31 October 2021
6th Africa Council for Distance Education Conference Ends Successfully
The 6th African Council for Distance Education (ACDE) conference ended successfully with a call to stakeholders within the education space to consider the enormous potential of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in changing the face of pedagogy in Africa. Read more
11 Universities in South Africa Ranked Among the Best in Emerging Economies
Times Higher Education (THE) has published its annual ranking of the top universities in emerging markets for 2022, listing 11 South African universities among them. Read more
Agricultural Universities as Enablers of Entrepreneurship
The Transforming African Agricultural Universities to Meaningfully Contribute to Africa’s Growth and Development (TAGDev) initiative is helping students to translate their research into viable businesses and universities to become enablers of entrepreneurship. Read more
Almost One in Four Female African Entrepreneurs Have Innovated, According to a UNESCO Survey
At least half of the women entrepreneurs held at least a bachelor’s degree in nine of the ten countries studied. These findings contradict a misconception in Africa that women launch their own business for lack of education or other career options. Read more
Community Engagement in the Context of Academic Capitalism
Universities currently negotiate a marked tension between market orientation and addressing community needs. But there is growing concern that, if universities do not work for the benefit of society or in response to community needs, the inequities that plague the current generation will be more readily reproduced in the next. Read more
Constitutional Court Resets the Narrative on Afrikaans
In its long-awaited decision in Chairperson of the Council of UNISA v AfriForum NPC, the South African Constitutional Court recently struck down the policy, adopted by the University of South Africa (UNISA) in 2016, … Read more
Council ‘Has Dismally Failed UNISA’, States Damning Report
In a damning report, the governing council of South Africa’s largest public distance-learning institution, the University of South Africa (UNISA), has been severely criticised for its lack of good governance and failure to safeguard the academic future of the institution. Read more
Countries Take Steps Towards Harmonised TVET Qualifications
Countries in the East African region are to benefit from a harmonised framework for the recognition of qualifications and certification in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions. Read more
COVID-19 Continues to Marginalise Women in Rural Areas
The Covid-19 pandemic has stripped naked the severe marginalisation of women seeking access to educational opportunities in rural Eastern Cape communities, according to a Walter Sisulu University research study. Read more
DA, Student Organisation to Haul Stellenbosch University to Court Over Its Language Policy
The DA accused the university of using Covid-19 as a ploy to do away with Afrikaans, saying it planned to launch court action against the management of the university this week. Read more
Emergency Online Remote Learning’s Unintended Consequences
In 2020, the higher education sector, notoriously known for reacting slowly to change, was forced to ‘pivot’ towards the emergency online remote learning space. Some did it well, others did not. Read more
Edinburgh to Collaborate on Academic, Research and Innovation Projects
Wits University and the University of Edinburgh (Scotland, United Kingdom) have renewed a partnership and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to co-operate on teaching, research and community outreach activities and projects, … Read more
Engaged Universities can Produce Graduates Who Stand for Peace, Social Harmony and Development
Three distinct takes were offered on Universities and Democracy at the recent higher education conference. The first, from Professor Catherine Odora Hoppers, offered a fresh reading of our understanding of democracy. Read more
Engagement is Transformation: The University and Community Engagement
The mutual inter-dependence of transformation and community engagement was the grounding question for this engagement hosted by the Council on Higher education. Covering a range of policy drivers, different interpretations of “communities”, Read more
Focus on Kindness, Positive Citizenship Critical in HE
‘Knowledge curatorialism’ is the process through which contemporary universities shape students’ learning journeys. Read more
Improving the Plight of the Postdoc During COVID and Beyond
Postdoctoral research fellows or postdocs make a valuable contribution to the research outputs of higher education institutions, produce new knowledge using innovative techniques, and generate much-needed research income. Read more
Indigenous Languages at Forefront of New Higher Education Policy…
The New Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education Institutions gazetted in October 2020, is a mere three months away from its implementation. While its imperatives are laudable, an implementation strategy must be set and grey areas need to be cleared. Read more
Internationalisation – A Step Towards Quality Higher Education
African universities have been urged to internationalise their curricula as a first step towards strengthening and marketing African higher education and graduates in a rapidly changing world. Read more
KZN Universities Weigh in on Mandatory Vaccination, Students not Forced but …
Although Western Cape universities are considering mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations for their staff and students, KwaZulu-Natal universities say the move is not being considered for their institutions. Read more
Makerere University to Host Kings of Africa Rugby Sevens
Makerere University will this weekend host the Kings of Africa Rugby Sevens. The tournament will see Universities from Uganda, South Africa, Kenya, Botswana and Libya fight look to book a ticket to the World University Games in Kazan, Russia next year. Read more
Mandatory Vaccinations: Wits University Reveals Plan for Staff and Students
That’s the talk going on in countless countries, businesses, and even places of learning around the globe. In an email sent out to Wits University staff and students, a proposed vaccine plan has been revealed. Read more
Millions for Regional Programme in Oceanography
The Nelson Mandela University in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province has a new programme on ecological connectivity and oceanography in the south-west Indian Ocean that is anchored on linking marine studies in Mozambique, Madagascar, the Seychelles, the Comoros and South Africa. Read more
Nine Universities to Help Build Pan-African Network
The British Council has announced the names of nine South African universities that were awarded grants under the Innovation for Africa project, which is part of its Going Global Partnerships programme. Read more
NWU Among the Best in Engineering Studies
The North-West University (NWU) is one of the top institutions in South Africa in engineering studies. This is according to the latest rankings by subject by Times Higher Education (THE) that list the NWU in the third position (the same as last year) among nine local higher-education institutions in the field of engineering. Read more
Porsches for Professors? Debates About Entrepreneurship Continue
Over the past decade or so, the debate primarily taking place within business schools about whether entrepreneurs are ‘born’ or ‘made’ has been overtaken by the idea that all students across all faculties and at all universities can and should benefit from being exposed to some form of entrepreneurship training. Read more
Restoring a Sense of Pride in University’s Academics
When she was appointed to the role of vice-chancellor at Walter Sisulu University (WSU), in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, in December 2020, Professor Rushiella Songca joined the ranks of the few female-led universities in South Africa. Her mission is to get the previously disadvantaged institution back on track. Read more
SA Universities Scored as World’s Best Computer Science and Engineering Institutions are Named
Times Higher Education today released the results of its World University Rankings 2022 by subject for computer science and engineering. Read more
Several Universities Require COVID-19 Vaccination Passes
Several South African universities are to require a vaccine pass from staff and students from 2022. South Africa’s 26-member vice-chancellors’ body, Universities South Africa (USAf), has emphatically declared that vaccination is a must. Read more
Should Universities Offer Free On-Campus Covid-19 Tests for Students Who Don’t Wish to Get Vaccinated?
The Wits University Student Representative Council (SRC) wants the institution to provide free, on-campus Covid-19 tests for students who do not want to vaccinate against Covid-19. Read more
South African Universities Heading in the Right Direction by Mandating Covid-19 Vaccination
Arguing against mandatory vaccinations using human rights as a point of reference has been largely divisive and disingenuous. Not all arguments hold water. Does our Constitution, read properly, allow anyone as a right to go into a crowded lecture hall or workplace unmasked, unvaccinated, untested amid pandemics? Read more
South Africa’s Universities Must Shed Their Dominant Modern/Colonial Imaginary Character…
South Africa’s universities must shed their dominant character and orientation that is trapped in a modern/colonial imaginary, to truly transform and become more responsive to their contexts, … Read more
Stellenbosch University Wine Researcher Rises Above Many Challenges to Achieve Global Recognition
Cape Town – Stellenbosch University researcher Dr Erna Blancquaert was motivated to embark on in a career in the wine industry “to combat prejudice in the wine industry and academia’’. Read more
Stellies Student’s Hard Work Receives Highest Honour
The hard work and dedication of a young man who aims to improve the lives of those around him has landed him an award. Read more
Tertiary Institutions Should Consider New Approaches of Learning and Teaching
The recommendation comes after a study by researchers from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) found that a vast majority of 672 first-year students questioned in the survey said they only attended between one and four lectures over a three-week period. Read more
The Entrepreneurial University is an ‘Emergent Space’
Universities are the sites where smart people converge and where innovation thrives. From this, universities are fertile ground for instilling entrepreneurship skills in every student and graduate to contribute to economic development. Read more
The University as an Incubator Versus the University with an Incubator
Higher education institutions need to evolve from merely being places of teaching, learning and research to drivers of innovation and entrepreneurship. With nearly nine million South Africans currently unemployed and 73 percent of these being below the age of 35, the need to drive entrepreneurship is more urgent than ever. Read more
Towards the Intellectualisation of African Languages
If intellectual giants in history – legendary names such as Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Karl Marx and many others – had been instructed in isiZulu to the exclusion of their mother tongue, would they have attained the intellectual milestones for which they are now renowned around the globe? Read more
UCT Student Turns Urine into Fertiliser
It’s been described as the “liquid gold” of wastewater. Every day, millions of litres of urine are flushed away but it is a valuable waste stream, according to environmental engineer Hlumelo Marepula. Read more
UFS Wants All Staff and Students to be Vaccinated by Feb 2022 to Gain Access to Campus
The University of the Free State (UFS) wants all its staff and students to be vaccinated and be able to provide vaccination certificates from the first of February 2022. Read more
UKZN Student Entrepreneur’s Novelty Crayons a Winner
A UKZN student entrepreneur has made it to the finals of the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) national challenge. Read more
UKZN Students Protest Over the State of Kingswood Residence in Pinetown
Approximately 100 University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) students living at a leased residence in Pinetown protested outside the Kingswood residence yesterday morning. Read more
Universities Can Use Their Influence to Fight Inequality
Universities are the single most influential institutions in societies all over the world. They are centres of ideas, discoveries, technological development and culture and engines of local, national and global economics. Read more
Universities Must Make Learning African Languages a Condition for Completing a degree
Is there anything that you can call African multilingualism? The idea of your identity, the nature of who you are when you are at university and what the university does in shaping human language, is the critical part of who we become. Read more
Universities Must Rethink How They Do Research to Imagine a Better Trajectory for the Future
Professor Laura Pereira did not exaggerate when she said she would be a giving a presentation from “a slightly different angle”. Billed as one of the international plenary speakers at Universities South Africa (USAf’s)…Read more
Universities Need to Re-Think Their Use of Resources and Modes of Engagement…
South Africa is standing at a crossroads, facing an unprecedented set of challenges where ‘business as usual’ will not work; where universities must find new ways to do things differently – especially in the context of the pandemic, a crisis that presents serious challenges and new opportunities. Read more
UP Co-Hosts Lekgotla on Challenges and Gains of Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education
The University of Pretoria (UP), Universities South Africa (USAf) and other stakeholders recently sat down with the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) programme to discuss the challenges of business and start-up development in higher education, … Read more
UWC’s Water Project to be Presented at Berlin Science Week in November
A University of the Western Cape (UWC) academic and her team working on a Water Research Commission (WRC) project has been shortlisted for a prestigious international award. Read more
Why Students Don’t Attend Lectures
The main reason students gave for not attending classes was that they were busy studying for tests or completing assignments. Some students relied on PowerPoint slides (instead of using prescribed textbooks) to study, and some spent a lot of time travelling to campus because they used two or even three transport modes to get there. Read more
Working from Home Makes Women’s Academic Guilt Worse
Academic guilt is well-established in literature on the work of women scholars who are simultaneously mothers and lecturers, homemakers and researchers, nurturers and administrators. Read more
WSU’S Indigenous Knowledge at the Center of COFIMVAMBA Science Exhibition
As Walter Sisulu University rebrands as an African university, a team of researchers from the Anthropology Department and Chemistry Department recently unveiled an Indigenous Knowledge Systems exhibition stand at the Cofimvaba Science Centre. Read more
30 September 2021
11 New Subjects Planned for Colleges and Universities in South Africa
The Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT SETA) has developed 11 new qualifications aimed at addressing the shortage of skilled labour in South Africa’s IT sector. Read more
AAU and UNISA Discuss on Areas of Common Interest for Collaboration
Addis Ababa University (AAU) and University of South Africa (UNISA) hold discussion on areas where they have common interest to collaboration in their future at the Office of the President of AAU… Read more
Academic Raises Funds from the Street to Help Needy Students
In 2015, the University of Mpumalanga public administration senior lecturer and programme leader for bachelor of administration founded Thusangwanageno, a non-profit organisation raising tertiary education funds for needy students. Read more
Appointing Women in ‘Significant Positions’ Matters
South Africa’s 2019 Post-School Education Statistics showed there were 727 more men than women employed in the instruction and research category in South Africa’s higher education institutions compared with 5,758 more females employed in administrative categories within the higher education sector. Read more
Book on Decolonisation Reflects on Difference, Oppression
The end of the colonial and apartheid regimes in South Africa and other African countries might have been a big step towards the liberation from slavery and other forms of human oppression,… Read more
Covid-19: How Africa’s Top Scientists Have Tracked Emerging Variants, Ensuring We’re Not Left Behind
Africa has stepped up its surveillance of emerging variants of the Covid-19 virus, and a detailed paper shows how the work of hundreds of scientists and public health officials from the continent is ensuring that Africa does not get left behind in the global response to the pandemic. Read more
Defining Micro-Credentials: Opportunities and Challenges in Shaping the Educational Landscape
Professor Oliver’s presentation was followed by a live discussion amongst a panel of experts representing organizations from Canada, Germany, South Africa, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The experts’ insights and viewpoints drew on their own experiences with micro-credentials in their countries or institutions. Read more
Dream of Authentic SA Universities Yet to be Realised
South Africa has failed to produce a higher education system that meets its fundamental social and developmental needs in the democratic era, according to a new book, Understanding Higher Education: … Read more
DUT Management Snub Protest Held by Ex-Lecturers and Unions
Union officials and retrenched Durban University of Technology (DUT) lecturers were left fuming when the institution snubbed their picket on Friday. Read more
DUT Offers Career Guidance to High School Learners
Grade 10 learner, Zamandosi Ngema said she enjoyed the interactive sessions and expressed her interest in what DUT offers and the process on how to apply for such programmes. Read more
ECRLF Helping to Co-create the Future of African Academic Leadership
Makerere University in partnership with University of Pretoria on 14th September 2021 hosted the Future Africa’s Early Career Research Leader Fellowship (ECRLF) Dissemination Workshop in the Central Teaching Facility 2 (CTF 2) Auditorium and virtually. Read more
Extract of Press News on Higher Education in Africa
Student entrepreneurs tend to be obsessed with writing business plans, how to access money, register their company, set up a bank account, and with buzzwords such as “business modelling”. Read more
Full Impact of COVID-19 on Education May Only be Evident in 10 Years’ Time…
Socio-economic researcher at Stellenbosch University and analyst at the Department of Basic Education, Professor Martin Gustafsson says COVID-19 has drastically affected the teaching and learning process for 2020, however, its full impact may only be evident in 10 years from now. Read more
HERA Telescope to Unravel Epoch of Reionisation Mysteries
The Hydrogen Epoch of Reionisation Array (HERA), a US$25 million radio telescope in South Africa dedicated to observing large-scale structures during and prior to the period of reionisation, has opened research opportunities weeks ahead of its completion. Read more
Higher Education, Science and Innovation Fulfills Its Role in Post-COVID Economy
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Technology, Ms Nompendulo Mkhatshwa says Covid-19 has raised the importance of investing in science, technology, research and innovation. Read more
Hip Hop was My First Academic Qualification
In 1994, I started grade 8, my first year of secondary education, when less than 10% of the school population was black. It was a great time in a new world. Democracy was on the horizon and, as South Africans, we were in a fishbowl being studied. Read more
HyperionDev Joins Forces with Unisa to Boost Tech Skills
Pioneering Riaz Moola, South Africa’s inspirational founder of coding boot camps which have gone global, is about to get another feather in his cap – his skills innovation efforts at bridging the gap between higher education and technology have led to an exciting partnership with Africa’s largest distance-learning institution. Read more
Institutions in SA, Egypt, Kenya Ranked for Graduate Skills
Two South African universities have been placed in the top 200 institutions in the world for their work towards the production of graduates with the skills and knowledge required for the modern workplace. Read more
Journalism Schools Should Teach Peace Modules
The Sunday Mail Online Reporter Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa has urged institutions of higher learning to consider adopting peace studies as a module taught to journalism students. Read more
MBA Rankings: Schools in Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa on List
Five African business schools are among 286 institutions globally that offer the world’s best Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree programmes, according to QS Quacquarelli Symonds, a major ranking provider of analytics and other insights on the higher education sector worldwide. Read more
Medical Student Uses Rap, Hip Hop, to Fight COVID-19
A fifth-year medical student from the University of Pretoria (UP) in South Africa and the dean of the faculty of health sciences have come up with a novel science communication strategy to promote COVID-19 vaccinations and dispel myths about the jab. Read more
Mentorship is a Powerful Tool to Open up STEM to Women
Martin Canaan Mafunda is a PhD researcher in the physics department at South Africa’s University of KwaZulu-Natal, working in the field of machine learning. Read more
New Test to Diagnose Vaginal Inflammation Could Help Reduce Risk of HIV Infection
A team of researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT) have found a new way to test for asymptomatic vaginal infections in women in resource-poor settings. Read more
New Variants: Africa Needs to Strengthen its COVID Response
Genomic surveillance of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic by public health officials and scientists across Africa has shown that it was introduced to the continent predominantly from Europe. Read more
NWU Keeps Business Community Up to Date
As South Africans brace for a likely fourth wave of Covid-19 around November, the North-West University (NWU) is keeping the channels of communication open in a sea of confusion. Read more
Postdoctoral Fellowships: The Power of Peer Teaching
The postdoctoral fellowship can be a wonderful way to kick-start an academic career. Read more
Postgraduate Training: The Art of Study Supervision
For an academic to supervise a postgraduate student’s research toward a masters or doctoral degree is a complex and demanding responsibility. Read more
President of the Association of African Universities Participates in the Inauguration and Investiture of UNISA’s First Female Vice Chancellor
The President of the Association of African Universities (AAU), Professor Bakri Osman Saeed received a kind invitation from Professor Puleng LenkaBula, the new Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of South Africa (UNISA), to participate in her inauguration ceremony. Read more
Rankings: African Universities Have Made Progress Since 2018
African universities at last may be shaking off the longstanding unenviable characterisation of not measuring up to their counterparts in other parts of the world when it comes to providing high-quality teaching, research output, knowledge transfer and international outlook, … Read more
Reflections on Engaged, More Responsive Universities
For far too long, two core missions of universities, of teaching and research, have enjoyed superior importance over the third mission of community engagement. Read more
Researchers in Africa Unite to Tackle Challenges (Africa)
Africa’s researchers from the humanities and natural sciences have resolved to combine efforts and implement solutions unearthed from their findings to tackle major challenges that plague the continent. Read more
SA’s Quantum Technology Initiative, Led by Wits University, to Side-Step Competitors
The South African Quantum Technology Initiative (SA QuTI), headed by the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), does not intend to directly take on the major international quantum technologies competitor countries. Read more
SA Universities Weigh Mandatory Jabs for Staff and Students
As the debate about mandatory vaccination policies intensifies, some of SA’s leading universities are mulling making it compulsory for staff and students to get jabs against Covid-19 to ensure the academic programme is not disrupted. Read more
South African Schools are Falling Behind in Math and Science
The Department of Basic Education plans to boost its maths and science capabilities after schools fell further behind in these subjects due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Read more
Stellenbosch University and Imperial Collaborate on Real-World Healthcare and Climate Change Challenges
Stellenbosch University (SU) has embarked on a high-level collaboration with JSE-listed Imperial Logistics (Imperial) to address real-world problems related to healthcare, as well as climate change in Africa. Read more
Targeted, Proactive Efforts Needed to Strengthen Physics
The need for a proactive effort to improve the teaching and researching of physics in Sub-Saharan Africa as a foundation for critically important scientific work has been highlighted in a new report from the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and the UK-based Institute of Physics (IOP). Read more
The Covid-19 Pandemic and its Strain on Women
Not only has the Covid-19 pandemic put significant strain on the global economy and public health systems, but it also contributed to greater inequality and discrimination against women. Read more
Turnover is High in South Africa’s Higher Education Sector: What Could Turn the Tide
“Why are my employees leaving my organisation?”. “What can I do to make my valuable employees stay at my organisation?”. “What makes employees stay in their employment?”. Read more
UCT Historian Unearths the Influence of the Ottoman Empire on Present Day Cape Malay Culture
Historian and postdoctoral research fellow in African Studies at UCT, Halim Gençoğlu who made headline for uncovering UCT’s first black medical doctor, is again in the limelight, for unpacking the influence and legacy of the Ottoman Empire and its influence on present day Cape Malay culture. Read more
UCT Still Highest Ranked in Africa Despite Covid-19
University of Cape Town (UCT) vice-chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng is pleased with the institution’s latest Times Higher Education (THE) ranking, which sees it retain its top spot in Africa and come 183rd out of the more than 16 000 international institutions ranked. Read more
UCT Under Fire for ‘Hurtful’ Seminar on LGBTQA+ Individuals
The Gender Diversity Coalition has called for the University Of Cape Town (UCT) to act swiftly, alleging that the university’s recent seminar on science and LGBTQA+ was hurtful to the transgender and intersex community, who are vilified daily by some medics. Read more
UCT Vice-Chancellor Apologises to LGBTQIA+ Community
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town (UCT) Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng apologised to the LGBTQIA+ community for a seminar she co-hosted on Sunday, September 4. Read more
UFS Scientists Involved in Revolutionary Protein Structure Prediction
The team of researchers recently contributed to an influential paper describing new methods in protein structure prediction using machine learning. The paper was published in the prestigious scientific journal, Science. Read more
Universities Called Upon to Lead Political Engagement
African universities have been called upon to be engaged in political and social activism and take leading roles towards improving the human condition on the continent by exposing inherent dangers of inequalities, exclusion, oppression, racism and other forms of coloniality in society. Read more
Universities Mull Mandatory Vaccination Policies
Some university students and staff could be compelled to vaccinate against Covid-19 before they are able to return to in-person classes. Read more
UWC Partners with WHO on a New Genomic Surveillance Centre to Monitor Disease Outbreaks Beyond Covid-19 in Africa
The World Health Organization Africa, together with South African National Bioinformatics Institute (SANBI), University of the Western Cape (UWC), is launching a new Regional Centre of Excellence for Genomic Surveillance and Bioinformatics (RCEGSB) in Cape Town. Read more
Vitamin D Deficiency is Not Responsible for TB in Children
Vitamin D deficiency has long been considered a risk factor for tuberculosis in adults as it impairs the immune response to the TB bug, but a new study by the University of Cape Town has found that low levels of the sunshine vitamin in children doesn’t necessarily make them susceptible to the illness. Read more
Why Student Mental Health Should be a Priority for Universities
Over 30% of university students have experienced a common mental disorder in the past year, according to the World Health Organisation. In South Africa, statistics show that 20.8% of first-year students had experienced anxiety and 13.6% had experienced depression. Read more
Wit’s Student Shortlisted for Prestigious International Student Award
A Wits University student has been selected in the top 50 for a new award given to one exceptional student that has made a real impact on learning, the lives of their peers and on society beyond. Read more
31 August 2021
A Missed Opportunity to Rethink Internationalisation
After centuries of colonial subjugation and decades of apartheid brutality and oppression – both rooted in white supremacy and racial capitalism – South Africa emerged ‘free’ in 1994. Despite the freedom and democracy, deeply entrenched structural inequalities continue to wreck South African society, economy and higher education. Read more
Can ARUA Lead Africa on the Path to Research Excellence?
The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), driven by a need to establish a culture of publishing verifiable data about African universities, has launched a report titled Research Profiles of ARUA Universities… Read more
Cape Town Student’s Story of Overcoming Family History of Drug Abuse…
Born into a family of drug abusers, 20-year-old Monique Tolken was determined not to let her circumstances define her. Read more
Chemical Industry Training Authority Launches Two TVET Initiatives for SMMEs
The Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (Chieta) on August 23 announced two technical and vocational education and training (TVET) college initiatives, which are set to stimulate small, medium-sized and microenterprise (SMME) activity and economic opportunities for individuals in the Western and Northern Cape provinces. Read more
Covid or not, Academic Programmes are Booming at Gibs
Cutbacks? What cutbacks? Pretoria University’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (Gibs) is working flat out to prepare for a return to business education normality – even if no-one knows when that will be. Read more
Documents Implicate UJ Officials Involved in Attempted Embezzlement of Millions…
Hundreds of millions of rands in taxpayers’ money from the Department of Science and Technology, the Industrial Development Corporation of SA (IDC) as well as funding from the University of Johannesburg (UJ) went down the drain as senior UJ executives colluded to embezzle the intellectual property… Read more
DUT Trains Students on Keys to Excellence
The office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) Research Innovation and Engagement has worked with IQRAA TRUST and the Young Leaders Academy (YLA) to pilot a new training programme called Keys to Excellence. The training was designed by the Young Leaders Academy and IQRAA TRUST fully funded the pilot session with the students. Read more
Emoticons Enhance Communication Between Lecturers, Students
The use of emoticons or emojis in communication between students and lecturers in virtual learning spaces during COVID-19 has helped to fulfil students’ socio-emotional needs which developed as they were forced to migrate from brick-and-mortar venues to online classrooms, a study has shown. Read more
Experts Unpack ‘the Engaged University’ in Challenging Times
The notion of the engaged university is far removed from its historical definitional identity. Read more
Higher Education Ready to Get 18-to-35-Year-Olds Vaccinated
Following the Department of Health’s announcement that 18-to-35-year-olds may register to get vaccinated, the Department of Higher Education has revealed its readiness plans in assisting all public and private institutions to vaccinate eligible staff and students. Read more
High Level Accreditation for UKZN’s Acclaimed Science Centre
The Science and Technology Education Centre at UKZN (STEC@UKZN) has received accreditation from the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the National Research Foundation’s (NRF) South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA), … Read more
Infectious Diseases Research Clinic in Cape Town Hit by Cluster of Covid-19 Cases
Even people working in the highly sanitised clinic research environment are prone to contracting Covid-19. This emerged after eight people who work at Stellenbosch University’s Family Centre for Research with Ubuntu (FAMCRU) came down with the virus. Read more
Investment Opportunities in Education are Beckoning
Africa has one of the strongest opportunities for growth in tertiary education globally despite sloppy quality credentials, a new survey shows, riding on sustained economic expansion. Read more
Mandela University and AIDC Partnership Aims to Boost EC Automotive Industry
Nelson Mandela University has partnered with the Eastern Cape Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC-EC) towards the provision of relevant industry-aligned degree programmes and other capacity building initiatives aimed at bolstering the manufacturing sector and provincial economy. Read more
Most Repair Work is Now Completed, Says Vice-Chancellor
Cape Town – Salvage activities have been concluded at UCT’s Jagger Library, and the special collections basement has been cleared of materials. Read more
Nafasi Water Steps in to Help UNAM Students
The University of Namibia and Nafasi Water Technologies, a South African water technology and water utility service company, have joined hands in crafting the university’s new curriculum for the Centre for Innovation in Learning & Teaching (CILT). Read more
NWU Researcher and Fulbright Scholarship Holder Shares his Tricks of the Trade
To get a Fulbright research scholarship is easier than he anticipated, says North-West University (NWU) academic Dr George van Zijl, who recently returned from a research visit to the University of Florida in the United States of America (USA). Read more
PhD Students Who Study in South Africa Tend to Return Home
The common view at the top level of government and among vice-chancellors has been that African international doctorates would seek employment opportunities in thriving economies abroad. Read more
Prestigious Fellowship for ‘Luminary in a Fractured World’
Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela of Stellenbosch University (SU) in South Africa has won the 2020 Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Fellowship Award worth ZAR2 million (about US$138,000). Read more
Rhodes University and Nupsaw’s Negotiations over Union Rights Reach a Deadlock
Rhodes University management and the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw) are locked in a stand-off over the union’s demands to be given organisational rights. Read more
SA Narrows the Gap of Women in STEM Careers, …
While South Africa may be scoring below the global average of 30% of women pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers, the country was still leading in Sub-Saharan Africa. Read more
SA Professor Agrees with FDA Warning Issued Against Use of Ivermectin to Treat Covid-19…
The Food and Drug Administration in the US has urged the public to stop using livestock drug ivermectin to treat Covid-19. In South Africa, ivermectin is registered for use in animals. Read more
SA Universities, International Institutions Partner on Project to Preserve African Languages
Rhodes University has collaborated with local and foreign universities in an effort to revive and preserve indigenous African languages. Read more
SMU Adopts a New Culture for Excellence
In what is invariably a significant occasion in the history of SMU, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Peter Mbati hosted a round table discussion with University stakeholders on the Road map to Culture Change at the SMU Sports Hall on 11 August 2021. Read more
Stellenbosch University Paving the Way for Becoming a Smart Sustainable Campus
In using their division as a living laboratory, Stellenbosch University’s Facilities Management (SUFM) has since 2015 been implementing systems and processes to start paving the way for the Institution to become a smart campus where data-led decision-making will result in solving problems and providing solutions for the future. Read more
Stellenbosch University Professor Crafts 3/4 Violin from Wood of African Trees
South African researcher Dr. Martina Meincken is investigating the potential of alternative tone-woods for use in instrument construction… Read more
SU Launches COVID-19 Vaccination Site
On Tuesday 10 August, Stellenbosch University (SU) will launch a vaccination site for its staff and members of the public who have registered on the official South African COVID-19 vaccination portal. Read more
There is an Urgent Need to Redefine the Future of Education
Education experts and business leaders explored the theme of Redefining the future of education at the 7th annual Future of Education Summit held by CNBC Africa in partnership with Forbes Africa. Read more
Tokyo Olympics: What is the Role of Universities in Sport?
frica’s poor performance in the recent Olympic Games in Tokyo highlighted the role that universities on the continent could play to help prepare sports stars for the international sports stage, similar to the work done by institutions in other parts of the world, notably the United States. Read more
TVET Intervention Aims to Boost Engineering Skills Pipeline in Eastern Cape
In intervention launched with public technical vocational education and training (TVET) colleges in the Eastern Cape is expected to aid the output of engineering training and boost the pipeline of skills required by South Africa’s automotive industry. Read more
UCT Named Top Varsity in Africa by a Global Ranking
The University of Cape Town (UCT) has been ranked the highest on the continent in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2021. It has been ranked in 201-300 band by ARWU 2021, published on Sunday. Read more
UCT’s New Disciplinary, Anti-Bullying Policies are Now in Force
UCT SRC chairperson Declan Dyer said the student council noted the implementation of the disciplinary policy and the policy addressing bullying. Read more
UJ Provides Two Free, Online Open Courses for Students and Citizens
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) is offering two free massive open online courses (MOOCs) – one on artificial intelligence (AI) in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the other on African insights – to the public. Read more
UJ’s Virtual Reality Hub to Advance STEM Education
The Department of Science and Technology Education within the Faculty of Education at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), has introduced a virtual and augmented reality (AR) research hub to accelerate innovation in the education field. Read more
UKZN Academic Part of Ground-Breaking Language Research
Professor Jochen Zeller, … discovered that iconic vocalisations can convey a much wider range of meanings more accurately than previously supposed. Read more
UKZN Medical Student Says Covid-19 Vaccine ‘Benefits far Outweigh Any Risks’
Mohamed Hoosen Suleman, who attends the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, said the benefits of being vaccinated far outweighed any risks. Read more
UKZN Student Found Dead in His Room on Campus
Although the details are sketchy at the moment, the university believes the student may have died of natural causes. Read more
Universities Collaborate to Promote Indigenous Languages
A group of subject specialists will be appointed at four SA universities to receive training on how to teach students in indigenous African languages. Read more
University Communities Reject Israel’s AU Observer Status
Several student unions and organisations representing faculty from African countries such as Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and South Africa have voiced their opposition to awarding Israel observer status to the African Union (AU), a move that has been rejected by African countries for nearly two decades. Read more
Universities Set up Vaccination Sites Amid Vaccine Hesitancy
Several South African universities have set up vaccination centres on their campuses as part of supporting the country’s national COVID-19 vaccine programme, which aims to reach 40 million South Africans. Read more
Universities Support Insect-Based Food and Feed Systems
Universities are contributing to the upscaling of insect-based food and feed systems in Sub-Saharan Africa, which have economic, environmental and social benefits that could support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Read more
University of Johannesburg to Host Virtual Conference on Safeguarding Sports
UJ head of the department for sport & movement studies Dr Heather Morris-Eyton says sports federations around the world are becoming more aware of the challenges faced by athletes. Read more
UP Launches Diabetes Research Centre
The University of Pretoria (UP) has launched South Africa’s first exclusive Diabetes Research Centre at a public academic institution. Read more
UP Pilots New Software to Make Digital Content More Accessible
The University of Pretoria (UP) has launched a pilot of software among a small group of subtends and academics, which aims to make digital courses more accessible to all students. Read more
UP’s Digital Twin City Aims to Improve Metro Management
The University of Pretoria (UP) has created the Hatfield Digital Twin City, a new initiative that aims to boost service delivery with the help of smart technology. Read more
UWC Researcher Helps Analyse over 2 000 Galaxies with MeerKat Radio Telescope
Using early science data for the MIGHTEE project on the MeerKAT radio telescope, a researcher at the University of the Western Cape – with collaborators from eight countries, including four other South African institutions… Read more
Vice-Chancellors Key in Growing ‘Fourth-Stream Income’
The sustainability of universities revolves around three income streams: a government subsidy, tuition fees and industry research funds. But, over the past decade, South African universities have experienced significant changes. Read more
Wits DigiMine to Host Annual Digital Mining Seminar
Mining’s digital future comes under the spotlight again at the University of the Witwatersrand in September, with the Wits Mining Institute’s annual digital mining technology seminar. Read more
Women in Science and Tech are Left Out in the Cold During Pandemic
The pandemic has turned our world upside down and affected every sphere of society. That includes the disproportionate impact on women who participate in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Read more
Years of Training Ensures Alumna a Spot on SA’s Olympic Hockey Team
“When I was in Stellenbosch for training for the World Cup, I absolutely loved it. I decided to come to Stellenbosch University because of hockey,” says Glasby. Read more
31 July 2021
A Constant Travel Partner on Students’ Career Journey
It is hard to be young. It sounds like an anomaly. But at this point in the world’s collective history, it is becoming increasingly clear that to be a young person standing on the verge of entering a career and making your own way in life can be extremely daunting. Read more
Can Internationalisation Promote Inclusion, Social Justice?
We live in an unequal world. On a global scale, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made this abundantly clear. Read more
CPUT Graduate Proves That One is Never Too Old to Learn
Despite being older than her whole class, Nokwanda Popiel defied the odds as she graduated with a National Diploma in Office Management and Technology from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) this past week. Read more
CUT Students Frustrated Over Unpaid NSFAS Allowances
Students sleep at the gates of Umgungundlovu TVET College’s Msunduzi Campus in Pietermaritzburg after being evicted by landlords because they are unable to pay rent due to outstanding payments from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme. Read more
Department of Higher Education Launches the 2021 State of the Nation Book
Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Buti Manamela has launched the 2021 edition of the State of the Nation, a flagship publication of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). Read more
Digital Education Here to Stay, and Institutions Must Adapt
The pace of digital progress waits for nobody, and the education sector cannot allow itself to fall back on its old ways post-pandemic, said Dr Stanley Mpofu, CIO of Wits University. Read more
Do Degree Detractors Have a Point?
In one of his many famous talks, and without elaborating, the late legendary motivational speaker Jim Rohn spoke of leaving college after one year as one of the major mistakes he made in his life. Read more
DUT Features in Top 100 in International Ranking
The international rankings were recently announced by the World’s Universities with Real Impact (WURI). Read more
DUT Joins the Fight Against Homophobic Hate Crimes
The Faculty of Arts and Design at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) joined the fight against the recent homophobic killings by hosting a webinar on South Africa’s Homophobic Hate Crime Crisis last Friday, 25 June 2021, via Microsoft Teams. Read more
DUT Ranked 2nd in SA and 102 in the World by the Young University Rankings
Another global ranking is in the bag for the Durban University of Technology (DUT) after it was recently ranked 2nd in South Africa and 102 in the world by the 2021 Times Higher Education (THE) Young University Rankings. Read more
Health Professionals Work in Teams: Their Training Should Prepare Them
Good communication and understanding of the roles of other disciplines in a health care team has been found to result in fewer medical errors, reduced medical costs and a better patient care experience. Read more
HE Sector Concerned Over Turmoil in Department
Despite the appointment of three senior leaders in May, the South African national Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) is in “tatters”, with projects falling through the cracks, an extended vacancy list that has not been addressed and low morale among staff, many of whom are looking for other jobs. Read more
“Higher Education Needs to Adapt to People’s Needs”: IIEP International Policy Forum
Flexible learning pathways (FLPs) are an important new policy direction in higher education systems worldwide. Read more
How Top Young Academics Secure ‘Currency’ from the Start
At the beginning of their careers, academics find the odds stacked against them. They lack a track record of success, most proven through research outputs like journal articles. Read more
Institutional Support Needed for Professional Development
Continuing professional development for higher education cannot be treated as an individual responsibility. Dedicated institutional support is essential, according to Tony Lelliott, a programme specialist at the non-profit educational trust the South African Institute for Distance Education, or Saide, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Read more
Media Monitoring: Extract of Press News on Higher Education in Africa
Dr Tabane was moderating the second session of the recent youth-centred Africa Day symposium hosted by the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and the African Union, in collaboration with the University of Cape Town (UCT) and its Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance. Read more
Natural Product Library at UP’s Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences a Unique Resource…
The Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (NAS) at the University of Pretoria is at the forefront of biodiscovery research, allocating R26m in funding from the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) to create a library of natural products. Read more
Political will Needed to Create the Ideal Post-Pandemic University
Digital infrastructure and connectivity, capacity-building for academic staff and students to use digital learning tools, quality assurance in the online study environment and stronger leadership from governments to bring about these changes are some of the measures that are required to create the post-pandemic African university. Read more
Questions About Unaccounted Funds for Skills Development
A project to use ZAR866 million (US$60 million) for skills and infrastructure development, including the construction of a state-of-the-art technical and vocational education and training (TVET) college in one of South Africa’s poorest townships, has been derailed by COVID-19… Read more
R866m College Dream Deferred
A project to use R866 million for skills and infrastructure development, including the construction of a state-of-the-art technical and vocational education and training (TVET) college in one of South Africa’s poorest townships, has been derailed by Covid-19… Read more
Racism in Medicine is ‘a Horrible Injustice’
Underpinned by national and international research, as well as personal experience – were placed under the microscope during a recent academic seminar hosted by the University of the Witwatersrand’s School of Public Health. Read more
SADC Needs Experts to Mitigate Climate Change
Specialists in every ministry and organisation in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region should be trained to adapt to and mitigate climate change, according to Professor Heila Lotz-Sisitka, who holds the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) chair in global change and social learning systems. Read more
SA Consortium Wants to Produce Covid-19 Vaccine at a Far Cheaper Price
A South African consortium made up of experts in public health, medicine, academia, vaccine technology, technology transfer and the economic sector has set its sights on producing a Covid-19 vaccine at one-fifth the price of Pfizer’s. Read more
SA Students Struggle Without Stipends in Cuba
Some of the nearly 500 South African medical students stranded in Cuba are demanding that their stipends be paid so that they can pay back loans and get passports and clothes they used as collateral. Read more
Students with Disabilities Activism
The Social Justice and Transformation Unit at the Vaal University of Technology held a webinar under the topic “Students with Disabilities Activism in Higher Education”. Read more
Successful Coexistence Between Wildlife and Urban Communities
Baboons spending more time in their natural habitats and suffering fewer human-caused injuries and deaths is cause for celebration, writes Professor Justin O’Riain, the director of the Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Read more
The EDHE Programme is Poised to Succeed in Creating Entrepreneurial Universities…
A study undertaken to evaluate the partnership between Universities South Africa’s Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) Programme and the British Council (South Africa) has found that in the three years of this relationship (2018 – 2021),… Read more
‘Think Like a Girl’: What Sex-Pest Lecturer Told TVET Student When She Failed Maths
A lecturer who was fired for advising a student who failed maths to “think like a girl” if she wanted a pass mark has had his reinstatement bid rejected. Read more
UCT Joins Forces with NASA for Biodiversity Survey
Regarded as one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet, South Africa’s Greater Cape Floristic Region is set to be the subject of a first-of-its-kind biodiversity survey conducted by NASA. Read more
UCT, Oxford Launch 2021 Fair-work South Africa Ratings Report
Launched on Thursday, 8 July, during a webinar, the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of Oxford have released the Fairwork South Africa 2021 Ratings report which evaluates the working conditions in 12 digital labour platforms in South Africa, including Uber, Bolt, SweepSouth and MrD. Read more
UCT Policy Tackles Bullying
Council members at UCT have approved a bullying policy after repeated calls for rules to hold staff accountable when addressing such complaints. Read more
UCT Student Council Boycotts Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Lecture and Hosts Its Own
After the University of Cape Town said it wouldn’t cancel its open lecture with acclaimed novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who faced a backlash after being accused of transphobia, the university’s Students’ Representative Council hosted its own webinar. Read more
UCT Suspends Two Students Following Sexual Assault Allegations
The University of Cape Town has suspended two students with immediate effect following allegations of sexual assault, which surfaced earlier this week. Read more
UJ Condemns Violence and Looting in SA
Over the last few days, we have witnessed some of the ugliest scenes in our country because of the spate of rampant looting and destruction of property. Marauding masses went on the rampage, looting shops and stores. Read more
UJ Facebook Fan Page One of the Most Popular in the World
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) embraces the latest 2021 Facebook University Ranking, released on 7 July 2021, in which it once again received global salutation to be listed in the top 200 Universities on Facebook, taking position at number 80. Read more
UKZN Tops List of Young University Rankings in SA
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) took the top spot in South Africa, and was placed 61st out of the 475 universities world-wide on the 2021 Times Higher Education (THE) Young University Rankings. Read more
Universities See Steep Rise in Cheating, Misconduct with Move to Online Assessments
Universities have been experiencing a sharp increase in academic misconduct attributed directly to the move to online assessments since last year. Read more
UP and Ghent University Strengthen Academic Partnership
Professor Tawana Kupe, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria (UP), recently engaged with representatives from Ghent University (UGhent) in Belgium to discuss further strengthening the academic and scientific research collaboration between the two institutions. Read more
Vaccinations Going Strong at New Rhodes University Site
Rhodes vice-chancellor Dr Sizwe Mabizela encourages staff and students to get vaccinated at the university’s on-campus site. Read more
Virtual Learnerships Offer International Work Opportunities
Higher education institutions that require students to complete workplace-based learning programmes as a formal building block of their qualifications have been compelled to come up with innovative strategies for virtual or remote internships during COVID-19. Read more
Why Lockdown in Africa Doesn’t Work as a First COVID-19 Response
In an African pandemic it is more productive to consider lockdowns, after using other non-medical measures first. Especially in countries with high levels of poverty and corruption, … Read more
Wits Embarks on R15.7m Water Research Programme
The new water research programme will find solutions to water challenges faced by the country and African continent. Read more
WSU Researcher Invents ‘Green Machine’ for Low-Cost Pothole Repairs
A Walter Sisulu University researcher and lecturer has designed a cost-effective solution for road maintenance and repairing potholes with a machine he developed using recyclable materials. Read more
30 June 2021
AUDA-NEPAD Launches Centre of Excellence to Upscale Home-Grown Innovations in Africa
The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), in partnership with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Stellenbosch University (SU), have launched a Centre of Excellence in Science, Technology and Innovation to upscale and commercialise home-grown innovations on the continent. Read more
Budget Cuts Hold Back Transformation and Hurt Innovation
The key takeaway from the last global financial crisis was that countries with weak innovation systems suffered more from the downturn in economic activity, after the crisis. Read more
Call for Fund to Strengthen Staff Capacity
Universities on the continent are calling for the establishment of a Higher Education Fund for Africa to aid in the strengthening of teaching capacity in the institutions. They argue that such a fund would also help to boost the number of women faculty and researchers engaged in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, also known as STEM fields, in higher learning institutions. Read more
Challenges of Learning During a Pandemic: Stellenbosch University is Responsive to the Needs of Students
Stellenbosch University is very much aware of the plight of many of our students, such as Ms Sehlomeng Sefali, to study successfully during Covid-19 – and to have made the switch to online learning. This was of course a universal challenge for students the world over. Read more
Could Audit Committees Help Address Governance Challenges in Municipalities?
Could audit committees help address governance challenges in municipalities? This is the question Dr Mariaan Roos from the Department of Accounting and Auditing at the Faculty of Military Science tried to answer in an opinion piece published by Cape Times recently. Read more
COVID-19: Study Augurs Well for Research Output
Four South African universities – the University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of KwaZulu-Natal – led 15 institutions that contributed most to the science of COVID-19 in Africa during the first year of the pandemic,…Read more
CPUT Vaccination Site Gets Thumbs-Up from Nzimande
Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande gave the Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s (CPUT) vaccination centre a thumbs-up after his oversight visit on Monday. Read more
CUT Gets Interdict
Despite the Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, attaining a court interdict against the South African Student Congress (Sasco) due to recent unrest, the volatile on-campus situation has evolved. Read more
CUT Students Stage a Protest
Students at the Central University of Technology (CUT) in Bloemfontein have once again expressed their grievances. Read more
DUT and TVI Host a Successful Luban Workshop…
The Durban University of Technology (DUT) in collaboration with Tianjin Vocational Institute (TVI) of China hosted the Luban Workshop Innovation and Entrepreneurship Appointment Ceremony and Seminar which took place on 15 June 2021 via Zoom. Read more
Higher Education to Distribute 50 000 Laptops to NSFAS-Funded Students
Higher Education Minister Dr Blade Nzimande says his department will distribute close to 50 000 laptops to National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)-funded students at colleges and universities, with 22 000 arriving in the country by the end of the month. Read more
How Universities can Foster a Scientific Research Culture
Scientific research has become a powerful buzzword in the vision and mission statements of all African universities. Some African universities have even stated that their vision is of becoming research-intensive institutions in the near future. Read more
How Universities Can Play a Role in Solving South Africa’s Almost Unsolvable Challenges
These are our wicked problems, said Professor Eugene Cloete (right), Vice-Rector: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies at Stellenbosch University — instantly clarifying what is meant by these complex, difficult-to-solve social problems. Read more
Huawei Awards 17 Bursaries to UCT Students
Huawei has awarded bursaries worth R2.76-million to 17 University of Cape Town (UCT) undergraduate and post-grad students as part of its ICT skills development programme in South Africa. Read more
‘Humanise Online Teaching and Learning’
There is a pressing need to critically evaluate and monitor higher education’s responses to the lockdown in Africa, especially in relation to teaching and learning remotely, says Daniela Gachago, an associate professor in the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Read more
Javett-UP Equips Interns with What it Takes to Enter the Art World Through UNICEF Programme
The Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria (Javett-UP) has partnered with UP’s School of the Arts as participants in the UNICEF Youth Empowerment Under Health/Economic Crisis programme, based on the enhanced wellbeing, humaneness and resilience derived from appreciating beauty and aesthetics. Read more
Pandemic Demands Innovation in Internationalisation
The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down the internationalisation of higher education at a time when it was gaining momentum in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and Africa at large. Read more
Rankings: Strong Performance
A total of 31 African universities are on a list of 1,300 universities in the world that have been ranked based on indicators including academic reputation, citations per faculty, employer reputation, faculty to student ratio, ratio of international faculty members and ratio of international students. Read more
Researchers Note 20 New Species
Researchers at the National Museum in Bloemfontein have described 20 new species of terrestrial invertebrates in the last financial year. Read more
SADC Urged to do More About Digital Transformation in HE
The Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) policy for cooperation on education and training lacks the necessary force to inform transformation in the region’s higher education… Read more
SA Science in Peril as Lack of Funding Severs Lifeline for Research Students
Academics have expressed concern over the fate of thousands of students who were denied funding by the National Research Foundation (NRF) to pursue postgraduate studies this year. Read more
SA Students Wrote a Book About ‘a World Gone mad’
South African student voices have largely remained unheard in formal discussions around COVID-19. A pandemic that should not be put to waste, COVID-19, on some podiums, is seen as laying the groundwork for the germination of seeds of change. Read more
Staff Cuts Hamper SAQA’s Ability to Provide Skills Assurance
There are growing concerns over the ability of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) fulfilling its role as the foremost statutory body registering qualifications, fighting qualification fraud and corruption through verification of national qualifications… Read more
Students Concerned About Covid-19 Non-Compliance at UCT
UCT’s student representative council president Declan Dyer said they are aware of the situation and they have been engaging with the university since before the third wave hit. Read more
‘Undo Fear’, Says Chair in African Feminist Imaginations
The South African Research Chairs Initiative, or SARChI, launched a chair in ‘African feminist imaginations’ at Nelson Mandela University, South Africa, on 5 June, headed by Professor Pumla Dineo Gqola from the university’s Centre for Women and Gender Studies. Read more
Universities Must Prioritise Student Success, Staff and Curriculum Development
Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande has called on universities to prioritise student success, staff development and curriculum development plan. Read more
University Students Hold Street Graduation in Durban
The students were from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban University of Technology and Mangosuthu University of Technology. Read more
UP Hosts Discussion on Role of Media and Social Media in Research
Scientists should try to “make use of simple language and avoid using jargon” when using the media to disseminate research findings. This was according to Primarashni Gower, PR and Events Manager at the University of Pretoria (UP), during a recent online panel discussion hosted by the University’s Faculty of Health Sciences on the role of media and social media in research. Read more
UWC Nursing Students Upset Over Exclusion from Exams, Citing Impact of Covid-19
Nursing students at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) are up in arms over the institution’s refusal to relax the examination entry requirements due to Covid-19. Read more
Wits Health Faculty to Picket Over Gauteng ’Humanitarian’ Health Crisis
Staff and students from the University of the Witwatersrand Faculty of Health Sciences will hold a five-day picket to raise awareness about the healthcare crisis in Gauteng and to put pressure on stakeholders to take action. Read more
Women Rise to the Top of the UKZN Class
Women have emerged top of the class at the University of KwaZulu-Natal with 68% of the top achievers being female. Read more
WSU Invention a Solution to SA Road Costs & Safety
Bumping and grinding teeth may be a thing of the past following the invention of a road pavement analysis device that should reduce the occurrence of potholes on South African roads. Read more
31 May 2021
20 Unisa Postgraduate Students Charged with Plagiarism Still in the Dark About Way Forward
Challenges continue to plague the University of SA’s (Unisa) decision to conduct exams only online last year as close to 20 postgraduate students remain in the dark about their academic prospects. Read more
African Language Experts Set Up Committees to Explore Sharing Resources…
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed several systemic forms of inequality in the higher education system. Read more
Builing Accessibility, Excellence Through Online Education
Amid ongoing student protests and the funding crisis in higher education, innovative solutions are needed to meet the demands and pressures for study spaces at South African universities. Read more
Capetonians Unite to Save Priceless Library Materials
Volunteers from across Cape Town put on their (sanitised) hard hats the past two weeks to assist with the recovery of the archival materials housed within the Jagger Reading Room at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Read more
Grads’ Community Involvement an Upside During Lockdown
For original-equipment manufacturer Weir Minerals Africa, a positive consequence of the Covid-19 lockdown last year was that graduates in the company’s graduate programme were introduced to more community work than they otherwise would have been. Read more
Hard Times Turn into Good Times Through Study at UKZN
PhD Chemistry graduate Siyabonga Ndlela helped his grandmother sell fruit and snacks to commuters at a taxi rank in Newcastle from the time he was in Grade 3 until matric. Read more
How COVID-19 is Hurting University Students’ Mental Health
Institutions of higher education worldwide are undergoing unprecedented change because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Universities and colleges have been forced to switch to online teaching and learning. Read more
Institution Appoints First Black Woman Dean in Engineering
Tshwane University of Technology’s first black female executive dean for the faculy of engineering and the built environment, Dr Mukondeleli Grace Kanakana-Katumba, intends to implement sweeping changes to position the faculty as South Africa’s leading school of engineering. Read more
Institutional Viability Threatened by Student Debt Crisis
The institutional viability of South African universities is under threat from a mounting student debt crisis, leading to calls from top officials and university leaders for fundamental reform of the way in which the public higher education sector is funded. Read more
More Programmes, Awareness Could Launch Africa into Space
Africa is lagging behind when it comes to space activities and the root cause is a lack of space higher education in many countries on the continent, according to an Africa space industry expert. Read more
More SA Girls Need to Enter Math, Science Fields
Since moving to Southern Africa in 2019, I have had the great privilege of meeting many impressive women working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM-related) fields.VUT students go hungry as they wait for NSFAS. Read more
Natural Sciences at UFS Receives R65m Equipment Injection
The University of the Free State is at the forefront of research with new state-of-the-art equipment. Read more
New SOAS Director May Return to Work After N-Word Probe
Adam Habib, the newly appointed director of the School of Oriental and African Studies or SOAS University of London, has been cleared of racism over the use of the n-word during a meeting with students in March, but investigators recommended several corrective steps to be taken in the aftermath of the incident. Read more
Nobel Laureates to Probe ‘the Future of Work’ in Dialogue
The first Nobel Prize dialogue to be hosted in partnership with an African institution will include five Nobel laureates and will focus sharply on the extensive disruption that COVID-19 has brought about in the workplace. Read more
Publishing Should be for Social and Disciplinary Impact
“Plan S is a grand plan, but the devil is in the detail,” says Professor Robin Crewe of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) in a blog. Read more
Racism Remains Deep-Seated and Prevalent in Institutions
In 2004, the final year of my bachelor of social science degree, majoring in political science, I did something I heard journalists feared to do because of consequences of inadequacy. Read more
Rhodes University Encourages the Intellectualisation of African Languages
Rhodes University in Makhanda in the Eastern Cape has hosted a webinar to mark Africa month, with the aim of encouraging the intellectualisation of African languages. Read more
SARUA to Reflect on its Role in Regional Development
The Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA) will be hosting a colloquium series for eight weeks following the cancellation of its virtual conference… Read more
Stellenbosch University Vice-Chancellor Denies English-Only Policy as SAHRC Inquiry Starts
Stellenbosch University Rector and Vice-Chancellor Wim de Villiers on Monday reiterated his denial that Afrikaans is banned on the campus, saying the institution’s approach to language means, “… students have more choices, broader access and a better future… Read more
Targets and Indicators Necessary to Track Progress on SDGs
African universities have been called upon to start contributing effectively to the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that the continent is lagging behind on. Read more
The Access Funding Challenge: A Combined Effort Needed Now
You should have seen it coming. In the wake of the recent student protests and the resulting suspension of tuition on some higher education campuses throughout the country, management teams from public universities have become used to having this bit of stinging criticism levelled against them from various fronts. Read more
The Right to Privacy in the Digital Age in Africa
The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, with the support of Google, is presenting a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the right to privacy in the digital age in Africa. Read more
Thousands of Graduates Needed to Echo Technology Boom
A virtual meeting on the status of coding and robotics in South African educational institutions hosted by the Academy of Science of South Africa has highlighted the need for higher education institutions to produce more graduates with the necessary skills and competencies in a sector with about 20,000 vacancies. Read more
Towards the Regeneration of the University and Public Policy in Africa (Part One & Two)
… Prof Firoz Khan, specializing in development studies at the School of Public Leadership (SPL), explores the origins and evolution of the university in Africa… Read more
UKZN’s Oldest Autumn Graduate, Bonginkosi Mshengu, 69, Proves You’re Never Too Old to Study
When 69-year-old Bonginkosi Mshengu graduates with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Political Science at the University of KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday… Read more
UKZN Optometry Graduate Plans to Set Up Eye Clinics for the Less Privileged
A UKZN student who will graduate summa cum laude plans to use her Bachelor of Optometry degree to help those less privileged. Read more
UKZN’s Poku Joins Frontline AIDS Board of Trustees
UNIVERSITY of KwaZulu-Natal’s vice-chancellor and principal has been recognised as one of the world’s leading experts in research and policy on the political economy of health and HIV/ Aids in sub-Saharan Africa. Read more
UKZN Scientist: We May be on the Cusp of a Third Wave in South Africa
A University of KwaZulu-Natal scientist says with the recent rise in Covid-19 infections, we may be on the cusp of a third wave in South Africa. Read more
Unisa Warns of Scammers Falsely Advertising University Services
Some companies and social media pages have been falsely advertising Unisa online information and various services to assist students. Read more
UP Hosts Africa’s First Nobel Prize Dialogue
The University of Pretoria (UP) recently hosted Africa’s first Nobel Prize Dialogue, the theme of which was ‘The Future of Work’. Read more
University of Pretoria Partners with the African Genius Awards
Steve Biko, who was one of South Africa’s most significant political activists and founder of the Black Consciousness Movement, is one of the nominees for the African Genius Awards. Read more
VUT Students Go Hungry as They Wait for NSFAS
Mthoko was thrilled when his National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) application was approved as he was going to further his studies at Vaal University of Technology (VUT). Read more
30 April 2021
Alumni Form Music Duo and Launch New Single
UKZN alumni Mr David Smith (pianist), and Co-ordinator of the Jazz Centre at the University Ms Thulile Zama (vocalist) have formed a musical duo called N’den. Read more
Global Impact Rankings Include 2 African Universities in Top 100
Two African universities – the University of Johannesburg in South Africa and Aswan University in Egypt – are placed in the top 100 institutions in the world for their work towards the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)… Read more
Graduates’ Skills do not Match the Available Jobs
Labour markets around the world are undergoing significant changes – particularly in non-tech sectors. South Africa has not been spared from this wave of change. The country has high unemployment rates by global standards, both at national level and among the youth. Read more
Humanising Pedagogies to Facilitate Digital Learning
While online education providers were generally better positioned to adapt to periods of national and international lockdowns, the entire higher education landscape was affected by the unavoidable necessity to rethink ways of educating, researching and working in general. Read more
Language of Race Needs Engagement
I have deliberately chosen not to use the full n-word in this piece as I would like the detractors of the former vice-chancellor and principal of the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Professor Adam Habib, to contemplate a little more deeply their position and think more about the consequences of their actions. Read more
More Questions than Answers About Viable Funding Model
The recent spate of student protests in South Africa’s institutions of higher education brought to the fore, yet again, the desperate calls for a better funding model. Read more
Parliament Asked to Probe Race-Gender Row at UCT
South Africa’s parliamentary oversight committee on higher education has been asked to summon the University of Cape Town to explain its controversial interim appointment of a 72-year-old retired white male in charge of transformation, replacing a black woman who was allegedly ousted from the role before her contract was up. Read more
Professor Christof Heyns: A Giant in Human Rights Education
The monumental contribution that Professor Christof Heyns has made to advance human rights in Africa and beyond emerged this week from a memorial Facebook page created to honour the former director of the Centre for Human Rights…Read more
Professor Salim Abdool Karim’s Talk Opens PRIS 2020 Online Symposium
South Africa currently has the highest number of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases in Africa recording over 700,000 cases and 19,000 deaths by the end of October. Although the South African government’s mitigation strategies initially slowed the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infections, it had substantial adverse economic and health impacts. Read more
School of Business Concludes Training of Trainers in Entrepreneurship…
The School of Business on Friday 16th April 2021 successfully concluded the ARUA EIMEC training of trainers in entrepreneurship and Innovation program. The 12 day training brought about participants from universities in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Nigeria. Read more
Significant Archives are Under Threat in Cape Town’s Fire. Why They Matter so Much
A wildfire on the slopes of South Africa’s Table Mountain has wreaked havoc at the University of Cape Town (UCT) campus. Among the sites of historical significance that have been damaged is the Jagger Library. Read more
South African Graduates May be Mostly Employed, but Skills and Jobs Often Don’t Match
Labour markets around the world are undergoing significant changes – particularly in non-tech sectors. South Africa hasn’t been spared from this wave of change. Read more
South Africa’s Higher Education Funding System can be More Realistic Without Betraying Ideal
Ongoing student protests in South Africa have once again highlighted various problems with higher education funding. They boil down to challenges of affordability and sustainability. Read more
Tap into Your Creativity During World Creativity Week
UKZN Extended Learning (UEL) will host two webinars to celebrate World Creativity and Innovation Week (WCIW) between 15 and 21 April, and World Creativity and Innovation Day (WCID) on 21 April. Read more
Technology Universities’ Project Focuses on Teaching Modalities
Can the Higher Education Reform Experts South Africa (HERESA) project be used as a tool to re-conceive South Africa’s higher education sector in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and post-pandemic world? Read more
Two UP Researchers Receive R5,6m in Grants to Aid Research into Improving Food Security…
Two University of Pretoria (UP) researchers have received grants of up to $200 000 (R2,8m) each from the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP), as part of the Partnerships for Innovative Research in Africa (PIRA) grant programme. Read more
Transformation? Impossible if Word Remains Undefined
A failure to define what ‘transformation’ means and how it may be measured is blocking prospects of broader change at South Africa’s public universities. Read more
UCT Celebrates Formal Launch of Panel for Responsible Investment
The University of Cape Town (UCT) celebrated the formal launch of the University Panel for Responsible Investment (UPRI), and the university’s Responsible and Sustainable Investment Policy on 22 April. Read more
UCT Professor Heads Law and Society Association’s Global Activities Portfolio
The LSA is an international organisation that brings together scholars from across disciplines who share a common interest in the place of law in societal, political, economic and cultural life. Read more
UCT SRC Member Matthew Field Says the Student Community is Traumatized…
Hundreds of students have been displaced after a fire spread on the upper and middle campus on Sunday.A number of hotel groups are currently offering temporary accommodation for the students. Read more
UCT Remains Among top 1.4% of Universities Globally
The University of Cape Town (UCT) ranks 269th out of nearly 20 000 universities worldwide according to the 2021–22 edition of the Global 2000 List by the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR). Read more
UKZN Hosts Online Teaching and Learning Workshop for Staff
The Human Resources Division at UKZN organised a five-part teaching and learning workshop series for academic staff. Hosted virtually, the workshop was held in November, providing staff with the tools and skills needed to actively engage with students during online lectures. Read more
UKZN PhD Student Opens Detergents and Cosmetics Plant
A twenty-eight-year-old University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) PhD student opened a detergents and cosmetics manufacturing plant in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday. Read more
UKZN Press Books Win 2021 NIHSS Awards
UKZN Press is proud of its authors who were presented with 2021 NIHSS Human and Social Sciences (HSS) awards at a ceremony at Maropeng Cradle of Humankind on 31 March. Read more
UP Academics Receive Training to Enhance Teaching and Boost Student Employability
University of Pretoria (UP) academics were part of a group of 40 academics that received the first training through a project aimed at equipping them with additional skills to enhance the teaching experience and increase student employability. Read more
UP’s Department of Mining Engineering Celebrates its Diamond Jubilee
The Department of Mining Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology at the University of Pretoria (UP) is proud to celebrate its diamond anniversary in 2021. Read more
University of Cape Town’s Fire: A Day of Flames, Fear, Faith
Imagine this. You are in your room studying for the upcoming test week or catching up with your sleep or favourite Netflix series. The next thing, you are startled by the sounds of helicopters and sirens in your vicinity. Read more
University Still Assessing Destruction After Devastating Fire
Volumes of African literature, including archives of the liberation struggle history and the mid-19th century Cape San people, hosted at the iconic African Studies Library, as well as several historical buildings have been destroyed by raging fires… Read more
31 March 2021
Are Black Vice-Chancellors Poor Leaders?
A controversial statement made by an African National Congress member of parliament in the South African National Assembly who claimed that black vice-chancellors were not carrying their weight as leaders compared with other race groups at institutions of higher learning was dismissed by the South. Read more
Best SA Universities for Finance, Engineering and Law…
South Africa’s mining and mineral engineering courses were rated among the best in the world, with Wits at position 13 worldwide, and the University of Pretoria at number 48. Read more
A Radical Change Effort is Needed…
Earlier this month we concluded the University of Pretoria’s inaugural Africa Week, where we assembled some of the finest minds and most tenacious champions of higher education from across our continent. Read more
Black Vice-Chancellor: Politicians Fuel Campus Turmoil
The vice-chancellor of the iconic University of Fort Hare (UFH), South Africa, an institution that has produced presidents, princes, pop stars and poets, has rubbished claims by a ruling African National Congress member of parliament… Read more
Dean Talks About Traversing Tragedy and Racism
A year into his role at one of South Africa’s renowned health science faculties, which has been under severe pressure since the tragic death of its previous incumbent, the new dean, Professor Lionel Green-Thompson, has had to swiftly navigate several minefields in his path. Read more
Escalating Student Debt Deepens Universities’ Funding Crisis
Spiralling student debt that has reached almost ZAR14 billion (about US$948 million), a government that is financially crippled and political battles within the ruling African National Congress (ANC) have been affecting a growing higher education financing crisis… Read more
Food Security and Socio-Economic Development…
The economic and agricultural landscape in southern Africa has undergone considerable change in the past few decades… Read more
Free Higher Education: Crises that Could have been Foreseen
South African universities opened belatedly during the week of 15 March, due to the complications of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the preceding Friday, 12 March, there was already turmoil on many campuses. Read more
HERESA Seeks to Revitalise Teaching and Learning Strategies in Technology
In partnership with OBREAL-Global Observatory, Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA) is proud to announce the official launch of the ‘Higher Education Reform Experts South Africa’ (HERESA) project… Read more
Higher Education Unable to Clear All Student Debt
Higher Education and Training Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, says the department is not in a financial position to be able to support institutions to clear all the debt of fee-paying students. Read more
New Game, New Rules in the Post-COVID-19 World …
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant change to all sectors and spheres around the world, and the higher education engineering field has not been spared. Read more
One Dead, Several Injured as Students Clash with Police
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa led the chorus of outrage from the country’s politicians following the death of a government employee during a student protest outside the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) on 10 March. Read more
Probe into Allegations Against Vice-Chancellor
As South African higher education institutions grapple with increasing challenges over a tardy and tumultuous start to the academic year, legislators in the South African National Assembly have spent the past three weeks grilling an embattled university boss on sexual harassment claims and other charges he had already been cleared of. Read more
Public Universities are Ready to Receive the NSC Class of 2020 into Higher Education…
As public universities gear themselves to receive the National School Certificate Class of 2020 on their various campuses, Universities South Africa has assured the new entrants to higher education that universities are ready to welcome them into their next study adventures and to enable them to succeed. Read more
Recollecting COVID-19 – 365 Days Under Lockdown
26 March 2021 marks a year since the University of Pretoria closed its gates under the COVID-19 national lockdown regulations. Classes went online and university life as we knew it ceased to exist. Read more
Regional Education Visa Mooted in SADC Strategic Plan
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is considering a regional visa for students, researchers, scientists and academics in a development that could see them enjoying benefits such as customs exemptions, if it is approved. Read more
Science, Innovation Dept Invests R18.9m in Nanosatellites
The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) has invested R18.9-million in the development of two nanosatellites that will be used to improve maritime domain awareness in South Africa. Read more
South Africa’s UKZN Breaks Africa’s Rocket Launch Record – Reached 18km
UKZN’s affiliated AeroSpace Systems Research Group recently launched Phoenix-1B Mk II rocket, with a technology demonstration objective. The project was used to train students on vehicle design, test operations, and to inspire the younger generations. Read more
SU Welcomes Human Rights Commission Investigation
Stellenbosch University remains committed to multilingualism and for that reason Management welcomes the investigation by the SAHRC as well as the opportunity to respond to clear up matters with regard to the use of Afrikaans in residences and social spaces. Read more
Tertiary Education Needs a Funding Model That Caters for All Students…
Every year students take to the streets to protest against the exorbitant cost of university fees and the resulting financial exclusion. To escape this annual quandary, SA needs a viable funding model perceptive to the needs of all students in the higher education system… Read more
Tertiary Institutions Across SA Brace for Planned National Shutdown Today
The threats come after days of protests at various universities across the country last week. Read more
Tertiary Institutions Should not Exceed First-Year Limit
Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande has urged institutions of higher learning to only enrol the number of first-year students they are able to accommodate. Read more
UFC Awarded for Excellence in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
The year 2021 is the first time that this is a joint venture between Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and Universities South Africa (USAf) who have come together to celebrate the outstanding contributions in the social sciences and humanities… Read more
UKZN Nursing Students Shine
The level of acceptance of UKZN Nursing students in different clinical facilities has improved significantly. Evidence of this new-found respect and high regard are the glowing reports from the clinical settings.’ Read more
UKZN’s Welcomes First Year Students Back on Campus
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has confirmed that all registered first-year students would be allowed to come to campus for the first semester of the 2021 academic year. Read more
UNESCO Convenes Webinar to Reflect on Impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education
The main objective of the webinar is to share outcomes of the case studies conducted in 4 SADC countries on the impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education. Read more
UNISA Moves Towards Fully Online Learning, Teaching
The University of South Africa (UNISA) is making its way towards a digital future, with plans to have all learning and teaching services online, says Poppy Tshabalala, vice-principal for ICT and CIO. Read more
Universities Need to Infuse Entrepreneurial Thinking to Solve Funding Crisis
While student debt to universities has ballooned to approximately R14 billion, calls for more collaborative efforts have become louder. Read more
Universities of Technology to Build Network of Experts
South African universities of technology are set to benefit from a project, funded by the European Union, which aims at strengthening and revitalising the country’s technology-based institutions of higher learning. Read more
UP Part of Global Team that Reveals Behaviour of Magnetic Fields Around Black Holes
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration – which produced the first-ever image of a black hole and of which the University of Pretoria (UP) is an associate institute – has revealed a new view of the massive object at the centre of the M87 galaxy: what it looks like in polarised light. Read more
What South Africa’s Universities Have Learnt About the Future from Covid-19
The Covid-19 pandemic put unprecedented stress on students across the country. Campuses that had been hubs of learning for decades were empty. Universities had to find ways to continue while not leaving anyone behind. Read more
28 February 2021
Complaints, Probes at Some Health Science Faculties
Despite throwing their weight behind COVID-19 research initiatives, four of South Africa’s best-known institutions offering health science education, which are producing many of the country’s doctors and dentists, have been wrestling with internal challenges. Read more
Computer ‘Glitch’ Deregisters ‘Underperforming’ Students
More than 120 students at Walter Sisulu University in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, could not finish their studies in 2020 after the institution wrongfully deregistered them due to a computer glitch…Read more
Contributions in Fight Against COVID Praised
The contribution of scientists who made the breakthrough on the efficacy of the vaccines against the 501Y.V2 variant found in South Africa has received praise from South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa for their contribution to the fight against COVID-19. Read more
COVID-19 Financial Woes Threaten to End Dreams of Thousands of Students
Many students don’t qualify for NSFAS funding and Universities South Africa’s CEO Ahmed said there needed to be more assistance for the so-called missing middle. Read more
DUT’S Agri-Hub Launch a Huge Success
The Durban University of Technology (DUT) Midlands Entrepreneurship Centre and Student Desk in partnership with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development; Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) and the Agribusiness Development Agency (ADA) hosted a virtual launch of their Agri-Hub via Microsoft Team… Read more
New Continental Platform for Open Access Publishing
A new continental platform for the open access publishing of journals, monographs and textbooks in Africa has been developed by South Africa’s University of Cape Town (UCT) through its library service. Read more
Open Access Directory Added to Accredited Journal List
The South African government has included a directory of open access journals in its officially recommended list of subsidy-bearing publications, opening up much greater access and sharing of information in higher education. Read more
Pretoria University Vets Perform Heart Surgery on Two Dogs…
Two University of Pretoria (UP) veterinary surgeons have performed life-saving heart surgery on two dogs by using a ground-breaking technique. This is a first in the 100-year history of the Faculty of Veterinary Science in Onderstepoort… Read more
Private Education in SA Growing Fast, Maturing Rapidly
A combination of factors have led to education in South Africa moving more and more into the privatisation arena, according to Dr Morne Mostert, director of the Institute for Futures Research at Stellenbosch University Business School. Read more
SA COVID-19 Vaccine Trials: Lessons for the Future
COVID-19 vaccine supplies are available in various parts of the world. But it’s clear that distribution is not symmetrical. High-income countries have access to disproportionate quantities of limited supplies. Read more
Science Minister Nzimande Outlines Govt Plan to Boost Scientific Research in SA
His department has so far spent R69.4 million funding COVID-19 research and innovation. About 21 projects are sustained through this investment. Read more
SME Development Programme to Benefit the Local Chemicals Sector
Chemicals sector education and training body the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (Chieta) and the University of Johannesburg Centre of Entrepreneurship have launched a small business development programme… Read more
South Africa’s Education Minister Says ‘an Educated Man Won’t Rape’
South Africa’s Education Minister has come under fire for her remarks that “an educated man won’t rape” while trying to explain the importance of education. Read more
Tertiary Institutions Struggling with Demand for Places
Tertiary institutions said they don’t have enough space for all the students that want to study and will finalise their admissions this week. Read more
Time for New Ideas on Higher Education Provision
The impact of COVID-19 on global higher education systems revealed the deficiencies of the current system and underlines the urgency for new ideas. Read more
UCT’s Energy Systems Research Group Weighs in on SA’s Nuclear Plan
Nuclear energy will cost the fiscus more, produce fewer jobs and take longer to meet South Africa’s energy needs than other energy options. Read more
UKZN Begins Phased-In Return to Campus
“Students who are at high risk of infection due to health issues, including comorbidities, are encouraged not to return to campus but rather to continue with remote online learning. Read more
UKZN Sets the Record Straight on ‘Operation Clever’ Probe into Fraud at Medical School
The University of KwaZulu-Natal has slammed the media reporting on matters in relations to ‘Operation Clever’, an investigation into allegations of fraud at its medical school. Read more
UKZN Spends R73m on ‘Cash for Places’ Investigation
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) says it has spent more than R73m on Operation Clever — a four-year investigation into allegations of “places for sale” at its medical school and other corrupt activities. Read more
UKZN SRC Fundraises for Students in Need
The university will provide the necessary support to the SRC with the collection and administering of donations through the auspices of the UKZN Foundation. Read more
University of Pretoria Researchers Receive Prestigious Grants…
Two University of Pretoria (UP) researchers are among nine researchers in South Africa who have received funding grants from the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) as part of the Strategic Health Innovation Partnerships (SHIP) programme. Read more
Universities of Technology Join Hands in Elite Network
A rigorous application process has culminated in the membership that has rendered the Central University of Technology (CUT) the first South African university to collaborate with the prestigious US-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)… Read more
UWC Academic Takes Mobility Research to New Heights…
Professor Bradley Rink, Associate Professor in the University of the Western Cape’s Department of Geography, Environment Studies and Tourism, has been awarded a 2021 Royal Geographical Society Wiley Digital Archives Research Fellowship. Read more
Winning PhD Highlights African Indigenous Knowledge Systems
University of Cape Town (UCT) PhD graduate Dr Cecilia Durojaye’s doctoral thesis has won the African Studies Review 2020 annual prize for the best Africa-based doctoral dissertation. Read more
WSU Academics Get Top Honours for Research Innovation
WSU’s office of the Vice-Chancellor had handsomely rewarded three of the institution’s most exceptional academics in the areas of Research, Teaching and Learning as well as Community Engagement at the annual Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Awards. Read more
31 January 2021
Decolonisation Through Inclusive Virtual Collaboration
“There is an urgency to rethink internationalisation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have to ensure that all students can participate in internationalisation and prepare them for a world in which they have to navigate unknown spaces.” Read more
Distance Linstitution Told to Reduce New Enrolments
Thousands of students hoping to enrol to study at the University of South Africa (UNISA) will not be able to realise their dreams after the university council was instructed by the Minister of Higher Education… Read more
French, Portuguese Should be Encouraged for Postgraduates
The majority of the population is conversant in multiple languages, and people code-switch comfortably, depending on the circumstance (English-speaking South Africans are the general exception). Read more
Online Learning Set to Continue, Financial Outlook Gloomy
South Africa’s Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Blade Nzimande, has outlined plans for the reopening of tertiary institutions amid the COVID-19 pandemic… Read more
Outgoing UCT Ombud Tells of Threats, Suspension and Censorship in Parting Letter
The outgoing University of Cape Town (UCT) Ombud’s parting letter to the institution reveals a tense relationship with management. Read more
Space Science Boost as MeerKAT Leads to Two New Galaxies
Africa’s space science may not be ready to send a manned craft to the moon, but the recent discoveries of two new giant radio galaxies using South Africa’s powerful MeerKAT telescope have served as a reminder of the continent’s growing space scientific capacity. Read more
Thought Leaders Discuss Design’s Role Towards a More Sustainable Future
According to Botes, who is also the President of the Design Education Forum of Southern Africa (DEFSA), the new-year presents the ideal opportunity to think about the ebbs and tides of the past, and arising opportunities ahead, and, with this, what influences design, past, present, and future. Read more
UCT Alum’s Book Chosen for South Africa’s World Read Aloud Day
Nal’ibali, the South African reading-for-enjoyment campaign, is inviting caregivers across the country to partake in World Read Aloud Day, where the chosen book was authored by a University of Cape Town (UCT) alum. Read more
UCT’s Herman Wasserman Leads Global Study on Disinformation
The scoping study aims to map the actors currently working in the counter-disinformation space and identify current frameworks upon which interventions are based; to learn from current approaches, tools and methods of countering disinformation… Read more
UCT Libraries’ New Platform Supports Publishing of African-Centric Research
The University of Cape Town (UCT) Libraries has developed a new continental platform for open access publishing in Africa. Read more
UKZN Community Assists Staff Affected by Fire
The UKZN community has assisted 23 staff members affected by a fire at Umgudulu Road, an informal settlement in Reservoir Hills in Durban. Read more
UKZN Suspends 2021 Reopening Due to Covid-19 Second Wave
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has announced that it will be postponing the reopening of its campuses on the 4 January 2021 in the best interests of the university community and their families following the recent presidential address. Read more
UJ Maths Guru Prof Michael Henning Receives Coveted A1 Rating…
University of Johannesburg (UJ) expert mathematician Professor Michael Henning has received a much-coveted A1 rating for the third time. Read more
Union Calls on Universities not to Abuse Workers by Calling them Back to Unsafe Campuses
Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande is expected to receive an updated report of how many staff members and students got infected by and died from Covid-19. Read more
Unisa Student Designs Innovative Bin to Solve Food Waste Problem
The frustration of seeing tons of food ending up as waste at many Tshwane dump sites compelled a Unisa education student to think out of the box. Read more
UP’s Faculty of Law Celebrates Youngest Current UP Professor
The Faculty of Law (UP Law) at the University of Pretoria (UP) recently announced the promotion of colleagues to higher academic rank. Among the successful candidates is UP law alumnus and scholar, Dr Joel Modiri, whose promotion to associate professor as from 1 January 2021 will also make him the youngest professor… Read more
Why I Choose COVID-19 Vaccination Based on Verifiable Evidence
A COVID-19 vaccine is on the way, but a huge hurdle will be to convince vaccine-hesitant people to receive it. Read more
Wits Scientists Artificially Infect Mosquitoes with Human Malaria to Develop Treatment
Wits University has partnered with local and global scientists to develop a treatment for malaria by infecting mosquitoes with human malaria. Read more
31 December 2020
Analysis Reveals Ivory Origins on 16th-Century Shipwreck
An international multi-institutional study initiated by the University of Cape Town (UCT) involving the scientific and historical analysis of elephant tusks found in the cargo of a ship wrecked off Namibia in the 16th century revealed some “remarkable” findings. Read more
Code of Conduct to Deal with Personal Information Use
Researchers fear that new legislation which restricts access to personal information in an effort to protect people’s privacy may exclude South Africa from the global academic mainstream. Read more
Fine Art’s Kieswetter Hold Virtual Exhibition as Part of Her Master’s Thesis
Durban based multi-disciplinary visual artist and Durban University of Technology’s (DUT’s) Fine Art graduate, Sarah Kieswetter recently held a virtual exhibition as part of her Master of Technology in Fine Art thesis. Read more
First Certified Foundational Khoekhoegowab Course for SA
The intergenerational transmission of the indigenous Khoekhoegowab language will be essential to its survival, activist and teacher Bradley van Sitters said at the culmination of the University of Cape Town’s (UCT)… Read more
Glimmer of Hope for Vaccine that Could Eradicate TB Reinfection
Tuberculosis reinfection may be a thing of the past if a vaccine that is being developed by the University of Cape Town researchers proves successful. Read more
Employing People with Disabilities is Good for Everyone
As 2020 draws to a close, and with the end of the COVID-19 pandemic not yet in sight, this is a useful time to reflect on lessons we may draw from our experiences of it. Read more
I had Sleepless Nights Trying to Meet Deadlines’
When South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the closure of South African schools and universities in March in response to the pandemic…Read more
Matrics University Applications Under Threat by Leaked Exam Papers
The Department of Basic Education said matric pupils’ applications to study at tertiary institutions may be affected if the results of the two leaked matric exam papers are not certified by Umalusi. Read more
Professor Salim Abdool Karim’s Talk Opens PRIS 2020 Online Symposium
Professor Salim Abdool Karim opened the PRIS 2020 online symposium with a talk about the current state of Covid-19 infections in SA and its implications for 2021. Read more
Recovering SA’s Economy Starts with Improved Access to Education
But for many young South Africans tertiary education is restricted – often seen to be expensive or out of reach for those who can’t get funding through NSFAS, bursaries or student loans. Read more
Rhodes Students Left in the Lurch: Exams Delayed, Funding not Extended…
Students attending classes at Rhodes University claim they have had to resort to begging and prostitution just to avoid starving during the exam period. Read more
S/Africa Sets Up 10th Medical School
South Africa’s 10th medical college will commence classes under the umbrella of the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) in Port Elizabeth… Read more
Shrimp-like Tanaids Mimic Hermit Crabs
University of Cape Town (UCT) marine biologist Dr Jannes Landschoff describes it as “an intriguing little animal” that lives like a hermit crab but isn’t a crab. Read more
Standard Bank-Sponsored Laptops Help…
Sheer gratitude is the sentiment shared by four students drawn from the 83 recipients of laptops at the Sefako Makgatho University of Health Sciences (SMU), that were recently purchased through a R 500 000 donation from the Standard Bank Group. Read more
S. African Minister Reiterates Call for Critical Skills for Development
South African Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Blade Nzimande on Tuesday called for the prioritization of the high demand jobs which would help develop the country. Read more
S/Africa’s Disrupted Varsity Calendar Extended to March 2021
South Africa’s higher education authorities “are working tirelessly to salvage what is left of the academic year” following the coronavirus pandemic disruption of the university calendar for the greater part of 2020. Read more
UCT VC Among Times Higher Education’s 10 People of the Year
University of Cape Town (UCT) Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng has been named among the Times Higher Education’s (THE) 10 People of the Year. Read more
UKZN Hosts Online Teaching and Learning Workshop for Staff
Director of Human Resources Development Mrs Busisiwe Ramabodu says the online teaching and learning series was a planned intervention by her division in response to COVID-19. Read more
UNISA Appoints First Female Vice Chancellor in 148 Years
The Council of the University of South Africa (UNISA) is proud to announce that, in a move unprecedented since the establishment of the university 148 years ago, it will have its first female Principal and Vice Chancellor… Read more
Wits University Refunds Students for Some Services Not Used in 2020
Wits University has agreed to a fee reduction for a number of services not used by students due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Read more
30 November 2020
A Meeting on Decolonisation of Pedagogy Raises Fierce Debates Among Academics
A robust engagement around pedagogy in higher education institutions ensued on Friday, 30 October 2020, during the Transformation Managers’ Forum (TMF) webinar. Read more
A UWC Panel Believes South Africa Needs More Women Techpreneurs
Women needed to be encouraged to consider a future career in tech and entrepreneurship. This view was expressed by three women in a panel discussion on the viability of techpreneurship as an option for the future. Read more
COVID-19 Prompts Calls for Library-Friendly Copyright Laws
COVID-19 is taking its toll on libraries since teaching and learning moved online earlier this year. Shortages of textbooks and other printed material, exorbitant textbook prices and copyright problems have proved especially challenging. Read more
COVID-19 Proves to have been a Game Changer in 2020 Public
When CoVID-19 froze contact meetings and sent organisations scrambling to find alternative modes of engagement, Universities South Africa and its programmes were not spared. Read more
Era of Language Changes Planned for Universities
Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande has published a new language policy framework for public higher education institutions in South Africa. Read more
Ethiopian Doctoral Graduate Described as a “Success Story”
Dr Zelalem Getahun Dessie, who was awarded a PhD degree in Statistics during the UKZN Spring Graduation virtual ceremony, was described as a ‘success story’. Read more
Gamification of Education Could Engage Students During COVID-19
African universities are starting to join the movement towards digital game-based learning (DGBL) and are recognising its potential in developing skills and enhancing motivation. Read more
Gender-Based Violence
Gender-based violence (GBV) is a term that constitutes various forms of abuse, and which could occur in teaching and learning spaces, workspaces, residences and public spaces, including at the University of Pretoria (UP). Read more
IHE Policy that Could be a Model for Developing Countries
On 6 November, the South African Policy for Internationalisation of Higher Education was promulgated and became legally binding. This is a milestone for South African higher education. Read more
Inconsistent Pay for Varsity Heads and Executives Probed
South African vice-chancellors’ salaries are under the microscope following a request from parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Technology for a probe on the inconsistent levels of remuneration for varsity heads and executives. Read more
Lobbying for Equitable Vaccine Access at G20 Summit Welcomed
South Africa’s plea to G20 leaders to help ensure equitable and affordable access for all countries to a suitable COVID-19 vaccine once it is developed, has been welcomed by a group of local academics who has been lobbying for this cause. Read more
Labour Unrest Grows Amid Sector’s Increasing Money Troubles
While the strike action of academic staff in Nigeria has entered its eighth month, rumblings of discontent from faculty and students in other countries have been emerging and growing louder amid increasing financial difficulties in the higher education sector. Read more
Men, Gender Equality and the Search for Gender Harmony
They prevent societies from optimising their human resources, and they impose on men expectations which ultimately limit them as people while making broader societal equality and harmony impossible, said University of Cape Town (UCT) gender scholar Dr Robert Morrell. Read more
Mentorship Aims at Enhancing Graduate Employability
The transition from student to employee can be daunting, and frequently there’s a lack of work-readiness and guidance, which can place young graduates at a disadvantage as they enter the world of work. Read more
New Proposals to Get More South Africans into University
The Department of Higher Education and Training is considering a new ‘articulation policy’ which aims to better align the country’s universities, technical colleges and other education institutions with one another. Read more
NSFAS Employees Say Administrator’s Friends were Irregularly Appointed
Members of Parliament (MPs) expressed their horror about alleged mismanagement at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)… Read more
Police Investigating After Student’s Body Found on Campus…
Western Cape police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 25-year-old man on Friday afternoon… Read more
Search for Ways to Avert more Covid-19 Infections at Universities
Failure by students to adhere to lockdown safety regulations by hosting parties and carelessly mingling is of great concern and needs urgent action. Read more
The Culmination of Six Years of Work for Emeritus Professor
Emeritus Professor Poobhalan Pillay of the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science (SMSCS) has written an e-book, 1000 Mathematics Olympiad Problems, to help pupils from Grade 7 to Grade 12 improve their mathematics skills.
Trainee Doctors from Cuba Perceived as ‘Foreign and Incompetent’
Universities are stigmatising and alienating South African medical students who have been trained in Cuba as part of a bilateral programme which currently trains about 40% of the country’s future doctors when they return to complete the last leg of their degrees. Read more
Transforming Higher Education Landscape is Prof Puleng LenkaBula top Priority
Unisa’s newly appointed vice-chancellor reflects on her new job and what she hopes to achieve. In a historic first, the University of South Africa (Unisa) has appointed a woman as its principal and vice-chancellor. Read more
Uncertain Financial Outlook for Tertiary Sector in 2021
Amid the prospect of subsidy cuts brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, South African universities are facing significant financial hurdles in 2021. Read more
University of KwaZulu-Natal’s InQubate Showcases its Success Stories…
At the three-day national Student Entrepreneurship Week (#SEW2020) that was hosted by Universities South Africa’s Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) programme last week, the audience got to hear that the KwaZulu-Natal’s InQubate has, in the past two years since its launch, approved 50 student-owned businesses for funding. Read more
Vice-Chancellors Concerned Over Super Spreader Students
Despite over 19,500 COVID-19 deaths to date and an average of 1,200 new infections reported in South Africa every day, university students on several campuses seem to be partying up a storm and disregarding safety precautions. Read more
Virtual Staff Onboarding the ICTS Way
The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown have presented everyone with challenges at home and in the workplace. Read more
31 October 2020
Archives Can Help Transform our Tertiary Institutions
Archives, in particular music archives, can help with curriculum reform and transformation at tertiary institutions, writes Dr Lizabé Lambrechts from the Africa Open Institute for Music, Research and Innovation… Read more
Bullying is ‘Rife’ at Higher Education Institutions
Bullying is rife at tertiary education institutions throughout South Africa and does not only affect women, according to Brightness Mangolothi, the director of Higher Education Resource Services South Africa (HERS-SA). Read more
Campuses Open to All, Including International Students
International students can now join the nearly 245,650 or 40% of South African contact students who have already obtained permits to return to their university campuses. Read more
Coping with COVID-19: It Is Okay to Seek Help, Says VC Prof Kupe
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant changes in our lives. It is not only a disease crisis; it is a crisis of society, the economy, sustainability, of governance on the continent and globally – and of well-being. Read more
Hard Work and the Right Attitude is What Employers Want …
A good attitude and hard work will indeed get you far in life – and there’s empirical evidence of that. This is according to the results of a study that was led in part by Professor Berendien Lubbe of the University of Pretoria’s… Read more
International Relations and Cooperation Hosts Virtual Global Cyber Policy Dialogue…
South Africa and the Netherlands in partnership with the EastWest Institute and Research ICT Africa will co-host a virtual Global Cyber Policy Dialogue for Southern Africa… Read more
Just Transition Transaction Case Study – Towards Energy Equity
Three University of Cape Town (UCT) climate change experts have carried out a case study to understand what a just transition of South Africa’s energy landscape into a low-carbon environment could look like. Read more
Living Life Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
Fear, stigma and poverty remain the fiercest enemies in our fight against COVID-19. Yet, when considered within the South African context, these are hardly new phenomena. Read more
National Geographic Society Profiles UP Researcher Who Traces Ancient Human Diseases
Dr Riaan Rifkin, a Research Fellow at the University of Pretoria (UP), was honoured with a profile in a recent edition of National Geographic Society for his work on tracing the DNA of ancient human diseases. Read more
Online as the ‘New Normative’ Will Damage Public Interests
Teaching practice at universities across South Africa has been radically changed following the COVID-19 pandemic and the cessation of contact sessions. Students have been unable to attend lectures, stay in university-managed residences or enjoy normal campus life. Read more
Publish, Profit, Predate, Perish and Peer Review
From the COVID-19 ‘infodemic’, dubious practices from peer reviewers to academics and predatory publishers, the South African Journal of Science’s latest edition sets out to detail the measures in place to mitigate against ‘bad, fast science’ and ensure the integrity of critical academic citizenhood. Read more
Ramaphosa, African Union Should Lead to Get COVID-19 Waiver
A group of more than 40 South African academics who have thrown their weight behind the proposal that global intellectual property rights should not apply to COVID-19 medicines has called on South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to provide an urgent ‘substantive’ response to a letter they wrote to the presidency. Read more
Test on the Bench as School-Leavers Vie for Available Places in 2021
The national benchmark test that many South African universities have been using for undergraduate student admission into some disciplines has been put on hold because of the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic to the 2021 testing programme. Read more
UCT Rises in Research Rankings
UCT moved from 121st to 103rd position in the 2021 US News & World Report Best Global Universities rankings… Read more
UCT the Only Financial Times Ranked MBA School in Africa
The University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB) is the only business school in Africa to feature in the prestigious Financial Times rankings for its groundbreaking Executive MBA programme. Read more
UKZN Ranks #332 in the Latest Best Global Universities Rankings
The Best Global Universities rankings measure academic research performance, such as highly cited research papers, and the global and regional reputations of nearly 1 500 of the world’s top universities from more than 80 countries. Read more
Universities Say Policies Protect Victims
More than half of the universities in South Africa have indicated that they have policies in place and are proactively dealing with complaints of bullying at their institutions. Read more
UP Students Revamp Hartfield Community Park
The students did the project as part of their 40 field hours for the community-based project module (JCP). Read more
Vice-Chancellor, Ombud Battle on About Bullying
The University of Cape Town (UCT) Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng has broken her silence on the ongoing controversy involving UCT’s ombud, who has reported staff allegations of bullying against Phakeng and has been critical of UCT’s handling of the matter. Read more
What to Do as a Final-Year Student During a Pandemic
In all probability 2020 will be remembered as a year filled with challenges, agony, new possibilities and a sense of globality – we were, after all, ‘stuck in this together’. At times, this year has left us uncertain and perhaps even dumbfounded. Read more
Women Continue to Dominate Rhodes University SRC
In an unprecedented follow-up, Rhodes University Student Representative Council (SRC) was this year dominated by women yet again. Read more
30 September 2020
Battling a Pandemic: An African Perspective
Researchers from the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) faculties of Health Sciences and Science have recently published a paper describing an African perspective on global approaches to the fight against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2… Read more
Can Black Academics be Supported in Toxic Institutional Cultures?
In two recent reports about black academics, there are a number of underlying issues which need to be addressed from a broader sociological/higher education studies perspective, going beyond merely describing the obstacles and problems that they confront. Read more
COVID-19 Highlights the Need for Universities to Evolve
In times of crisis we are compelled to change our strategies and move away from conventional approaches. Read more
Decolonisation of the Humanities – No Easy Answers
“The decolonisation of the humanities curriculum in South Africa is a process, not an event,” according to Professor Vasu Reddy, dean of the faculty of humanities at South Africa’s University of Pretoria. Read more
Design Thinking During a Pandemic
The three p’s essential to design thinking are people (collaboration among teammates), process and place. But as the COVID-19 pandemic hit South Africa, the d-school, like other institutions of learning in the country, was forced to reinvent their courses and their set-up. Read more
Enactus Team Ranked Top 16 in the World
This is a huge achievement as the team has now positioned UKZN on the top one percent globally when it comes to social entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable impact by Enactus teams in higher institutions. Read more
Engineering 4.0 – A Road to a Smart Future
Consider that South Africa is 18th in the world in terms of the longest network of paved roads. By ‘paved’ we mean bitumen-surfaced and concrete roads. We have 158,000 kilometres of paved roads and a total road network (paved and gravel) of 750,000 kilometres. Read more
Graduates Face an Increasingly Uncertain Future
Graduate under-employment is not new; neither will it disappear any time soon. In fact, it is bound to worsen as the economy declines and with it, employment. Read more
Healthcare’s ‘Toxic’ Working Conditions Exposed in Student’s Documentary
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of the South African healthcare system and highlighted the need to protect the country’s frontline workers and its limited healthcare resources. Read more
HE Gender-Based Violence Plan – Milestone or ‘Soft Nudge’?
Efforts to end the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) at institutions of higher education in South Africa have often been marred by inefficient coordination and inadequate budget provisions. Read more
Human Connection in a Time of Digitised University Education
The global pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to every aspect of societal engagement. Read more
Internationalisation Must Go On, even if Borders are Closed
Amid travel bans and social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, universities have had to find innovative ways to remain part of the global knowledge economy and continue their efforts in internationalisation, Read more
Is Internationalisation in Jeopardy?
Given the Covid-19 pandemic, lockdowns and travel restrictions, internationalisation at universities is said to be in jeopardy. Read more
Many Students Lack Adequate Resources for Remote Learning, UCT Study Reveals
Amidst the covid-19 pandemic, tertiary education institutions moved lectures online in a bid to save the academic year. Read more
New Network of Experts will Focus on Supporting HE Reform
The South African Technology Network (SATN) and its local and international partners have been successful in applying to the European Commission to establish a South African chapter of the network for Higher Education Reform Experts (HEREs). Read more
Racism in Academia – Reports Call for Tangible Interventions
Universities and academic science are riddled with racism, according to present and former vice-chancellors at two of South Africa’s leading higher education institutions. Read more
Reclaiming Optimism in a Shifting Higher Education Landscape
COVID-19 has served as a non-negotiable change agent in higher education, leaving universities with little choice but to migrate to online technologies. Read more
South-South Partnership to Boost African Research Capacity
A new partnership between South Africa’s University of Pretoria and the Kenya-headquartered Partnership for African Social Governance Research (PASGR) will boost capacity-building, especially for postgraduate students and early- to mid-career researchers in Africa. Read more
SA Higher Education Must Ensure no International Student is Left Behind…
South Africa has established itself as a regional higher education hub, which has until the recent Covid-19 pandemic been hosting increasing numbers of international students. Read more
Student Success Initiative Extends Its Reach with ‘Network 2.0’
Student success initiative Siyaphumelela recently launched the Siyaphumelela Network 2.0 which carries forward the work, achievements and learning from the first phase of the initiative focused on using data analytics to improve student experiences and success. Read more
The WiL to power – Addressing gender Inequality in HE Leadership
Gender inequality within our universities is a pervasive issue permeating higher education across Africa and internationally. Read more
UCT Alumna’s NPO Delivers Learning Material During Lockdown
Headed by Dr Heidi Segal, a University of Cape Town (UCT) alumna, Outliers is a network of 200 after-school tutoring programmes that supports thousands of learners from under-resourced communities. Read more
UCT Medical Students Make a Difference on the Frontline
Students from the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Faculty of Health Sciences have spent the past few months on the frontline, playing their part in the country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more
UCT Sorry for Nonracialism Clanger in Article About Transformation
The University of Cape Town apologised on Thursday for an article on its website which said it was opposed to nonracialism. Read more
UKZN Among Top 400 Universities in the World
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has for the first time ever been ranked among the top 400 best performing universities in the world according to the latest 2020/2021 Times Higher Education (THE) rankings. Read more
UKZN and AgriSETA Collaborate for the Good of Agriculture in SA
UKZN’s School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences (SAEES) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Agriculture Sector Education Training Authority (AgriSETA)… Read more
Universities Join Forces to Strengthen Teaching Practicals During Covid-19 and Beyond
For the first time in South Africa’s history, universities that offer teacher education programmes have joined forces to produce a practice-focused module available to all institutions that offer pre-service teacher education programmes. Read more
University Rankings Don’t Measure What Matters
International rankings of universities are big business and big news. These systems order universities on the basis of a variety of criteria such as student to staff ratio, income from industry, and reputation as captured through public surveys. Read more
Wits Students Design Drone that can be Used for Covid-19 Screening
Growing up in Soweto, Wits University student Xolani Radebe had no idea that he would one day design a drone with his business partners that could be used for Covid-19 screening. Read more
30 August 2020
Artwork Outside of Stellies Law Faculty Brings SA’s Constitution to Life
Cape Town – An artwork depicting the preamble of the Constitution of South Africa is being erected in front of Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Law Faculty building, the Old Main Building. Read more
Career Guidance and Psychosocial Learner Support at Diepsloot Combined School
Every year, a large number of matriculants from disadvantaged communities exit school with little to no information about how to pursue their studies at institutions of higher learning and other available opportunities due to lack of career guidance at schools. Read more
Concern Over Cuts to Higher Education, Science Budgets
Budget cuts and the diversion of resources to ameliorate the effects of COVID-19 are set to negatively impact higher education in South Africa, as well as national science and research systems, casting doubt over the system’s ability to meet postgraduate and PhD targets,… Read more
Fascination with the Microscopic Drives Ground-Breaking Research
…UKZN’s College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science is honouring its female scientists through a Wonder Women in Science campaign, highlighting women who are passionate about their fields, pioneering innovative research and development, … Read more
Free State TVET Students Register Highest Covid-19 Deaths
Free State has recorded the highest number of deaths from Covid-19 among students in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges. Read more
Lockdown Highlights Need for Holistic Approach to Educating SA’s Township Youth
“The last four months have thrown open the playbook on how we should be addressing the educational challenges facing [orphaned and vulnerable] learners and students in our townships,” … Read more
More Black Students at University, But Still Starting at a Disadvantage
The number of enrolments at universities increased by 40% in 12 years and, on average, white students performed better than black, coloured and Indian first-time undergraduates. Read more
No Jobs for Graduates in Struggling Economy
Despondent university graduates, who are without work, are demanding action from the government. A few dozen members of the Unemployed Graduate Movement gathered in Pretoria for a March to the Union Buildings. Read more
The Long-Term Goal for Universities – Quality Blended Learning
In South Africa, switching to online teaching and learning has in some instances presented anxiety and uncertainty among academics and students. Read more
Three South African Vice-Chancellors Paint a Post-COVID Picture for Universities
The Conversation Africa’s Nontobeko Mtshali asked vice-chancellors from three South African universities to share their insights about what these changes could mean for the country’s higher education landscape. Read more
Overseas-Trained Doctors Blocked from Practising in SA
The latest regulations by the Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA) could leave many internationally-trained South African doctors unable to practise medicine in the country. Read more
Sibanye-Stillwater and Wits University Collaborate for Health Workers
Sibanye-Stillwater and the University of Witwatersrand have collaborated to produce face shields for frontline health workers in communities around the Group`s South African operations and in the Eastern Cape Province. Read more
South African Higher Education’s Opportunity to Embrace Digital Transformation
New models for online learning can help reduce inequality and improve access, say experts. Read more
Transformation at UCT: Statistics Paint a Bleak Picture
Johannesburg – Amid ongoing tension over the controversial leadership of Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, vice-chancellor of UCT, is a constant unsubstantiated suggestion of an anti-transformation force on campus – but the university’s 2019 report on change shows that the problem may reside with nobody but Phakeng and her executive team. Read more
UKZN Helps Source Generous Donation of Masks for SA Medical Students
UKZN was among the Higher Education Institutions in South Africa which benefitted from a Solidarity Fund donation of hundreds of thousands of masks for final-year Medical students who recently returned to campuses to resume studies after the easing of the national lockdown restrictions. Read more
UKZN Rocket Scientist Shoots into Top 10
Durban – While Durban rocket scientist Kai Broughton, 27, would jump at the chance to go into space, it’s the engineering behind space rockets which drives him. Read more
University Cancels Event Featuring Mbongeni Ngema
The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) has cancelled an event in which playwright and seasoned actor Mbongeni Ngema was to be a main speaker. Read more
University Education is Key to Preventing Future Outbreaks
A spotlight has been placed on the role of scientific research and the study of viruses and diseases, due to the outbreak of Covid-19. Read more
Universities’ Response to GBV Could be More Effective…
A shortage of resources and inadequate policies were last week presented as main obstacles in fighting the scourge of gender-based violence in institutions of higher learning. Read more
Universities Given Deadline to Complete 2020 Academic Year
Universities in SA have been given until February to complete the 2020 academic year with the 2021 calendar set to start between March and April. Read more
UP and South African Women in Dialogue Make Long-Standing Partnership Official
The University of Pretoria (UP) has signed a game-changing agreement with South African Women in Dialogue (SAWID) to collaborate on projects to improve the lives of women. Read more
UP and University of Leeds Collaborate on Digital Project to Teach Kids About
The University of Pretoria (UP) and the University of Leeds are working together on a project to determine if children between eight and 12 years old can learn about COVID-19 through a storybook and/or by playing an online game. Read more
UP Campus Tours Team Offers Virtual Tours for you to Experience from the Comfort of Your Home
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought disruptions that require industries to be innovative and think of new ways to do things. This was significant to the University of Pretoria Campus Tours (UP Campus Tours) team that had to change their game plan and leverage on the global innovation and drive the rich heritage and promising future of the University of Pretoria to greater heights. Read more
UP Hosts First Ever Virtual Women in Science Symposium to Celebrate
Professor Thuli Madonsela, former Public Protector and current Social Justice Chair at Stellenbosch University, was the keynote speaker during the virtual Women in Science Symposium hosted recently by the University of Pretoria. Read more
UP Malaria Expert on the Tiny Animal
Mosquitoes are found virtually anywhere on Earth. They are annoying with their itchy bites and incessant buzzing at the most untimely moments, but there is more to them than the nuisance factor. Read more
31 July 2020
3 Fundamental Ways Technology is Changing Education
The introduction of the fourth industrial revolution has already been transforming the education sector over the past two decades, with technology allowing students to access education from anywhere at any time. Read more
Business School Embraces Training on Agriculture Management
The name says it all, remarks director Kobus Jonker. The Tshwane School of Business and Society reflects the fact that business education should be about more than helping the formal sector deepen its established well of knowledge. Read more
Concern Over Cuts to Higher Education, Science Budgets
Budget cuts and the diversion of resources to ameliorate the effects of COVID-19 are set to negatively impact higher education in South Africa, as well as national science and research systems, casting doubt over the system’s ability to meet postgraduate and PhD targets… Read more
Convalescent Plasma – a Possible COVID-19 Therapy
Investigators at the University of Cape Town (UCT) are working with the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) and the Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS) to conduct the PROTECT-patient trial. Read more
Court Orders Distance University to Retain Afrikaans
South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal has ruled that the removal of Afrikaans as a language of instruction by the University of South Africa (UNISA), the largest open distance education institution in Africa, was unlawful and unconstitutional. Read more
Covid-19 and Its Impact on South Africa’s Higher Education Institutions…
As we continue to witness the massive impact Covid-19 has on life as we knew it, education, academic and personal development must continue… Read more
COVID-19 info for Africa by Africans
ARI cofounder Thabo Mabuka, a chemical engineering graduate from UCT’s Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment, said his organisation brings essential information about issues that affect the continent to its people. Read more
Covid-19: Higher Education Academic Year Likely to End in March 2021…
The academic year in the higher education sector will probably only end in March next year, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Blade Nzimande said. Read more
COVID-19: ‘This is not the End of Contact Teaching’
“If the higher education sector believes that digital education should replace contact teaching and learning, it runs the risk of producing highly qualified people with severely underdeveloped human or social skills. They will just be robots.” Read more
First Female Council Chair, Deputy at University of Cape Town
South Africa’s University of Cape Town has for the first time in its history elected two females to its council chair and deputy positions. Read more
International Research Collaborations: How Can We Shift the Power Towards Africa?
The higher education sector globally has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Academics have been discussing various aspects of the disruptions in a series of webinars organised by the University of Cape Town. Read more
Is the Rhetoric of Research ‘Excellence’ Holding Us Back?
Opting for a broader and fluid concept of excellence requires developing measures able to capture multiple dimensions where we expect research to deliver social value. Read more
New Wits University Leader – A Choice Widely Welcomed
The appointment of nuclear physicist Professor Zeblon Vilakazi as the new vice-chancellor of one of South Africa’s premier institutions, the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), has received widespread support from stakeholders and industry representatives. Read more
Online Learning Must Remain a Key Component of Teaching Systems
A music teacher says she has composed a song to express what she feels about transitioning to online teaching and learning. Read more
Providing International Experience Virtually
The number of undergraduate students travelling for part or all of their degrees has increased dramatically in the last few years. Read more
South Africa’s Destination Reputation is on the Line
South Africa has established itself as a regional higher education hub, which has until the recent COVID-19 pandemic been hosting increasing numbers of international students. Read more
Student Accommodation: Designing for the New Normal
The Covid-19 pandemic continues to create uncertainty for the country’s higher education sector. In addition to the cost of shifting to online learning, massive losses in revenue and unpredictable 2021 enrolments will see universities face increasing financial strain. Read more
The Impact of Covid-19 on Employability in Higher Education
As South Africa celebrated Youth Month, we all know that youth unemployment is one of the country’s greatest challenges. This has all been unfortunately amplified in our current Covid-19 context. Read more
Three Saving Hacks for Higher Education
Saving is a lifestyle choice. Like most things, saving takes practice and discipline. The Savings Institute of South Africa has designated July on the South African calendar as “Savings Month”, to promote a culture of saving in South Africa. Read more
Transformation as a Contradiction at UCT
The University of Cape Town (UCT) has released a report which looks at various contradictions, but also moves towards transformation. Read more
UCT to Finish the 2020 Academic Year Through Remote Teaching
The University of Cape Town has taken a decision to finish the 2020 academic year through remote teaching. Read more
UKZN Secures COVID-19 Rapid Tester
The College of Health Sciences (CHS) at UKZN has secured an advanced instrument called the ILEX Genehecker (ultra-fast pcr) valued at $10 000 to conduct rapid testing for COVID-19. Read more
Universities are Learning to Change – Together
A recent webinar involving senior leaders of higher education from South Africa, France, Switzerland and Germany revealed that institutions across the world faced some similar challenges in the shift to online learning during COVID-19-induced lockdowns. Read more
Universities of Technology in the Post-COVID-19 Landscape
Similar to commerce and industry, universities have in recent times had to revert to coping and turnaround strategies to address economic, geo-political, societal, technological and environmental demands… Read more
30 June 2020
A ‘Scientific’ Approach to Pandemic Lacking Transparency
The South African government has been praised for its comparatively rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing a strict lockdown within three weeks of its first recorded case. Read more
An Inclusive Approach to a Post-Pandemic Future
While the South African government took early strides to contain the spread of the coronavirus, a group of academics and civil society actors are now turning their collective thinking to how the country should be managing its socio-economic recovery in a post-pandemic dispensation – using the wealth of expertise available in the country to do so. Read more
Attorney Threatens Legal Action to Get Universities Reopened
Prominent attorney Comfort Ngidi is threatening legal action against three top universities in the province of KwaZulu-Natal if lectures do not resume soon under alert level three. Read more
Boost for E-Waste Recovery Project
A University of Cape Town (UCT) project focusing on the recovery of valuable metals from e-waste through small-scale, local recyclers is among six recipients of the 2020 German-African Innovation Incentive Award (GAIIA). Read more
Face Masks During Exercise: UP Experts Weigh in on What You Should Consider…
Two University of Pretoria (UP) researchers have offered useful tips to gym bunnies and sports enthusiasts hoping to get back into action as the world adjusts to a new normal caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more
Governments to Bail Out Struggling Universities
Governments should provide financial assistance to those universities that are experiencing loss from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more
How 2020 May Equip Students to Make an Impact Beyond Expectations
The Covid-19 pandemic has profoundly disrupted life as we know it. Crucially, it is disproportionately affecting our youth and driving up our already dire youth unemployment rate. Read more
In Repurposing Education, Leave No Student – or University – Behind
Improving access to higher education is not only about opening doors to more people, says Professor Mpine Makoe, director of open distance e-learning at the University of South Africa. Read more
It’s Time to Rethink the Global University
The pandemic has disrupted higher education international activities and the financial models on which universities increasingly depend. But the previous model was already problematic, contributing to global warming and benefitting rich universities more than poor. Read more
…How Our Universities can Turn the International Student Crisis into an Opportunity
The impact of Covid-19 on New Zealand’s international education sector can hardly be overstated. Almost overnight, the global travel ban thwarted the plans of thousands of international students. Lecture theatres, halls of residence and private accommodations stood empty. Read more
Making the Most of an ‘Equal Opportunity Pandemic’
A wide-ranging webinar on COVID-19 and higher education in Africa revealed that while higher education leaders recognise the challenges ahead, particularly in the shift to greater reliance on digital education, they are determined to see the pandemic as an opportunity for positive change. Read more
National Peer Review Weighs up Quality of Education Journals
An evaluation by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) of South African educational journals has recommended that three out of 17 of those assessed be removed from the Department of Higher Education and Training’s (DHET) official list of accredited journals. Four others were ‘conditionally’ accepted for the list. Read more
Party Political Meddling Threatens Future of Universities
Patronage student politics at South African universities has stoked a fierce debate about the future of post COVID-19 higher education in the country, as campuses increasingly become strategic sites in a national contestation for material resources and social capital. Read more
Post-COVID-19: South Africa advised to Invest in Water Security Infrastructure
The South African Academy of Engineering (SAAE) has written to President Ramaphosa to advise him to focus infrastructure investment in the Post-Covid19 period on projects that will support jobs and the economy. Read more
PMR.africa Ranks UKZN’s Business School Third Best in SA
The Graduate School of Business and Leadership (GSB&L) has been ranked third in South Africa based on a survey conducted between March and May this year by the Professional Management Review (PMR) of South African Accredited Business Schools. Read more
Six UCT researchers are ‘Science Oscars’ finalists
Also known as the ‘Science Oscars’ of South Africa, the NSTF Awards were established in 1998 to recognise outstanding contributions to science, engineering, technology and innovation by professionals, teams and organisations in South Africa. Read more
Some Universities Admitted Students Illegally in 2019 Session
Some universities in the country did not comply with the rules set by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board in the 2019 session in the admission process. Read more
Sparks Fly Over Study on Black Students and Biological Sciences
The council of the Academy of Science of South Africa has defended the editorial independence of its flagship journal – the South African Journal of Science (SAJS) – and the right of any academic to submit for publication the results of research in the scholarly journal subject to editorial review processes. Read more
South African Technology Solution Brings Hope to Events Industry
While the moratorium on large events and gatherings imposed by COVID has wreaked havoc with the multi-million rand events industry in South Africa, 3D, interactive, virtual exhibition software created in the country is cause for hope. Read more
Taking the Covid-19 Message to Communities
Dr Prudence Kayoka-Kabongo of Unisa’s Department of Agriculture and Animal Health in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES) explains that one of the ways that the university plays its part during lockdown is through community engagement. Read more
The First Covid-19 Vaccine Trial in South Africa Begins
The first participants in South Africa’s first clinical trial for a vaccine against Covid-19 will be vaccinated this week. Read more
UCT Pays Homage to COVID-19 Frontline Workers
Conceptualised and produced by UCT’s video production unit in the Communication and Marketing Department (CMD), the video features the UCT Choir and campus essential workers, such as cleaning staff and Campus Protection Services. Read more
UKZN Brings Open Day to the Public
UKZN’s College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science has not let the national COVID-19 lockdown stand between it and its customers. Instead, it has moved its Open Day online! Read more
UP’s Own ‘Bones’ and MakerSpace Hopes to Print Replicas of Human Bones in 3D
…UP’s Forensic Anthropology Research Centre in the Faculty of Health Sciences, is working with the Department of Library Services’ MakerSpace Centre to print replicas of human bones in 3D. Read more
University of Pretoria Food Safety Expert Warns Food Safety Crisis…
One of South Africa’s top food safety experts, Professor Lise Korsten, has warned that the country cannot afford another food-borne outbreak like the listeriosis crisis of 2017/18 in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more
What Do Former Student Leaders Think of #FeesMustFall?
A quarter of a century into democracy – and with the dust barely settled from the #FeesMustFall student protests which rocked the country in 2015 and 2016, South Africa’s higher education institutions still face numerous challenges. Read more
31 May 2020
A Global Scientific Alliance Uniting Genomics and Public Health (PHA4GE)
The South African National Bioinformatics Institute (SANBI) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) was asked to play a leading role in the coordination of national research of infectious viruses like Covid-19. Read more
Already on the Back Foot, Can Fort Hare Save its Academic Year?
As some universities around South Africa hone their lockdown plans to move to online teaching, there are increasing indications that 2020 could become an academic write-off for the already beleaguered University of Fort Hare. Read more
COVID-19 – Academy Joins Calls for Multidisciplinary Approach
The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) has called on the government to include social scientists and humanities scholars in its advisory bodies in recognition of the fact that the pandemic is not only a medical problem but a social problem as well. Read more
COVID-19 is Changing How We Talk to Each Other
If Covid-19 has a silver lining, it may be this: it is making humans around the world realise how much we all share, how much we all stand to lose, how much we need to work together, and how we lead each other without physical contact…Read more
Covid-19 Update (30) – Wits Prepares for the return of some students
Final year students and other identified groups of students expected to return to campus from 8 June 2020. Read more
COVID-19: UP Prioritises Access to Online Learning and Mental Health…
Effective online learning is about more than just compiling slides and sending them to students, says the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Tawana Kupe. Read more
Doing Research in Isolation – A Guide to Thriving
When South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a nationwide lockdown on 23 March, academic institutions were faced with a new reality and concerns about how to resume the academic year. Read more
Drug Programme Showcases Benefits of Multidisciplinarity
When the sciences and humanities collaborate, exceptional work is possible. Read more
Dubious Remedies will not Decolonise Africa
So-called African solutions that are often uncritically accepted as ‘good’ do nothing for the continent. Read more
EMC Approval of SOP Carves a Way Forward for Laying a Foundation for the Return of Staff
Working under pressure and online; the MUT COVID-19 Task Team has developed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) document. Read more
EMS Student Heroes: Fighting Covid-19 on the Frontline
As the global community continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic, our health workers have emerged as the heroes of this crisis. Among them are many of our very own CPUT students who are working selflessly to help others. Some are risking their own lives at the frontlines. Read more
Going Online – Psychological Support is Also Needed
Many universities pledged to begin officially teaching online on 4 May. Many are currently assessing the availability of ‘physical’ resources like laptops, data, etc to ensure their students’ preparedness to participate in online teaching and learning. Read more
HE Department Unveils Plan to ‘Save the Academic Year’
The 2020 academic year, involving 27 weeks of contact learning, is likely to spill over into next year, drawing to a close either at the end of January, February, March or April 2021, depending on when students can safely return to campuses. Read more
How a Post-COVID-19 Revival Could Kickstart Africa’s Free Trade Area
The COVID-19 pandemic, notwithstanding its devastating impact on the health and economies of Africa, could be an opportunity to advance the free trade area in a more developmental, inclusive and mutually beneficial way for African countries… Read more
Medical Students Forgo Recess to Join War Against COVID-19
On Friday 13 March, Luné Smith, a fifth-year medical student at South Africa’s Stellenbosch University, attended the last of her lectures before students were expected to return home for an early recess in accordance with the government’s coronavirus lockdown rules. Read more
Medical Students Volunteer to Step out of the Classroom into the Coronavirus Pandemic
Hundreds of health science students have organised themselves into volunteering groups to assist medical staff at Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town during the Covid-19 pandemic. Read more
Minister Blade Nzimande Calls for African Solutions to Coronavirus Covid-19…
The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, assured Africa’s scientific community that just as the continent had defeated colonial and racial oppression, so too would it overcome the novel coronavirus. Read more
Minister Denies Threat to Academic Freedom of Medical Scientist
South Africa’s Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize this week denied there had been any interference with academic freedom in the case of Professor Glenda Gray, head of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC),… Read more.
NSFAS Students Urged to Use Allowances to Buy Learning Devices
Students receiving aid from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) have been urged to use their learning material allowances to purchase learning devices so they could learn remotely during lockdown. Read more
Pandemic Launches Rhodes University into New Method of Teaching and Learning
Although the concept of remote teaching at Rhodes University is not new, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought this form of teaching and learning sharply into focus. Read more
Programme to Connect Future South African Leaders to Global Conversation in a Post-Covid-19 World
The University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business has become the first business school in sub-Saharan Africa to join CEMS – Global Alliance in Management Education. Read more
Support Staff and Long Shadow Implications of COVID-19
How prepared are university administrators to keep pace with the new (intangible) normal? Can we, as suggested by the director of the Academic Cooperation Association, Bernd Wächter, find smarter ways of living, working, learning and moving? Read more
Social Science Shows it Can Contribute to COVID-19 Policy-Making
In recent weeks, University World News has published a number of articles about universities and their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. These included an article on the multiple and the many-faceted contributions by the 16 members of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA). Read more
The Struggle to Save and Remake Public Higher Education
Public higher education is at serious risk. Universities premised on knowledge creation and dissemination for the public good are on shakier terrain than before. Read more
UKZN Establishes Hardship Fund to Address Food Insecurity and …
As South Africa and the rest of the world continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become clear that there is an urgent need to establish programmes of increased social support… Read more
UKZN Professor Collaborates on Diagnostic Tool for COVID-19 Using X-Rays
Academic Leader for Research and Higher Degrees in the School of Life Sciences Professor Evariste Bosco Gueguim Kana, has collaborated with researchers in South Africa, Nigeria, Cameroon and the UNESCO regional office for Southern Africa to develop a web-based diagnostic tool… Read more
UKZN to Hold Virtual Graduation that will be Broadcast on National TV
For the 2020 University of KwaZulu-Natal graduands the reality of the pandemic has forced the university to hold a virtual graduation on Friday that will be broadcast on national television. Read more
University of Free State Catalysing Quality and Increasing Profitability of the Wool Value…
The Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, Rural Development and Extension submitted a proposal, “Building Competitiveness for communal farmers through developing the wool value chain in the Free State Province of South Africa”, as a bid for a project to The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture. Read more
Universities to Open in Phases from 1 June – Minister
In a bid to save the 2020 academic year, South Africa’s Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Dr Blade Nzimande announced at the weekend that tertiary institutions would gradually be reopened from 1 June. Read more
Worldwide Universities Network Backs UCT’s San and Khoe Research Unit
Through its Research Development Fund, the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) has thrown its weight and funding behind the establishment of the San and Khoe Research Unit at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Read more
30 April 2020
Africa Must have Research and Treatment Tailored to its Reality
Africa is often described as the “next frontier” in the global economy but malaria — both driven by and causing poverty — still chokes economic growth. Yet we have made advances to break that cycle in recent years. Read more
After COVID-19 – ‘Nothing Will be the Same’
Diminished high-level research funding and fewer face-to-face conferences and collaboration – these are some of the potential consequences from the coronavirus pandemic as it affects higher education in Africa. But there may be a host of benefits too. Read more
A Lesson in Giving: Academics Dig Deep to Keep Students Afloat
A university’s vice-chancellor has opened his heart — and his wallet — to battling students and their families “who are in despair because of the lockdown”. Read more
A Tale of Two Crises
Make no mistake, we are living through the worst of times. To think twelve months ago “coronavirus” hadn’t entered the public lexicon. Now we are in the midst of a legitimately existential threat. Someday we will look back on this period with the same sorrow reserved for the darkest days in bygone eras. Read more
Beyond a Bio-Medical Fix – The Value of ‘People’s Science’
Paul Richards’ 2016 book Ebola: How a People’s Science Helped End an Epidemic provides a powerful reminder of the limits of epidemiology and bio-medical fixes, as well as coercive state measures such as lockdown, in the long-term control, management and elimination of diseases like COVID-19. Read more
Can SA’s Achievement in Containing COVID-19 Lead to Sustained Success?
South Africa has been recognised globally for its success in flattening the curve, which came as a result of President Ramaphosa listening to experts and responding quickly with social distancing… Read more
Commencement of Blended Learning
Senate, at a special meeting yesterday, 21 April 2020, discussed the academic implications of the nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and assessed the University’s readiness to offer teaching and learning through a blended mode. Read more
Complexity and the Modern Curriculum
The curriculum operates in a space where knowledge is recontextualised and organised for various pedagogical purposes. It also exists as a compelling site of personal, social, cultural, political and symbolic reflection. Read more
Concerned Academics Call for Halt to Online Learning
Academics from several universities throughout South Africa have demanded an immediate halt to formal online learning at universities, warning that continuation would result in an “academic disaster” and compound the effects of the pandemic. Read more
COVID-19 has Put HE Internationalisation Under Review
In South Africa, we are in the middle of a national curfew that has been described as one of the strictest globally. We have been occupied with finding new ways of organising everyday life and work in response to the global crisis caused by COVID-19 and ever-increasing restrictions. Read more
COVID-19 Response – Where Are the Social Scientists?
Leading South African social scientists are calling for greater engagement in shaping the mitigation policies being produced by the government to manage the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Read more
Cyber-Threat Reality Highlighted in UKZN Presentation
The cyber-threat situation in South Africa and its potential to become more serious as the country pursues technological growth to compete in the Fourth Industrial Revolution was the subject of a presentation delivered in Durban…Read more
‘Fake News’ and COVID-19: How Have we Performed?
The fight against the spread of false information began long before the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and experts such as the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Professor Herman Wasserman have been researching fake news for years now. Read more
Fake News, Lockdown and Unintended Consequences
Fake news is news that consists of deliberate misinformation or hoaxes spread using traditional or social media. With most of the world’s population under lockdown and with easy access to smartphones. Read more
Going Online – What Cost to the Social Justice Agenda?
The unprecedented crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic has evoked a plethora of responses from philosophical, political, financial, economic, social and medical quarters. Read more
More than 12,000 NSFAS Applicants Must Check Documents Soonest
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is urging 12,882 students with outstanding and incorrect documents to resubmit their forms as soon as possible. Read more
Navigating Uncertainty in the Move to Online Learning
Stellenbosch University (SU) in South Africa, like many other higher education institutions across the world, is navigating a profoundly uncertain period. Read more
New Centre Tracks COVID-19 Social Fracture
The Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change, incubated by the Allan Gray Centre for Values-Based Leadership at the University of Cape Town (UCT) Graduate School of Business, has launched a six-month project that will use social media analytics and advocacy to combat the spread of misinformation about the coronavirus in South Africa and beyond. Read more
New Publishing Model Pins Hopes on ‘Unity of Purpose’
Higher education leaders in South Africa are looking to move to a European model for open access (OA) publishing of scholarly articles as soon as possible, according to the body that coordinates the country’s public universities. Read more
NSFAS Students Urged to Open Bank Accounts
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has urged qualifying students to open bank accounts to ensure a more efficient disbursement of funds from institutions. Read more
Online Learning – The Pandemic Cannot Change Reality
Universities in South Africa are facing several challenges due to the high enrolment of first-year students from diverse social backgrounds. Read more
Post-COVID-19 – An Era of Withering Dependency?
The late president Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, that country’s independence icon, died in a hospital in Singapore in 2019, aged 95. Ethiopia’s late prime minister Meles Zenawi died in 2012 in Brussels from an undisclosed illness, aged 57. Read more
SA Scientists on Breaking the Covid-19 Code
A team of world-renowned scientists based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal has launched a fundraising campaign to support the analysis of Covid-19 data – which could provide vital research and insight on… Read more
Should Universities Receive a Stimulus Package from Government During Covid-19?
The Covid-19 pandemic has created profound disruptions in our economy and society. Due to these new challenges, most universities have decided to move from face-to-face classes to online teaching (more accurately defined as emergency remote teaching and learning) so as to complete the 2020 academic year, and to prevent the spread of the virus. Read more
Student Bodies Say E-Learning is Unaffordable and Elitist
The adoption of e-learning as an innovative means to continue teaching and learning during the national lockdowns affecting many African countries has been rejected by a number of students organisations, which argue it is unaffordable, impractical and elitist. Read more
The Case for Using Open Textbooks in HE is Growing
In South Africa, textbook costs have proven to be a barrier to accessing or completing tertiary education, despite the government’s provision of subsidies and financial aid. In other countries, there is growing momentum to allocate funds to the production of open textbooks, which present a more sustainable and affordable solution. Read more
Tips to Teaching Remotely: Focus on Essentials, Less is More
“As educators adapt to teaching remotely and online, there may be an attempt to mimic what a school day would normally look like, by filling learners’ days according to pre-lockdown timetables, and pace and content of learning,” Read more
UCT Academic Authors Free COVID-19 Children’s Book
Oaky and the Virus is one of seven books in the series, all of which were written by Athol Williams, senior lecturer at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business (GSB), and illustrated by management consultant Taryn Lock. Read more
UFS Chancellor Warns of Online Teaching Costs
The Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State, Francis Petersen, has warned that the novel Coronavirus can, and will probably, have a severe impact on the university. Read more
Universities Mull Scenarios in Bid to Complete Academic Year
Universities in South Africa have committed themselves to completing the 2020 academic year and are working with three possible scenarios in the uncertain terrain presented by the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic. Read more
Universities Prepare for Online Teaching and Learning
South Africa, physically shuttered since 16 March owing to the nationwide lockdown, are doing their best to honour their pledge to complete the 2020 academic year…Read more
Universities, Scientists in Major COVID-19 Push
South Africa’s tertiary education sector has delivered a resounding response to the coronavirus pandemic. Read more
UP Expert on Keeping Up the Fight Against Malaria Amid COVID-19
Malaria remains a major public health concern globally and, despite COVID-19-related challenges, the World Health Organization (WHO) has stressed that malaria services continue as usual. Read more
UP Students Create App to Help Homeless Shelters Speed up Service
Two University of Pretoria (UP) students from the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology (EBIT) have developed a mobile app for homeless shelters to access assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more
Women Take Top Spots in Civil Engineering
For the second year in a row, women have taken most of the top spots in the final-year civil engineering class at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Read more
Zero-Rating Online Learning – Not as Simple as It Sounds
Recently published South African government regulations which call for telecommunication companies to provide free access to educational websites to support online teaching and learning are currently the subject of intense negotiation between mobile network operators and universities. How much room for manoeuvre do the regulations actually give service providers? Read more
31 March 2020
A Glimpse into the Heart of Student Unrest
Top South African academics have blamed the ongoing strife at several universities on a longstanding failure to address the issue of student funding, and in particular, the “missing middle” – students who do not qualify for funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). Read more
Are ‘Professional Students’ Bringing Down Universities?
One of South Africa’s most outspoken academics, Professor Adam Habib, vice-chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), has called for a national solution to tackle ‘professional students’ on campuses throughout the country – some of whom he claims are permanent organisers for political parties. Read more
COVID-19 and How to Manage Your Mental Health
As a result of the global outbreak of COVID-19, many are struggling to adjust to what will be our “new normal” for the foreseeable future: social distancing (or social solidarity), self-isolation, quarantine and … Read more
COVID-19: Most WC Universities Evacuated Ahead of Lockdown
Universities across the province have chartered buses to ensure that students make their way home safely ahead of the lockdown. Read more
COVID-19: New App to Avoid Future Lockdowns
As South Africans commence a 21-day lockdown, a group of researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT) is working tirelessly on a smartphone app that could play an important role in managing future outbreaks of COVID-19 and economic recovery. Read more
DUT’s Prof Davidson and Buraimoh’s Paper Wins Third Prize at…
Earning a third place award for an outstanding conference paper at the 17th Clemson University Power System Conference (PSC) is Durban University of Technology’s (DUT’s) Professor and Chair… Read more
Gauteng Universities Disable Biometric Access Systems
The University of Johannesburg and the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa are in the process of suspending the use of their biometric access control systems as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19. Read more
Government Announces Plan for Student Housing
South Africa’s Department of Higher Education and Training aims to raise ZAR64 billion (US$4 billion) through private sector participation to address student housing needs. Read more
Higher Education Institutions Close for Early Recess
All higher institutions of learning will close for early recess with effect from Wednesday, 18 March 2020. Read more
Lockdown: How to Survive Working from Home
Differentiating between work and home life will be important as more people around the globe work and study from home amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more
Message from the VC: Coronavirus update
The University of Pretoria is closely monitoring the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. Read more
Minister Announces Closure of All Universities, Colleges
In further measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, all universities and post-school institutions in South Africa are to close for early recess today, 18 March, according to a statement by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology. Read more
Minister Blade Nzimande on NSFAS Covid-19 Contingency Plan and Disbursements…
Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation statement on the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Covid-19 contingency plan and disbursements. Read more
Some Relief for Zimbabwean Students Still in China
Zimbabwean students trapped in Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, which has been in lockdown since 23 January, are receiving extra funds from their government to help them cope with their indefinite isolation. Read more
Study Shows Need for Policy on Entrepreneurship in HE
“In the absence of policy – because there is definitely a policy vacuum in terms of entrepreneurship at university – what is it we need to know [to] inform the development of policy?” Read more
Survey to Assess Universities’ Online Learning Capabilities
The South African Department of Higher Education and Training has asked all universities and colleges to participate in a survey to assess their capability to offer online learning should educational institutions be forced to extend their closure beyond the early recess. Read more
The Target Group Index (TGI) Data Set – Empowering Students and Business Leaders of Tomorrow Alongside the University of Pretoria
The TGI (Target Group Index) survey, of which Ask Afrika owns the South African rights, is the global standard for integrated and rich consumer profiling. Read more
UKZN Removes 2,000 ‘Professional Students’ Who’ve Taken Eight Years…
The University of KwaZulu-Natal has removed 2,000 students who had been studying for eight years or more for their three-year degrees. Read more
UKZN Staffer Tests Positive for Coronavirus
A staff member at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has tested positive for the coronavirus – the first confirmed case at the university. Read more
UP Law Alumna’s Book on Human Rights in the Fight Against Terrorism, Based on Thesis, Wins Prestigious International Prize
A book by a University of Pretoria (UP) Faculty of Law alumna, titled Peremptory Norms of General International Law (Jus Cogens) and the Prohibition of Terrorism, has been selected as the winner of the American Society of International Law (ASIL)… Read more
Universities Halt Classes, Postpone Graduation Ceremonies
Classes at some universities around South Africa have been suspended and graduation ceremonies cancelled as the country moves to contain the spread of COVID-19. Read more
Universities in South Africa, Namibia Halt Classes
Classes at some universities around South Africa and in Namibia have been suspended and graduation ceremonies cancelled as the country moves to contain the spread of COVID-19. In most cases, there is a moratorium on work-related international travel. Read more
Universities Plan Online Classes During Lockdown
With the 21-day national lockdown beginning at midnight on Thursday, universities have already begun the process of planning online courses for their students during this period. Read more
University Launches War Room to Tackle Coronavirus
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in South Africa has launched a Campus Health ‘War Room’ in a bid to lend a hand in the international efforts to fight the deadly virus known clinically as COVID-19. Read more
University of Pretoria Launches Fully Online Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health
In an age where many 21st-century services have moved online, from banking to shopping to entertainment, higher education should not be the exception. Read more
University Shutdowns – What we Learnt from ‘Going Online’
Universities are “going online” on a scale never seen before because of COVID-19. Advice, tips and communities are springing up to support academics and students. Teaching and learning professionals in numerous roles are working flat out to be of assistance. Read more
UP Increases Number of NRF A-Rated Scientists to 16…
Two highly respected University of Pretoria (UP) academics, Professor Jean M-S Lubuma and Professor James Ogude have been awarded A-2 ratings by the National Research Foundation (NRF), bringing UP’s total number of scientists in this category to 16. Read more
You Don’t Need to be a Man to be an Engineer
Women engineering students were invited to come and listen to various views from the working engineers and be inspired to stand their ground in the industry. Read more
29 February 2020
Biochemistry Breakthrough for UCT Researchers
In a global first, three University of Cape Town (UCT) researchers have visualised – at a resolution close to that of individual atoms – the intact active site of a commercially important biological molecule. Read more
Cengage, Edge Learning Media Expand Access to Learning for SA’s Tertiary Students, Instructors
Cengage and Edge Learning Media are delighted to announce a new partnership in South Africa. This partnership will see Cengage representing Edge’s leading textbook catalogue within the South African public university sector, as well as in Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini. Read more
DUT’s Flight to Greatness
Notions of vision, progression, growth and change were expressed by the Durban University of Technology’s Vice- Chancellor and Principal Professor Thandwa Mthembu, during the second annual State of the University Address at Indumiso Campus. Read more
DUT Hosts the First Disability Rights Orientation for First Year Students
There were 40 first-year-students living with disabilities from the Durban and Midlands campuses, who were given an opportunity to learn and engage with various matters pertaining to disability at campus level, at the recent Durban University of Technology’s (DUT’s) first Disability Rights Orientation Day. Read more
DUT’s Lynton Julie Reaches for the Stars
Durban University of Technology’s (DUT’s) Electrical Engineering student, Lynton Julie was recently given a wondrous opportunity to further his postgraduate studies, after receiving funding from the Apostle Victor Glenn Smith Foundation. Read more
Message from the VC on Coronavirus: UP Taking Proactive Steps with Action Plan
The University of Pretoria is closely monitoring the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. While South Africa is seen as a relatively low-risk area that has to date had no reported cases of the virus, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared that the outbreak has now become a public health emergency of international concern. Read more
Nehawu Claims Money for Disabled Students at Durban College Missing
R1.8-million meant to help students with disabilities register at a Durban college, has allegedly gone missing. Read more
New University to Advance Tech Innovation in SA
Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister, Blade Nzimande, has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement on the establishment of a new University of Science and Innovation. Read more
Pioneering Research by University of Pretoria and University of Leicester Revolutionises Early Detection of TB
Researchers at the University of Pretoria (UP) and the University of Leicester are revolutionising the way tuberculosis (TB) is detected through the invention and application of a 3D-printed insert added to simple face masks. Read more
Reconfiguring Diaspora – From Brain Drain to Brain Gain
Traditional understandings of the African academic diaspora in terms of loss or ‘brain drain’ do not sit well with Patrício Langa, a sociologist and associate professor of higher education who straddles two academic portfolios in two African countries – one at the Institute for Post-School Studies (IPSS) of the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, and another at Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique. Read more
SA-UK Collaboration to Strengthen Research Capacity in KwaZulu-Natal
A cross continent collaborative project between the United Kingdom (UK) and South Africa (SA) has been awarded a R5 million grant from the British Council’s Newton Fund. Read more
Stanford Historian’s Southern African Childhood Spurred Lifelong Study of the Region’s Religions and People
Joel Cabrita’s research explores the politics of memory and the question of who gets remembered and who gets forgotten by history. It’s a theme that has captivated her since childhood. Read more
SU Partners with French Business School
Stellenbosch University (SU) has officially launched a partnership with world renowned French-based business school SKEMA, paving the way for the establishment of the SKEMA Business School South Africa at SU. Read more
SU, UCT Invest in New University Technology Fund
Stellenbosch University (SU) and the University of Cape Town (UCT) will be co-investing with the newly established R150-million University Technology Fund (UTF) that was set up by the SA SME Fund… Read more
UKZN a Centre for Kiwifruit Research
UKZN is now a centre for innovative research that will contribute to the country’s nascent kiwifruit industry as a result of a new project being led by Professor Samson Tesfay in the Discipline of Horticultural Science. Read more
UKZN Scholarship Yields More Results
Dr Manqoba Zungu is the fifth Talent Excellence and Equity Acceleration Scholarship (TEEAS) recipient to be appointed as a lecturer at UKZN and the second recipient of this scholarship to become a lecturer in the School of Life Sciences. Read more
University of Pretoria Becomes the First South African Institution to Partner with the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research
The University of Pretoria (UP) has partnered with the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), in Russia, in order to strengthen the University’s research efforts into nuclear sciences and related disciplines. Read more
University Rebuffs Civil Society Crisis Committee Efforts
Several civil society leaders, including respected churchman Bishop Rubin Phillip, have been rebuffed in their efforts to help find a solution to the violent disruptions by students and to restore normalcy at South Africa’s University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). Read more
University Technology Fund a First for Africa
Stellenbosch University and the University of Cape Town are coinvesting through a newly established ZAR150 million (US$10 million) University Technology Fund (UTF), set up by the SA SME Fund in its endeavour to partner with South African universities… Read more
University Transformation at the Crossroads
Whatever transformation may mean to universities and their publics and the officials within the South African higher education system, somewhere in its intent is the advancement of social justice and human rights. Read more
UWC Gets the Ball Rolling but UKZN Remains Engulfed in Student Protest
After the first academic week of the year got off to a false start, with lectures being disrupted at various colleges across the country and the academic schedule being pushed back a week, student leaders have agreed to suspend protest. Read more
What Connects Shaka Zulu, Decolonisation and Maths Models?
Some researchers argue that it’s not. They cite numerous reasons why. Two include the fact that decolonisation is extremely difficult for the ‘pure sciences’ such as mathematics. And that the concept of decolonising is “poorly defined and contentious, in this domain”. Read more
Women Narrow Gender Gap at Tertiary Institutions
The gender gap in attendance of tertiary education institutions has narrowed from 8.4 percentage points in 2002 to 4.8 percentage points in 2018, with females outpacing men during that period. Read more
31 January 2020
Criminal Acts of Violence and Vandalism on Campuses Condemned by Varsity, Nzimande and Student Union
…Management is deeply perturbed by the incidents of violence and vandalism both on the Alice and East London campuses ever since the launch of the call by the South African Union of Students (Saus) to shut down campuses across the country. Read more
Dismal Maths Performance – How Can Universities Help?
South Africa’s Department of Basic Education recently released the country’s National Senior Certificate results for the class of 2019. These are commonly known as the ‘matric results’ and they determine school-leavers’ admission and placement into tertiary level study. Read more
Eastern Cape Universities Brace to Join National Shutdown
This came after the SA Union of Students (Saus), student representative presidents and secretaries-general met at the weekend and resolved they should embark on a national shutdown until their demands are met. Read more
HE Sector Readies for 2020 Amid Threats and Challenges
At a media briefing in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 3 January, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Student Command President Mandla Shikwambana threatened “radical and militant” nationwide public disobedience unless universities agreed to allow walk-in registrations, provide free student registration and cancel historic student debt. Read more
Higher Education PS Urges ISAB Find Alternative Sources of ACEs Funding
Ministry of Higher Education Permanent Secretary, Mrs Kayula Siame, has called upon the International Scientific Advisory Board to assist the Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Humans and Animals (ACEIDHA)… Read more
How Climate Change Threatens our Farms
In this episode of Pasha, Peter Johnston, a climate scientist and researcher at the University of Cape Town, discusses how climate change might affect farming in South Africa and what can be done about it. Read more
Medical Students Present Their Innovative Solution to a Panel of International Experts in Geneva
Medical Students, Kapil Narain (5th year) and Mohamed Hoosen Suleman (1st year) were selected by the World Health Organization and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to present their strategic intervention to tackle Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)… Read more
NUSAS Declares Shutdown of Universities Over Funding, Accommodation, & Safety
The National Union of South African Students (Nusas) sent a list of 15 demands to Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Blade Nzimande over a week ago on issues relating to student funding, accommodation, and safety. Read more
Police Fire Stun Grenades at Protesting Unisa Students in Durban
Protesting Unisa students were fired on by police when they blocked Stalwart Simelane Street in Durban during a protest about funding and registration issues. This photo is of a previous protest by students. Read more
Social Media – Vice-Chancellors Who ‘Go Where Students Are’
South African university leaders need to become digitally savvy, embracing social media to stay in touch with students and staff, according to Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, vice-chancellor of the University of Johannesburg (UJ). Read more
Study Unpacks the ‘Hidden Racism’ at Stellenbosch
Ignored, alienated and erased — these are the feelings of black students at Stellenbosch University (SU), who say the institution and people there are riddled with hidden racism. Read more
Tertiary Registrations Affected by Funding Scheme
The students who wish to continue with their studies in 2020, will be required to pay a portion of their outstanding debt. Read more
Tshimologong Precinct Launches Software Development Internship
Wits University’s Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, has launched of an AppFactory internship programme, sponsored by Samsung South Africa. Read more
UCT Honours Professor Bongani Mayosi Through Legacy Project
UCT has celebrated and honoured the legacy of the late cardiologist Professor Bongani Mayosi through a collection of projects under the banner of the Bongani Mayosi Legacy Project. Read more
UKZN’s Howard Campus Suspends Orientation Programme After Day of Protest
SRC chairperson Mphathi Majola claimed the university refused to allow all students with historic debt to register. Read more
UKZN Law Professor Imparts Knowledge in Indonesia
Professor David McQuoid-Mason of the UKZN Centre for Socio-Legal Studies had a busy time at the recent 10th World Wide Global Alliance for Justice Education (GAJE) Conference and Training of Trainers (TOT) Workshop in Bandung, Indonesia from 4 to 10 December 2019. Read more
UKZN Students Continue Fiery Rampage as Minister Denounces Violence
Students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN’s) Howard College campus continued to disrupt the registration process on Thursday in an attempt to have their grievances heard. Read more
UKZN Teacher Educators Jet off to Study at Columbia University
Teachers College, Columbia University, the oldest and most prestigious graduate school of Education in the US, have partnered with the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), University of Zululand (UNIZULU), and Durban University of Technology (DUT)… Read more
Unisa Staff Barricade Campuses to Demand a Wage Hike
Registration and academic activities will not resume at Unisa until management yields to the demand by workers for a salary increase, workers say. Read more
Unity in Africa – Focus of Luthuli Lecture
It is time Africans stop seeing each other as foreigners, says Ms Samia Nkrumah, daughter of Ghana’s first president, the late Dr Kwame Nkrumah. Read more
Universities are a Decisive Battlefield of Our Time
An article published last week by Times Higher Education announced that Spain’s new left-wing coalition government was planning to restore university funding after austerity and introduce wide-ranging sector reforms, with “intellectual giant” and critic of “statist uniformity” Manuel Castells as universities minister. Read more
Violence Forces North West University Closure
Cases of students being assaulted have rocked the NWU Mahikeng campus since yesterday, and have affected student registration processes and NSFAS applications. Read more
WC Students in Talks with Universities’ Management Before Deciding on Shutdown
This as students in KwaZulu-Natal and the North West this week launched protests focusing on several grievances, including fees and student debt. Read more
31 December 2019
A Black Christmas for Unisa’s Unpaid Contract Workers
It will be a black Christmas for at least 50 independent contractors from the University of South Africa (Unisa) after the institution failed to secure payment for services rendered. Read more
AFDA in on the Act with a Higher Certificate in Performing Arts for 2020
AFDA is delighted to announce the introduction of a Higher Certificate in Performing Arts on our Johannesburg, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth campuses. Read more
AFDA Launches a Collaboration-Driven Postgraduate Diploma in Innovation for 2020
AFDA is proud to launch a one-year, full-time, Postgraduate Diploma in Innovation for 2020 on our Johannesburg and Cape Town campuses. Read more
African Diplomats Visit Future Africa Institute at UP to Forge Research Alliances
More than 30 African ambassadors and high commissioners to South Africa were recently given an introduction to research institute and campus Future Africa at the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Hillcrest Campus. Read more
AIDS Researcher Ranked Among the World’s Most Highly Cited Researchers in 2019
Professor Salim Abdool Karim is on the 2019 list of the worlds’ most Highly Cited Researchers published by the Web of Science’s Clarivate Analytics. Read more
Architecture and Informality in Africa
Architect and former director of the School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics at the University of Cape Town (UCT) Professor Tomà Berlanda explains why more research is needed into informal urban spaces in Africa. Read more
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Data Lifecycle
Professor Catherine Ward of UCT’s Department of Psychology is working on the South African piece of an eight-country longitudinal birth-cohort study led by Cambridge University which seeks to understand violence against children. Read more
Centre for Human Rights, DIRCO and Global Campus of Human Rights Launch UN Global Study…
The sub-regional launch of the Global Study took place at the Future Africa Campus of the University of Pretoria (UP) on Monday and was hosted by the University’s Centre for Human Rights in collaboration with the South African…Read more
Chinese Archaeology Acclaim for African Value Systems
The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Professor Shadreck Chirikure has won one of the ten 2019 Shanghai Archaeology Forum Research Awards for his work on Great Zimbabwe, beating 116 nominations from around the world. Read more
Clinical Supervision Workshop at UKZN
UKZN’s Department of Behavioural Medicine, in collaboration with the KwaZulu-Natal branches of the South African Society for Clinical Psychology, Psychological Society of South Africa, as well as Durban Practising Psychologists Group (DPPG), hosted a workshop on clinical supervision. Read more
Ethics Central to Genetics Research in Africa
The potential of genomics research to boost healthcare in Africa could be a game-changer for improving medicine and health outcomes on the continent in future. But it must be done with ethics top of mind. Read more
Financial Literacy Project Aims to Inform and Empower
The Stellenbosch University Law Clinic’s Financial Literacy Project (FLP) seeks to empower local communities by sharing knowledge about financial matters and informing people about their rights as consumers. Read more
From Somaliland to UCT: Journey of a Scholar at Risk
Mohamoud Farah is about to embark on a long journey home on a foreign passport. From the continent’s deep south, he will travel for two days, via Johannesburg to Ethiopia, and then across the border to Somaliland where he is a professor of law at the University of Hargeisa. Read more
Inspiring 64-Year-Old Woman Graduates in Electrical Engineering
Randeka Constance Nghonyama from Malamulele, Limpopo, is proof that perseverance pays off and it will get you somewhere in life. Randeka received a national diploma in electrical engineering at Tshwane University of Technology’s (TUT) spring graduations in October this year. Read more
Meet the Woman Who Finished Her Master’s Degree in Just 5 Months
From a very young age, Msa Mesatywa would watch the evening news and grew an interest in financial issues and the economy. Read more
New Partnership Offers Conservation Technology Training
The Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC) has partnered with Vulcan Inc. to expand the local capacity to train, deploy and provide ongoing support of Vulcan EarthRanger, a data visualization and analysis software for Protected Area Management. Read more
‘Technology, Data and Human Literacy are Necessary Skills for the Future’…
The role of universities is to create knowledge and train a highly educated workforce that is able to use that knowledge to transform lives, communities, sectors, societies and the world,… Read more
‘There Will be No Uneducated Person in My Home’, Vows NMU Campus Security Guard Graduate
The thrill of walking across the stage in graduation attire, being capped and looking out into the crowd to see family and friends beaming with pride is one to which Kwanele Mlinganiso does not mind getting addicted. Read more
Two UP Professors Named on 2019 Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher List
Two internationally renowned researchers from the University of Pretoria (UP), Professor Mike Wingfield and Professor Pedro Crous, have been included on the 2019 Web of Science list of the world’s most highly cited researchers. Read more
UKZN Launches New Research Commons
A high-level research facility, the Research Commons is intended for the exclusive use of master’s, doctoral and PhD students, as well as researchers and academic staff. Read more
Unisa Extends African Footprint with Book Donation to the Somali National University
The University of South Africa (Unisa) donated more than 30 000 books to the Somali National Library and the Somali National University (SNU). Read more
Unity in Africa – Focus of Luthuli Lecture
…‘Have we forgotten so soon that we stood together as one to defeat colonialism and apartheid colonialism? We are one people with a common heritage and a common destiny.’… Read more
UPSA Partners University of Johannesburg
The University of Professional Studies, Accra has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for academic collaboration with the University of Johannesburg (UJ). Read more
Using Big Data to Solve Genetic Riddles
Using machine intelligence tools and big data is at the heart of pioneering work spearheaded by Associate Professor in the Division of Human Genetics, Emile Chimusa. Read more
Waste to Art: The Neptune Project to Help Tackle Pollution
UKZN hosted a unique fashion show on the Howard College campus as part of a cocktail evening themed: Waste to Art: the Neptune Project, in aid of tackling pollution, especially plastic that is infesting South Africa’s oceans. Read more
Why PhDs are Good – for Individuals, and for a Country
What is the value of a PhD? Is there a need in a developing world country to undertake a PhD study? It’s expensive (around R1 million per graduate) and in many regards a luxury for students from poor families. Read more
30 November 2019
Conference Confronts Migration Issues on its Doorstep
Such events brought a sense of urgency to the 10th Young Scientists’ Conference held on 28 and 29 October at the Future Africa campus of the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Read more
Gender Equality – A Key Aspect of University Transformation
Traumatised students and academics are struggling to cope at South African universities plagued by a ‘rape culture’ and the failure to overcome the legacies of past and present discrimination. Read more
Gold Medal for Leading Cervical Cancer Researcher
UCT Professor Lynette Denny’s 25-year body of research on cervical cancer, the magnitude of which is significantly higher among black women in South Africa, has won a prestigious South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Gold Medal in its golden jubilee year. Read more
Govt to Implement Anti-GBV Pogramme at Universities, TEVT Colleges – Nzimande
The minister was reacting after a Capricorn TVET College student, Precious Ramabulana, was found dead in her room off-campus on Sunday. Read more
HIV Factor in Kidney Transplants: Research Sheds New Light on Risks
Over the past 10 years 51 kidneys from deceased HIV positive donors have been transplanted into HIV-positive patients in Cape Town, South Africa. Read more
Honours Students Lock Horns with UKZN
Honours students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal believe they have been given a raw deal by the institution after the name of their degree was changed, leaving them concerned about future employment. Read more
Inside Growing Brains
Recent growth in availability of safe and non-invasive techniques for visualising the brain has had a huge impact on how we study children’s brains. UCT researchers Professor Kirsty Donald and Professor Ernesta Meintjes explain what they have learnt about how young brains develop in high-risk contexts. Read more
More ‘Control Measures’ in Place Following UNISA Exam Leak
The University of South Africa (UNISA) said last Wednesday that it had introduced additional control measures at all examination centres after reports of papers being leaked… Read more
Plan S – How Scholarship is Under Threat
South African researchers could be priced out of the mainstream of global scholarship under new, expensive plans for open access publishing being considered by the government in Pretoria. Read more
Reflections of a ‘Lazy’ Student
Many students take longer to complete their degrees for a variety of reasons. In many cases these students are wrongly labelled as ‘lazy’. Read more
Stellenbosch University Team Helping to Save Europe’s Fruit
Involving experts from 15 countries, the university’s research group of Prof John Terblanche, … are involved in the “in-silico boosted, pest prevention and off-season focused integrated pest management against new and emerging fruit flies” project. Read more
Taking Steps to Assure the Quality of Doctorates
Around the world there has been a massive increase in demand for doctoral education. Read more
The Challenging Environment for Science in the 21st Century
Successful universities the world over are deeply connected with the social, economic and political environment in which they serve. Read more
TVET Colleges Set Lose Some Funding Due to Poor Pass Rates
Public technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges will soon lose part of its state funding, amounting to millions of rand, due to poor pass rates. Read more
UCT’s Executive MBA Programme Cracks Prestigious Global Top 50 Ranking
The UCT Graduate School of Business (GSB) is ranked 47th in the world, and the best in Africa, for its MBA specialising in Executive Management (EMBA) according to the Financial Times (FT) EMBA Rankings for 2019. Read more
Using data to Boost Research Capacity
The ongoing data initiative of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) will help Africa develop its research capacity by giving a clear understanding of the research landscape on the continent, said Dr Gerald Ouma, director of institutional planning at South Africa’s University of Pretoria. Read more
31 October 2019
African Moot 2020 Launched in Dakar with Signing of MOU
Preparation for the 2020 African Human Rights Moot Court Competition were launched formally when the Director of the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, and the Rectors of the Virtual University of Senegal and the University Cheikh Anta Diop, signed the Memorandum of Agreement in Dakar, Senegal. Read more
Cities and Their Universities – Partnering for Development
Redress and transformation processes in most African cities have created new sets of challenges which may have complicated efforts to restore historical development imbalances. Read more
Court Moves Beyond the Past in favouring English
The South African Constitutional Court’s recent unanimous decision upholding Stellenbosch University’s policy favouring English is important in both substance and tone for its evolving narrative on language, race and historical wrongs. Read more
Curriculum Transformation Should Extend Beyond the Classroom’:…
“The idea of curriculum transformation should extend beyond the classroom,” he said, adding that transformation should be a “lifelong learning process”. Read more
Duchess Announces Study Grants in Surprise University Visit
Four students from the African continent and three female academics in South African universities are set to receive a royal seal of approval to pursue studies through two separate grants… Read more
All Surgery Students from Five Universities Fail Exam
An investigation will be launched in South Africa to look into whether there was anything irregular in the common final examination that has been ‘shockingly’ failed by all would-be surgeons from five universities, writes Bongani Nkosi for IOL. Read more
‘Historic’ Partnership to Turn Graduates into Job Creators
As South Africa faces catastrophic unemployment rates, the South African Technology Network (SATN) and various stakeholders are partnering to ensure that graduates “are no longer job seekers but job creators”. Read more
Minister Wields the Rod, Academics Shine Light on Future
South Africa’s Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Blade Nzimande warned the country’s vice-chancellors not to talk to the president behind his back… Read more
Moderation Shows Surgery Exam Marking was Fair – CMSA
The surgery exams failed by most of the country’s final-year students were fairly marked, the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA) has said – after the results of an international moderation process were released. Read more
Nehawu Strikers Stop Unisa Staff from Entering Campuses
The nationwide strike by the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) at the University of SA (Unisa) entered its third day on Thursday. Read more
NWU Students Host Cultural Day to Celebrate Diversity
The North-West University (NWU) is home to more than 65 000 students, representing a demographical footprint across more than 70 countries with diverse cultures. Read more
Pharmaceutical Award for Senior Lecturer
Senior lecturer in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mr Andy Gray received the Joseph A Oddis Award for exceptional services to the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP)… Read more
Preparing for Life on Mars
Marais, who is currently pursuing a second PhD in economics in resource-constrained environments at the University of Cape Town (UCT), is preparing for life on Mars using Earth’s most extreme conditions. Read more
Rediscovering the Pedagogy of Possibility
Universities are confronted by renewed privatisation, intensive marketisation and a challenge to the very notion of the university as a mechanism for addressing social inequality and facilitating the circulation of knowledge. Read more
South Africa ‘Punches Above its Weight’ in Research, Says Study
Despite low levels of investment in research and the country’s limited researcher capacity, South Africa’s research performance is disproportionately high and the country clearly “punches above its weight in this area. Read more
Taking Research to New Heights Through Partnership
From space science and robotics to circular economies and food security – scientific research can contribute significantly to keeping countries sustainable and at the cutting edge of technology. Read more
The Danger of ‘the Anti-Immigrant Narrative’
The award-winning poet, writer and cultural activist was one of two speakers at a panel discussion, “Race and transformation in higher education”, part of a series titled “Resilience, colonialism, xenophobia and femicide”… Read more
Task Team Established to Improve Safety at SA Universities
Johannesburg – Minister of Police General Bheki Cele has engaged with the vice-chancellors from the country’s 26 universities in Johannesburg on improving campus safety and new approaches to policing that may facilitate this. Read more
UCT Best in Africa in World Rankings
The University of Cape Town (UCT) has been ranked 121st globally – and top in South Africa and on the continent – in the sixth edition of the US News Best Global Universities rankings. Read more
University Wins Court Battle Over Language Policy
The Constitutional Court of South Africa has dismissed the appeal by Afrikaans lobby group Gelyke Kanse against the 2016 language policy of Stellenbosch University which saw English being elevated above Afrikaans as a medium of instruction. Read more
UP and Wageningen University Collaborate on Issue of Food Security in Africa
Professor Tawana Kupe, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria (UP), recently visited Wageningen University & Research (WUR) in the Netherlands as part of a tour of several European universities. Read more
VUT’s Troubles Further Exposed
The Vaal University of Technology (VUT) is in a dire-situation and requires an emergency response, before it crashes financially and academically. Read more
30 September 2019
100 Days in the Job – What Should the Minister be Doing?
Some of South Africa’s top vice-chancellors and sector leaders have outlined the most pressing challenges facing the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Dr Blade Nzimande who last week marked 100 days in office in a period marked by national outrage over the violent murders of two female students and the death of a third from suspected food poisoning. Read more
Academics Warn Against ‘Cannibalisation’ of Science Funding
South Africa’s Higher Education Science and Technology Minister Blade Nzimande has been urged by the country’s vice-chancellors to keep the Budget vote for the recently merged higher education, and… Read more
At a Glance’ – Tertiary Education Needs More Investment
A recent report on global tertiary education from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows that while South Africa has made significant progress in growing the number of people in secondary education, the country’s investment in the tertiary sector still has a way to go before it meets global standards. Read more
CUT Embarks on a Mission to Strengthen UB Partnership
A delegation from Central University of Technology (CUT) in South Africa visited the University of Botswana (UB) on September 10, 2019 to explore specific research areas that can lead to strong collaboration between the two universities. Read more
DUT Staff, Students Call for Sacking of Vice Chancellor Mthembu
The university was struggling with violent student protests as well as safety and security problems in recent weeks. Read more
DUT to Spend R30m on Fixing Security Gaps
The Durban University of Technology (DUT) has set aside R30million for security upgrades and the introduction of security technology. Read more
From Prisoner to Student – Hope in the Life of a Refugee
In 2007, I began an undergraduate degree in geophysics at Ain Shams University in my home city of Cairo, Egypt. In my third year, I wanted to switch to theoretical physics, but with only a year left to graduation, I decided to continue my geophysics degree and pick up physics again after graduating. Read more
Gender Violence – ‘Universities Need to Lead the Change’
The heads of 26 public universities, along with the Commission for Gender Equality, have called on South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa to act decisively in addressing violence against women amid growing national anger over the horrific murders of two university students. Read more
Join UJ Cloudebate on Tech Opening Doors for People with Disabilities
Bionic limbs. Exoskeletons. Stair-climbing wheelchairs. Eye-tracking. Lomak. Sip and puff. Walking-navigation apps. These are part of a rapidly developing and creative branch of what is known as assistive technology (AT). Read more
Minister Addresses Issue of Safety on Campuses
Blade Nzimande, South Africa’s higher education minister, said there is a fine line between keeping universities safe and turning them into prisons, and engagement between his department and members of the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) is vital in dealing with the issue, writes Orrin Singh for the Sowetan Live. Read more
Research Shows Students are Victims of Campus Crime
University campuses are generally perceived to be relatively secure places; however, results from the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) research in South Africa showed they were not immune to crime. Read more
South African Scientists Puzzled by Rising Malaria Cases in Winter
Researchers from the University of Pretoria are conducting a study in the country after recording a rise in the number of malaria cases in parts of the country, during winter. Read more
Stellenbosch University Law Clinic Goes After Online Loan Companies
Stellenbosch University law clinic has filed papers in the Western Cape High Court in a proposed class-action lawsuit against more than a dozen online loan companies. Read more
Tapping Collective Strengths to Create a Smart University
Cape Town is firmly entrenched as the design hub of South Africa since it was awarded World Design Capital status in 2014. Read more
Towards a Prosperous Africa – Partnerships for Impact
Investments in higher education yield high returns of up to 21% in Africa, the highest in the world. Data shows that a one-year increase in average tertiary education levels would eventually yield up to a 12% increase in gross domestic product. Read more
UCT Staff Feel ‘Bullied, Anxious’
UCT’s inclusion index survey showed that some staff members felt bullied, while others were still dealing with the trauma experienced during the “tumultuous” years of 2015 to 2017 during the #FeesMustFall protests, suffering from depression and anxiety. Read more
University Split over ‘Racist’ Academic Promotion Criteria
Africa’s largest open distance learning institution, the University of South Africa (UNISA), is embroiled in an internal struggle between staff unions and executive management over its so-called “transformational” academic promotion criteria that some view as a legitimate way to boost the numbers of senior black academics and achieve equity, but others see as “lowering the bar” and “racist”. Read more
UniZulu Res Needs Inkosi’s Signature
Extra student residences should have been built eight years ago at the University of Zululand (UniZulu). Read more
Using Partnerships to Bring Innovative Benefits to Society
Working closely with partners in industry, government and communities, the Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing (CRPM) at the Central University of Technology (CUT) in South Africa is using its social and technological innovations to help solve societal problems in Africa and beyond. Read more
31 August 2019
Africa Needs More Science, Less Fiction’ – UJ Vice-Chancellor
University of Johannesburg Vice-Chancellor Tshilidzi Marwala says that “Africa must start doing science and not fixate on fictional stories.” Read more
Celebrating Women’s Strides all Way Long
I can’t help but feel enabled and privileged to be working for a rural based university that champion’s women’s issues through written literature and through demonstrable platforms. Read more
Entrepreneurship Week Provided Students with Alternatives
The Department of Business Management at the University of Zululand (UNIZULU) recently held a campaign for entrepreneurship development, which is aimed at supporting all students considering entrepreneurship as a potential career. Read more
SATN Joins Forces with Government to Boost PhD Capacity
The South African Technology Network (SATN) has partnered with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) to launch a Staff PhD Capacity Enhancement Programme designed to raise the number and quality of PhDs coming out of universities of technology and previously disadvantaged universities in South Africa. Read more
Toxic Politics Push ‘Welfare’ Universities to the Brink
Political parties should be banned from university campuses in South Africa, according to a number of leading academics and senior administrators, including vice-chancellors who attended a recent academic round-table discussion… Read more
UCT Medical Research on the World Stage
Three researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT) recently hosted an IdeasLab on innovative research into infectious diseases at the World Economic Forum’s 13th Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2019 in Dalian, China. Read more
UCT Tops in Africa in all Five Major Rankings
The University of Cape Town (UCT) took the top spot in South Africa and jumped back up into the 201–300 band in the latest Shanghai Ranking’s Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2019, published on 15 August. This year, the best 1 000 universities are listed. Read more
UKZN Astrophysics Student Tanko Moso is a Women in Science Star
A University of KwaZulu-Natal astrophysics masters student who has a deep interest star gazing and exploring the origins of the universe has been honoured by the Department of Science and Technology who gave her a Women in Science award. Read more
Universities Hit by Crime as Research Shows Students are Robbed, Hijacked
University campuses are generally perceived to be relatively secure places; however, results from the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) research showed they were not immune to crime. Read more
Universities Join Forces for PhD Research Programme
South Africa’s University of Cape Town (UCT) has joined forces with the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom to launch a new and exciting ‘Researchers without Borders’ PhD programme, writes Sisonke Mlamla for the Cape Argus. Read more
UNIZULU Academics Scoop Researcher of the Year Award
Two of the University of Zululand’s (UNIZULU) renowned scientists walked away each receiving an award entitled Researcher of the year. The ceremony was recently held in India Trichy. Read more
UP in Top Three of South African Universities as it Improves its Researchers’ Rating
The University of Pretoria (UP) has significantly improved its international standing and ranking by strengthening its position within the 400 – 500 band of the top universities in the world. Read more
Wits Takes Quantum Leap for Africa’s 4IR Aspirations
Africa must participate collectively as a continent and not miss out on the potential of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR)… Read more
Women in STEM Receive Academic Boost
At the 2019 South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA), six women in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) industries were awarded scholarships worth over R500,000 – sponsored by Tata International in Africa. Read more
31 July 2019
CUT Student Named 2019 Enactus SA Excellence Student Leader
Thembisile Tyopo, a second-year electrical engineering student and Enactus Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) projects manager, has been awarded the 2019 WV de Wet Student Leader Excellence Award at the Enactus South Africa national competition in Sandton, Johannesburg. Read more
Designing an Institutional Framework for Student Success
The University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa has begun working across organisational structures to establish an institutional framework for student success, according to Senior Director of Academic Affairs, Professor Diane Grayson. Read more
Education Programme Offers Lessons for Future US Graduates
Postgraduate education students from New York University (NYU) and Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in the United States are learning invaluable lessons in the teaching sector through a one-month programme based in South Africa. Read more
HE as a Scientific Field of Study – Examining the Absences
Higher education as a field of study and scientific inquiry is emerging in Africa. Yet this field of study might also be the least understood compared with others. Read more
How Can Disadvantaged Universities Attract More Funding?
It is five years since Inyathelo, with the support of the Kresge Foundation (a primarily domestic American foundation), first asked Dr Sean Jones of EduActive Solutions to conduct the Annual Survey of Philanthropy in Higher Education (ASPIHE). Read more
In Search of a New Ecosystem for Student Success
While gains has been made in respect of student numbers passing through the South African tertiary system over the past two decades, too much young potential remains wasted, making it crucial for a new ecosystem to be created for student success… Read more
More Protests if Universities Withhold Certificates
The South African Union of Students (SAUS) said that the country must expect more protests if universities continued withholding certificates from students with outstanding fees, reports iAfrica. Read more
New Large-Scale Collaboration for the Ocean
Researchers from three departments at the University of Cape Town (UCT) – environmental & geographical sciences, biological sciences and commercial law – are part of a new multinational, interdisciplinary project called One Ocean Hub. Read more
New Solar Panel Research to Address SA’s Growing Energy Challenges
The University of the Free State (UFS) in South Africa and Ghent University in Belgium has conducted research on a new transparent solar panel which could provide power cheaply from the sun to homes, factories and cities. Read more
SATN Joins Forces with Government to Boost PhD Capacity
The South African Technology Network (SATN) has partnered with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) to launch a Staff PhD Capacity Enhancement Programme designed to raise the number and quality of PhDs coming out of universities of technology and previously disadvantaged universities in South Africa. Read more
The Power of Data in Achieving Student Success
Data sits at the heart of understanding South Africa’s diverse student mix and can provide the best chance for students to succeed at universities, according to professors Ahmed Bawa and Francois Strydom, authors of a presentation at the Siyaphumelela 2019 Conference held in Johannesburg last month. Read more
UCT and Bristol Launch Researchers Without Borders Programme
The University of Cape Town (UCT) together with the University of Bristol are launching a new ‘Researchers without Borders’ PhD programme. Read more
UKZN Lecturer Nominated for Film Award
Film and Media Studies lecturer in the School of Arts Mr Mzwandile Makhanya has been nominated for a 2019 Simon “Mabhunu” Sabela Film and Television Award in the Best Student Film category. Read more
Universities in South Africa Need to Rediscover Their Higher Purpose
For over two decades South African higher education has been dominated by three successive and contending waves of thinking and organisation. They are: neo-liberal managerialism the decolonialisation of knowledge and, most recently, the idea of a Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Read more
University Robot ‘Libby’ Brings the Future Library Closer
We need to move beyond talking about the fourth industrial revolution and translate this into action. If we don’t embrace it, we’ll ultimately fail. Read more
Wits Takes Quantum Leap for Africa’s 4IR Aspirations
Africa must participate collectively as a continent and not miss out on the potential of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), warned Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, deputy vice-chancellor for research and postgraduate affairs at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa. Read more
30 June 2019
Are Universities in Transition or Becoming Obsolete?
Imagine there are no longer universities, where the spaces of higher education are no longer producing knowledge. Imagine these institutions were to become obsolete. This was the issue historians were grappling with during one of the afternoon sessions on the second day of the Southern African Historical Society conference at Rhodes University, entitled: “Universities: Politics and Policies.” Read more
Critical Mandela Studies – A Unique Intellectual Exploration
A new Transdisciplinary Institute of Mandela Studies (TIMS) based at Nelson Mandela University in South Africa aims to position the iconic figure of Nelson Mandela as a lens through which to grapple with societal challenges and generate workable solutions. Read more
How an Open Letter to the HE Minister Bore Some Fruit
An open letter from 12 female South African academics sent to the Minister of Higher Education and Training Dr Naledi Pandor earlier this year has played a key role in galvanising the ministry into taking a more interventionist stance in the crisis of sexual harassment and abuse plaguing the country’s universities. Read more
ISFAP Assisting 1 700 Students of the ‘Missing Middle’
The Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme was launched in 2017. Its aim is to assist young students who qualify for university academically, but are too poor to afford to pay university fees, but not poor enough to qualify for government funding – also known as people who are “the missing middle”. Read more
Professor Nana Poku: Vice-Chancellor of UKZN
Chair of Council, Dr Letticia Moja congratulates Professor Nana Poku on his appointment as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of KwaZulu-Natal after the Council of the University made the announcement. Read more
SU Hosts Student Leader Global Summit
Leadership and mental health came under the spotlight when more than 50 student leaders from all over the world met on the main campus of Stellenbosch University. Read more
UCT’s Academic Reputation Best on the Continent
The University of Cape Town (UCT) remains the top university in Africa, according to the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings which saw UCT move up two places to 198th position, placing the institution among the top 20% of universities worldwide. Read more
UKZN Opens Historic Buildings Named after Struggle Icons
The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s School of Education recently opened three of their new buildings on the Edgewood campus in Pinetown. The state-of-the-art facilities are proudly named after renowned struggle icons and educators Ellen Kuzwayo, Phyllis Naidoo and Dulcie September. Read more
Universities ‘Captive Platforms’ for HIV Interventions
Higher education institutions should be viewed as “captive platforms” for innovative interventions that could stop the spread of HIV, with the fourth industrial revolution and its technologies needing to be embraced in the process, reports African News Agency. Read more
Universities’ Forum – The Only Way Forward Is Collaboration
Co-operation was the buzzword as academics from South Africa and Japan pledged to work together, not only cementing academic ties between the two nations but also finding solutions to current local challenges – and global problems. Read more
31 May 2019
Africa First for UCT’s Cybersecurity
The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) focus on cybersecurity has seen the institution honoured as the first of its kind in Africa to be granted full membership of the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), the recognised global leader in incident response. Read more
Collaboration and Partnership Receive Unanimous Support at THE 4th SAJU Forum Conference in Pretoria
Day One of the South Africa-Japanese Universities (SAJU) Forum Conference saw all parties declaring a deeply-felt belief that collaboration between academics, institutions and nations is the way to go if the world’s problems are to be tackled and if the United Nations’ sustainable development goals are to be realised across the globe. Read more
Edureka Makes it Possible to Get a Machine Learning Degree Online
The business of online learning has been absolutely exploding in the past several years, with growth of as much as 300% over a three-year span in the last decade. Innumerable new companies and entrepreneurs are jumping into the foray with new (or tried and true) business models and learning opportunities. Read more
Executive Education – Why Lifelong Study Enhances You’re Career
The scale and breadth of technological innovations is dramatically reshaping the way in which business is done. Advances in technology trends including artificial intelligence and machine learning helps make operations within businesses more efficient, while digital fabrication technologies like 3D printing enables companies to bring manufacturing closer to customers. Read more
Guest Lecture Series Merges Theory and Practical Information
The Graduate School of Business and Leadership (GSB&L) is committed to training and developing ethical leaders who are not only versatile and successful in all spheres of life, but passionate about social and local economic development. In order to fulfil this mission, the School hosts a series of guest lectures on topical issues by prominent leaders from the public and private sectors. Read more
Innovation in the Age of Information
How can businesses and universities co-operate to foster innovation, create value and build more resilient communities? This was the central topic of discussion, led by Prof Piet Naudé, Director of the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) at the recent Technopark SRA/Stellenbosch University partnership breakfast. Read more
Midlands State University to Partner North-West University
The Midlands State University (MSU) and North-West University (NWU) of South Africa have begun talks to establish a relationship that will see the two institutions collaborating in a number of areas. Read more
New Academic Council for Honoris
Private pan-Africa higher education network, Honoris United Universities has established the ‘Honoris Academic Council’ and appointed a new independent board member in an effort to boost the sharing of academic best practices and to develop a broad ’employability agenda’ designed around entrepreneurial and workplace skills and credentials. Read more
NSFAS Slammed for TV Show: ‘Put the Money Where It Is Needed’
Free higher education, unemployment and unapproved applications has dominated the National Student Financial Aid Scheme’s (NSFAS) social media pages. Read more
Plotting Policy Pathways Across Landscapes of the Past
With some scientists claiming that we have only 12 years to save the planet, the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) may has chosen an opportune time-frame for its evaluation of scholarly publishing, the keystone system used by scientists to communicate and verify truth claims. Read more
The Former Public Protector will be Honored with an Honorary Doctorate on Thursday at the University.
“The honorary degree is further inspired by her exceptional services to and achievements for South Africa, and her exceptional contributions in the sphere of justice, society, corporate governance and government. These contributions align with the NWU’s dream, purpose and values. Read more
Transformation is Heart Work
That was the subject of a panel discussion held at the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Graduate School of Business (GSB) as part of its Africa Month events, which addressed this concern and highlighted some of the lessons learned through efforts to implement diversity over the past 25 years. Read more
What’s it Like to Study While Black at University?
South African tertiary education institutions are embroiled in a process of change and transformation motivated by the need to overcome past inequalities and find their own voice. In the midst of dis ferment, a five-year study has been researching the core of the student experience. Read more
30 April 2019
Agri SA Survey Confirms Structural Shift in Research Spend
Agri SA released its 2019 survey which shows the agriculture sector has undergone a discernible structural shift in research spend. The survey indicates that the spend is moved away from the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and towards a variety of private institutions, universities and other government agencies to an estimated 75% of agricultural research spend. This is in drastic contrast to the traditional position of the ARC serving as the nexus of South African agricultural research and presents a set of urgent policy questions. Read more
Busting the Fast-Food Myth Among Undergraduate Students
In an increasingly pressured world, fast and easy is the way to go, especially when it comes to undergraduate students who, like me, always seem to be battling against an excessive workload, endless studying and pending exams. These, as well as other factors such as stress, make students much more likely to spend their limited funds on quick, convenient, and less healthy fast-food options, than use their precious time to cook a healthy meal. Read more
Building Platforms for Scientific Excellence
A focus on institution-building rather than individuals is key to growing the next generation of African scientists and ensuring the sustainability of scientific research, according to South African epidemiologist Professor Salim ‘Slim’ Abdool Karim, whose election to the Royal Society, the world’s oldest science academy, was announced this week. Read more
Future Africa Campus – Revolutionising Knowledge Creation
A new transdisciplinary research centre, launched at the University of Pretoria in South Africa last week, aims to unlock the potential of Africa and is based on the premise that Africa can and should be leading the transformations needed by the continent. Read more
Global Recognition for GSB’s ‘Unique’ EMBA
The University of Cape Town (UCT) Graduate School of Business’s (GSB) Executive MBA (EMBA) programme has been named the best in Africa and rated in the top 50 worldwide in the 2019 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Global EMBA Rankings. Read more
Investing in Climate-Change Protection
How do investments in ecological infrastructure protect society against hydroclimatic risks including droughts and floods? And to what extent does this kind of investment translate to livelihood benefits and social upliftment? Read more
Pandor Disbands Fort Hare University Council
Higher Education Minister Naledi Pandor has dissolved the council at the University of Fort Hare in the Eastern Cape. Read more
Psych Society Denounces Study Claiming Coloured Women have Low Cognitive Functioning
The Psychological Society of South Africa’s (PsySSA) Division for Research and Methodology (DRM) has denounced a study that claims coloured women in South Africa have an increased risk of low cognitive functioning, owing to low education levels and unhealthy lifestyle behaviours. Read more
UCT Researcher Awarded Global Professorship
Professor Shadreck Chirikure, head of the University of Cape Town (UCT) Archaeological Materials Laboratory, has won a Global Professorship from the British Academy for his work dating historical artefacts and the study of pre-colonial urban societies in Africa. The award provides the opportunity for internationally recognised scholars working in the social sciences and humanities to relocate to the United Kingdom (UK) for four years and continue their research at a British university. Read more
UKZN Pays Tribute to Resistance Artist Willie Bester for Life’s Work
Resistance artist Willie Bester has been awarded an honorary doctorate in literature in recognition of his ground-breaking work and the active role he played in the anti-apartheid movement. The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) commenced its 2019 graduation ceremony by making the award on Monday. Read more
University of Pretoria Tops Ranks in New DHET Report on SA Research Outputs
A recently released Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) report reveals that the University of Pretoria (UP) produced the most weighted research outputs per capita for 2017, as well as the highest number of published research outputs in South Africa. UP also produced the most weighted research outputs per capita in 2015. Read more
UP Researchers Lead Project to Develop Africa’s Doctoral Graduates into Future Intellectual Leaders
The University of Pretoria’s (UP) Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Tawana Kupe recently opened the first workshop of the Peer-Learning for Emerging Researchers’ Knowledge and Advancement (PERKA) initiative, held at the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa. Professor Frans Swanepoel of UP’s Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship is the project lead and Dr Melody Mentz-Coetzee, its senior researcher. Read more
31 March 2019
Academic Spearheads Collaborations with US Universities
Kumalo was invited to the University of Rochester in New York to deliver the Frederick Douglas Lecture as part of the Frederick Douglas Centre for African-American studies. The lecture was titled Religion and Governance: A Necessity or Public Nuisance? An African Perspective. It focused on the interface between religion and politics or governance in Africa. Read more
Enactus Members Recognised for Inspiring Greatness
Every year, the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) recognises 40 students whose contribution goes beyond their academic achievements. This year of these 40 students, five of them are from Enactus UKZN. Read more
In the Drive for More Researchers, Do We Neglect Teaching?
With the current focus on the need for more early-career researchers, has South African academia lost sight of the importance of teaching? Read more
Meet Baleka, Africa’s First Two-Legged Robot
This jumping bot is setting the stage for the future of robotics research led by Dr Amir Patel’s team at the UCT Department of Electrical Engineering. It is work that can not only improve the way robots move, but also influence sports science and inspire young minds. Read more
Miss SA Helps Break the TB Stigma
Six months after revealing that she had beaten tuberculosis (TB), current Miss South Africa (SA) Tamaryn Green returned to the place where it all began: the University of Cape Town (UCT). Read more
“Quality at UP will be Uncompromised”, Stresses Newly Inaugurated VC, Prof Tawana Kupe”
As the University of Pretoria (UP) moves ahead in its transformation agenda, it will focus on providing access to its high-quality education to as many South Africans and Africans as possible. This is because high-quality education contributes to the improvement of African futures. Read more
Retired UCT Academic Wins ‘Nobel’ Water Prize
Two South African women have been honoured globally for protecting the planet’s precious water resources and helping to prepare action plans on global climate-change. Read more
UP Academic Makes Significant Headway to Better Diagnose Multidrug-Resistant TB
Despite the global decline in new infections, the emergence of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), a virulent strain that has developed an immunity to the antimicrobial drugs used to treat TB, means the disease remains a public health crisis. Read more
Young Academics Fly UKZN
College of Law and Management Studies lecturers, Ms Hlengiwe Ndlela and Dr Nomkhosi Luthuli, are leading from the front as they recently participated in the 2019 Forbes Woman Africa Leading Women Summit that took place at the Durban ICC. Read more
28 February 2019
Deal with Japanese Power Utility Clinched
Tokyo Electric Power Services Company (TEPSCO), a subsidiary of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), recently visited UKZN to conclude a deal for the development and utilisation of UKZN’s PowerLine Inspection Robot (PLIR) technology on power lines in Japan and Asia. Read more
Experts Gather at Stellenbosch for Cyber Warfare Conference
Academics, military and government professionals from around the world will gather and share research on cyber warfare at Stellenbosch University (SU). Read more
FMHS Expands Training to Northern Cape
In an exciting step, Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) has expanded its footprint in the Northern Cape. This year, a small group of medical students will be completing their final year in Upington, contributing to much-needed medical services in the area. Read more
Foreign Language Classes Becoming More Scarce
Of all the skills that a person could have in today’s globalized world, few serve individuals – and the larger society – as well as knowing how to speak another language. Read more
How to Train Data Scientists
The world is inundated with data. There’s a virtual tsunami of data moving around the globe, renewing itself daily. Take just the global financial markets. They generate vast amounts of data – share prices, commodity prices, indices, option and futures prices, to name just a few.
Mandela University Launches Centre for Philosophy in Africa and SARChI Chair
“How can South Africa, and Africa as a whole, realise communities that are both aware of, and responsive to, their troubled past while remaining committed to social cohesion?”This question emerges as one of the focus areas of the newly launched SARChI Chair in Identities and Social Cohesion in Africa (ISCIA) at Nelson Mandela University. Read more
Mapping Future Climate Pathways in Sub-Saharan Africa
The University of Cape Town (UCT) is working to create “safe spaces” where researchers, decision makers, industry and civil society can join forces to co-produce knowledge that supports efforts to reduce poverty and inequality, without relying on traditional fossil-fueled development. Read more
Matrics: Why You Should Decide What and Where to Study, Now
University choices may feel like a distant priority for this year’s matrics who are currently settling into the rhythm of their final year at school. But now is in fact the optimal time to be investigating what they want to study and where, because making the right choice takes time, and will ultimately impact on study success and employability four years from now, an expert says. Read more
Minister Defends HE Fee Policy Against World Bank Report
South African Higher Education and Training Minister Naledi Pandor had an opportunity to defend the government’s fee-free policy for poor students against recent suggestions by the World Bank that, while attractive, the policy will strain the fiscus and is “ultimately unsustainable”. Read more
New Tarantula Species from Angola Distinct with a One-of-a-Kind ‘Horn’ on its Back
A new to science species of tarantula with a peculiar horn-like protuberance sticking out of its back was recently identified from Angola, a largely underexplored country located at the intersection of several Afrotropical ecoregions. Read more
Protests Continue to Disrupt Lectures at Some Campuses
Lectures at a few South African universities were disrupted this week after protesting students demonstrated their displeasure over allowances, accommodation woes, the denial of funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and some students being turned away from registration. Read more
South African Students are Protesting – Again. Why it Needn’t be This Way
It’s the beginning of South Africa’s academic year and once again, campuses have been brought to a standstill by students protesting against a host of issues that have plagued the country’s universities. These include registration fees, student accommodation, food and other issues, compounded by the inefficiency of the country’s student financial aid scheme. Read more
Taking Stock of Postgraduate Students in Open and Distance Learning Institutions
High graduation rates are essential for innovation in modern industrialised societies. This is particularly true for postgraduate degrees. That’s because people who hold postgraduate qualifications have acquired the skills and knowledge that underpin the modern knowledge economy. They also have the capacity to produce new knowledge. Read more
The 4IR is Coming, and SA Needs to Up-Skill Workers for Automation
People need not fear the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as it’s an opportunity for job creation – as long as companies recognise the need for automation and upskill their workforce. Read more
The Judgment Ends a Period of Anxiety for More Than 400 Law Students and for The IIE
The Pietermaritzburg High Court has ruled in favour of the Independent Institution of Education’s LLB Degree and has given the minister of justice and constitutional development, Michael Masutha, one year to change the Legal Practice Act. Read more
TVET Trainees Sitting at Home
A group of frustrated Plessislaer TVET College graduates, who hold an Educare Diploma (ECD), say their qualifications are gathering dust as they are unable to get jobs. The students say their three-year qualification, achieved after 18 months of attending classes and 18 months practical training, was a waste of time and money. Read more
UCT Back in Top 10 for Development Studies
The University of Cape Town (UCT) has moved up two places to reclaim its position in the top 10 in the 2019 QS World University Rankings by Subject – placing among the top 100 universities in a total nine disciplines. Read more
31 January 2019
5 Wi-Fi Mistakes in the Connected Classroom
Higher education has paved the way for many of the technologies we use today. With a unique set of demands and workloads comes a unique set of problems. Read more
Appointment of Council Members on the Basis of Expertise and Experience
The University of Pretoria plays an important role nationally and makes a significant contribution to South Africa’s international standing. The University Council governs the University in terms of the Higher Education Act of 1997 (as amended) and the Statute of the University of Pretoria. Read more
Dismantling Colonisation’s ‘Pedagogy of Big Lies’
More than two decades after the end of apartheid, historical and structural inequalities, rooted in the racist colonial and apartheid oppression and dispossession, remain part and parcel of the South Africa’s social fabric. The country’s higher education institutions are no exception. Read more
Embracing the Town and Gown Revolution
In one of the final events of the University of Stellenbosch’s centenary year, the rector of the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa, Professor Wim De Villiers, convened a ‘town and gown’ conference on 29 and 30 November 2018. Read more
Free Higher Education Model Unsustainable – World Bank
The World Bank has flagged the South African national treasury’s funding of a phased-in approach to fee-free higher education as unsustainable, saying it should move to a contingent loan income system instead, writes Tehillah Niselow for Fin24. Read more
How Universities can Play a Leading Role in their Cities
South African higher education policy is generally failing to tackle the issue of how the country’s universities can play a leading role in the evolution of the cities in which most of them are based. Read more
North West Raises Alarm about Bogus Institutions
“There is an increasing number of unregistered private institutions that are attracting young people through their marketing strategies, especially during the month of December and January,” said the department on Wednesday. Read more
Public Financial Management Crisis – What Role for Universities?
Shortly after the establishment of the new democratic order in 1994, South Africa embarked on a process of public management reform in which public sector financial management was given particular attention. Read more
Think Global, Act Local: Business Education for Disruptors, Innovators and Entrepreneurs
Disruption. Innovation. The Fourth Industrial Revolution. These aren’t just platitudes at the Johannesburg Business School (JBS), they’re the bedrock of the various courses and programmes on offer. Read more
Time for a New Kind of Learning
“It’s no longer what you know … it’s about what you do with that knowledge,” Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town (UCT), said during a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland Read more
UKZN Sits Pretty in Yet Another International University Ranking
In the Times Higher Education (THE) Emerging Economies Rankings 2019, the University of KwaZulu-Natal made it into the list of 100 best universities in emerging economies; securing 49th place. UKZN was bested by UCT which came in at nine, Wits at 11 and Stellenbosch at 24. The University of Pretoria followed at 78th place while UJ secured a spot at number 99. Read more
What can South African Educators do to Truly Improve Learning?
ITSI, the pioneering provider of educational tools based on established research in the field of educational neurosciences, has announced that it will be hosting the second annual seminar in Africa on Mind, Brain, and Education. Read more
31 December 2018
200 Scholarships on Offer from Pearson Institute for 2019
The Pearson Institute of Higher Education (PIHE) has launched a scholarship programme to provide 200 worthy applicants the funds to study in any of the foundation’s courses on offer at PIHE (including Higher Certificates and Pre-degree Foundation Programmes). Read more
Nanjing Audit University Strengthens Ties with UP
A delegation from China’s Nanjing Audit University met recently with representatives of the University of Pretoria to discuss extending the institutions’ exchange agreement, which has been in place for eight years. Read more
R&D is the Pipeline for Science Jobs in Africa
There’s a critical need to invest in a research & development (R&D) industry that could create a pipeline of jobs for science graduates in Africa. Read more
Shaping Creative Business Minds for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
With smart technologies disrupting industries and changing the way we see and experience the world, the future workplace looks very different to the past. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, or ‘Industry 4.0’, is upon us, and the graduates of 2018 and beyond need to be prepared for what this new wave of change brings. Read more
Study Finds No Link Between Bursaries and Student Success
A new study challenges much of the received wisdom about what it takes for students to succeed at university, concluding that there is no link between bursary funding, or money awarded on the basis of need, and student success. Read more
Two UP Professors Make Web of Science’s Highly Cited Researchers List for 2018
Two internationally renowned researchers from the University of Pretoria (UP), Prof Mike Wingfield and Prof Bernard Slippers, have been included on the 2018 Web of Science’s list of the world’s most highly cited researchers. Read more
UKZN Hosts SAFSAS Summit
In an effort to strengthen collaboration and identify best practices in student affairs and services in Higher Education Institutions, University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Student Support Services in the College of Health Sciences, led by Dr Saloschini Pillay, hosted and co-ordinated this year’s Southern African Federation for Student Affairs and Services (SAFSAS). Read more
World University Debating Championships Opens in CT
Over 1,000 students from 50 countries have descended upon the University of Cape Town to partake in the World University Debating Championships, which kicks off today, 27 December 2018. Read more
30 November 2018
After Campus Rapes, a National Plan to Tackle Scourge
In the aftermath of close to 50 incidents of rape and sexual violence on South Africa’s campuses, the country’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, will launch a national strategic plan to tackle gender-based violence. Read more
Communication from Council…
As pointed out by the Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Wim de Villiers, in his report, 2018 has so far been another exceptional year for SU, even though it had its share of challenges. Council is satisfied that the University is on course to become Africa’s leading research-intensive university, globally recognised as excellent, inclusive and innovative, where we advance knowledge in service of society – as SU’s new vision indeed states. Read more
Norwegian-UKZN Partnership to Internationalise Teacher Education
Leading the delegation, HVL Rector Dr Berit Rokne said the purpose of the visit was to meet their South African partners to find ways to produce quality education and to discuss the current collaborative initiatives in place between the two universities. The visit was also used to explore possibilities for further engagements between the two institutions. Read more
Open Access: How Digital Open Textbooks Could Save Students Billions
The creation of digital open textbooks in higher education creates new opportunities that can facilitate curriculum transformation and the inclusion of student voices in open forms of content generation. Read more
South African Universities Shouldn’t be Playing the Global Rankings Game
Once again, Times Higher Education’s annual global university rankings have drawn a lot of attention from the media and in the higher education sector. In South Africa, this has focused on the four institutions from the country that made the top 500 on the 2019 list. Read more
Surgeons Spread Joy During Smile Week
It was a case of smiles all round earlier this year, when the division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, supported by the German NGO, Big Shoe, performed 11 reconstructive procedures during the Tygerberg Academic Hospital Smile Week. Read more
Teaching and Learning Workshop Explores Decolonisation in Higher Education
“Decolonisation of the Curriculum within Institutions of Higher Learning” was the topic of discussion at a first of its kind workshop recently organised by the Dean of Teaching and Learning in the College of Law and Management Studies. Read more
Top Academic in Ambitious Bid to Groom Future Scholars
The former vice-chancellor of South Africa’s University of the Free State, Professor Jonathan Jansen, has launched the Future Professors Group, an ambitious fortnightly seminar for postdoctoral fellows and young academics that aims to accelerate their paths to professorship. Read more
UKZN Researcher Elected Society of Neuroscientists of Africa Representative
Human Physiology Lecturer and Neuroscientist based in UKZN’s School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, Dr Lihle Qulu, has been selected as a Southern Hemisphere Region Representative for the Society of Neuroscientists of Africa (SONA). Read more
UKZN Vehicles Steal the Show at Cars in the Park Exhibition
The six vehicles students and staff of UKZN’s School of Mechanical Engineering exhibited at the annual Cars in the Park event in Pietermaritzburg were all massive crowd pullers! Read more
University of Cape Town (UCT) Researchers from the Industrial Computational Fluid Dynamics (InCFD)…
The group’s novel CFD software Elemental – with its unprecedented accuracy – enabled Airbus to effect a design improvement to their A320 aircraft that won the research team the Best Innovations in Flight Physics award for 2017/18. Read more
University Warning After Government Made It Even Easier to Get Matric Bachelor’s Pass
Experts are warning that the government’s decision to make it easier to get a National Senior Certificate (NSC) Bachelor’s pass will mean universities will be flooded with applications. Read more
UP Fellow Dr Osmond Mlonyeni Appointed to The Innovation Hub Board
As the first accredited Science and Technology Park in Africa, the hub aims to be an innovation agency of choice, and build Gauteng’s competitiveness by providing incubation programmes in the high technology, green economy and bio-economy sectors. Partnerships between government, industry, and academic and research institutions are important to drive innovation, and foster skills and enterprise development Read more
31 October 2018
Doctoral Qualification Standard Gets Favourable Review
Academics have given the thumbs-up to a draft document that aims not only to increase the number of doctoral degrees in South Africa but to improve national standards by providing a watertight system that rigorously guarantees quality. Read more
Four new Fellows for UCT
“In my culture we have the concept of elders. These are people who have walked the road ahead of us. We respect them because they do not impose their ideas on us, but they take time to listen and engage in our ideals and dreams as young people who are not as experienced as they are … In chaos, they are the voice of reason, and in wars and battles, they bring peace. Read more
Medical Students Upskilling Communities
A group of fourth-year University of Cape Town (UCT) medical students who are helping empower Mitchell’s Plain residents by teaching them basic first-aid skills are themselves benefiting from the experience as they learn the essential of community-oriented primary care (COPC). Read more
Naledi Pandor and why SA can’t afford to sleep on the job crisis
Higher Education and Training Minister Naledi Pandor says while SA is gaining ground on solving its skills crisis, there’s still lots to do. Here, in this edited Q/A, is what she considers some ways of solving SA’s job crisis. Read more
New Free Online University by Tari Labs
With the aim to help incubate open source projects and train blockchain developers, both locally and globally, Tari Labs has launched a free online university. Tari Labs is a contributor to Tari, the South African-based blockchain protocol. Read more
Partnerships – A Grand but Rewarding Challenge
South African higher education institutions should demand respect from prospective partners and ensure that partnerships are mutually beneficial and reciprocal, the recent South African Technology Network conference heard. Read more
Promoting Technical Colleges
Improved education is widely regarded as one of the key dimensions needed to address South Africa’s pervasive legacy of poverty, inequality and youth unemployment. Improving access to higher education, and to technical colleges, in particular, has a special place in this debate. Read more
Recognising Meaningful Contributions and Engaged Citizens
Over the last year, 810 well-trained students have volunteered weekly in 76 community partner organisations, which has made a meaningful contribution to the areas of academic support, sports coaching, wellness interventions, food security, IT support and leadership programmes. A further 820 pupils have been involved through disciplines in the various academic departments. Read more
Renewing the bonds between industry and universities
South African Technology Network (SATN) member universities last month secured an invitation to visit Saab Grintek Defence (SGD), South Africa’s leading defence and security company, with a view to understanding how to foster a mutually-beneficial working relationship between the industry and universities of technology. Read more
Research Helping Rural Community
A guesthouse in the remote Riemvasmaak conservancy area in the Northern Cape now has cost-effective access to water. This is thanks to a solar pump station developed by Nelson Mandela University’s Advanced Mechatronic Technology Centre, in collaboration with the merSETA (Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training). Read more
Showcasing the best emerging African talent – The AFDA Graduation Festival 2018
Our third- and fourth-year students are showcasing the hottest new talent coming out of South Africa from our Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth campuses. For the first time our pioneering AFDA BCom students will also be part of the festival, showcasing their innovative, disruptive, and monetised businesses they have created in their final year. Read more
Spotlight Shines on Universities Role in Agenda 2063
Discussions on universities role in achieving Africa’s Agenda 2063 has taken centre stage at the 6th Africa Higher Education Week and the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) Biennial Conference. Read more
UP Academics Make Up Eight of 20 New Members of Top National Science Academy
Eight academics from the University of Pretoria (UP) are among 20 of the country’s leading scholars and scientists recently inaugurated as members of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf). Read more
South Africa Needs to Find More Money to Fund Poor, Deserving Students
Is free higher education to the poor feasible? Is free tertiary education to needy and deserving students feasible in the current economic climate in South Africa? Read more
UKZN Entrepreneurs Venture to Hydroponic Farming
The University of KwaZulu-Natal ENSPIRE programme is proud to introduce another ground-breaking and innovative project that is set to make a difference in the lives of South Africans. Read more
30 September 2018
Awards for Wits Researchers Advancing Science for Society
The National Research Foundation has recognised Wits researchers for advancing their fields. Read more
Be Your Own Boss: Entrepreneurship 101
Would you like to change your life by putting your skills and knowledge to good use? Do you have the ability to think creatively? Would you like to be your own boss? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may have what it takes to become an entrepreneur. Read more
Committed to Healthy Communities
To signal the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) renewed commitment to cultivating inclusivity on and off campus, Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng spent a day visiting a number of the health sites and community projects on the Cape Flats with which the university is involved. Read more
Fourth Industrial Revolution – Keeping People at the Core
Is the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) merely the latest buzzword describing inevitable technological advancements, or is it a phenomenon that will fundamentally change the way the world works, the way we educate students, and what it means to be human? Read more
Graduate Employability: UCT Top in Africa
The University of Cape Town (UCT) has maintained its top position in Africa for graduate employability, and is placed 18th in the world for graduate employment (in work after one year), the 2019 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Graduate Employability Rankings show. Read more
Launch of IPCC Technical Support Unit Office at UKZN
The launch of the Durban office of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Working Group II Technical Support Unit (WGII TSU) at the Smart Grid Research Centre on UKZN’s Westville campus attracted more than 60 guests drawn from a broad spectrum of academia, and representatives from local and national government and the media. Read more
Ledumahadi Mafube – South Africa’s New Jurassic Giant
A team of international scientists, led by Professor Jonah Choiniere from Wits, described a new species of a giant dinosaur that has been found near Clarens. Read more
New Book on SDGs Calls for Closer Research-Policy Link
A government policy-maker needs to find a solution to a water sanitation problem. Simple, tap into the latest research. Problem solved. If only. A new book addresses the frequent disconnect between research producers and policy-makers – a disconnect in urgent need of a solution if the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are to be achieved. Read more
On the Front Line Against Rape and Sexual Assault
A research development manager at UCT, Ramon is one of 11 staff members who recently completed standby adviser training for cases of sexual assault and rape. Their trainer was Rashieda Khan, who heads up the Survivor Support Office in the Office for Inclusivity and Change (OIC). Read more
PhDs in Just Three Minutes
It was a case of “ready, steady, go” on 13 September when 14 PhD students taking part in the 3MT® – or Three Minute Thesis – competition at the University of Cape Town (UCT) were given just three minutes to explain their entire PhDs to a public audience. Read more
Rain for Africa AgriCloud App Roll-out Hosted at Ukulinga Research Farm
The Agricultural Research Council – Institute for Soil, Climate and Water (ARC-ISCW) launched its Rain4Africa App at Ukulinga Research Farm. Read more
Researcher Receives National Award for Science Communication
Dr Rehana Malgas-Enus, an emerging researcher in the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science at Stellenbosch University, on Wednesday (26 September 2018) received an award from the National Research Foundation (NRF) for her outstanding contributions to public engagement with science and for making science and technology more accessible to the public. Read more
Siyanqoba UKZN Maths Stars Shine at National Competition
Two senior and two junior UKZN’s Siyanqoba Maths teams competed in the South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) annual Mathematics team competition. Read more
SU Again Among World’s Top Universities on Times Higher Education Rankings
In the 2019 version, which has just been released, SU is placed in the category 301-350. This is a significant improvement on last year when it was ranked in the category 351-400. Read more
UCT Scientists Shine at NRF Awards
The University of Cape Town’s top scientific minds dominated at this year’s National Research Foundation (NRF) Awards ceremony, accounting for 11 of the 37 academics honoured at the prestigious annual event. Read more
UKZN Turns Up the Heat on Research through Research Flagships Launch
In a bid to strengthen its research outputs and become a world-class and cutting-edge institution, the University of KwaZulu-Natal launched its four research flagships on Wednesday, 5 September 2018. Read more
UP Academic Wins Global Young Researcher Award
The University of Pretoria extends its congratulations to Dr Taryn Bond-Barnard of the UP Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM), who’s been honoured with this year’s Global Young Researcher Award in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Read more
Using Computers to Improve Lives
The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Department of Computer Science is set to enjoy a major boost with the naming of Dr Melissa Densmore, senior lecturer and Information and Communications Technologies for Development (ICT4D) staff member, as a recipient of the prestigious $500 000 National Academies Keck Futures Initiative (NAKFI) Challenge grant. Read more
31 August 2018
Addressing Unequal Power Relations in an Unequal Society
“… living in South Africa as a white person I cannot but engage critically with racism and its effects, including how I have benefited from apartheid and colonialism due to false values attached to the accident of skin pigmentation.” Read more
Advancing the Science of Measurement
The Metrological and Applied Sciences University Research Unit (MeASURe), officially launched in the University of Cape Town’s Department of Physics, will play a crucial role in boosting the prominence of measurement-based research in South Africa. Read more
A Medical Solution Aimed at Malnourished Children
It may not be the kind of thing people choose to discuss over the dinner table, but faecal transplants are gaining increasing acceptance as medical procedures as scientists learn more about the significance of the multitudes of bacteria inhabiting the human body. Read more
A National Multilingual Resource for Higher Education Developed at UP
The Department of African Languages and the Unit for Academic Literacy at the University of Pretoria (UP), in collaboration with Prof Mbulungeni Madiba of the University of Cape Town have developed an Open Educational Resource Term Bank (OERTB). Read more
African MBA Students Pursuing Positive Global Change
Master of Business Administration (MBA) students – particularly in Africa – are displaying a heightened sense of citizenship and responsibility, pursuing the skills necessary to bring their social impact and innovation priorities to life. Read more
First Runner Up in DST South African Women in Sciences Awards
Professor Pragashnie Govender was awarded 1st runner up in the Department of Science and Technology South African Women in Sciences Awards, in the Distinguished Young Women Humanities and Social Sciences category, held in Polokwane on 23 August 2018. Read more
Minister Steps in to Resolve Funding Problems
Universities South Africa says that it is pleased with the steps taken by Higher Education and Training Minister Naledi Pandor in an attempt to resolve the problems which the National Student Financial Aid Scheme has been battling with, writes Michael Pedro for Eye Witness News. Read more
National Science Week Inspires Learners
The Science and Technology Education Centre (STEC@UKZN) on UKZN’s Westville campus hosted the annual three-day National Science Week (NSW). Read more
Talent Equity and Excellence Scholarship Accelerates Research Dream for Plant Pathologist
Mr Sfiso Gumede is one of the recipients of the Talent Equity and Excellence Acceleration Scholarship awarded to Black South African students who have achieved academic excellence and aim for a career in academia. Read more
South Africa’s University Students Face a Crisis: Nearly a Third Go Hungry
There is a common perception that students represent the elite, and so cannot possibly suffer from hunger. Read more
UKZN Working Overtime to Advance Statistics Education
Building strength and capacity in statistics education has been an ongoing priority for the Discipline of Statistics in UKZN’s School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Sciences (SMSCS) and events planned by the Discipline for the remainder of 2018 will continue along this line. Read more
UP Signs Agreement with The University of Western Australia
The University of Pretoria (UP) and The University of Western Australia (UWA) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), that seeks to enhance relations between the two universities by developing academic and cultural interchanges in teaching, research and other activities. Read more
7 Ways to Save SA’s STEM Education Before the 4th Industrial Revolution Hits
With the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) looming, a solid STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) is imperative to bring about the ability to problem-solve. Read more
Wits Lifetime and Emerging Research Recognised
Four scientists in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Wits last night won South African Medical Research Council Scientific Merit Awards. Read more
30 June 2018
Only one South African University Climbed the Latest Global Rankings
The latest QS World University Rankings has been released for 2018/19, showing that only one South African university managed to improve its position among the best in the world from last year – while the others on the list declined. Read more
UP Scientists Honoured at NSTF Awards
The University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control (UP ISMC), headed by Prof Tiaan de Jager, has won a prestigious National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Award at a gala dinner last night. Read more
The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) announced in April that it will spend 4 million Rand towards furthering the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) in South Africa. Read more
Op-Ed: Foreign Doctorates are Attractive – But Don’t Write off Homegrown PhDs
Introducing more skilled employees into the economy is an important path to development for many middle income countries. That’s why increased and improved training at the top end of the education level – PhDs – is considered so vital. Read more
Professors Should Earn their Status, Not be “Made”
South Africa’s professoriate needs to be “transformed” to “reflect its population as fully as possible”. He offers no other premises/goals/criteria/standards. Read more
Staff Transformation at UCT
Transformation is a challenge for all South African higher education institutions. In response to recent discussions on this important topic in the media, UCT Vice-Chancellor Dr Max Price outlines what UCT is doing to advance employment equity. Read more
UKZN Academic Conducts Medical Law and Ethics
Professor David McQuoid-Mason from the UKZN Centre for Socio-Legal Studies recently conducted a Medical Law and Ethics workshop for Ghanaian health professionals. Read more
Using Data to Understand Students’ Needs and put them on the path to success
In Africa Features, we cover the recent Siyaphumelela conference held in Johannesburg, South Africa, which highlighted some of the challenges – material and otherwise – facing students and impeding their success at universities. Read more
31 May 2018
University writing groups provide an unexpected space for change
In a seminal paper on what constitutes quality in education, scholars Lee Harvey and Diana Green argue that a “quality education” is one in which a student experiences a “personal transformation” as a result of enhancing and empowering mechanisms. Read more
South African universities losing their credibility
The credibility of higher education at South Africa’s top institutions is on a decline while other BRICS countries like China‚ India and Russia are improving their standards. Read more
Collaboration sees the birth of the STEM Academy at CUT
The Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) launched the STEM Academy in collaboration with the Free State Department of Education (FSDoE), University of the Free State (UFS) and TVET colleges in the province on 30 May 2018. Read more
Highest graduate numbers revealed
False Bay TVET College hosted its annual Awards and Diploma Ceremony to acknowledge students who excel in their respective programmes and celebrate those who have graduated. This year the event was hosted in College’s Khayelitsha Campus, Main Hall. Read more
UCT law student wins Yale University Fellowship
Elkanah Babatunde, Law PhD candidate from UCT has been awarded the prestigious Yale Fox International Fellowship by Yale University in the United States… Read more
R934m to be spent on university capacity development
Higher Education and Training Minister Naledi Pandor says the department will spend R934 million on the University Capacity Development Programme (UCDP) to improve student development and decolonise the curriculum… Read more
Mamdani rejoins UCT
In marking Africa Day, the Centre for African Studies (CAS) at UCT announced the appointment of esteemed Ugandan professor Mahmood Mamdani as Honorary Professor. Read more
The top university in Africa
The University of Cape Town (UCT) has leapt up 36 places to 223rd in the world, according to the latest report from the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR). UCT placed first in the country and on the continent. Read more
SU signs collaboration agreement with Oudtshoorn
Municipality Stellenbosch University (SU) values the opportunity to collaborate with local governments through formal Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs). The University has MOUs in place with the Western Cape Government (WCG) and the City of Cape Town through its membership of the Cape Higher Education Consortium (CHEC). Read more
Invitation to attend the annual AIPLITL Conference hosted by the Centre for IP Law at the University of Pretoria
The Centre for Intellectual Property Law in the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria is hosting the annual conference of the South African Association of Intellectual Property Law and Information Technology of Law Teachers and Researchers (AIPLITL) Conference from 4 to 5 July 2018 at the CSIR Centre in Pretoria. Read more
Assessing the Impact of Ranking Systems on Universities
The impact ranking systems have on universities around the world was discussed at a UKZN gathering which featured visiting United States academic, Professor Luc Beaudoin. A Vice-Provost for Internationalisation and Associate Professor at the University of Denver, Beaudoin said university rankings undoubtedly had a major influence on how each institution was perceived and could be […] Read more
KRISP Cautions about Intellectual Property when Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Understanding Intellectual Property (IP) allows people and businesses to harness creations of the human mind and realise their economic potential through commercialisation. It is important to know what constitutes intellectual property, who owns the intellectual property and what protection and advantages are afforded to intellectual property owners. This was the focus of the fourth breakfast […] Read more
30 April 2018
Emphasizing the IP Gender gap
Commemorating World Intellectual Property (IP) Day, UCT not only joins the global community to acknowledge the key roles women play in research, innovation and creativity, but also takes the opportunity to examine gender bias within the IP system Read more
UCT in Times Higher Education Top 60
The University of Cape Town (UCT) is one of eight universities belonging to the World University Network (WUN) to have been ranked within the top 60 of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings’ list of the world’s most international universities. Read more
UKZN Graduating Ceremonies 2018
It’s time for celebration on all campuses of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) as thousands of students reap the fruits of their studies and hard work at the 2018 graduation ceremonies. Read more
Distinguished Teacher Uses Web 2.0 Technologies to Enhance Teaching
Professor Guegium Kana has been awarded a Distinguished Teachers’ Award for 2017 in recognition of his innovative teaching methods and harnessing of information technology. ‘This prestigious award from an institution of UKZN’s ranking comes with great honor, and high expectations to further improve teaching and impact the community,’ said Kana, of the School of Life Sciences. Read more
Statistics PhD Graduate Earns Plaudits for Women in Science
Ugandan-born Dr Justine Nasejje graduated with a PhD in Statistics for research that has drawn international attention in her field and earned her invitations to a number of scientific meetings, including one in June in the United States. Read more
Citizenship, Racism and Campus Culture
Condemnation by the local and international media of racist initiation practices at the University of the Free State raised very serious and interesting questions about the state of, and the responsibilities of, higher education in South Africa. The media – ranging from local print and television to BBC, CNN and The Economist – with one or two notable exceptions beat a drum of outrage and ‘back to the old South Africa’. Read more
Pan-African Accreditation and Quality Council Agreed
Experts have agreed to set up an African Quality Assurance and Accreditation Council for Higher Education, to harmonize the approval of courses and activities of quality agencies among countries. Read more
Free State University Decries Financial Exclusion Article
The executive management of the University of the Free State (UFS) rejects the perception created by Rossouw that provisional registration is racially biased. The university does not discriminate in any way in considering students who wish to take advantage of provisional registration. Read more
Red tape is Alienating Academics from Their Own Research and Work
When South African academics want to set up a new degree module, they’re entering into a process that can take years to germinate. These modules must be approved through an incredibly cumbersome process – departmental, school, faculty, various university quality control committees, an institution’s senate, the South African Qualification Authority. Read more
30 December 2017
A New Era of Teaching at UCT
The education field, like many others, is constantly changing as technology evolves and opens up new possibilities. Read more
AAUN Africa Forum Brings Experts Together In Cape Town
Australia-Africa Universities Network (AAUN) brought together 55 Australian and African experts from academia, government, the diplomatic service, business and agencies to assess education and research partnerships in development, the engagement of stakeholders, and building sustainable research and exchange programmes. Read more
AFDA Offers Teaching Scholarships in Their Master of Fine Arts Programme
AFDA is offering graduate students a unique opportunity to realise their dream of mastering the craft of motion picture production by researching, developing and participating in the making of a feature film or television series. Read more
Business in Africa: The Case-Study Collection
The UCT Graduate School of Business (GSB) has announced the publication of its first collection of 10 case studies with accompanying teaching notes. Read more
Don’t Give Up On Studies Yet
If you have failed your first year of studies after school, review your options but don’t give up on of your dreams. Read more
Education Experts Advise Graduates on Job Search
With SA’s high unemployment rate and many candidates competing for limited opportunities, the job search can be a daunting task. Read more
Expulsion of Two Rhodes Protesters Triggers Outrage
Rhodes University has come under fire following the permanent expulsion of two women students who were involved in anti-rape protests at the campus in Grahamstown last year. Read more
Former UWC Rector’s Death A Loss to City
Tributes have been pouring in for Professor Richard van der Ross who died at age 96. Read more
HE Quality Council Defends Review of Law Degrees
The Council on Higher Education, or CHE, has defended its quality review of the law degrees of 17 universities in South Africa in the wake of what it claims are “wanton attacks on the CHE and its quality assurance processes in instances. Read more
LLB Recognition Boost for NMU
The faculty of law is one of seven faculties working together to support the institution’s vision of being a dynamic African university. Read more
New Study on Nitrogen Pollution In False Bay
Despite a wealth of research on False Bay, little is known about the chemical make-up of its water, how this varies seasonally and how its vigorous circulation prevents stagnation. Read more
Online Help for Matrics to Get Into Varsity
The Central Applications Clearing House (CACH) online application service for matriculants, who struggled to secure a place at the educational institution of their choice, will open from 5 January – 28 February 2018. Read more
Prof Lis Lange appointed as Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning at UCT
Vice-Rector: Academic at the University of the Free State (UFS), has been appointed as Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning at the University of Cape Town (UCT) as from 1 February 2018. Read more
Student Aid Scheme Unprepared For ‘Missing Middle’
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme has told members of parliament that it could encounter difficulties if President Jacob Zuma decides it should also cater for the so-called ‘missing middle’ in the 2018 academic year. Read more
UCT’s D-School Unlocks Creativity to Drive Innovation
The Hasso Plattner Institute of Design Thinking (d-school) at UCT is one of only three in the world. Read more
Windfall Helps Train Undergrads in Air Sampling
Atmospheric chemist Dr Katye Altieri will use her Claude Leon Merit Award, one of five awarded to UCT researchers in 2017, to teach oceanography and atmospheric science undergraduates the rudiments of conducting air quality analyses. Read more
30 October 2017
R11-Billion Set Aside For Extra Accommodation for Varsity Students
Finance Minister has set aside more than R11-billion to expand accommodation for university students in the next three years. Read more
Academic the Victim of ‘Black Purge’
After 23 years of a democratic and non-racial South Africa, the institutions of higher learning are still gravely and blatantly trudging in the wake of transformation. Read more
Black Students Held Back By Varsity Fees
The higher education system is constipated and, if left untreated, the number of black students who complete their studies will continue to drop. Read more
CAES Top Researchers Contribute to World-Class Research
The University of KwaZulu-Natal congratulated its top performing researchers for 2016. Of the 30 researchers honoured, 16 are based in the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, where they are conducting important research in the Schools of Chemistry and Physics (SCP), Life Sciences (SLS), Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science (SMSCS), Engineering, and Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences (SAEES). Read more
Dr Mphahlele Puts UKZN on the Map with Cystic Fibrosis Study
The School of Clinical Medicine’s Paediatrics and Child Health Junior Lecturer, Dr Reratilwe Mphahlele’s poster presentation on Cystic Fibrosis (CF) in South Africa, made the top five at the 16th International Congress on Paediatric Pulmonology (CIPPXVI) held recently in Lisbon, Portugal. Read more
Education Minister Urges Students to Apply Early For Financial Aid
NSFAS does not require exam results for the application process, so learners are urged to apply before their exams start so that they know that their application has been submitted. Read more
Free Education Unfeasible, Says Leaked Report
The long-awaited university fees commission report is expected to be released by President Jacob Zuma this week, but a leaked version of it saying that free education is unfeasible has already sparked fear of more student protests. Read more
Funding Shortfalls Haunt Higher Education
National Treasury has painted a grim picture of the shortfalls in the funding of public higher education for the next three financial years. Read more
Higher Education Institutions Revenue Increased By 11%
The Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) revenue has increased by 11% from 2015 to 2016, according to the Financial Statistics of Higher Education Institutions. Read more
Higher Education Institutions Spent More on Bursaries In 2016
South Africa’s public higher education institutions spent more on bursary funding for students in 2016 compared with 2015. Read more
Is This the Start of Fees Must Fall Protests
As universities prepare to announce fee increases for 2018‚ a swirl of unrest is engulfing some campuses over the proposed increments. Read more
Major Cost Pressure on Higher Education
Despite South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress, earlier this year vowing that free higher education could become a reality as early as 2018, Wednesday’s medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) revealed glaring gaps in funding for the country’s students.
Protests Shut Down UCT
Classes were disrupted for a second day at the University of Cape Town as students calling on the President to release a report on tuition fees resumed their protest. Read more
Student Funding Body Fails To Meet Objectives
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) increased the number of students it funded by 9% in the 2016-17 financial year, but the technically complex roll-out of its student-centred model led to the organisation failing to meet nearly half of its strategic objectives and performance indicators. Read more
Study Now, Pay Later: The Rise of Income Sharing
Such income-sharing agreements are paving the way for less fortunate students to get on in life. Read more
Students Were Better Off In 1980s – Statistics Chief
The proportion of black students progressing at universities was higher in the 1980s than it was in 2017. Read more
Two Years and Counting – University Fees Frustration Mounts
With student protests beginning to flare up again at various campuses across the country‚ the University of Cape Town Vice-Chancellor‚ have expressed “grave concern” at the delayed release of the report of the Commission of Inquiry into Higher Education and Training established nearly 24 months ago. Read more
UCT Fee Increases ‘Delayed By Zuma’
UCT pleaded with President Jacob Zuma to release, and make public, the report of the Commission of Inquiry into Higher Education and Training (Fees Commission) to allow them to determine the fee hike for the 2018 academic year. Read more
Universities Collect R21bn in Tuition Fees
Public higher education institutions managed to raise over R21-billion through tuition fees in 2016‚ according to figures released by Statistics South Africa. Read more
University Education Can Never Be Free‚ Says SA’s Statistician-General
South Africa must not deceive itself with the idea of free higher education and should focus on finding a workable model. Read more
Varsities in Dark Over 2018 Fees Increase
National Treasury has painted a grim picture of the shortfalls in the funding of public higher education for the next three financial years. Read more
15 October 2017
Africa’s Largest Eagle In Free Fall
The population of Martial Eagles, Africa’s largest eagle species, is in free fall in South Africa and may be heading towards extinction. This is according to a new UCT study based on changes in sighting rates over the past 20 years. Read more
Curro Fledgling Stadio Buys Milpark Business School In With Brimstone
Stadio is buying Milpark Business School for R320m in partnership with Brimstone, the recently listed tertiary education group announce. Read more
Educor Hosts Its First Academic Advising Research Conference
Leading private education provider Educor Holdings hosted its first Academic Advising Research Conference. Read more
GSB Academic Conference Centre Takes Shape
Work has started on the construction of a R130 million state-of-the-art academic conference centre on UCT’s Graduate School of Business (GSB) campus. Read more
HE Conference Agenda Reflects Sector’s Topical Issues
The issue of academic decolonisation was a strong feature of the 11th annual University of KwaZulu-Natal Higher Education Teaching and Learning Conference held in Durban. Read more
Higher Education Transformation Network Calls For Release Of Fees Commission Report
The Higher Education Transformation Network (HETN) has called on President Jacob Zuma to “urgently” release the final report of the Fees Commission. The lobby group said the findings contained in the report were crucial to the immediate future of higher education. Read more
IRSJ Research Fellow Promotes Human Rights Transformation
In the book, she argues that the traditional ways in which human rights education is conducted often become an obstacle. Read more
New Medical School Slated For Eastern Cape
Nelson Mandela University (NMU) will open South Africa’s ninth medical school in 2020 when the school is expected to accept its first class of 100 aspiring doctors. Read more
New Research Informs Improved Treatment Of Brain Inflammation
Microbiologist Dr Adepemi Ogundeji has uncovered a new use for an old medicine that can potentially save lives and money. Read more
Outrage After Lab Rape Attack At NMU
The man who raped a student and stabbed another in a violent attack inside a Nelson Mandela University computer laboratory on Monday night later made the women help him carry out the equipment he stole. Read more
Umbrella Body Fears Student Funding Disaster
The Financial Aid Practitioners of SA (Fapsa) warns of further unrest and protest at tertiary campuses countrywide if the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) does not sort out its payment issues to institutions and students. Read more
University Has Become Place Where Students Fear Being Raped
A new name of the university was launched, a prestigious ocean science campus was unveiled, a new logo revealed, great speeches were made, red ribbons were cut, it was flowers and roses.Read more
30 September 2017
Canny Investors Buy Into Education
Two decades after Yusuf Karodia launched Mancosa, a distance learning school to teach South Africans business skills, he sold up to UK private equity firm Actis. Read more
Education Activist Is Out To Free Our Minds
One of the demands of the #FMF protesters during their fight for free education at higher education institutions across the country was the decolonisation of education. Read more
Focus on Equity and Success
In an address to members of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Professor Loretta Feris, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Transformation, reflected on her nine months in the transformation portfolio and outlined her key focus areas for 2018. Read more
GIBS Again Tops Financial Mail Business School And MBA 2017 Rankings
The rankings place GIBS first in three categories: first choice for graduates, most reputable MBA programme among employers, and a commanding reputational lead compared to its competitors with regard to best overall reputation among employers. Read more
No Plan In Place For SA Youth, Statistician-General
Lehohla delivered a keynote address on the Demographic Dividend South Africa at the 11th annual Higher Education Conference, hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Read more
Postgrads Urgently Need Funding
Statistician general Pali Lehohla has said that tertiary education is the key to employing South Africa’s young people. However, the key to growing our economy is not just to put people into jobs, but to develop new business and professional sectors in which South Africans can apply their ingenuity to solving problems that can have a global effect. Read more
SA Is Skills-Hungry‚ Says Statistics Chief
In South Africa the number of skilled people are few‚ said Lehohla at the International Higher Education conference hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal where he released the Whither a Demographic Dividend South Africa‚ 2017‚ report. Read more
Shining A Light On Student Entrepreneurs
Between presentations from a number of student entrepreneurs, an entrepreneurial marketplace and a day-long entrepreneurship boot camp, the week brought the efforts of many future business leaders to the fore. Read more
Shortening the Distance with Damelin Correspondence College
With the emergence of new technologies developing exponentially in the education sector and the growing need to earn an income after graduating from high school, students have been driven towards distance education. Read more
State Pays Millions For Predatory Journal Articles
The South African government spent between R100 million (US$7.5 million) and R300 million (US$23 million) over a 10-year period in subsidies for academic articles published in predatory journals, according to a South African Journal of Science study. Read more
Suspended CPUT Head Still Draws A Salary
The Department of Higher Education and Training does not know why the suspended vice-chancellor of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, (CPUT), Dr Prins Nevhutalu, still draws a salary after almost a year of idling at home. Read more
UCT Launches MOOC Focusing On Practical Academic Writing Skills
Writing Your World’ is the latest massive open online course (MOOC) launched by the University of Cape Town (UCT). Read more
University Of Venda Splashes Out R5-Million On A Pool Students Can’t Use
A R4.9-million recreational swimming pool at the University of Venda has not been used since it was completed last year, because there are no lifeguards. Read more
Unpacking The Spatial Paradox
The collective brings together research centres at three Western Cape universities, including UCT’s African Centre for Cities (ACC), experts on urban development and planning, and civil society groups such as Reclaim the City and the Development Action Group (DAG). Read more
Varsities Get HIV Safe Pill
Truvada is an antiretroviral pill that reduces the risk of contracting HIV by at least 90% if taken daily. Read more
15 September 2017
Alumni Advance Excellence
Ten recent graduates from UCT’s Department of Chemical Engineering will be completing their master’s degrees abroad, with the bulk of students attending the University of Cambridge in the UK. Read more
Call for Shoprite Bursary Applications
The Shoprite Group is searching for bright, hard-working young people who need funding in order to continue their post-school education and have a better chance of finding jobs. Read more
Conspiracies behind student millionaire
It was revealed in the Portfolio Committee meeting on Higher Education that the student who received the R14.1 million incorrect payments must have conspired with vendors and administrative officials. Read more
Ebola Virus Study Generates PhD in Health Sciences
A novel study on the Ebola virus that produced four publications in just one academic year earned Dr Marissa Balmith a PhD in Health Sciences. Read more
Geological ‘Barcodes’: A Unique Way to Date Rocks
Geological time as recorded by sedimentary rocks can preserve distinct intervals in which biotic crises resulted in global mass extinctions. Read more
Government Answerable For R14m Student Case
The National Freedom Party (NFP) on Thursday called on the government to take full responsibility for the situation regarding the R14.1 million that was “accidentally” deposited into the account of a Walter Sisulu University student, and to stop shifting the blame. Read more
How Do Youth Find Their Place in The World?
In 21st century South Africa and Japan, young people have emerged as a significant community for analysing contemporary transformations, with their capacity to negotiate warmth and hospitality between social continuities and change in a globalised, interconnected world of local and global hierarchies. Read more
New Study Centre for PE
A unique tertiary institution, where there are no lecturers on campus and students attend classes after work with a lecturer who is more than 1,000km away, will open its doors in Nelson Mandela Bay next year. Read more
Proposed Collaboration Promises Great Results for Entrepreneurship
Creating opportunities and areas for collaboration between the Department of Small Business Development and the University of KwaZulu-Natal was the aim of a recent roundtable discussion championed by the School of Accounting Economics and Finance (SAEF). Read more
Student Surgeons Climb Kili for Dialysis Machine
UCT’s Surgical Society is planning to summit the daunting Mount Kilimanjaro this December to raise funds to buy a life-saving kidney dialysis machine for Groote Schuur Hospital. Read more
The Fall Strikes an International Chord
The much-acclaimed play The Fall returns to the Baxter Theatre this September in the wake of global events signalling the importance of decolonisation across the world. Read more
Tackling Seemingly Insurmountable Mountains is What the New Dean Does Best
As a trail runner he has tackled some of the toughest snowy mountains to be found in Poland and participated in gruelling challenges in rough terrains in South Africa, but perhaps the most challenging task that Prof Anthony Leysens will face over the next five years is how to build a sustainable arts and social sciences faculty at a time when higher education institutions in general are under immense pressure to remain financially sustainable. Read more
Transformed Many Lives for the Better at Varsity
As the term of Professor Derrick Swartz as vice-chancellor of Nelson Mandela University is about to expire at the end of this year, I would like to express my appreciation for the man who has played an important role in transforming many lives for the better and producing many graduates in his term as the vice-chancellor. Read more
Zuma Set to Make Higher Education Report ‘Public In Due Course’
President Jacob Zuma has received the final report of the Heher Commission on the feasibility of free higher education and would make it public in due course. Read more
31 August 2017
Artscape Celebrates SACM Musicians
Six talented instrumentalists and singers from the South African College of Music (SACM) are set to perform at the Western Cape Youth Classical Festival. Read more
Candidates Sought For Phd in ‘Leadership in Africa’s Development’
The University of Africa, a private university within JSE-listed ADvTECH, is on track to start producing new authorities on leadership on the continent and is calling for candidates from across Africa to join the programme. Read more
Cape Town Shows off Scientific Treasures
It was perhaps not so much teenage tomfoolery as it was scientific curiosity that drew the moths to the cloud of ammonia. While this writer didn’t stick around long enough to figure out what exactly the chap in the white coat was demonstrating, a fair number of the youngsters did. They were the guests of honour at this year’s Cape Town Expo for Young Scientists, after all. Read more
College of Business and Economics Launches Officially at UJ
The official launch of the new College of Business and Economics (CBE) at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) takes place on Monday 21 August 2017. The College, combining the previous Faculties of Economic and Financial Sciences and Management, houses six schools focusing on management education in Africa. Read more
Competition Offers Free Student Accommodation in PE
CampusKey is running a competition offering free accommodation at its new Scarborough facility in Summerstrand, Port Elizabeth. The competition is open to students aged 18 or over, studying at the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) or a higher education establishment in Port Elizabeth, during the 2018 academic year. Read more
Goal Reached – A PhD at 69 Years Old
After five years of pursuing her PhD, 69-year-old Lulama Ngalo-Morrison is now a doctor of education after graduating from UWC. Read more
Higher Education Committee Slams ‘Dubious’ R14m #NSFAS Payment
Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training has slammed the R14 million accidentally paid into a Walter Sisulu University student’s account as “dubious” and “unacceptable”. Read more
Honour for Innovative, Multifaceted Linguist
Professor Ana Deumert was in Berlin recently to receive the prestigious Humboldt Research Award for her work in general and applied linguistics. Her peers have described her as one of the world’s most distinguished and innovative thinkers in the field of sociolinguistics. Read more
How Severe Is the Drought?
The rainy season is about to finish and dam levels are at 34%, compared to last year’s 58%. Even if there are good late rains, our predicament is not going to change. Read more
Investing In Energy Entrepreneurs
The Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship is part of a project that is testing an innovative, outcomes-based funding mechanism, the Green Outcomes Fund, to catalyse investment into promising green small and growing businesses. Read more
Is Fee-Free Tertiary Education Viable In SA, Commissions’ Report Will Tell?
South Africans will soon know whether the country is ready for fee-free higher education and training or not. Read more
Mogoeng Appointed Chancellor at UKZN
Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng is the new Chancellor of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Chief Justice Mogoeng was appointed by Council at its meeting held on 7 August 2017 and will serve as Chancellor for a four-year term of office. Read more
Nzimande Condemns R14.1m Student Payment ‘Slip-Up’
Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande has condemned the incorrect payment of R14.1 million into the account of a Walter Sisulu University (WSU) student, whose studies were being financed by government. Read more
Own Your Future with UCT Careers Festival
The Careers Service presents the UCT Careers Festival, which includes everything students need to know to take the next step in their career development. Read more
Proposed Collaboration Promises Great Results for Entrepreneurship
Creating opportunities and areas for collaboration between the Department of Small Business Development and the University of KwaZulu-Natal was the aim of a recent roundtable discussion championed by the School of Accounting Economics and Finance (SAEF). Read more
Secret Life of the Dodo Revealed
Scientists are piecing together clues about the life of the dodo, hundreds of years after the flightless bird was driven to extinction. Read more
Short Two-Billion-Year History of SA
While the proposal to translate the book had been floated as far back as the first edition, Emeritus Professor Francis Wilson had his hopes realised only on publication of the third edition of Dinosaurs, Diamonds and Democracy. Read more
South African Universities Need to Rethink how They Invest Their Millions
Universities have to decide what to do with the pension fund contributions of their staff. They also receive large monetary donations from alumni and other private donors. This money – millions, sometimes billions of dollars – goes into university investment funds. Read more
Technology Will Disrupt Traditional Education System
The current education system is ripe for disruption. Historically, institutions have positioned themselves as knowledge leaders and the primary place to receive expertise to prepare students for the workplace. However, in the age of free online courses from the worlds top universities and part-time study sites, such as edX and Coursera, that information is becoming widely available outside the system. Read more
Think Tank Tackles Myth of Green Mining
Sustainability is key to the survival of the mining sector worldwide. But is green mining a pipe dream, or can the industry shift into a transformed and more sustainable paradigm? These questions absorbed participants during a recent one-day interactive workshop at UCT. Read more
UKZN Awards Academic and Sports Achievements
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has awarded prestigious scholarships and bursaries worth a combined total of more than R156 million to 5294 top achieving students at the University during the University’s Annual Scholarships Awards Ceremony. Read more
Zuma Set To Make Higher Education Report ‘Public In Due Course’
President Jacob Zuma has received the final report of the Heher Commission on the feasibility of free higher education and would make it public in due course. Read more
15 August 2017
Academic Adds Fun into Accounting
The School of Accounting, Economics and Finance academic has once again found a way to spice up Accounting by creating an educational game for his Accounting students. Read more
ANC Plays It Safe: Free Higher Education Soon
The ANC wants the government to provide free higher education for poor would-be students as early as next year. Read more
Leadership Comes Under the Spotlight at Imbokodo Workshop
What makes a good leader and what are the main challenges facing women in the workplace? Read more
Many Steps Face Mandela University
Through the Government Gazette No 40090, dated June 23 last year, Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande determined that Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University would be named Nelson Mandela University from now on. Read more
M-Education Can Speed Up Learning, Participation
With many students using their mobile phones to access information, rather than laptop or tablet, South African higher education institutions – whether public or private – are encouraged to support the integration of mobile devices and apps in formal and informal learning environments. Read more
Mining the Power of Data to Boost Student Success
Data analytics is becoming increasingly important to improving the effectiveness of almost every profession and academia is no different, but knowing what data is important and how to use it is critical. Read more
Nursing Education Creates Empowerment
At our Life College of Learning, we are able to develop many South African women through our various nursing and health sciences courses. Read more
Overcoming Hurdles to Success
Not afraid to speak his mind about anything from politics to everyday life, former University of the Free State vice-chancellor Professor Jonathan Jansen had his audience in stitches when he launched his latest literary work, Song for Sarah: Lessons from my mother. Read more
Predator Alert! Credible Science Is Being Gobbled Up, Warn Academics
Predatory publishing – in which bogus journals publish academic research for a fee – threatens to undermine science in South Africa. Read more
Student Activist Slams ANC for Being Arrogant, Hypocritical
Student activist said the ANC was arrogant and hypocritical for granting free higher education despite a number of student leaders still facing charges related to Fees Must Fall protests. Read more
Student Digs Fund Targets JSE Niche
The listing of the first student accommodation group Inkunzi should encourage more companies focusing on student housing to go public. Read more
Students Not Prepared For Tertiary Education
Not being happy with their study choice and falling school standards are some of the reasons why South African students feel unprepared for tertiary education. Read more
UKZN Graduate Hones Skills in the Petrol Manufacturing Industry
School of Management, Information Technology and Governance (SMIG) alumni paid tribute to UKZN’s Supply Chain Department for providing him with the inspiration, dedication and motivation needed to pursue his career with confidence. Read more
UKZN Ranks Third In SA, and 369th Internationally
World ranking body, University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP), has placed the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) third among 16 universities in South Africa and 369th among 2000 higher education institutes across the globe. Read more
UKZN Team Involved In Baby Charlie Care
UKZN’s paediatric palliative care team, was involved in discussions around the care of Charlie Gard, an 11-month-old UK baby who was living with a rare condition. Read more
Universities Enter Partnership with Police to Curb Crime
In a bid to deal with crime plaguing South African campuses, South Africa’s universities have entered into a long-term partnership with the national police service that will see closer collaboration to ensure the safety and security of university communities across the country. Read more
Universities SA Wary of ANC’s Free Tertiary Tuition
The ANC’s proposal to provide free tertiary education for poor people from 2018 was unlikely to placate students, Universities SA warned. Read more
We Reject Free Education Offer, Says #Feesmustfall Leader
Student activist Mcebo Dlamini said on Tuesday that the African National Congress (ANC) was arrogant and hypocritical for granting free higher education despite a number of student leaders still facing charges related to fees must fall protests. Read more
15 July 2017
City University Linked To Malawian Prophet Being Investigated
The ownership of a city university, called Shepherd Bushiri University and linked to controversial Malawian prophet Shepherd Bushiri, is under investigation by the Department of Higher Education, which said yesterday that modules and courses offered were bogus and unregistered. Read more
Combine On-The-Job Training with Flexible Study Programmes
Are degree and certificate programmes in business education only for privileged few? Read more
Cut Out Distractions Before Matric Studies Start
As the Class of 2017 return to their desks for arguably the most important few months of their school careers, it is time for them to eliminate all distractions, and budget their time to ensure they stay in control of their revision and ultimate success. Read more
Free Education for the Poor Coming Soon
Free education for the poor may be implemented by next year, says ANC general secretary Gwede Mantashe. Read more
High-Ranking UJ Leaders Accused Of Swindling R25m
Two senior managers at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) have been accused of siphoning off at least R25 million from the university, which they allegedly channelled into their private business. Read more
Institutional Autonomy under Threat As Government Seeks To Increase Number of Black Professors
While it is essential to diversify the make-up of staff and students at tertiary institutions, the government’s current fixation with increasing the number of black professors further threatens institutional autonomy. Read more
Medical Students Blocked At Hospitals over Qualifications
Medical students who have studied in India and China have been dealt a major blow after a moratorium was placed on local universities preventing them from being placed at state hospitals. Read more
NMMU Becomes NMU
The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth has relaunched itself as the Nelson Mandela University. Read more
NSFAS Expenditure Rises Over 10 Years
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) loan system has risen by more than 600% for universities and a 17 900% for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges in the past ten year. Read more
Officials Probe Suspected Bogus College
The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) is investigating the owners of a suspected fraudulent international university on allegations of operating an illegal private institution in central Pretoria. Read more
R3.5m Bursaries for Teacher Education In 2018
The Embury Institute for Higher Education is open for applications for its 2018 bursaries for teacher education, worth R3.5m. The bursaries are awarded through two initiatives, a full four-year tuition bursary scheme for high-performing but financially challenged students and the Triple 3 Campus Tuition bursary scheme. Read more
Relaunched Nelson Mandela University Must Live Up To Its Name
Staff and students at the newly-branded Nelson Mandela University have a “responsibility to cherish and defend Nelson Mandela’s name” and “be true Madibas,” Read more
Renamed university has big shoes to fill
Nelson Mandela University has big shoes to fill and expectations to meet, since it was officially renamed after the iconic late statesman. Read more
Student Funding Models Mooted
The type of funding model that South Africa comes up with in response to the #FeesMustFall student movement should not be one that compromises students. Read more
Students Must Sign Loan Deals or Lose Out On Funding
More than 200,000 students on the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) have not received their funding and are in danger of losing it entirely if they fail to sign loan agreements. Read more
Suburban High-Rise Student Digs Boon
The seven-storey CampusKey Scarborough development is nearing completion at a crucial time for Nelson Mandela University (NMU) with next year’s student intake looming and funding for a new on-campus residence not yet finalized. Read more
Varsity Clinics to Supply Arts to Students
The University of Zululand (Unizul) has become the first institution of higher education in KwaZulu-Natal to provide antiretroviral treatment (ART) in its health clinics. Read more
30 June 2017
Becoming partners in care
The Patient Partner Programme has been funded by the Erasmus+ capacity building programme of the European Union as part of the Caring Society 3.0 (CASO) consortium. Read more
Beware Bogus Colleges Offering ‘University’ Qualifications
There has been an increase in bogus colleges, exploiting the complexities of the regulatory environment for gain, and students and their parents must avoid unregistered and unaccredited colleges. Read more
Fee-Free Varsity for the Poor Examined
The minister of higher education’s task team believes it has finally solved the university fees crisis, but the Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme is just another way for the private sector to benefit from the poor. Read more
Free Education Is Possible, Says Task Team Chair
While some 1 000 people had crammed into Jameson Hall to debate the feasibility of fee-free higher education, kicked off by a report-back from UCT’s Free Education Planning Group task team, the speakers made it clear that student and worker struggles at universities were intimately connected. Read more
Harnessing Technology to Drive Innovation
UCT alumnus Rapelang Rabana, who has achieved phenomenal success in her field, will be speaking about being a young entrepreneur at the Development and Alumni Department (DAD)’s Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series talk this weekend. Read more
Nhlanha Nene to Head Wits Business School
Former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene was named interim director of the Wits Business School (WBS) late Friday. According to a statement released to the press, he will hold the position until a long-term executive is selected next year and then go on to serve as an Honorary Professor and a Scholar in Residence. Read more
Research Indicates Universities’ Reliance on High Foreign Donations
Against the background of Youth Month and the national crisis in higher education, Inyathelo, the South African Institute for Advancement in Cape Town, has released its Annual Survey of Philanthropy in Higher Education (ASPIHE) in local universities. Read more
Stalemate in Education
In simple terms a policy is a statement of intent which guides the actions of an organisation. The shorter and more focused a policy, the clearer its intentions and the more likely its implementation. Read more
Standard Bank Develops Crowdfunding Platform For #Feesmustfall Challenge
Standard bank has created a crowdfunding initiative aimed enhancing access to higher education for students. Jayshree Naidoo, Interim CEO of Feenix Trust, said access to tertiary education remains a major challenge for many people with ability, but who lack funds. Read more
The Curriculum Must be about Change
Curriculum transformation and decolonisation are imperatives of our times and they will not go away. As someone who has dedicated 33 years of my professional life to the study of education, I believe it is our obligation to search for alternatives. Read more
Two Decades of Living on the Fringe
The Centre for Curating the Archive at the Michaelis School of Fine Art recently hosted an exhibition that shed light on the plight of the Tamboerskloof Farm. Read more
Upskill with a SETA-Accredited Digital Brand Analysis Workshop
DigitLab Academy will be launching a one-day SETA-accredited digital brand analysis workshop. Read more
Why Are There So Few Black Professors?
Ahead of the budget vote for 2017-2018 of the department of higher education and training, Minister Blade Nzimande expressed concern about the scarcity of black professors. Read more
15 June 2017
Absa Helps Wits Students Prosper
Absa Bank has donated over R15m to Wits University in aid of student funding. Read more
Association between Sjambok Injuries and Renal Dysfunction Examined in PhD Research
The relationship between injuries caused by being hit with a sjambok and renal dysfunction was examined in a paper by University of KwaZulu-Natal doctoral candidate, Dr David Skinner. Read more
Birds, Binoculars and Biodiversity
Where does it all begin for someone like Professor Peter Ryan, who leads a field at UCT that was recently ranked third in the world? It starts with a pair of binoculars and continues with the funding of the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology as a Centre of Excellence. Read more
Complementing Qualifications Leads to Candidate Differentiation
For graduates and current students, the need to differentiate themselves from their peers in the job market is leading to them extending their studies into alternate qualifications to their main field. Read more
Digsconnect: Safe Student Accommodation
UCT alumnus and founder of Digsconnect, took a look at the student accommodation issue and decided it was time for a fresh approach. She felt that a system needed to be built and implemented by the people who understand the situation intimately – students who had themselves struggled to find suitable accommodation. Read more
Former DVC Urges Alumni to Reflect On Protests
UCT Emeritus Professor Crain Soudien presented his audience with some food for thought at the fourth instalment of the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series. Read more
GSB Case Study Competition Win
A case study on the successful turnaround at K-Way won top honours at the annual Emerald / Association of African Business Schools (AABS) Case Study Competition. The results of the competition, which aims to encourage and promote the development of high-quality teaching case material from real-life situations in Africa, were announced in May. Read more
GSB Launches Sandton Satellite Campus
The UCT Graduate School of Business (GSB) has launched a satellite campus in Johannesburg. Based in Sandton, the campus offers a number of customised executive education programmes and short courses that are designed to develop African business leaders. Read more
Heading Out To Sea
Some might say that the buzzword for UCT during 2016 was ‘transformation’. The head of the Department of Oceanography, Professor Isabelle Ansorge, heard the call to action and answered with the creation and launch of SEAmester. Read more
Honorary Professorship for AU Development Advisor
There is a new honorary professor on campus. Dr Carlos Lopes is a Bissau-Guinean development economist, author, educator and civil servant who most recently acted as select advisor on African Union reform, reporting to Rwandan president Paul Kagame. His appointment, announced on 1 June, will run for a five-year term until 2022. Read more
Look to Rest of Africa for Solutions – Harvard Professor
South Africa needs to look at models and methods deployed by other African states to decolonise and fund higher education, according to a Harvard professor of African history. Read more
MEC Calls Education Imbizo to Deal with Problems
It is important that the department works with universities to ensure teachers are adequately trained in ICT. Read more
Media Postgraduates’ Sprint through Data to Tackle Spatial Inequality
Quick and dirty are not usually adjectives you want to associate with your research. But it has proven an apt description for the work of – and deliberate tactic by – postgraduates investigating the media’s role in tackling spatial inequality in Cape Town. Read more
More Universities Linked to Places-For-Sale Saga
As the University of KwaZulu-Natal medical school’s places-for-sale saga develops, more information has emerged regarding the alleged syndicate’s national links to other universities. Read more
New MSC Graduate Institute to Offer Degree Courses Online
The MSC Graduate Institute will be launching in July 2017 and will offer both a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree and a Diploma in Information Technology online. Read more
Probe into Attempted Sale of Med School Spaces
Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande has welcomed the continuing probe by law enforcement agencies of claims of people attempting to sell places to study medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Read more
SA Has Highest Blood Pressure in Southern Africa
A study by Wits scientists and peers has revealed that South Africa has the highest prevalence of hypertension in southern Africa. Read more
Super Microscopes to Zoom in on TB, HIV/AIDS
Two new super-resolution microscopes will help researchers take an unprecedentedly close look into the cellular processes that govern diseases like tuberculosis, cancer and HIV/AIDS. Read more
‘The Glass Ceiling Is Not Yet Shattered’
Women in Marikana play a critical yet unrewarded role in sustaining livelihoods in the mining town. Their struggles, and the struggles of women in patriarchal economies the world over, were in the spotlight at a recent colloquium at UCT. Read more
UKZN Vehicle Steal the Show at Cars in Park Exhibition
Students and staff from the School of Mechanical Engineering exhibit their projects at the Cars in the Park even. Read more
15 May 2017
A Boost for Student Food Programme
Wits alumni have donated a quarter of a million rand to the Wits Food Programme. Read more
“Be a Contender,” Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng Tells Mastercard Foundation Scholars
At every university, you get three types of students: spectators, pretenders and contenders,” Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, deputy vice-chancellor for research and internationalisation, told UCT’s MasterCard Foundation Scholars at their welcome reception in April. Read more
Bridging the Inter-Generational Chasm in Higher Education
Universities and their leaders have a “social and moral responsibility” to place inequality and social justice at the core of their public purpose concerns, and to address the “massive socio-cultural, inter-generational chasm” which currently exists between the current generation of students and university administrators. Read more
Embracing New Opportunities
At the age of 54, Nana Mashego is excited to be resuming her studies and has bundles of energy for what lies ahead. Read more
Encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship
Flux is an entrepreneurship business game where teams of students are given real-world problems that they need to address and for which they need to present a solution. Read more
French Honours Leading Wits Cities Researcher
Emeritus Professor Alan Mabin has been awarded the French National Order of Merit. Read more
Gay University Students Feel Invisible
The Eastern Cape is South Africa’s most conservative province when it comes to attitudes about homosexuality. Even in spaces that might be considered more liberal – like university campuses gender non-conforming students and those who belong to sexual minorities face open discrimination. Read more
Inclusive Higher Education in South Africa
It is not just a policy project but also an ‘ethical project’ and social mission. Read more
Mathematics – A Gateway to Many Career Paths
About 70 percent of career paths need mathematics. Read more
Mining for Sustainable Development
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has sponsored a project dedicated to education for sustainable development in natural mineral resources management. The selected students’ research has a focus on gender equity. Read more
Minister Calls for ‘New Kind of Academic’
Calling for universities to produce “a new kind of academic”, the Higher Education and Training Minister Dr Blade Nzimande said his department would be implementing a capacity development programme prioritising historically disadvantaged universities and focused on student success, staff development and curriculum transformation. Read more
Multilingualism Is the African Lingua Franca
“There is a difference in understanding a concept and getting it.” explains Associate Professor Mbulungeni Madiba, who encounters this problem all the time with students whose mother tongue is not English. Read more
Not Enough Evidence To Back Europeans’ Claim
Africa is not the cradle of humankind: that’s the claim by a group of scientists who’ve just published what they describe as evidence of pre-human remains found in Eastern Europe (Greece and Bulgaria). The fossils in question belong to Graecopithecus freybergi, and are a little more than seven million years old. This would make them the world’s oldest hominin fossils. Read more
Nurturing Talent at Wits
Providing full first-year bursaries and investing in high school programmes ensures a stream of excellent results for Wits. Read more
Petersen and Buhlungu Inaugurated
Former UCT Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Francis Petersen and Dean of Humanities Professor Sakhela Buhlungu were inaugurated at the universities of the Free State (UFS) and Fort Hare (UFH) this month – a testimony to UCT’s commitment to developing a new cohort of leaders in higher education. Read more
Predatory Journals – A Threat to Academic Credibility
Predatory journals and their publishers, driven solely by profit motives, are posing an increasing threat to academic credibility and to individual reputations. Read more
Taking Theatre to the Kids
Drama for Life unveiled the world of theatre to children and young people at the 19th ASSITEJ World Congress and Performing Arts Festival in Cape Town. Read more
The Science behind Safe Tackling
Tackles are made almost every 30 seconds in rugby matches, often at high-impact, causing half of rugby-related injuries to both forwards and backs. But evidence-based tackle-contact training can make a difference at all levels of the game. Read more
Three Awards and the Presidency for Wits Anatomy
Wits academics scooped three awards at the Anatomical Society of Southern Africa Conference and Wits’ Head of Anatomical Studies was re-elected as President. Read more
30 April 2017
Absa Increases University Scholarships to R210 Million
The Barclays Africa Group’s 2017 CEO Scholarship Fund has increased to R210 million, allowing 3,000 university students, across its 10 African markets, to receive scholarships for the current academic year. The 2017 allocation is in partnership with 21 universities in South Africa and several others in the rest of the continent. Read more
Call to Decolonise Entire University, Education System
Wits University academic activist Leigh Ann Naidoo has called for the decolonisation of the country’s entire university and education system, saying it comes from a “violent and problematic” process. Read more
Education Needs to Update to Global Skills Inclusion in Curricula
The 2016 report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) revealed that educational institutions worldwide are failing to equip learners with the global competencies they will need to be employable in coming years. Read more
Four Tips to Survive and Succeed at University
The academic year is underway at South Africa’s tertiary institutions, but some of the most important lessons for students cannot be learned in the lecture hall or prac labs. Success at varsity depends on students knowing themselves, staying within their own boundaries and maintaining consistency. Read more
In the Age of the Internet, Censorship Has Acquired a New Face
Abandon the naive thought that, with the internet and free flow of information, governments are retreating from repression of the media. Read more
Mosquito Discovery Sheds Light on How Malaria is Spread in South Africa
The two most successful and widely used initiatives are indoor house spraying and the use of insecticide treated bed nets. These target mosquitoes that feed on humans inside their homes and then rest indoors. Hundreds of millions of bed nets have been distributed across Africa in the last 15 years. Read more
National Review Prompts LLB Changes
The aim of the review was to develop a qualification standard for LLB programmes. It found that 13 of the 17 universities that offer the programme met the required standard. The four universities that did not meet the required standard had issues with their LLB programme that needed serious attention, which has put them at risk of losing their accreditation. Read more
New Anti-malarial Drug Shows Promise
A new paper published today in the prestigious journal describes the discovery and biological profiling of an exciting new anti-malarial clinical drug candidate. MMV390048 is effective against resistant strains of the malaria parasite and across the entire parasite life cycle, and it has the potential to cure and protect in a single dose. Read more
NSFAS Funding for More Than 2 Million Students
More than two million students studying at South Africa’s public Universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges have been funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) since 2013. Read more
R7bn Boost for University Infrastructure
Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande has announced major new investment in university infrastructure, which will see government spending R7 billion on a range of projects countrywide. Read more
South Africa Needs More Than a Sugar Tax to Get to the Bottom of Obesity
South Africa has been wrapped up in public and parliamentary debates on the value of South Africa’s proposed sugar tax. These highlight that the growing obesity epidemic has been fuelled by people consuming high levels of sugar. Read more
The Education System Should Include More Subjects on Money Matters
An equation has two sides. When it comes to money there is a lot of focus on expenditure and not much focus is given on the making money side. Read more
The State Of South African Journalism: There’s Good News and There’s Bad News
Wits University’s Journalism and Media Studies Department have just published their latest State of the Newsroom report. Read more
UCT Denies Banning ‘Controversial’ Artworks after Protests
The University of Cape Town has denied media reports that it banned the display of 75 pieces of artwork on its campuses, following the destruction of paintings during student protests last year. Read more
Unmasking the Doctorate
The significance of the doctorate has been both overemphasised and underemphasised in dominant conceptualisations, with implications for how we understand the purpose and value of this important qualification. Read more
Wits to Offer Students Huawei Certification
IT students at Wits will gain ICT technology knowledge and practical training experiences through the Huawei Authorised Information and Network Academy. Read more
15 March 2017
Addressing Language Barriers Is Key to Student Success
By focusing on the quality of their note-taking in and out of class, researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand or Wits, South Africa, have established that poor English language competence is hindering the academic performance of a significant number of undergraduate students for whom the language is not their mother tongue. Read more
A Degree with a Difference: Using SA Sign Language Instead of the Written Word
Nyeleti Nokwazi Nkwinika acknowledges the applause after graduating with her Masters degree. Read more
Africa’s First Design-Thinking School Launched at UCT
In an era of intense change, where it’s difficult to predict which jobs will exist in the next 20 years, applying the same solutions to existing societal challenges will no longer work. Read more
Big Dreams, High Fees
In this, the third of a series, we speak to six students who are struggling to find the funds to pay their fees and so change their lives. Read more
Decolonising Law Series on the Cards
According to the dean of Law, Professor Penelope Andrews, she was approached by a group of students last year who wanted to explore the idea of “decolonising law” in depth and create opportunities for students and staff to engage in a dialogue about its meaning, content and application. Read more
Free Higher Education ‘Not sustainable’
Business Unity SA (Busa) says free higher education is not sustainable and business cannot carry its costs alone, given the low levels of economic growth. Read more
Language at the Centre of Decolonization
Knowledge of mother tongue is power, the lack of is enslavement says legendary author Ngugi wa Thiong’o. Read more
Malaria in Pretoria: Facts, Figures and Awareness
The recent deaths of two women in Doornpoort in the north of Pretoria due to malaria is causing panic among people living in Tshwane. Read more
No Such Thing as Free Education – Commission
There is no such thing as free education – someone has to pay‚ be it the state‚ firms‚ households or donors. Read more
Outstanding TVET College Results Will Be Released Within a Week
Outstanding academic results for students who have graduated from Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges will be processed and released within a week. Read more
PhD Graduate’s Research Helps to Put International Seal on Karoo Lamb
When Sarah Erasmus graduates on 14 March 2017 with a doctorate in Food Science in hand, she’ll do so with the knowledge that her findings provided a scientific basis for widely-held claims that there is something special and quite unique about lamb meat from the Karoo region. Her findings helped to ensure that Karoo lamb received exclusive geographic “naming rights” last year in terms of European Union marketing legislation. Read more
Put Africa Back in Our Universities
It is important for us to engage with calls to “decolonise” and “Africanise” South African higher education because these address the very place and role of university in our society today. Read more
Ready for Work: Putting Your Best Foot Forward During an Interview
It is really exciting when you are close to finishing your degree and you have just landed a job interview at a company where you would love to work. You have put in the effort, applied for the job and now your hard work has opened a door for you. However, despite the initial excitement, the job interview is still a nerve-racking experience for most people. The best way to overcome this is adequate preparation. Read more
Society Can Find Solutions in Higher Education
The final engagement in the round of higher education crisis provincial engagements was concluded in the Western Cape. The engagements – convened by the Higher Education Crisis Forum and its partners – brought together student formations, parents, staff/academics, the clergy and university management. Read more
Student Wrestles Buffalo, Camps, to Earn Degree
Nearly 230 students from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) were capped this week at Stellenbosch University’s March graduation. Read more
The African Renaissance’s Drum Major
Former president Thabo Mbeki could not have started his Unisa chancellorship at a more relevant time. Read more
The Needs of the Land and the Needs of the People Can’t be Separated
The national conversation about land, always simmering in South Africa, has come to the boil again. What’s often missing is a voice for the unrepresented party – the land. I’d like to be that voice. Read more
UCT Researchers Discover Heart-Attack Gene
The gene‚ called CDH2‚ is found in everyone, but a mutation causes a genetic disorder known as arrhythmogenic right ventricle cardiomyopathy (ARVC)‚ which increases the risk of heart disease and cardiac arrest. Read more
University under Pressure over Student ‘Spying’ Claims
The Right2Know Campaign is putting pressure on the University of Johannesburg to come clean about using private security firms to spy on student protesters. Read more
Unbundling Higher Education
The project will look at the “unbundling” of higher education and ask if the traditional university – offering a single package for many aspects of the student experience, including teaching, content and assessment – is undergoing changes in the nature of its provision. Read more
15 February 2017
Business Students Willing to Sacrifice Future Salary for Good Corporate Social Responsibility
More than 90% of business students in a study on corporate social responsibility said they would be willing to sacrifice some percentage of their future salary to work for a responsible employer. A surprising number of 14% are willing to sacrifice more than 40% of their future income to do so. Read more
Countering Complications of Starting ART in TB and HIV-Infected Patients
Untreated HIV infection is associated with progressive weakening of the body’s immune system. This predisposes a person infected with HIV to other serious infections. Read more
Degree Fraudsters to Face the Music
Higher Education and Training Minister says serious action will be taken against those who have fake qualification certificates. Read more
Graduates Spared From Tax – Finance Minister Says ‘We’ve Done the Best We Can for Universities’
Treasury appears to have put the nail in the coffin of a graduate tax‚ saying the funds raised would not be nearly enough to cover the running costs of South African universities. Read more
Heads To Roll Over Unissued TVET Certificates
The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training has called for disciplinary measures against the officials responsible for delays in issuing certificates to students who have graduated from Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges. Read more
Mbeki Is New Unisa Chancellor
There was consensus in selecting Mbeki, an outstanding African intellectual giant and the most recognisable 21st century proponent of the African renaissance, who is highly regarded internationally. Read more
NAPP Retreat Was No Sleepy Affair
The combination of small-group teaching, difficult conversations about transformation and “decoloniality” and well-received guest talks embodied NAPP’s new way of working. They are trying to personify the drive to create spaces for participants to think through such difficult issues, as they impact on burgeoning academic careers. Read more
R17m Skills Programme to Empower Youth
A newly launched R17 million skills programme is expected to enhance the employability of people, especially the youth, from poor backgrounds and those that are referred to as the missing middle. Read more
The Humanities – Looking the Past in the Eye
Given the disconcerting present, how can we explain our wretched past and understand our increasingly threatening future? This question continued to drift to the surface as I listened recently to presentations about the history of individual departments in Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Science – the name for the humanities faculty at that university. Read more
Transform Higher Education System‚ Do Not Destroy It
Instability is fast eroding the public higher education system‚ with applications to private institutions reaching an all-time high‚ parents sending their children abroad to study and academics turning down appointments at local institutions. Read more
UCT Fourth in Emerging-Economy Universities
Here’s something to consider in the future funding of higher education in South Africa: the Times Higher Education BRICS & Emerging Economies University Rankings 2017 has placed UCT fourth in its top 300. Read more
Universities to Improve Access for Disabled
The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has invested about R175.6 million to ensure that students and staff with disabilities have improved access to university facilities. Read more
We’re Spending More on Debt than on Land and Tertiary Education
We’re spending more on servicing our debt — including interest repayments — than we are spending on tertiary education or land reform, two hot-button issues that have been major political talking-points in recent times. Read more
Zuma Promises There Will be an End to University Fee Uncertainty
President Jacob Zuma on Friday promised students that uncertainty about university fees will end this year. Read more
31 January 2017
Debt Call Left To Universities
The Department of Higher Education and Training has left it to universities to decide whether to register students with historical debt who are not funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). Read more
Gender Fail for UKZN Managers
The number of female graduates at the University of KwaZulu-Natal outstrips that of males by at least 9000 annually, yet gender transformation at the educational institution still has a long way to go. Read more
Henley Open for MBA Scholarship Applications
Henley Business School Africa has opened applications for its 2017 MBA scholarships. Four scholarships are made available each year to potential students applying for the MBA. Read more
Lack of Space at Public Universities Needn’t Spell End of Degree Dreams
Every year in January, the media reports extensively on the desperate situation in which thousands of matriculants find themselves – that of having qualified for entry into a degree programme, yet not being able to enrol at a public university due to lack of space. Read more
NSFAS Pays R1.3bn for Student Registrations
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has paid R1.3 billion to 26 public universities for registration fees for qualifying students. Read more
New Funding Scheme for Missing Middle Students
More than 1,000 students from the “missing middle” stand to benefit from a new student funding scheme. Read more
NWU School of Business Achieves AMBA Accreditation
The NWU School of Business and Governance (NWU SBG) has been granted accreditation from the Association of MBAs (AMBA) for a period of five years. Read more
Open Learning Group Shortens the Distance in Distance Learning
In a bid to address students’ ongoing challenges with distance education, the Open Learning Group (OLG) has launched three ‘Learning Hubs’ in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban to support their current distance education offering. Read more
Principal Aghast at His Phoney College Bust
A principal of an unaccredited college in Johannesburg got the shock of his life on Monday when Department of Higher Education and Training officials paid him a visit and declared his college bogus. Read more
SA’s Universities Can Do More to Make Disabled Students Feel Included
It’s been a decade since South Africa signed and ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The convention is an international human rights treaty that’s supposed to protect the rights and dignity of people with disabilities. But not much seems to have changed for South Africans with disabilities since 2007. Read more
Strikers Close Unisa Over 10% Wage Call
Striking workers shut down the University of SA’s main campus in Pretoria over a wage dispute. Read more
Students Shut Down Colleges to Demand Better Governance
Over-enrolment has led to a standoff between students, colleges and the government, Higher Education and Training deputy director-general Firoz Patel said. Read more
Students Shut Down 15 Colleges over Unresolved Issues
Protesting students shut down about 15 of the 50 public technical and vocational education and training colleges earlier this month as a result of a host of unresolved issues with the department of higher education and training. Read more
TB: New Incurable Strains
The rise of drug-resistant tuberculosis has taken a new, horrifying turn. While various strains of TB, with varying degrees of resistance to drugs, have wreaked havoc on South Africans, a new strain of TB has been found to be simply incurable. Read more
The Role of African Universities in Achieving the SDGs
In September 2015, United Nations member states adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), designed to provide a pathway to sustainability. While the goals are wide-ranging, “it is striking how closely they speak to critical problems for the African continent”. Read more
Universities Hope for More Stable Academic Year
While it is unlikely that South Africa will escape student unrest at the start of the 2017 academic year, authorities are hoping such action will be moderated by the progress made in addressing some of the key challenges that sparked and sustained last year’s violent and highly disruptive protests over fee-free higher education. Read more
15 November 2016
A Regulatory Tweak Could Unlock Billions for South African Student Fees
A number of smart suggestions have been offered to plug South Africa’s higher education funding gap. One that’s been mooted involves innovative long term development bonds. Read more
Belgium Campus and Penn State Innovative Projects Resume
Belgium Campus students have now began their innovative projects with their Penn State counterparts. Students work together with students from the mechanical and electrical engineering faculties. Read more
Can We Eliminate Malaria in South Africa By 2018?
Malaria is an often lethal disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite and transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is endemic to large parts of Africa, including a few regions in the north-eastern corner of South Africa. Read more
Ecotourists Contribute to Elephant Conservation
While elephant populations are declining at unprecedented rates in Africa due to their illegal slaughter, many populations of the animal on the continent are stable or increasing, research by a UKZN team has revealed. Read more
Feesmustfall Leader Dlamini Back in Court
University of the Witwatersrand Fees Must Fall leader Mcebo Dlamini will appear again on Tuesday in the Johannesburg Central Magistrate’s Court. Read more
Higher Education Struggles in an Emerging Democracy
The evolutionary growth of the university in the 21st century is affected by enormous challenges and the possibility of problems being addressed is constrained by national politics, bureaucracy and resource limitations that threaten the equality of the global academy. Read more
Higher Education Ministerial Task Team Makes Progress
Progress has been made by the Ministerial Task Team appointed by Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande to develop a support and funding model for poor and “missing middle” students. Read more
Is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder In Your Genes?
Can post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) be passed down through generations in shared family genes? Could a simple blood test tell if you’re genetically predisposed to this? Read more
Prof Frans Swanepoel Recognised During the 5th African Higher Education Week
Prof Frans Swanepoel, recently appointed as Professor: Future Africa at the Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship, was recognised for his significant contributions to capacity development in support of agricultural transformation and development in Africa during the 5th African Higher Education Week. Read more
Shedding Light on Animal Responses to Changing Environments
Climate change in southern Africa will have far-reaching effects on the activities and well-being of humans. Read more
Stellenbosch University Celebrates Internationalisation and Africa University Day
Proudly rooted in Africa, with a global reach, Stellenbosch University (SU) launched its new division, Stellenbosch University International (SUI). Read more
Student Funding Report Due For Release
Blade Nzimande’s department is due to table a report to Parliament that will reveal how the government will tackle the crises in higher education. Read more
SU hosts ‘Tastes of Nuclear Physics’ School
The sixth Tastes of Nuclear Physics School was hosted by the Department of Physics at Stellenbosch University. Read more
The Canary in the Coal Mine
Kelp forests provide Cape fur seals a place to hide when escaping from Great White sharks. Moreover, they provide essential food and shelter for large parts of the marine ecosystem. Read more
Thousands Qualify Through SETA Opportunities
Deputy President says Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) play an important role in identifying the skills needs of every economic sector in the country. Read more
Transformation of Higher Education Is Long Overdue
About a year ago, angry South African university students in the #FeesMustFall movement took to the streets and called for the immediate introduction of an Afrocentric higher education in their universities. Read more
Universities Face another Crisis: Shortage of Academics
The higher education sector will need to recruit at least 1,200 new academics per annum to respond to historical backlogs for staff attrition and to accommodate planned growth. Read more
University of Fort Hare Appoints Prof Sakhela Buhlungu as New Vice Chancellor
Professor Sakhela Buhlungu‚ the current dean of humanities at the University of Cape Town‚ was on Wednesday named as the new vice chancellor of the University of Fort Hare. Read more
Varsity Gears Up For Zulu
The university will, launch a Zulu spell-checker, a “term bank” of technical words and phrases, a Zulu lexicon mobile app and one of the biggest indigenous language corpuses in the world. Read more
We Can’t Wait for a Judicial Commission’ – UCT’s Price Said Action on Fees Is Needed Now
University of Cape Town vice-chancellor Max Price said a judicial commission is not the way to solve the fees crisis‚ pacify protesting students and stabilise universities. Read more
Will Sugar Tax Help Tackle Obesity and Diabetes?
Earlier this year the South African Minister of Finance noted in his budget speech that a 20% ”sugar tax” will be introduced during 2017. This has since raised considerable debate with proponents welcoming the announcement as a measure to counter obesity-related diseases, while the beverage industry responded that it will come at significant costs to the South African economy. Read more
Wrong Tactics Could Derail Students’ Struggle
Nagan said students must develop strategies of action that are constructive and enlightening. They should use their strategies to advance greater levels of governing transparency, responsibility and accountability. Read more
Zuma Receives Interim Report on Free Higher Education
The fees commission handed its interim report to President Jacob Zuma on 3 November, writes Jeff Wicks for News24. Zuma would study the report, compiled by the Commission of Inquiry into Higher Education and Training, and give directions on the way forward, the Presidency said in a statement. Read more
31 October 2016
Adam Habib Delivers Keynote at Opening of Summit on Student Affairs
Adam Habib, Chair of Universities South Africa (USAf) and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Witwatersrand, delivered the keynote speech at the opening of the 3rd Global Summit on Student Affairs and Services, at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS). Read more
Barclays Africa to Double Education Support
In view of the crisis at universities, the bank will boost its 2016 financial aid by R57m. Read more
Laying Funding Problems at Government’s Feet
In order to show their solidarity with students and staff at UCT and at other universities across the country, the UCT executive invited participation in the various marches to Parliament today in the hope that this would refocus the campaign for affordable higher education on government and the national policy process. Read more
Over 800 Arrested for #Feesmustfall Protests
A total of 831 people have been arrested in the connection with the ongoing #FeesMustFall protests which have rocked universities and other higher education institutions across South Africa. Read more
Protest Takes a Turn for the Worst
FeesMustFall leader says the department of education has showed a lack of respect for them. Read more
SAERA Brings Together Academics to ‘Reimagine Education’
A group of 400 education academics gathered in Cape Town this week to deliberate a range of topics – from systemic educational reform to classroom pedagogy – at the South African Education Research Association (SAERA)’s 4th annual conference. Read more
Students Flush Away Our Varsity Millions
Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande estimated in September that property damage was around R600-million since the beginning of the 2015 fees protests. Read more
Students Will Only Need to Apply for Funding Once on Mynsfas System
Students will no longer need to reapply every year for financial assistance and will apply directly from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). Read more
The Power of Collaboration
UCT electrical engineer and senior lecturer Samuel Ginsberg has had a hand in inventing such diverse devices as a heat detector for informal settlements, an expandable surgical implant for children, a low-cost hearing aid and a wearable device that measures ambient CO2 levels. Read more
TUT Council Calls for Calm
TUT council says no decision has been made regarding fee increment at the university. Read more
‘You Can’t Study at the Barrel of a Gun’
The students, represented by legal NGO, the Socio-Economic Rights Institute, argued that the continued police presence on campus had led to an environment not conducive to studying. Read more
30 September 2016
At The Heart of E-Learning Connections, Disconnections
An earlier speaker said that mobile learning and mobile devices are a drug, they are addictive. I don’t know about that but trust me, these things are affecting our psyche,” said Robert Branch, professor of learning, design and technology at the University of Georgia. Read more
Bogus Teachers’ from University Of Zululand under Investigation
The South African Council for Educators has launched a probe into the qualifications of about 20 teachers who allegedly graduated from the University of Zululand and are suspected to have fake degrees. Read more
Building Innovation, Entrepreneurship in Universities
Are entrepreneurs born or made? That debate still rages, but for Central University of Technology Vice-chancellor the answer is clear: Entrepreneurs can indeed be made and it’s time to invest more seriously in that process. Read more
Data-Intensive Research Capacity Boosted Ahead of SKA
A consortium of institutions in South Africa has been formed to establish a Western Cape Data Intensive Research Facility as part of the country’s National Integrated Cyberinfrastructure System. The aim is to dramatically increase data-intensive research capacity ahead of the global astronomy research initiative, the Square Kilometre Array. Read more
Education Needs a Sustainable Funding Model
SA should prioritise education right now and give it all the commitment, input, expertise and finances it needs. Read more
Effectively A 0% Increase in Fees’: What Nzimande’s Announcement Means
For the first time, students from so-called “missing middle” families, whose annual household income is up to R600 000 a year, will not be subjected to a fee increase at university next year. Read more
Free Education is Possible if South Africa Moves Beyond Smoke and Mirrors
South Africa’s universities are once again in uproar. Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande has outlined how higher education should deal with fee increments for 2017. His announcement sparked anger and a great deal of confusion. Read more
Free higher education: unrealistic expectations, unsustainable solutions
Free higher education is a myth. There is no such thing anywhere in the world, even in wealthy states like Germany, Finland, Norway and Sweden, which insist that their tertiary education systems are “free”. Read more
Free University – Online
A social entrepreneur has worked up a blueprint for a solution for the higher education fees crisis: the University of Everywhere, complete with a mass graduation party at Pretoria’s Loftus Versfeld stadium. Read more
Grants and Loans Are the Fee Answer, Says Max Price
In an ideal world, if South Africa were a rich country with little inequality and was already providing sufficient state funding to support socioeconomic rights such as universal fee-free quality primary and secondary schooling, universal access to early childhood development centres, health care, social welfare support for all elderly and unemployed, I would support a system of no-fee higher education. Read more
NMMU, Rhodes Lawsuit Threat
NMMU and Rhodes University could be facing a lawsuit from hundreds of angry parents whose children have been affected by fee-related protests. Read more
Restrain Yourselves‚ Ministers Tell Students and Police
The security cluster ministers have urged the police to act with maximum restraint and ensure their conduct is beyond reproach when dealing with protests – and warned students to not break the law. Read more
SA Universities’ Professoriate Needs More Women but Fares Adequately by Global Standards
Arguably, there are too few women professors at local universities – but the picture looks even bleaker at some overseas institutions. Read more
Students Protest Over 8% Tuition Fees Hike Decision
Several universities in South Africa shut down or faced disruptions as student protests erupted in the wake of last Monday’s long-awaited recommendation by Higher Education and Training to allow universities to raise fees for 2017 by up to 8%. Read more
Student Union Backtracks On Threat to Close Universities
The South African Union of Students (SAUS) president backtracked on the threat to shut down universities after Friday’s discussions with the ministers in the security cluster. Read more
Student Union Slams Poll on Reopening Wits‚ Accuses Habib of Avoiding Student Leaders
The South African Union of Students (SAUS) has accused the vice-chancellors of the universities of the Witwatersrand and Cape Town of avoiding meetings with student leaders. Read more
To Study or Not To Study
As several universities around South Africa remain shut this week, Wits University is planning to poll its students and staff over whether the institution should remain closed. Read more
University of Zululand Vice-Chancellor Splurges Millions While Students Suffer
The vice-chancellor of the embattled University of Zululand, Professor Xoliswa Mtose, received a hefty R478 000 performance bonus in December although there was no approved policy for it. Read more
Universities to Decide On 2017 Fees
Universities will individually decide on the fee increases for 2017 academic year, Higher Education and Training Minister announced. Read more
Unrest Could Damage Medical Schools’ Status and Healthcare Delivery
The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) has issued a statement saying that the current unrest at universities could severely impact on healthcare service delivery as well as damage the accreditation status of medical schools in the country. Read more
Wits Outshines Oxford in UN Study on Gender Parity
The University of the Witwatersrand has more female professors than Oxford University in the United Kingdom. This is one of the startling facts to emerge from statistics furnished by Wits, Oxford and eight other universities to UN Women. Read more
15 September 2016
Alliance Partners Fight over Prospect of Student Fee Rise
A public relations spat has broken out between the African National Congress Youth League and its youth alliance partner in the South African Communist Party against the backdrop of rising tension at universities over the prospect of fee increases. Read more
Bill Will Pave Way for Private Universities
Minister of Higher Education and Training has a gift for private institutions offering degrees. Read more
Destruction of University Property Is a Criminal Activity
Minister in the Presidency for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation has called on authorities to deal “firmly” with all who damage university property. Read more
Higher Education Dept Pleads For Patience on Fees
Students must be patient and allow the fees commission to conclude its work, Deputy Higher Education and Training Minister said. Read more
How PhD Graduates Are Battling to Break into Academia
Academics staying in their university positions beyond retirement are good for mentoring younger scholars, but are hogging positions newly qualified researchers need to break into the higher education teaching and research space. Read more
IMPALA – Boosting Internationalisation in Universities
Internationalisation strategies and resources are being strengthened at universities across South Africa by a European Commission-supported initiative. Read more
King Zwelithini Hits Out At Parents of Students Burning Down Buildings in KZN
The violent student protests in KwaZulu-Natal paints a picture of a community that cannot sit down and negotiate. Read more
More PhD Graduates for DUT Peacebuilding
Four more Peace Building Programme students from the Durban University of Technology graduated during the University’s Spring Graduation Ceremonies. Read more
NSFAS Receives R373.3m Claims
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has received claims amounting to R373.3 million for 17,580 students. Read more
Parliament Should Solve Fees Crisis
Parliament, not President Jacob Zuma’s fees commission, should solve the growing university fees crisis in the country. Read more
Responsive Student-Centredness Garners Gifts and Goodwill
When two Unisa Department of Civil and Chemical Engineering lecturers, went out of their way to help one of their Survey students, they had no idea that living the Unisa value of responsive student-centredness would garner the university R100 000’s worth of surveying equipment. Read more
Rich Should Pay‚ While Poor Should Be Funded For Higher Education
Retired Deputy Chief Justice has put his views on the crisis facing higher education in the country‚ suggesting that the solution should be more nuanced in an unequal society‚ requiring the rich to pay while the poor should be fully funded. Read more
SA Varsities Drop in Rankings
South Africa’s top universities dropped several places in the QS World University Rankings as a result of “fee freezes” and “funding shortfalls”. Read more
South African Universities to Offer Bsc Witchcraft
The South African Minister of Higher Education and Training, has announced plans to have witchcraft included in the curriculum from 2018. Read more
Stellenbosch Students Warn Management: ‘Once We Decide to Burn S***‚ It’s Game Over
Stellenbosch University’s top priority cannot continue to be its focus on being an internationally renowned research institution‚ but instead needs to urgently rethink its role in righting the wrongs it helped create in SA. Read more
Stop Looting and Sneering At ‘Clever Blacks’, Find The Cash For University Fees
Government has done nothing to address the university student fee crisis for the last ten months only rhetoric and empty promises. Read more
Student Debt: Gloves Are Off
In a bid to recover billions in outstanding student loans the National Student Financial Aid Scheme has threatened to name and shame uncooperative companies that employ its debtors. Read more
UFS’ Jansen Steps Down: ‘I Have Always Been Ambitious’
Anyone who believes transformation is easy has never tried to change an old university, former University of Free State (UFS) vice-chancellor. Read more
Union Wants ‘Free Tertiary Education for Educator’s Children”
The National Teachers’ Union (Natu) is to demand “free tertiary education for educator’s children”. Read more
Unisa Teaching Qualifications Flunk In Qatar
South African teachers with qualifications from distance-learning institutions such as Unisa and web universities are no longer allowed to work in Qatar. Read more
University Fees Will Rise
Tension between students and universities is heading for boiling point after the department of higher education and training decided to allow tertiary institutions to determine their own fee increases for next year. Read more
Varsities: Where the Money Must Go
Having a university degree has become the minimum standard for those wanting to earn a good living and, more powerfully, has become the signifier of being a respectable person. Read more
31 August 2016
Chancellor and VC call for lasting solutions
The proverbial elephant in the room would always prove too massive to ignore – prompting WSU’s top brass to weigh in on the fee increment discourse currently raging in the country. Read more
Commission of Inquiry on Tertiary Fees to Submit Report to Zuma
The Commission of Inquiry into the feasibility of free education has heard that greater contributions from the private sector to South African universities will take some of the pressure on the state. Read more
DUT Warns 0% Fee Increase Will Push Varsity into Debt Spiral
The Durban University of Technology (DUT) is not in financial distress, but a 0% increase would push it into a debt spiral in the coming years. Read more
Exploring Complexity in Higher Education
Universities are devilishly complex spaces and there must be a conversation as to how to design them for complexity rather than leaving this up to chance. Read more
Extraordinary Women: Prof Veruscha Fester
Researchers are thinking out of the box and using their research to develop products, devices and services that can contribute to the development of all spheres of South Africa. Read more
Foreigners Must Contribute to Free Education
The Progressive Youth Alliance (PYA) is calling for “foreigners” who own shops in townships to contribute to free education in exchange for the right to operate. Read more
Govt Should Never Have Intervened In Fees Crisis – Jansen
Outgoing UFS Vice Chancellor Jonathan Jansen says the government’s decision to institute a 0% fee increase at South African universities last year created the current funding crisis faced by 19 institutions. Read more
Honorary Doctorate for Mlambo-Ngcuka at Fort Hare
The University of Fort Hare today presented the first female Deputy President of South Africa, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, with an honorary doctorate in Social Sciences. Read more
Making Artisans Cool: Technical Education Gets a Chance to Shine
The Sasol Inzalo Foundation, in partnership with the VUT, hosted a three-day symposium. The Technical Schools of Excellence Network (TechSENet) programme is an initiative by the foundation which will contribute to the further development of technical vocational education in our country. Read more
Multi-Billion Rand Mother and Child Hospital to Be Built At UFS
A piece of land at the University of the Free State has been officially handed over for the construction of a multi-billion rand mother and child hospital. Read more
One, Two, Three – Is Your Thesis Done?
Next time you have three minutes to spare, try to formulate your master’s or doctoral thesis. The much anticipated Three-Minute-Thesis (3MT) Competition took place at the UFS Bloemfontein Campus. Read more
Online Courses Could Help Lower University Fees
With university education becoming more expensive, we should start looking at online courses to lower fees. Read more
PhDs Are Lacking Curiosity
The doctorate is the apprenticeship and starting point, the beginning of a serious scholarly pursuit and of learning the trade. Read more
Private and Universities Abroad Will Gain if Ours Buckle, Say Vice-Chancellors
Concern over the long-term effect of the university fees crisis is likely to push more wealthy parents to enroll their children to study at private and overseas institutions. Read more
SA University Reveals How Much It Needs To Survive – And Its Not Zero Percent
The current national debates on the financing of public higher education are critically important as they will shape the nature, quality and orientation of public higher education in this country. Read more
South West Gauteng College Shut Down By Disgruntled Students
The South West Gauteng College in Roodeport was shut down by dissatisfied students who voiced out concerned about irregularities at the Horison campus. Read more
State Scrambles to Pay Varsities Fees Shortfall – R2.2 Billion Needed To Cover Students’ Cost
Government is struggling to resolve the crisis of university fees as students demand that fees should not be increased for yet another year. Read more
Stop the War on Knowledge
There was some good news for South Africa’s tertiary education sector last week. Read more
UCT Proposes Wealthy Students Pay More in 2017
The University of Cape Town (UCT) is proposing that students who come from homes which earn R500 000 a year should pay increased tuition fees in 2017 while poorer students are exempted from the hike. Read more
UKZN fears 0% rule
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) is battling with a R2 billion deficit, and if a fee hike is blocked, it would “prove tough” for the institution to function next year. Read more
Universities Now Public Spaces to Exercise Citizenship
In an attempt to promote common understanding on governance, leadership, and management processes at the University of the Free State (UFS), the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice (IRSJ) recently hosted a critical conversation on the Qwaqwa Campus. Read more
University Unrest Symptomatic of a Bigger Problem
Young people are justifiably frustrated at the slow pace of economic and social change. Read more
Without Govt Support, We’ll have No Choice but to Increase Fees
The University of Cape Town (UCT) has warned without government support it will have no choice but to increase fees. Read more
31 July 2016
Align Your Careers to Metro Economic Needs
Government has challenged learners to choose careers that are aligned to what the economy of the metro needs. Read more
Between the Lines
South African universities will decline to the level of teacher training colleges, according to Professor Jonathan Jansen, who leaves his job after seven years as vice-chancellor at the University of the Free State. Read more
Big Boost for Arts Incubator
The Tshwane University of Technology’s (TUT) Faculty of the Arts has received written confirmation from the National Arts Council that it would receive funding of almost R1 000 000 for its Arts Incubator, which focuses on creative entrepreneurship and capacity building programmes. Read more
Bill Gates Delivers Nelson Mandela Lecture
Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates delivered the 14th annual Nelson Mandela Foundation lecture in Pretoria on the eve of the former statesman and president’s birthday. Read more
Court Sets Aside UFS’s New Language Policy
The Free State High Court in Bloemfontein has set aside the decision by the University of the Free State (UFS) to have English as the sole medium of instruction. Read more
Degrees-for-Sale Scam” At UNIZULU
Recent media reports on “Degrees-for-sale scam” at the University of Zululand raise questions regarding the integrity of University of Zululand qualifications. Read more
Developing the Next Generation of Leaders
Choosing a career is a daunting task, but a sneak preview into the future and a little bit of motivation is what learners require to steer them in the right direction of achieving their long- term goals and overcoming their anxiety of an uncertain future. Read more
Empowering and Protecting South African Youth Features at AIDS 2016
National post-school initiatives to reach, empower and protect South African youth were highlighted at the AIDS 2016 conference in Durban, KwaZulu Natal. Read more
Gauteng to Donate Land to Universities for Student Accommodation
The Gauteng government has signed a deal to donate land to the province’s universities to help alleviate a shortage of student accommodation. Read more
Insourcing Set to Cripple Universities
Universities are facing a crisis of enormous proportions that is likely to explode in August when the issues of insourcing and tuition fee increases collide. Read more
Let’s Not Wait For Student Housing To Become a Crisis
Students in SA need to speak out on “what needs to rise” and “not just what must fall”, as the country continues to grapple with solving students’ financial problems. Read more
Losing Calories While Raising Funds
The fundraising idea behind the Sweat100k for Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) is novel, but it is the organiser’s commitment to the cause that is really inspiring. Read more
Mandatory Medical Cover Discriminates Against Foreign Students
Some South African universities are demanding medical cover from SADC students before registering them, even when they already belong to a medical scheme in their own countries. Read more
Medical Student Held over Fake Matric Results
Heads are expected to roll at one of the country’s top medical schools after a fourth-year student who faked his matric results to get into the University of KwaZulu-Natal was arrested on Friday. Read more
New Era Dawns As SU Appoints First Woman Registrar
A new era begins at Stellenbosch University soon when, for the first time, a woman will hold the position of Registrar. Read more
NSFAS Reaches Out to Public
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) will this week educate more than 3000 learners on not only the new application process but to also provide teachers with information on the admission requirements at tertiary institutions. Read more
Pressure to Publish Is Choking the Academic Profession
The obligation that academic staff must publish is invariably presented as a virtuous thing. It is right and proper for academics to expand and extend the boundaries of their respective disciplines by publishing in outlets, as approved by their peers. Read more
Research Opens Doors between Unisa and the AUC
A research initiative to train researchers on the objectives of Agenda 2063 is opening doors between the African Union Commission (AUC) and Unisa. Read more
Rhodes Struggling to Keep Afloat
Rhodes University appears to be in financial dire straits, struggling to meet its target budget to keep it running without difficulty. Read more
SA Scientists Join Global Initiative to Save Species from Extinction
Two South African scientists are part of an international panel set up to save species from possible extinction through climate change. Read more
“SA Students Have Dangerous Alcohol Consumption Habits”
A study published in the South African Journal found that most students did not drink because of stress but rather to feel good at social gatherings and maintain that feelings of excitement and joy. Read more
Sliding Doors – Securing Study Visas to South Africa
Study visas are essential yet often overlooked when it comes to higher education internationalisation policies and planning. Read more
South African University Website Hacked
A hacker by the Twitter name of @SinfulHazeCE has taken down the University of Limpopo’s website again, after previously taking down the site. Read more
Sweeping Changes to NSFAS Student Loans
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) will start rolling out a new application system for students next month – a move which is set to speed up the allocation of funds and help ensure that money set aside for bursaries does not go unspent. Read more
Ten Commandments of Publishing in Top Tier Journals
The talk: Barriers to publishing in top tier journals, which largely centred on the Top Ten Commandments of Publishing in Top Tier Journals, was delivered by Professor Jürgen Kaehler from the Institut für Wirtschaftswissenschaft, Germany. Read more
Tertiary Institutions under Severe Financial Pressure
The Higher Education Minister says the Presidential Task Team is expected to release its findings into students’ demands for free higher education in a few weeks’ time. Read more
UCT Bans Guest Lecturer
The University of Cape Town (UCT) has stopped Flemming Rose from delivering the 2016 TB Davie Memorial Lecture. Read more
UCT Academics in Potential Malaria Treatment Breakthrough
Academics at the University of Cape Town have identified a molecule that could help in improving the treatment and prevention of malaria. Read more
UKZN Med School Quotas Biased
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal wants to meet the University of KZN’s Medical School over its quota policy, which excludes hundreds of Indian students each year. Read more
Unity Urged in Fighting HIV/Aids in Higher Education
Ahead of the 21st International AIDS Conference, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health, together with the four KZN universities (DUT, UKZN, MUT and UniZulu) and the eThekwini Municipality, launched the Higher Education on Friday, 15 July 2016. Read more
Universities SA Expresses Solidarity with Turkish Academics in Distress
As a show of solidarity with academics in Turkey, Universities South Africa (USAf) has issued a letter to that country’s Ambassador to South Africa, expressing deep concern over punitive injunctions being meted out by the government of the Republic of Turkey against academics and leaders in that country’s higher education system. Read more
15 July 2016
Charges Against UFS Students Withdrawn Unconditionally
Charges against two students who were initially arrested on 24 February during protests at the University of the Free State (UFS) have been withdrawn unconditionally. Read more
Falling Down the Ethics Precipice?
Higher education has an unmatched obligation, which has not been adequately fulfilled, to help lay the foundations of a critical civil society, with a culture of public debate and tolerance which accommodates differences and competing interests. Read more
Fee-Free Policy Will Doom Varsities’
It would cost universities between R400-million and R2-billion to in-source all services – and if the country were to adopt a fee-free tuition regime some universities would collapse in a few months. Read more
From Promising Practice to Proven Student Success Models
We want to move away from promising practices into proven institutional models, to demonstrate that students from all types of background can succeed. Read more
Government Collaboration with HE Institutions
The Vice-Chancellor and Principal and the Management of the Vaal University of Technology held a meeting with the Gauteng Provincial Government and the local Emfuleni and Sedibeng governments. Read more
Grahamstown Comes Alive With Arts
The University town of Grahamstown will once again play host to the National Arts Festival. Read more
HERA Joins as SKA Precursor
The Hydrogen Epoch of Reionisation Array (HERA) was granted the status of SKA precursor telescope by SKA Organisation, joining the three other SKA precursor telescopes located on the SKA sites in Australia and South Africa. Read more
Higher Education Dept to Invest In Young Academics
Higher Education Minister says R184 million has been set aside for a programme that will see an increase in black academics in universities. Read more
Hundreds of International Students Start New Semester at SU
The students from countries such as Germany, Hong Kong, Poland, Colombia, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, China, Germany, Belgium, Zambia, Switzerland, Australia, Guinea and the USA are the second intake of international students for the year enrolling for short-term and full-degree programmes. Read more
Ignorance, Denial Contribute To New HIV Infections amongst Graduates
Ignorance and denialism are contributing to new HIV infections amongst the “educated communities”, this is according to head of Higher Education and Training HIV/AIDS Program (HeAids). Read more
Improving the Lives of Families Affected By HIV
The Department of Psychology collaborated on the development of a family strengthening and HIV prevention programme for adolescents and caregivers. Read more
Interim Solutions to Address Possible Overcrowding
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) will use its official lunch period and offer duplicate lessons as a temporary solution towards possible overcrowding in the second semester. Read more
Lectures Resume
Lectures and all related academic activities will resume tomorrow when all support services are back in place. Read more
Monkey Research Attracts International Attention
The University of the Free State Department of Genetics focuses on research about the conflict between monkeys and humans in areas where monkeys are regarded as problem animals. Read more
New Wits Mining Institute to Focus on Innovation
Innovative technology solutions for the struggling mining sector will be the focus of a new unit at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), which brings together various disciplines under former School of Mining Engineering. Read more
NFVF Call For National Bursary Applications for Film and TV Studies
The National Film and Video Foundation’s (NFVF) bursary programme is aimed at stimulating and developing the skills of applicants who want to enter the film and television industry. Read more
NMMU Students Protest to Get Results
A group of NMMU students started a peaceful protest on Monday to demand that those unable to pay fees could access their results. Read more
Now You Can Learn Mandarin at the NWU
The North-West University´s (NWU´s) School of Languages has recognised a unique opportunity, and will soon offer the Mandarin language in different short courses and later, as modules in degree courses. Read more
NWU Researchers Receive Prestigious International Award
Four researchers of the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Centre for Business Mathematics (BMI) recently received a prestigious award in London. Read more
Prof to Challenge UWC Suspension
Professor Brian Williams is set to take his expulsion from the University of the Western Cape’s council to court. Read more
Public-Private Partnerships Change Students’ Lives
Public-private partnerships play an integral part in changing the lives of pupils and students, helping them to attain higher education that might not have been possible before. Read more
Records Tumble for Rhodes Prof
Internationally renowned Rhodes University medicinal chemistry and nanotechnology expert and her students have been praised for their publication of 63 peer reviewed papers in one year. Read more
Researchers Urgently Needed to Drive Innovation
The Faculty of Applied and Computer Science hosted its very first public lecture: “Growing the next generation of researchers: The National Research Foundation (NRF) perspective”. Read more
Revamped Aid Scheme Gives More Support to More Students
South Africa’s National Student Financial Aid Scheme, or NSFAS, is being substantially overhauled to pave the way for assistance for a broader range of deserving tertiary students while recognising government’s responsibility to eliminate structures that lumber university drop-outs with loan repayments. Read more
SA, France Sign Several Agreements
South Africa and France have signed a number of agreements in areas such as agriculture, arts and culture, maritime and higher education. Read more
SA Universities Drop in Global Ranking
South African universities dropped in a global ranking published by the Centre for World University Rankings on Tuesday, with the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) emerging as SA’s best tertiary institution at 176 out of 1,000. Read more
Sasco Calls for Debt Relief for All NSFAS Students
All activities were suspended at the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, with students and security staff barricading all entrances. Read more
SAP Skills for Africa Launch Trains Youth for Guaranteed Jobs
A partnership between CPUT, industry partners and global software company SAP Africa is set to provide critical training in scarce ICT skills. Read more
South Africa Takes Steps to Nurture Nascent Biomanufacturing Industry
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s (CSIR’s) Biomanufacturing Industry Development Centre (BIDC), a biomanufacturing innovation hub aimed at supporting small, medium-sized and micro- enterprises (SMMEs) in entering the local bio- industry. Read more
Stellenbosch University Appoints its First Woman Registrar
Stellenbosch University will have its first woman registrar from the start of 2017. Read more
Staff Thanked For A Total of 2 680 Service Years
During a recent recognition event staff with a total of 2 680 years of service were praised for their years of service at the North-West University’s Potchefstroom Campus. Read more
Talent Acquisition Imperative for Organisational Growth
Talent acquisition is rapidly becoming a challenge says a visiting Professor from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, Chennai, who gave a public lecture on “Talent acquisition and management” at the Faculty of Management Sciences. Read more
Teacher Smashes Stereotypes
The Wits Business School graduate and Soweto teacher, is eyeing the country’s top post in education. Read more
Thabazimbi College to Help Shrink Skills Gap
A state-of-the-art technical college has opened its doors to rural students in Thabazimbi in Limpopo. Read more
To Succeed, Students Need Funds, Food, Beds and Guidance
Resolving problems around student fees, accommodation, food and career guidance had to take precedence when discussing student success in South African higher education, as ignoring these issues only perpetuates an unequal society. Read more
Trevor Manuel and Max Du Preez among the Recipients of Honorary Doctorates at UFS Graduation
The UFS awarded four honorary doctorates at its Winter Graduation ceremonies. Read more
UCT Launches New Business Communication Diploma
University of Cape Town (UCT) has launched its first management diploma specialising in business communication, with a goal of attracting students across all fields, from the humanities to engineering. Read more
UCT Researchers Honoured At NSTF Awards
Five UCT researchers were honoured at the prestigious 18th annual National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Awards Gala Dinner which recognises and honours South African contributions to excellence in science engineering and technology. Read more
UJ Voltronics Electrical Car in Top 15 at Eco-Marathon Europe
The UJ Voltronics team with their Prototype Battery-Electrical vehicle finished in an astounding 15th place globally. Read more
UKZN to Deal Harshly With Staff Allegedly Involved In Sale of Student Places
The University of KwaZulu-Natal says numerous people have already come forward with concrete information following allegations a syndicate has been selling space to students wanting to get into its medical school. Read more
UKZN Called To Account over Bribery Claims
Parliament’s portfolio committee on higher education and training has asked for a report from the University of KwaZulu-Natal on what is going on in its Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine after allegations emerged that student places were up for sale. Read more
‘We Did the Burning For You’
There was no need to burn institutions of higher learning in a democratic South Africa. Read more
30 June 2016
Afrikaans Instruction to Be Phased Out
The Council of the University of Pretoria (UP), in concurrence with the Senate, supported the adoption of a new language policy in terms of which English will become the primary language of instruction and assessment. Read more
Cape Town Hosts Boffin Boot Camp
Once a year, for two months, the cream of the crop from some of the most prestigious universities around the world descend on Cape Town. Read more
Challenges Faced by Women in Research in Higher Education
Women are often the products of unequal, gendered education before we reach higher education. Read more
Court to Hear UFS Afrikaans Case
AfriForum and Solidarity are heading to Bloemfontein High Court over the University of the Free State’s language policy for 2017. Read more
CUT Collaborates With IEC on Civic Education Programmes
Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) hosted a three-day training workshop at CUT Bloemfontein Campus on training of members of public who will be officiating during the upcoming local government elections on 3 August 2016. Read more
Dental Technology Innovation Showcase Programmes
The BTech Dental Technology class recently proved that thinking out of the box is doable. Read more
Durban College Working to Prevent Future Disruptions
eThekwini TVET College is working towards achieving complete stability within the institution. Read more
Engenamic, Wits Drive Electrical Energy Agenda for Africa
Sustainable access to energy can help assist in the development of related infrastructure, as well as contributing to industrialisation and economic growth. Read more
Equity and Accessibility at Universities Not up for Corrupt Sales
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, has noted with grave concern allegations of corrupt practices at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Read more
Feesmustfall ‘Is Far From Over’
Academic experts say the country needs a minister of higher education who will communicate rationally with students about a way forward. Read more
Former Students Owe NSFAS R21bn
Nsfas’ spokesperson has appealed to beneficiaries who are earning money to start paying their debts, as more cash is required to fund other students. Read more
Higher Education Dept Brings HIV, TB Education to Durban Students
The Higher Education Department is creating awareness around its “First things First” programme at one of the eThekwini Tvet College’s six campuses in Durban. Read more
How to Beat the MBA Crowd
The MBA may be losing some of its shine, according to the results of a report from executive search firm Jack Hammer. Read more
Improving Employability of CPUT Graduates
A unique and exciting programme which equips graduates with market-relevant skills that will improve their employability has been launched at CPUT in collaboration with SAP. Read more
Inaugural Mphil Graduates Have Key Role to Play in Shaping Africa’s Future
Nothing could dampen the enthusiasm of the group of inaugural graduates from the UCT Graduate School of Development Policy and Practice. Read more
Leading French University Explores Collaboration with UKZN
Insights and collaboration in the development of the Accounting field were shared at a recent meeting between academics of the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance and their colleagues from the University of Auvergne in France. Read more
New Generation Faces an Old Problem: Lack of Skills and Education
A generation of youth rose up, first against unequal education, later against the whole apartheid system. Read more
New Professors Share Journeys and Reflections
How long does it take to become a professor? Following UCT’s recent ad hominem promotions and as the university works to transform its academic cohort, this question is a moot point. Read more
NMMU Tests Healing Plants from Nigeria, Romania and Egypt
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s Maryna van de Venter is testing the medicinal properties of plants from around the world, including Romania, Egypt and Nigeria, screening mainly for anti-diabetic, anti-cancer and anti-HIV/Aids activity. Read more
NWU Rolls up Its Sleeves for the Deaf
Most of us are normal. We can hear, see, walk and feel. This is such a matter of course that we do not even think about being different – until we come across someone who is not as fortunate as we are. Read more
Research Publication Highlights SU’s Societal Impact
This publication reflects on our research activities that contribute to a transformed society and also highlights our commitment to human capital development and the excellent work of some of our research-focused academics. Read more
Support for English at UFS from the Higher Education Transformation Network
The use of English for academic purposes at the University of the Free State was welcomed by the Higher Education Transformation Network (HETN). Read more
South Africa Needs Flexible Policies for Education
A bid for equal and quality education is challenging policymakers to formulate strategies that consider the lives and experiences of black children. Read more
Stellenbosch University and Security Watch Africa sign MOU
Representatives of Stellenbosch University (SU) and Security Watch Africa (SWA), a high-level Nigerian-based security NGO, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two institutions. Read more
Stellenbosch University Council Member Quits as Language Policy Is Adopted
A Stellenbosch University (SU) council member resigned after the institution adopted a new language policy intended to support multilingualism. Read more
Stellenbosch University to Give Afrikaans and English Equal Status
Stellenbosch University is set to adopt a revised language policy, which will effectively give English and Afrikaans equal status. Read more
Student Debts Handed Over
Students failing to pay historical debts amounting to hundreds of millions of rands to local universities have been handed over to attorneys for collections as nonpayment was impacting on the cash flow of these institutions. Read more
The Technology for Youth Academy Launched
Education in Nelson Mandela Bay was given a much needed boost with the launch of an innovative Youth for Technology Academy. Read more
Trauma, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation Studies Attracts Global Attention
Research excellence is one of the major driving forces at the core of the University of the Free State (UFS). This striving for academic distinction has found embodiment within Trauma, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation (TFR) Studies. Read more
UCT Student’s Research on Sexting Gains Global Attention
UCT PhD student Melissa Meyer chats about her findings and upcoming trip to the UK, where she will share her knowledge and research on sexting as part of an elite panel. Read more
UKZN Academic Member of WHO Committee on Zika Vaccine
Professor of UKZN’s School of Applied Human Sciences has been appointed to a World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee to compile guidelines for the urgent development of a Zika vaccine. Read more
UKZN in Talks with SRC over Allegations
The University of KwaZulu-Natal is aware of fraud allegations levelled against the SRC president on its Pietermaritzburg campus. Read more
Universities of Technology Eye Rich Prospects in Waste
South African universities of technology are positioning themselves as critical partners in what is considered a fairly new but highly relevant area of research, innovation and job creation. Read more
Varsity Swotting Can Go To Your Head
Graduates are more likely to be diagnosed with brain tumours, a study has shown. Read more
Virginity Testing for Bursaries Is Unconstitutional – Commission for Gender Equality
The uThukela District Municipality’s Maidens Bursary Award is unlawful, unfair, unreasonable and unconstitutional, and should be discontinued. Read more
Wits’ Free Online Courses Will Boost Access to Higher Education
The University of the Witwatersrand announced that it had developed free, online courses to be made available over the next three years, as part of efforts to enhance access. Read more
Wits is first university in Africa to offer MOOCs on edX
Wits University has developed a suite of online course offerings that will be made available over the next three years to enhance access to higher education. Read more
World Business Schools Prepare For Inaugural African MBA Indaba
Some of the world’s top business schools are gearing up for the first African MBA Indaba due to be held in Sandton in August. Read more
15 June 2016
Afrikaans Must Go’
The University of Pretoria moved a step closer towards changing its language policy when the transformation lekgotla adopted a proposal that English be the only medium of instruction for lectures, assessments and tutorials. Read more
Back to Bush College of Discontent under ANC
That we do not learn from the past is among the oldest and truest of clichés. But that SA’s democratic government does not learn from the mistakes of its apartheid predecessor gives the cliché a new twist. Read more
Black Graduates Excel in Doctoral Degrees
The number of science, engineering and technology (SET) doctoral degrees awarded to black graduates in South Africa is slightly overtaking the number awarded to white graduates. Read more
Brave New Varsity World
A proposal to develop Pedi as an academic language, and the introduction of African studies as a major subject next year, are just two ways in which universities are tackling transformation. Read more
Call to Humanity
Former Constitutional Court judge who was the speaker at the second of the June graduation ceremonies, urged those present to fulfil their constitutional obligations by working to create a truly non-racial, non-sexist South Africa. Read more
Constrained Local Students Are Enjoying Opportunities Online Learning Offers
Online learning is becoming increasingly popular, particularly among students who cannot access traditional places of higher education due to various constraints, including financial, geographical and political. Read more
Department of Higher Education Blames #Feesmustfall for Arson
The Department of Higher Education has blamed student movements for recent incidents of arson attacks taking place in universities. Read more
Empower a Girl Child, Empower the Nation
The Vaal Triangle Campus of the North-West University (NWU Vaal) is dedicated towards finding innovative solutions to curb social injustices such as gender inequality. Read more
Equality and Equal Access to Health Care
A new clinic at Wits University’s Empilweni Services and Research Unit (ESRU) will provide high quality research, training and medical services. Read more
Forbidden Sex and Bribery in Hallowed Halls of Academe
A messy 10-year fight between the University of KwaZulu-Natal and a retired professor over a doctorate is headed for the Constitutional Court. Read more
Graduates Search for Work on Street Corners
Graduates desperate for work are taking to the streets to find employment because there’s no response to the hundreds of job applications they continue to send. Read more
Grub Cupboard Bare for Hungry Wits Students
Wits University students who are going hungry might have to find alternative sources of food. Read more
Industrial Physics Set to Take Industry by Storm
The Tshwane University of Technology’s Department of Physics has produced its very first batch of Industrial Physics alumni at the autumn graduations. Read more
Killer Road: Students Take Action
When a student at Sefako Makgatho Health Science University was hit by a car on Molotlegi Street on Tuesday night, other students took action. Read more
Mafikeng Campus to Offer Two New Programmes in 2017
In striving to maintain and increase its academic activities and to sustain its relevance to the various communities it serves, the North-West University (NWU) will be offering two new academic programmes in 2017 in the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Commerce and Administration. Read more
Moodle Gets Thumbs Up from Students
Moodle is the official eLearning management system used at UKZN to communicate with students by uploading lecture notes, library resources, study tips and other educational resources on the site. Read more
Muslim and ZCC Students Forced to Remove Religious Head Coverings at NWU
In light of the #RespekTheDoek campaign, reports of two incidents of students being asked to remove their head coverings have emerged at the NWU Potchefstroom campus. Read more
New Chancellor Vows to Lead CUT to the Future
The Central University of Technology reached a historic moment when the first woman Chancellor, Madam Justice Mahube Molemela was inaugurated. Read more
New Generation Faces an Old Problem: Lack of Skills and Education
Today, 22 years into democracy, a new generation of youth, the so-called born-frees, face a different set of challenges, some as daunting as those faced by their parents, who risked death and imprisonment in the quest for freedom. Read more
NSFAS Opens Online Applications for Funding to Tertiary Students
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has opened online applications to selected colleges as well as Unisa for students who only need to register for the second semester or trimester season to complete or continue their studies. Read more
Number of Black Students at Tertiary Institutions Proportionally Lower Than Other Race Groups
Although 68.5% of the students who were enrolled at higher education institutions
were black‚ proportionally this group was underrepresented. Read more
Rhodes Must Fall Students Banned from Campus
The University of Cape Town is taking a tough stance against students who have been protesting under the Rhodes Must Fall banner. Students, who violated a court interdict, now face an uncertain future. Read more
SA on Track to Hit Annual Target of 30,000 Artisans
The government remains confident of meeting its target of producing 30,000 artisans per year in line with the National Development Plan, despite the challenges faced by some training institutions. Read more
Student Protesters Cost North-West University R85m in Campus Damage
North-West University (NWU) has revised down the estimated costs of damage to property caused during student riots‚ to R85m. Read more
The Dilemma Facing Technical Education in South Africa
In a time that sees South Africa battling a massive skills shortage in the technical sector, less and less grade 9 learners are taking the technical route when choosing subjects for grade 10, 11 and 12. Read more
UCT Moves to Tackle Inequality
UCT is poised to become a major player in a global programme to help create a community of leaders dedicated to eradicating inequality through changing policy, practice and public dialogue. Read more
UJ Raises R60m for ‘Missing Middle’ Students
The University of Johannesburg has raised R60 million for the ‘missing middle’ students this year. Read more
UL Whistle Blowers Hotline: Awareness Campaign
In an effort to stamp out fraud, corruption and unethical practices, the University of Limpopo has secured the services of an independent information gathering company. Read more
UKZN Royal Show Stand Wins Gold and the Trophy for Best Customer Service
UKZN has once again pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the hat at the annual Pietermaritzburg Royal Agricultural Show. Its stand, which highlights research done within the School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences and the School of Life Sciences at the Ukulinga Research Farm, not only won a Gold medal but also the Trophy for Best Customer Care. Read more
Waste as a Resource, Topic of Dean of Engineering’s Royal Society Lecture
Waste-to-energy technologies are becoming the “low hanging” fruit in Africa and an interesting vehicle to realise a Green Economy. Read more
15 May 2016
Anti-Discrimination Campaign Launched
In an attempt to fast track nation-building, national Chairman of the Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM), urged universities to launch their own chapters of the movement. Read more
Astronomers Pinpoint Echoes of Ancient Exploding Star on Our Stellar Doorstep
A team of astronomers from UCT and the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) has identified a rare star that exploded around 1 500 years ago. Read more
Call for Submissions to the Fee-Free Higher Education Commission
Those in the higher education and training sector‚ students‚ parents‚ the business sector‚ the government‚ community organisations and others are invited to make written submissions to the commission. Read more
Controversial Higher Education Bill a Step Closer to Becoming Law
The controversial Higher Education Amendment Bill is one step closer to becoming law. Read more
Eastern Cape Universities Support SACO
A strong regional flavour is anticipated at the first ever South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) national conference. Read more
First Things First Launched in Mpumalanga
Thousands of students from the Ehlanzeni TVET College and other higher education and training institutions in Mpumalanga underwent HIV testing and were screened for STIs and TB. Read more
French for Professional Use
CPUT is involved in a number of mutually beneficial partnerships with France and recently further cemented ties with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the French Embassy to offer French for Professional purposes at the University. Read more
MPs Endorse Proposals to Clip Universities’ Wings
Parliament’s portfolio committee on higher education and training adopted the bill that critics say will give the state sweeping powers over universities and colleges. Read more
New Higher Education Amendment Bill Threatens Academic Freedom
The government struggles to come to terms with the idea that universities have autonomy, and that they take their obligations towards the constitutionally protected ideal of academic freedom seriously. Read more
No Mountain Too High for Medical Students on Quest to Change Lives
Adventurous and aspiring medical students from the Wits Students’ Surgical Society launched their quest to give children their smiles back in yet another venture to summit the highest free standing peek in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro. Read more
R3.5bn to Be Spent On Afrikaans Education
The private Afrikaans university Akademia, established by the Solidarity Movement in 2012, has grown from 37 students to 413. Read more
Rhodes University Protests Threatened Lives
The vice chancellor of Rhodes University said they only approached the court to get an interdict against protesters when lives were threatened. Read more
SA, UK Join Forces to Fund Research Chairs
South Africa and the United Kingdom have established the first three bilateral research chairs to build innovation capacity between the two countries. Read more
State Backs Drive to Boost Research and Development
The Department of Science and Technology is hoping that an investment of millions of rand to help eight industry sectors become more competitive will spur companies to spend more on research and development. Read more
Students Forced to Live in Shacks
Poor students at the troubled Soshanguve South campus of the Tshwane North College (TNC) have been staying in shacks in the township since January. Read more
Students Grilled to Make Up for Lost Time Following Campus Shutdown
In the aftermath of violent protests that shut down the North West University Mafikeng Campus for a month, students are finding themselves snowed under with academic work to make up for lost time. Read more
The SKA Will Help Us Answer Questions We Have Not Even Asked Yet
Radio astronomers will use the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) to understand how stars and galaxies are formed, how they evolve over time and whether there is life elsewhere in the universe. Read more
Triumph in the Face of Adversity
Fourteen beneficiaries of the No Student Hungry (NSH) Bursary Programme received their degrees. This is an achievement they all feel they could not have reached, were it not for the support by NSH. Read more
UCT Students Hold Event against Rape Culture
People with placards and white T-shirts lined the area outside the University of Cape Town’s Bremner Building. Statements on the placards included “#EndRapeCulture”, “UCT Fails Survivors” and “Council’s Silence = Complicity”. Read more
UJ Students Aim to Curb Tender Corruption
The introduction of an e-tender portal and central supplier database (CSD) are efforts by SA’s government to stamp out tender fraud and make procurement more efficient and cost-effective. Read more
University Leaders as ‘Meaning Makers’
Universities globally are increasingly challenged by disruptive innovation that is revolutionary, unpredictable and moving at an unprecedented pace. Read more
30 April 2016
Adam Habib Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Adam Habib and Constitutional Court Judge Edwin Cameron are the only two South Africans who were elected among the 37 Foreign Honorary Members from 17 countries. Read more
Academic Excellence to be Celebrated at Autumn Graduation Ceremony
A total of 1 441 students will graduate during the upcoming Autumn Graduation Ceremony of the Vaal Triangle Campus of the North-West University (NWU Vaal). Read more
A Magic Chinese Characters Exhibition at DUT
The Confucius Institute at the Durban University of Technology (DUT CI) and the DUT Art Gallery recently held a Magic Chinese Characters Exhibition to showcase the excellent works created by the DUT CI staff and Mandarin students. Read more
CPUT Staff Threaten to Shut Down University
Striking Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) staff have threatened to completely shut down the institution if management does not meet their demands. Read more
EFF Leaders ‘Greedy to Graduate’, But Disrupt Varsities for Others
EFF’s leaders were greedy to graduate, but disrupted universities for everybody else, Higher Education Minister. Read more
Foreign Graduates of SA’s Universities Can Soon Apply for Permanent Residence
Foreign students will soon be allowed to apply for permanent residence once they have graduated from a South African university. Read more
Hypertension Researchers on Top of Their Game
Two researchers from the North-West University (NWU) are currently rubbing shoulders with world leaders in hypertension research at the 8th African Hypertension Teaching Seminar. Read more
I’m Not Going Anywhere, Says UFS’s Jansen
The University of Free State’s vice chancellor, Professor Jonathan Jansen, has denied rumours that he is quitting his job. Read more
It Is Not Easy Being a Leader in SA
It is very difficult being a leader in the new environment in South Africa, University of Free State vice chancellor, Professor Jonathan Jansen. Read more
Learning Lessons Abroad on Funding Research, Innovation
In South Africa universities contribute 2.1% of gross domestic product – more than textiles and forestry. Read more
Official Launch of the New Library Management System
Department of Library Services of the University of Pretoria together with Sabinet, officially launched its new library management system, OCLC WorldShare Management Services. Read more
Open Day Reveals Boundless Possibilities
It might have been the first day of the weekend, but thousands of prospective students descended on UCT’s upper campus to sink their teeth into the university’s annual Open Day. Read more
Our Varsities Need Transformation, Not Destruction – Nzimande
Parents need to be part of the solution for problems facing tertiary institutions, instead of condoning protests. Read more
Rhodes VC in the Line of Fire
With arms raised wide, Rhodes University’s vice-chancellor appeals to SAPS officers to stop shooting rubber bullets at anti-rape protestors. Read more
Research – Creative Responses in a Hostile Environment
When the students are at the gate, it’s too late for polite discussion. Read more
Satellite Campus for TVET College
The Motheo Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College has opened a satellite campus in Zastron in the Xhariep District, bringing about a new dawn in this Free State region. Read more
Stressed Students Turn to Suicide
Suicide is such a concern that the University of Cape Town is setting up a mental health team to work with the SA Depression and Anxiety Group. Read more
Solar Farm for NMMU
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University may soon have its own on-campus solar photovoltaics (PV) farm. Read more
Students Voice Concerns at New Hope Summit
The fifth annual New Hope Summit, a student lead gathering aimed at critical engagement on issues at tertiary institutions. Read more
Student Leaders at The Historical Fort Hare University Are Allegedly Renting Out Rooms in the Institution’s Residences
DA Student Organisation (Daso) leader and MP Yusuf Cassim claimed that leaders of the ANC-aligned SA Students Congress (Sasco) and its youth league at the university were selling rooms in residence to students who did not apply for space and were not paying the university for the rooms. Read more
Turbulent Times for Students but Also Positive Progress across SA Campuses
South African students have seen turbulent times in recent months, yet along with these challenges there has been significant positive change. Read more
Transformation Talk Addresses Moral Leadership
Under the current leadership, South Africa has become a country of very few possibilities from which only a few people can benefit. Read more
Young Theologians Honoured With Desmond Tutu-Gerrit Brand Prize for Debut Work
A debut volume with contributions from a number of UP theology students, titled Jong teoloë praat saam, was crowned as winner of the 2016 Desmond Tutu-Gerrit Brand Prize for debut work in an official South African language. Read more
15 April 2016
62.5% Women to Graduate at UKZN in 2016
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) will confer an impressive 10 015 degrees at its 22 graduation ceremonie. Read more
Black Graduates Battle to Get Work
No matter what you study or how well you do in your course, if you are black you have less chance of finding a job after graduating from Rhodes University. Read more
Boost for R&D in SA
SA has signed an agreement with the Eurostars-2 programme to ensure companies involved in research and development (R&D) form collaborations with European businesses. Read more
BRICS Universities Join Grad Programming
A network of universities has been formed with the aim of establishing joint graduate programmes across universities in BRICS countries. Read more
Cape Town to Change Contested Names of Key Buildings
The University of Cape Town has invited students, staff and the wider university community to contribute views on whether contested names of some key campus buildings and spaces should change. Read more
Country Needs Ubuntu Leadership Style
CPUT graduates were encouraged to adopt the values of ubuntu leadership style when interacting with their customers, colleagues and fellow citizens. Read more
Developing Staff Capacity in Online Teaching
DUT recently honoured staff members who completed courses in online teaching and facilitation with a certificate presentation Read more
Free Education for All Not Feasible
Higher Education Deputy Minister, says government can ill-afford to fund every student for higher education. Read more
Fee-Free Universities Would Reduce Quality of Tertiary Education
Making tertiary education free would reduce the quality of education and graduates. Read more
Higher Education Not Reducing Inequality
The higher education sector was not helping reduce inequality and poverty because it was not feeding enough competitive graduates into the economy. Read more
Honorary Degrees in 2016 at UKZN
The Senate and Council of the University of KwaZulu-Natal have approved nominations to confer honorary degrees in 2016 on the following four distinguished individuals, for their unique and outstanding contribution to society both locally and at a global level. Read more
Insurers Assess Damaged University
Investigations into the causes of the damage to the University of Limpopo’s multipurpose centre outside Polokwane are still under way. Read more
Internationalisation Policy for Universities on the Cards
Measures designed to facilitate the enrolment of foreign students and academics at South African universities and to eliminate current bureaucratic chaos centred around immigration regulations were announced at a Research and Innovation Dialogue. Read more
International Collaboration Advances Research
Monsanto South Africa is currently running a collaborative research programme with Enterprises University of Pretoria’s Research Solutions, as part of its ongoing commitment to be an innovative agricultural company that creates relevant solutions for growers, consumers and the environment. Read more
Minister Approves Infrastructure Funds to Universities
The Department of Higher Education and Training has allocated R1.9 billion (US$129 million) towards improving the infrastructure, student housing and maintenance, among other things. Read more
More Than 25 000 Qualifications Awarded
Unisa provided the country’s workforce with a healthy injection of newly qualified candidates during the autumn graduation period. Provisional figures indicate that a total of 25 065 degrees, diplomas, and certificates were awarded during the period, including 63 doctorates and 198 master’s degrees. Read more
NWU Academics Receive Prestigious International Scholarship
Two lecturers from the Faculty of Agriculture, Science and Technology at the Mafikeng Campus of the North-West University (NWU) received a top scholarship from a leading international university in the USA. Read more
Research Funding Boost
CPUT has received a welcome boost in research funding, which will ensure that researcher have access to a broad range of funding choices. Read more
SA Doctor Wins Trip to Singularity University with HIV Cure Idea
A South African scientist with a plan that could aid researchers working on a cure for HIV has won a trip to the exclusive Singularity University campus in Silicon Valley for an intensive 10 week Global Solutions Program that takes place this winter. Read more
SA’s First Prototype Hydrogen Fuel Cell Forklift Unveiled
Science and Technology Minister unveiled South Africa’s first prototype hydrogen fuel cell forklift and a refuelling station. Read more
SASCO Urge ANC to ‘Listen to Students’ Calls for Transformation
Student organisation The South African Students Congress (Sasco) has warned the African National Congress (ANC) to listen to students’ calls for transformation at institutions of higher learning. Read more
Student Complains About Overcrowded Lecture Halls
AN irate Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) student, complained about overcrowding during lectures and asked other NMMU students to share her Facebook comment. Read more
The Challenge of Decolonisation: UCT’s Transformation Journey
Since the removal of the statue of Cecil John Rhodes at the University of Cape Town, UCT has been in the midst of a far-reaching change that will see a fundamentally different university emerge. Read more
UCT Inks TB and Malaria Drug Development Partnership
The University of Cape Town’s (UCT’s) Drug Discovery and Development Centre, H3D, has entered into a strategic partnership with Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V. Read more
UKZN Honours HIV/Aids Pioneer Scientist Gallo
The University of KwaZulu-Natal awarded an honorary doctorate to internationally renowned scientist, Dr Robert Gallo, who proved HIV caused Aids. Read more
UKZN Boasts First Black Woman with PhD in Town Planning
UKZN’s College of Humanities celebrated the graduation of Dr Hangwelani Hope Magidimisha – the first Black woman to be awarded a doctorate in the Discipline of Town Planning at the University. Read more
Universities Hinder Students from Accessing Funds, Says NSFAS
Universities will soon lose their powers to allocate National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funds to poor students as the government body tightens its grip on finances. Read more
We Need Educated Leaders
Retired judge and Chancellor of the University of South Africa (Unisa), says the country needs more educated leaders to take it forward. Read more
1 April 2016
Appointment of a New Dean in the Faculty Of Education
The University is pleased to announce the appointment of Prof Molatlhegi Trevor (Chika) Sehoole as Dean of the Faculty of Education with effect from 1 June 2016. Read more
Investing in Innovation Will Push Skills Development in SA
Deputy President says investment in innovation will help propel South Africa’s skills development initiatives to greater heights. Read more
Demand for MBAs Remains High
The majority of employers still regard the MBA as a high-value degree and are eager to hire MBAs, according to a new survey from the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). Read more
Fewer Black, Coloured Applicants for Maties
Stellenbosch University has recorded a “significant drop” in the number of black and coloured first-year student registrations compared with last year. Read more
Malema Applauded as He Gets His Degree
A rousing applause reverberated across the University of South Africa’s ZK Mathews hall as Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema walked in for his graduation last night. Read more
Several Injured as Armed Security Guards Clash at Walter Sisulu University
A clash between private and striking campus security guards broke out at the Walter Sisulu University in Mthatha, resulting in several injuries. Read more
Student Protesters Vow to Continue Their Struggle for Free Education
A group of student protesters who have been let off the hook after being arrested last year have vowed to continue their struggle for free tertiary education. Read more
Some Languages More Equal Than Others
The distinction between race and language in South Africa is a fine one, and given historical racial politics the line is blurred in many places. Student protests against the use of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in universities have sparked racial tension that cannot be categorised as strictly ‘black’ or ‘white’. Read more
University Ordered to Implement ‘Equal Language’ Plan
The High Court in the Western Cape has ordered Stellenbosch University to implement a plan for language policy developed in 2014 by the end of March that places English and Afrikaans on equal footing. Read more
Varsities Down on Women
Higher education institutions remain stubbornly resistant to gender transformation, with their top management male dominated and women perceived as “unproductive” or “not worthy” of senior positions. Read more
Why are South African Students so Angry?
South Africa’s universities have faced protests and disruption, linked by a strong common thread. Read more
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15 March 2016
Antiwhite Students Flirt With Race War
Hgher Education Minister has warned that “antiwhite” sentiments among protesting students could lead to “racial conflict”. Read more
Be Aware of Risks and Rewards of Co-Publishing With Students
Postgraduate students and their supervisors should be keenly aware of the risks and rewards of co-publishing papers. Read more
Be Prepared for a Different Higher Education Sector
The higher education sector is going through a tumultuous period and the world of academia is wobbling on its axis with unfathomable challenges. Read more
Biggest Fake Degree Scandals in South Africa
Net1 CEO is the latest high-profile South African who was found to have a fake degree. Read more
Bishops Call for Honest Attempts to End Student Violence
They have not done enough to promote an environment that enables open and honest dialogue to happen. We call for honest dialogue on the issues raised by the students at various campuses.Read more
Community Gives Bursaries to Needy Students
The community of Mahikeng has pledged an amount of R140 000 to the Mafikeng Campus of the North-West University (NWU) to be used as bursaries for needy and deserving students. Read more
Landscape Technology Project Set to Contribute to Food Security
A well thought out Service Learning project will contribute to food security, as well as promote entrepreneurship and sustainability on the Bellville Campus. Read more
Mbeki Adds His Voice To Student Protests
Former president Thabo Mbeki said students who have been protesting at universities must think about the universities they are trying to create, rather than simply trying to destroy things they don’t like. Read more
MUT Top Officials Placed on Special Leave
While there’s been violence at some institutions of higher education in the country, tensions of a different kind are brewing at Durban’s Mangosuthu University of Technology. Read more
New Masters Degree to Address Energy Needs
As part of an European Union Edulink consortium Programme on Energy Efficiency in Southern Africa (PEESA) that includes African and German partners, CPUT has introduced a new Masters degree. Read more
NWU Faculty of Education Introduces Digital Technology in Classrooms
The Faculty of Education and Training at the Mafikeng Campus of the North-West University (NWU) recently introduced digital technology in classrooms. The first stage of the programme was implemented for students in the Foundation Phase. Read more
Research & Innovation Week Opens on a High
Once you move beyond the rhetoric how do you decode what it means to transform and decolonise? This was the query posed by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand and panelist at the opening ceremony of the fifth annual Unisa Research & Innovation Week. Read more
Stop Acts of Violence, Premier Tells UFS Protesters
Students at the University of Free State should return to classes and stop acts of violence with immediate effect. Read more
Thorny Issue of University Autonomy and Transformation
While most stakeholders agree that South Africa’s higher education sector needs more transformation, what form transformation should take is still a matter for debate. Read more
UCT Innovators Invited to Pitch for Seed Funding
Graduate School of Business (GSB), with support from the SAB Foundation has set up a fund that allows student social entrepreneurs to access seed funding to tackle challenges specifically faced in low-income communities. Read more
UJ Investigating Alleged Registrations Scam
The University of Johannesburg has launched an internal investigation into claims about an ex SRC member who has scammed students into paying nearly R2,000 each for a place at the institution. Read more
UJ Receives R1.7m Investment
The educational agreement between UJ and the French multinational corporation forms part of Schneider Electric’s sustainable growth strategy. Read more
UJ Will Continue to Assist Students With NSFAS Top-Up
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) recognises that many students cannot afford university fees and will thus continue to support many of them through the top-up to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to the value of R20 million. Read more
Unisa Obtains Second Interdict Against EFF SC & Co.
The University of SA (Unisa) has obtained a second court interdict following violent protests, the institution said. Read more
Universities Spend Millions In Beefing Up Security
Universities countrywide are digging deep to secure their campuses by spending millions for additional security. Read more
UP Veterinary Science Students Make a Difference
A group of 125 veterinary science students from the University of Pretoria (UP) recently went to Makapanstad village in the North West province, where they had the opportunity to gain first-hand experience handling farm animals without the aid of standard animal-handling facilities. Read more
VUT Finds Opportunities For Collaboration
Based in the southern-most tip of Gauteng, the Vaal University of Technology continuously seeks new opportunities for collaboration beyond our borders. Read more
Wits And Erasmus University Launch a New Phd Law Degree
Wits and Erasmus are championing a socio-legal approach that critiques the social working of law over studies that simply examine the content and implementation. Read more
29 February 2016
Blade to Meet Top Cops Over Varsity Violence
The Minister of Higher Education and Training, will meet Police Minister and acting national police commissioner at the University of Witwatersrand to discuss the role of police in protecting universities. Read more
Call to Almost Double Funds Spent on Higher Education
The government should allocate an additional R30-billion annually towards universities and colleges, a policy and research expert said as a fresh student protests this week again highlighted the difficulties many face when it comes to paying fees. Read more
Department Condemns Violence at Universities
The Department of Higher Education and Training said the acts of violence at universities, especially the University of Pretoria (UP) and the University of the Free State (UFS), show that there are fringe elements seeking to destabilise institutions as part of a “perverse political agenda”. Read more
Embattled SA Universities Should Take the Same Advice Given to Business Leaders
South Africa’s embattled institutes of higher learning could find long-term solutions to the current crisis in education by applying the principles of business model innovation. Read more
Higher Education Act Amendments Could Hinder Distance Learners
The proposed amendments to the Higher Education Act are necessary, director of The Independent Institute of Education, says that they could seriously affect distance education students and their chances of success. Read more
Mixed Responses to Education Bill
South African vice-chancellors are concerned the Higher Education Amendment Bill will encroach on autonomy at a time when institutions have been rocked by a series of student protests calling for radical change. Read more
New Student Accommodation Development Targets Growing Need
Student accommodation across the country, and in the Western Cape in particular, is in high demand with new developments needed to match the growing numbers of students entering tertiary education each year. Read more
NWU Management Dissolves SRC
The university has accused the SRC of damaging campus property and delaying progress at the institution. Read more
Plagiarised Promotion’
A seasoned academic has said that a high-ranking KwaZulu-Natal Department of Correctional Services official “plagiarised” his work to obtain a master’s degree from the University of Zululand. Read more
Protest-Hit University of Pretoria Proposes New English Language Policy
The University of Pretoria has proposed that all its lectures be offered in English only, according to a statement on its Facebook page on Monday morning. Read more
Safety and Security at Wits
The University will take action against anyone involved in acts of violence on our campuses, in line with our rules, policies and procedures. Read more
SA Gets New Qualifications Board
The Ministry of Higher Education and Training on Monday appointed twelve education experts to sit on the board of the South African Qualification Authority (SAQA). Read more
SA Varsities On A Knife’s Edge
South Africa’s higher education system was standing at the edge of a precipice and could implode, Rhodes vice-chancellor has warned. Read more
South Africa and The Illusion of Free Higher Education
Demands for free higher education and other social services such as health and basic education in Africa date back to the 1960s. Read more
Stellenbosch University Retains Afrikaans Language
Afrikaans and English will enjoy equal status as medium of instruction at the University of Stellenbosch, after AfriForum Youth and the university came to an agreement in the High Court in Cape Town recently. Read more
Student Survives Suicide Bid Over Lack Of Funds
Distraught over being blocked from registering at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) due to debt, a student attempted suicide. Read more
UCT Concern Over Minister’s ‘Autonomy’
UCT vice-chancellor has submitted to Parliament that the Minister of Higher Education and Training should not have autonomy on transformation policies and disciplinary matters at universities. Read more
UKZN Hosts International Conference on History Education in Africa
The History Education Program in the School of Education together with the International Research Association for History and Social Sciences Education (IRAHSSE) hosted the International Conference on History Education in Africa which took place in Durban. Read more
University Leaders Seek Help As Protests Turn Violent
Vice-chancellors called for help in identifying perpetrators of campus violence, who showed total disregard for the academic project, the rules of engagement and the laws and Constitution. Read more
15 February 2016
33rd Science Learning Centre 2016
UWC hands over its first three school science centres for the year. Read more
A Degree Means Nothing If You are Not a Decent Human Being, Vice-Chancellor Tells First-Years
The 2016 Qwaqwa Campus first-year students received one of the warmest welcomes when the entire Rectorate and other senior UFS officials arrived to welcome them. Read more
Agricultural Extension Recognised as a Science and a Profession
The field of Extension Science has recently been brought into the fold of accepted fields of Natural Sciences, and it is now a legal requirement for Agricultural Extensionists and Advisors to register with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP). Read more
Beware Varsity Degrees That Will Leave You Unemployable
Young people should stop pursuing university degrees that would result in them joining the list of unemployed graduates. Read more
Curriculum Must Respond to Needs of Society
African National Congress Secretary General says that students need to be advised about is needed by the economy and study in such fields. Read more
CUT Lecturer Makes International News
Her work is currently considered as innovative in solving current drought challenges facing farming community in the Southern African region and is laying a foundation for the best practices in the sector. Read more
Deepening Inequality Is The High Price Students Will Pay For Free Education
This #FeesMustFall movement has become a force for social change centred around access to and free tertiary education. It demands deep transformation in all sectors of the higher education landscape and, in essence, encompasses broader societal issues of social justice and equality. Read more
Extraordinary Professor Honoured In A Special Way
Various theologians of the North-West University took part in a special conference during which one of its extraordinary professors in the New Testament was honoured with a Festschrift. Read more
First Joint Phd Awarded By the Vrije and Stellenbosch Universities
Dr Regan Solomons recently became the first person to qualify for the joint PhD degree between the Vrije University (VU) and Stellenbosch University (SU) after he successfully defended his PhD dissertation on ‘Improving early diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) in children’ in Amsterdam. Read more
Goals and Means – Reimagining the South African University
2015 was a tumultuous year for the higher education sector in South Africa. Read more
Majority of International Students Privately Accommodated
Only 125 (1.8%) out of a possible 6680 beds at UCT are allocated to Semester Study Abroad (SSA) students, most of whom are in fact accommodated privately. Read more
No Afrikaans, No Cake
If you don’t speak Afrikaans, you can’t buy cake at any of the campus booths being set up nationwide by civil rights group AfriForum Youth. Read more
Rector Urges Rugby Team to Heal the Campus
UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor, has challenged the University rugby club to win the Varsity Shield Competition, contribute in uniting the university community and help in rebuilding the image of the institution. Read more
Sandra Liebenberg Nominated For UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
HF Oppenheimer Chair in Human Rights Law and Distinguished Professor at the Faculty of Law, has been nominated by the South African government as the country’s candidate to serve on the United Nations’ Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Read more
#SilosMustFall Staff Exhibition
In the past years, the Department of Design and Studio Art entered into a series of discussions with local and international institutions with an intention of re-shaping its curriculum and aligning it with the rest of the world and the market. Read more
Stellenbosch Pomegranate Researcher Honoured With African Union Science Prize
The African Union (AU) has bestowed one of its highest scientific honours upon agricultural engineer and postharvest technology expert Prof Umezuruike Linus Opara of Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Read more
SU Appoints New Crop of Distinguished Professors
A new group of 15 professors at Stellenbosch University (SU) has been appointed as Distinguished Professors. It was only the second time that SU has bestowed this honour on its leading academics. Read more
Talloires Network Africa Faculty Support Grant Awarded to UP Scholar
Dr Martina Jordaan, from the Department of Informatics at the University of Pretoria (UP), was one of the winners of a Talloires Network Africa Faculty Support Grant at the end of 2015. Read more
UJ Engineering Researcher to Receive International IEOM Award
Prof Charles Mbohwa will receive a Distinguished Educator Award from the global Industrial Engineering and Operations Management Society in Kuala Lumpur. Read more
UKZN Loses Bid to Strip Academic of PhD
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has lost its appeal against a former senior lecturer, in a bid to strip her of her PhD. Read more
Unisa Increases Its Imprint on Africa
Unisa and the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Nigeria, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). The MoU will see the two institutions develop cultural, scholarly, and scientific ties of cooperation between the two institutions. Read more
Universities South Africa Appoints a New CEO
After a comprehensive recruitment and selection process Universities South Africa is proud to announce the appointment of Professor Ahmed Bawa, as its new Chief Executive Officer. Read more
University of Fort Hare celebrates 100 years
The University of Fort Hare in the Eastern Cape has reached a historical milestone as it celebrates its centenary. Read more
Wits Condemns, Removes Offensive Campus Graffiti
The University of Witwatersrand has removed the words “Fuck White People”, written at the entrance of the Oliver Schreiner School of Law building on its main campus. Read more
January 2016
15 Mandela Rhodes Scholars to Study at UCT
The scholarship is open to citizens of all African countries for postgraduate study at a South African university. Applicants are selected on the basis of their commitment to education, reconciliation, leadership and entrepreneurship and have a history of above-average academic results. Read more
3 Candidates Vie for Top Job
Following the end of Prof Lourens van Staden’s tenure as Walter Sisulu University Administrator, University Council set in motion the process of filling the position of Vice-Chancellor and Principal. Read more
Academics Engage Community Members on Tertiary Crisis
The crisis at tertiary institutions is not only a student issue, this is according to some academics from the University of Johannesburg and the University of Witwatersrand who gathered in Soweto to engage with the community members and parents. Read more
Academics Hail Online Registration a Great Success
Online registration is key in streamlining our registration process and giving students a positive experience at the start of an academic year. Read more
All Faculties to Register Online
Registering online was going to have save money and time for the University. Also the students will no longer have to spend long hours in queues as the number of registration steps have been reduced. Read more
At Their Wits’ End
Student registration at Wits University was suspended following protests yesterday. The protests followed last year’s demonstrations against fee increments for this year. Read more
Bursaries Offered By SA’s Biggest Companies
University fees have been under the spotlight since the latter parts of 2015, when students rose up in protest against the restrictive costs to study. Read more
Communiqué By Prof Ihron Rensburg To Parents / Guardians Of UJ Students
2015 was a watershed year for higher education and this seems set to continue in 2016 with the call for all tuition and registration fees to be dropped across institutions. Read more
Decolonise Varsities, Urges US Professor
The running student protests which have hit universities across the country were part of the process through which the younger generation processed their understanding and realisation of the existence of colonialism and racism in institutions of higher learning. Read more
Dept. of Higher Education Calls On #Feesmustfall Protesters to Allow Registration to Continue
The Department of Higher Education is urging protesting students to allow university activities to resume without political statements. Read more
DUT Vice-Chancellor Ahmed Bawa Resigns
Bawa’s resignation has been met with sadness from those who work for the institution that he has led for five and a half years. Read more
EFF to Hand over Memorandum on Outsourcing to Tut
The Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) in Pretoria says it will be handing over a memorandum of grievances regarding outsourcing to management at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) this morning after a night vigil by students, demanding an end to outsourcing. Read more
Four NGAP Scholars Join Our Faculties
Four MUT departments will benefit from the New Generation of Academics Programme (nGap) introduced by the Department of Higher Education & Training. Read more
Hope for Matrics Still Looking For Places to Study
Those who qualified for higher education but had not been offered a place by the time their matric results had been released, and those eligible to study but missed their deadlines to apply. Read more
Joint Statement on Behalf of the University and the Student Representative Council
In line with the joint statement issued by Vice-Chancellors, Principals and Rectors of Universities in South Africa that tuition and residence fees will remain the same in 2016 as in 2015, an announcement was circulated to all students on 7 January 2016 to that effect. Read more
Law and Order Returns to UNISA
Protesters outside the Unisa Sunnyside campus ran their hearts out at the sight of the riot squad in fear that they would fire rubber bullets to disperse them. Read more
Minister Calls On Protesting Students to Resume Lectures
Higher Education and Training Minister says the time has come for students to return to lecture halls and prevent an increase in already skyrocketing costs following damage to property. Read more
NMMU Institutes R13 Million Debt Relief Programme
The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape has instituted a R13 million debt relief programme. Read more
NSFAS Advises Universities on How to Best Allocate Funds
National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) says vice-chancellors across the country have been advised on how to administer all the additional funding provided by government. Read more
NW University Charts Way Forward
Thousands of North West University students held a mass meeting to chart the way forward amid concerns about the current crisis in tertiary institutions around the country. Read more
Presidential Funding Probe, Protests Shut Universities
The meeting with student representative councils from all public universities was not a great success, as half of the students walked out before an agreement was reached. Read more
Scarce Skills Mountain to climb
South Africa has a dearth of scientists, plumbers, investment managers, nurses, doctors, water managers, truck drivers, teacher and accountants. Read more
TUT Management Looking Into Students’ Demands
The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)’s Pretoria campus was closed for the day due to a protest by workers and students demanding an end to outsourcing. Read more
Wits SRC to Fundraise over 6000 Indebted Students
The Student Representative Council (SRC) at Wits University says while their call for free education still stands, for now they’ll be focussing on fund-raising for 6300 indebted students. Read more
December 2015
Celebrating NICHE Successes in South Africa
Nuffic Neso South Africa recently attended two events celebrating the successes of the Netherlands Initiative for Capacity Development in Higher Education (NICHE) programme in South Africa. Read more
Cops Claim Protesting Students Had Guns
Police who attended to the student protests at several universities across the country have alleged that some of the protesting students had guns. Read more
Doctoral Education – Need for More Radical Rethinking?
The just-published Doctoral Education in South Africa reveals new approaches South Africa can take for a ‘radical rethink’ to meet its PhD targets. Read more
From Petrol Attendant to Medical Student
I did apply to Wits but they didn’t take me for the course [medicine] that I wanted and I had a bursary as well… [they] told me they were full and couldn’t take more students. Read more
Govt to Transfer 80 Percent of University Fee Contribution In January
The funding allocation, which is meant to address the shortfall of a scrapped fee increment, will be made up of contributions from universities and the national budget. Read more
High Hopes for BRICS Education Agreement
Cabinet has welcomed the education agreement entered into by the BRICS group of nations, which holds great promise to make a necessary and significant impact on the education landscape. Read more
Innovative Creations on Display at Mechanical Engineering Open Day
A “flying jet pack”, a pedal-powered “beer bus” and a machine that harnesses the power of the sea were among several innovative creations on public display at the annual Mechanical Engineering Open Day on the Howard College campus at UKZN. Read more
Maties Council Comes Under Fire
The Stellenbosch University council should explain whether it agrees with council member Piet le Roux’s views on transformation. Read more
NWU Given Ultimatum on R10m Fraud Audit Report
A non-profit organisation has given North West University 48 hours to publish an audit into allegations of fraud involving R10m. Read more
Student Funding Task Team Warns Of Factors That Could Lead To Varsity Protests
President Jacob Zuma’s task team on university student funding has identified four key factors that could lead to potential protests early in 2016 for which it says universities need to prepare. Read more
Student Leaders Warn Of Possible Protests In 2016
University student leaders from various institutions countrywide say they won’t guarantee that there won’t be protests at the beginning of the 2016 academic year. Read more
Students Owe Universities R4 Billion in Unpaid Fees
Students owe South African universities as much as R4 billion in unpaid fees and residence expenses. Read more
The Nine Days When Students Shook SA
Tears streamed down the young man’s face when he heard the announcement. There would be a zero percent increase in fees. Read more
Unisa to ‘In-Source’ Some Services
Unisa committed itself to ending some of its outsourced services and will set up a multi-disciplinary team tasked with putting this decision into effect‚ the university’s council. Read more
Universities Need R6.8bn to Plug Shortfall
A new university funding model is expected to be implemented in 2018 and should include “the private banking sector and other business interests to incorporate options for the ‘missing middle’ that provide loans at favourable interest rates”. Read more
Urgent Need to Enable and Sustain Entrepreneurship
Despite a climate of massive unemployment, South Africa’s post-school education system remains largely preoccupied with producing graduates who will seek jobs. Read more
UWC Get Financial Boost
Amid the student protests that hit the higher education sector, UWC’s worries were lessened when the Hospital Welfare and Muslim Education Movement (HWMEM) injected more than R700 000 into the University’s coffers. Read more
UWC Collaborates On Systems Science Initiatives for Sustainability
The University of the Western Cape (UWC) has already distinguished itself as a leader in the field of sustainability science – particularly in the critically important areas of food. Read more
Vice-Chancellors Back No-Fee Hike
Vice-chancellors of universities across the country have thrown their support behind the zero percent increase in fees for next year, and have called for better subsidisation of the university sector by the state to meet current and projected growth. Read more
Wits Task Team Devises Plan To Deal with Student Funding
Four key factors could spark student protests at South African universities early next year – registration payments‚ the funding shortfall‚ poorer students who don’t qualify for funding‚ and an increased number of people seeking admission. Read more
November 2015
A Country of Crises, Contrasts and Hope Our country, South Africa can be described in many ways, using many terms or adjectives. Each description would most probably be correct. Whichever description one chooses, there can be no doubt that, today, our country is far better and more equitable than the one we inherited in 1994. Read more
Action Plan for Obesity Obesity prevention should be made a national priority. This is according to Dr Moji Musa of the Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit at the media launch of the African Centre for Obesity Prevention (ACTION). Read more
Agrihub/Consumer App and system to Benefit uMsinga’s Small Scale Farmers Empowering small-scale farmers of eziNgulubeni, uMsinga’s informal markets with digital and financial knowledge to ensure their businesses remain profitable is a passion for Bachelor of Commerce student and Enactus member. Read more
Animals in Africa 1000 Years Ago A team of local scientists have wound back the clock by 1000 years to reconstruct wildlife populations across Africa to help us better understand how they have shaped the world we live in. Read more
Bill Would Boost Blade’s Powers The draft law proposes, among others, that the minister may determine “transformation goals” and institute “appropriate oversight mechanisms”, and may under specific circumstances withhold funding. Read more
Call For Free Education Is Legitimate: Higher Education Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Mduduzi Manana says the demand for free education is legitimate and justified. Read more
China-Africa Summit: Hype and Hypocrisy Beijing’s selection of South Africa to host the China-Africa heads of state summit may indicate Chinese President personal commitment to the continent. This is the first time the summit is being held at this level in Africa. Read more
Council moves to quell UKZN race row The University of KwaZulu-Natal is desperately trying to do damage control after a damning letter by senior staff accused the vice-chancellor of racism. Read more
Education Facing Massive Fee Shortfall The department of higher education has very limited scope to reprioritise its spending to bridge the funding gap of an estimated R2.3 billion that will arise following the scrapping of university fee increases for 2016. Read more
Emerging SU Scientists to Share Research with Public The possibility of new a TB drug; better sanitation in informal settlements; ancient anti-depressants; new and improved ways to make plastic; environmentally-friendly fungi and worms to control invasive wasps; and melatonin supplements to protect the heart during chemotherapy. Read more
Empowering Communities to Beat Malaria Malaria is a deadly, infectious disease with a complex life cycle. So complex in fact that after many years of research, scientists have still not been able to come up with a definitive solution to eradicate the disease completely. Read more
Generous Donation for Wits Wits alumnus Professor Aubrey Sheiham and his wife Dr Helena Sheiham have donated R8.8 million to Wits University to support the Vice-Chancellor’s focus on addressing inequality. Read more
Government Seeks Sustainable Solutions for Varsity Funding The Deputy President has reiterated government’s commitment to working with students and institutions of higher learning to find ways to combat high tuition fees. Read more
Higher Education Commission of Enquiry Welcomed The decision by the president to establish a commission of inquiry to look at issues that have been raised by students of higher learning institutions has been welcomed by Cabinet. Read more
IMC to Plan Fort Hare University Centenary The President has established an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) to plan and coordinate the historic centenary celebrations of the University of Fort Hare. Read more
Investing In Education a Good Strategy The recent troubles at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) placed the issue of student finance back on the agenda. Read more
Letter from the Vice-Chancellor on Sexual Violence On Sunday night an awful incident allegedly took place at Avenue Hall where, over many months, students who have been driving various campaigns for greater inclusivity and transformation have been congregating. Read more
Major HE Expansion to Proceed Despite Economic Woes Zambia has resolved to undertake major university infrastructure projects. The government is seeking to operationalise new higher education institutions and finish incomplete construction projects in 2016, in an initiative that