) (online) | |
| 10:10 – 10:30 | SPEAKER 3: Professor Tshilidzi Marwala (Rector of the United Nations University, Japan) (pre-recorded video) | |
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Discussion | |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | TEA | |
| 11:30 – 13:00 | STRATEGY GROUPS – PARALLEL SESSIONS 2A-C | |
ENTREPRENEURIAL WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING AND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF UNIVERSITIES2A. WORLD OF WORK STRATEGY GROUP (WSG) SESSION |
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| 11:30 – 11:35 | SESSION INTRODUCTION |
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| 11:30 – 12:05 | Entrepreneurial work-integrated learning and the responsibility of universities in nurturing student entrepreneurs SPEAKER: Dr Olebogeng Selebi (Deputy Director, Centre for the Future of Work (CFoW) at the University of Pretoria) |
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| 12:05 – 12:35 | The Entrepreneurial University and formalising relationships with 6 external partners SPEAKER: Dr McEdward Murimbika (University of the Witwatersrand Business School) |
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| 12:35 – 13:00 | Graduate needs and the needs of Employers: How can universities shape the/for the future SPEAKER: Mr Ronen Aires (CEO of Student Village) Discussion |
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RESEARCH AND INNOVATION STRATEGY IN RELATION TO DECLINING RESOURCES2B. RESEARCH AND INNOVATION STRATEGY GROUP (RISG) SESSION |
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| 11:30 – 11:35 | SESSION INTRODUCTION | |
| 11:35 – 11:55 | SPEAKER 1: Professor Lynn Morris (Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation, University of the Witwatersrand) | |
| 11:55 – 12:15 | SPEAKER 2: Dr Carol Nonkwelo (Senior Director: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Education, University of Pretoria) | |
| 12:15 – 12:35 | SPEAKER 3: Dr Vathiswa Papu-Zamxaka (Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Innovation & Engagement, Tshwane University of Technology) | |
| 12:35 -13:00 | Discussion | |
TOWARDS AN INNOVATIVE INSTITUTIONAL STRATEGY, APPROPRIATE RESOURCE AND DYNAMIC
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| 11:30 – 11:35 | SESSION INTRODUCTION | |
| 11:35 – 12:15 | KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Dr Maria Toshkova (Director: Global Partnerships, University Design Institute, University of Arizona, USA) (online) | |
| 12:15 – 12:30 | RESPONDENT 1: Professor Mala Singh (ED People and Culture, North-West University) | |
| 12:30 – 12:45 | RESPONDENT 2: Dr Linda Meyer (Managing Director, Rosebank College, SA) | |
| 12:45 – 13:00 | Discussion | |
| 13:00 – 14:00 | LUNCH | |
| 14:00 – 15:30 | PARALLEL SESSIONS 3A-C | |
| 3A. PARALLEL SESSION: SESSION CHAIR: Professor Vivienne Lawack (Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic, of the University of the Western Cape) Venue: Emerald |
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| 14:00 – 14:05 | SESSION INTRODUCTION | |
| 14:05 – 14:25 | SPEAKER 1: Professor Simon Gifford (CEO of Mashauri Ltd) (online) |
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| 14:25 – 14:50 | SPEAKER 2: Professor Heather Nel (Senior Director: Institutional Strategy, Nelson Mandela University) | |
| 14:50 – 15:15 | SPEAKER 3: Dr Sianne Alves (Director: Office of Inclusivity and Change, University of Cape Town) | |
| 15:15 – 15:30 | Discussion | |
| 3B. PARALLEL SESSION: SESSION CHAIR: Professor Colin Thakur (Director of the NEMISA KZN e-Skills CoLab at the Durban University of Technology) Venue: Ruby |
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| 14:00 – 15:30 | ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SUSTAINABILITY | |
| 14:00 – 14:05 | SESSION INTRODUCTION | |
| 14:05 – 14:25 | PANELIST 1: Mr Vuyani Jarana (CEO: Ilitha Telecommunications) | |
| 14:25 – 14:45 | PANELIST 2: Professor Kerrin Myres (Emeritus Professor and Chair of the Entrepreneurship in Africa Research Group, GIBS, University of Pretoria) | |
| 14:45 – 15:05 | PANELIST 3: Ms Elona Ndlovu (Chartered Coach: Centre for Entrepreneurship, Tshwane University of Technology) | |
| 15:05 – 15:30 | Discussion | |
| 3C. PARALLEL SESSION: SESSION CHAIR: Professor Rachael Jesika Singh (Director: Research, University of the Western Cape) Venue: Diamond |
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| 14:00 – 15:30 | THE UNIVERSITY AS AN IMPACTFUL SOCIETAL RESOURCE | |
| 14:00 – 14:05 | SESSION INTRODUCTION | |
| 14:05 – 14:40 | Mapping South African Universities contributions to achieving the sustainable development goals SPEAKER: Professor Corli Witthuhn (Professor, University of the Free State) RESEARCH TEAM:
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| 14:40 – 14:55 | Discussion | |
| 14:55 – 15:15 | Funding University Research for Impact: Funding opportunities SPEAKER:
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| 15:15 – 15:30 | Open Call for Impact Case Studies (Professor Chris Brink, Emeritus Vice-Chancellor Newcastle University) (Pre-recorded) |
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| 15:30 – 16:00 | AFTERNOON TEA | |
| PLENARY SESSION 6: SESSION CHAIR: Dr Thelma Louw (Head: Sustainability, Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate of the University of South Africa, UNISA) Venue: Diamond |
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| 16:00 – 17:00 | CLIMATE CHANGE, ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND THE FUTURE OF THE UNIVERSITY | |
| 16:25 – 16:45 | SPEAKER 1: Professor Kirsty Carden (Director: Future Water Institute, University of Cape Town)(online) |
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| 16:25 – 16:45 | SPEAKER 2: Bibi Bouwman (Director: Community Engagement, North-West University) | |
| 16:45 – 17:00 | Discussion | |
| 17:45 – 20:15 | USAf CEO’s GALA DINNER Curated Art Exhibition – Tshwane University of Technology (Open from 17:00 in Amber) Live Music Delegates to be seated by 18:00 VENUE: AMBER |
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Please note: Speaker presentations have been hyperlinked to their names in the programme.
Day 3: Friday 11 October 2024 |
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| PLENARY SESSION 7: SESSION CHAIR: Dr Britta Zawa (Director, Institutional Audits, Council on Higher Education) Venue: Diamond |
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| 09:00 – 10:30 | CHE SESSION: INSIGHTS INTO THE FUTURE: LEARNING AND TEACHING SCENARIOS IN 2036 | |
| WELCOME AND SESSION INTRODUCTION: Dr Britta Zawada | ||
| SPEAKER 1: Reconceptualizing learning and teaching post-pandemic: Dr Whitfield Green (CEO: CHE) | ||
| SPEAKER 2: Trends shaping the next 12 years: André Roux (Professor of Future Studies at the Stellenbosch University Business School) | ||
| SPEAKER 3: Learning and teaching scenarios in 2036: Doris Viljoen (Director: Institute for Futures Research, Stellenbosch University) |
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| Discussion | ||
| 10:30 – 11:00 | TEA | |
| PLENARY SESSION 8: SESSION CHAIR: Dr Oliver Seale (CEO: University Leadership Development and Advisory Services) Venue: Diamond |
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| 11:00 – 12:30 | HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT (HELM) SESSION | |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | KEYNOTE: Professor Ihron Rensburg (Leadership coach and mentor, and Programme Associate: USAf’s Higher Education Leadership and Management (HELM) programme) (online) |
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| 11:30 – 11:45 | RESPONDENT 1: Professor Garth Stevens (Deputy Vice-Chancellor: People Development and Culture, University of the Witwatersrand) |
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| 11:45 – 12:00 | RESPONDENT 2: Dr Jane Usher (Programme Co-ordinator MBA, Boston City Campus) | |
| 12:00 – 12:30 | Discussion | |
| PLENARY SESSION 9: SESSION CHAIR: Professor Nokuthula Sibiya (Vice-Chancellor, Mangosuthu University of Technology) Venue: Diamond |
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| 12:30 – 13:30 | REPORTING SESSION FROM CHAIRS OF STRATEGY GROUPS | |
| 12:30 – 12:40 | Chair TLSG (Professor Andrew Crouch, Vice-Chancellor & Principal, Sol Plaatje University) | |
| 12:40 – 12:50 | Chair TSG (Professor Pamela Dube, Vice-Chancellor & Principal, Central University of Technology) | |
| 12:50 – 13:00 | Chair FSG (Professor Bismark Tyobeka, Vice-Chancellor & Principal, North-West University) | |
| 13:00 – 13:10 | Chair WSG (Professor Thandwa Mthembu, Vice-Chancellor & Principal, Durban University of Technology) | |
| 13:10 – 13:20 | Chair RISG (Professor Jesika Singh on behalf of Professor Mayekiso) | |
| 13:20 -13:30 | Chair LMSG (Dr Seale on behalf of Professor Nana Poku) | |
| CONFERENCE CLOSING AND VOTE OF THANKS Professor Rushiella Nolundi Songca |
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| 13:40 – 14:30 | LUNCH | |
| 14:30 | DEPARTURE | |
