South Africa

30 April 2022

$3m Donation to Help Wits Light up Innovation in Africa

The University of Witwatersrand (Wits University) is positioning itself to drive the African continent into a new era of innovation, change and growth.So says vice-chancellor and principal professor Zeblon Vilakazi, setting the higher learning institution’s direction as it celebrates its centenary this year. Read more

Academics Want to Build Capacity for One Health Strategy

African countries have been urged to adopt the One Health framework, a collaborative public health approach, amid concerns of pandemic outbreaks and for the emerging and re-emerging of highly infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and Ebola that adversely affect human health. Read more

‘African Universities Should Differentiate Their Missions Clearly’

The notion that there is a single ideal university must be resisted in favour of one that values a plurality of institutional types and promotes intentional differentiation in national higher education systems… Read more

‘Are We Prepared to Think Beyond National Boundaries?’

A new model for transnational partnerships that acknowledges and strengthens the contribution made by public higher education institutions in the Global South is required to produce the kind of knowledge that the world needs… Read more

Beyond Connectivity: Making African Scholarship Visible

In February, Malawi-based UbuntuNet Alliance, an Eastern and Southern African research and educational networking organisation, appointed Kenyan national, Professor Madara Ogot, as its new chief executive. Read more

Bot,eth,keny, malwisa

CT Woman with Severe Brain Trauma Conquers Academia with PhD from Maties

“Anything is conquerable if you just persevere, even in the face of extreme challenges.” This is a message from a 33-year-old Durbanville woman, who will on Wednesday receive her PhD at Stellenbosch University’s April graduation. Read more

Defining Our Human Rights, Then, Now and in the Future 

The University of Pretoria’s Centre for Human Rights has advanced democracy for over three decades. The Centre for Human Rights (Centre) at the University of Pretoria (UP) aims to advance human rights through education, research and advocacy, by combining academic excellence and effective activism. Read more

DUT to Host BothVirtual and Physical Graduation Ceremonies

The Durban University of Technology (DUT) executive management committee and the Senate Executive Committee (Senex) held a special joint EMC-Senex meeting to discuss the growing need for a physical graduation for the class of 2021. Read more

DUT Maths Professor, Megandhren Govender, Obtains C2 NRF Rating

Prof Megandhren Govender of the Faculty of Applied Science at the Durban University of Technology recently obtained a C2 National Research Foundation (NRF) rating.Prof Govender’s role includes teaching of mathematics, research, community outreach and being involved in the larger university community… Read more

DUT’s Newly C3-Rated Digital Activist to Consider International Collaborations on Research

Director of the Short Course Unit (SCU) at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), Prof Surendra (Colin) Thakur recently obtained a C3 National Research Foundation (NRF) rating. Read more

Four UFS Students Arrested After Two Buildings Torched on Campus

Four University of the Free State (UFS) students were arrested in connection with a fire that broke out at the Qwaqwa campus on Monday evening.UFS spokesperson Lacea Loader said two campus buildings – the clinic and a computer laboratory – were almost completely destroyed in the blaze. Read more

Gateway to Success: From Pandemic Learner to Successful Student

For two years, universities in South Africa and worldwide did their best to provide students with quality education under the adverse conditions precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

HE Needs Explicit Intentional Policies on Gender Equality

Although institutional efforts to increase the representation of women in academia are increasing across the African continent, they remain under-represented in strategic and essential positions which necessitate adopting specific policies to advance their academic representation. Read more

Mastercard Hosts First Digital Girls4Tech Connect Marathon in Sub-Saharan Africa…

Mastercard recently hosted its first digital Girls4Tech Connect Marathon in Sub-Saharan Africa to inspire and prepare 515 girls aged 7-12 to pursue careers in Science and Technology. Read more

New ICT University to Open to SADC Students From 2023

Zimbabwe plans to open a new state-run, specialised information and communications technology cyber security university next year with the objective of making it a premier institution of higher learning in that sector in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Read more

Namibian Minister Graduates with his 12th Degree from University of Western Cape 

Namibian Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Peya Mushelenga, graduated with a PhD in law from the University of the Western Cape on Wednesday, his 12th degree, according to a statement issued by the South African university… Read more

Pandemic Sees Spike in Private Higher Education Enrolment

Student enrolment at private higher education institutions in South Africa has more than doubled in recent years as demand was further fuelled by the Covid-19 pandemic. Read more

Powerful Female Duo Re-elected to the Helm of NMU 

Visionary, transformative and empowering leadership displayed by the women at the helm of Nelson Mandela University has seen the duo being re-elected to lead what is one of the province’s top tertiary institutions… Read more

SA’s Youngest Doctors Rocking the Medical Fraternity

It has not been smooth sailing for two of South Africa’s youngest doctors, as they have had to deal with tremendous workloads at medical school, which sometimes left them demotivated. Read more

South Africa Looks to Silicon Valley for Innovation Inspiration

Fresh on the heels of touting innovation as a key enabler of SA’s economic prospects, minister Dr Blade Nzimande is on an official week-long visit to Silicon Valley in the US. Read more

Stellenbosch University Expert Finds that Elephant Behaviour’s Largely Dictated by Smell 

Have you wondered how elephants are able to determine which of them are part of the herd? Research conducted by Stellenbosch University elephant expert Katharina von Durckheim has shown that elephants share what is known as a “herd-odour” to help them recognise members of their herd. Read more

Stellenbosch University PhD Student Maps Genome of Critical Endangered African Wild Dog

Christina Meiring graduated with a PhD in Molecular Biology it marked the completion of the first large-scale investigation of the genetic diversity in the African wild dog population of the Kruger National Park (KNP). Read more

Students Now have Until 11 April to Upload Proof of Vaccination 

University of Johannesburg (UJ) students who’ve been rushing to beat Thursday’s vaccine mandate deadline may breathe a sigh of relief as the upcoming Easter recess will buy them more time. Read more

Subject Rankings: More Departments in Africa on Top-100 List

African higher education institutions are steadily scaling the academic ladder as 23 university departments in three countries were among the world’s 100 best places to study subjects they offer, according to the 12th edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022. Read more

Take Up Skill Training: Dr Abrefa-Gyan Charges Youth

The Deputy Director of the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), Dr Tina Abrefa-Gyan, has urged the youth to take up skill training in technical, vocational education and training (TVET) in order to boost the country’s production capacity to meet consumption needs. Read more

UCT Best in Africa for Sports Science

The University of Cape Town has been ranked top in Africa for sports science in the global ranking of science schools and departments of more than 300 universities. Read more

UCT International Student Graduates with BSc After 12-Year Battle 

An international student from UCT is beaming with pride after she graduated despite being dealt heavy blows during her years of study. On Tuesday, Sarah Nzeka received her Bachelor of Science (BSc) in chemical engineering, 12 years after registering for the course. Read more

UCT Pauses Compulsory Vaccination Policy, Will Promote Voluntary Jabs

The University of Cape Town (UCT) has paused the “in principle” implementation of its compulsory vaccination policy, it confirmed on Wednesday.In reply to questions, UCT explained that its council took the in-principle decision in October 2021 to support a mandatory vaccination policy. Read more

UFS QwaQwa Campus Guards on High Alert, Academic Programme Moves Online… 

The academic programme at the University of the Free State’s QwaQwa campus will remain mostly online this week after two buildings were set alight during protests. Read more

UKZN’s Decision to Hold In-Person Graduation Ceremonies Widely Welcomed 

Students have welcomed the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s decision to have in-person graduation ceremonies this May. Read more

UKZN to Investigate ‘Wild’ Four-Day Student Bash 

For four days, Glenwood residents had to endure loud music and drunk behaviour when more than 2,000 students attended an unauthorised party at Howard College. Read more

UKZN Ranks in the Top 2.5% Universities Worldwide 

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has been ranked in the top 2.5% universities worldwide. This is according to the 2022-23 edition of the Global 2000 list by the Center for World University Rankings… Read more

UWC Scientists Part of Team That Discovered Megamaser ‘Nkalakatha’ 5bn Lightyears Away from Earth 

After two years, a team of University of Western Cape scientists can finally reveal their astronomical finding with the world – a megamaser, called Nkalakatha, light years away from earth. Read more

Wits Business School, US Usiness College to Collaborate on Energy Matters 

Wits Business School (WBS) has signed an historic agreement with the CT Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston, in the US, which it says opens the door for robust collaboration between their respective energy centres. Read more

Worldskills Africa Competition Promotes Capacity Building for Youth 

The second edition of WorldSkills Africa, underway in Namibia’s Swakopmund coastal town, is promoting skills development among the continent’s young populace. Read more

WSU Council Calls for Accountability on Accreditation Debacle

Walter Sisulu University’s council has demanded accountability from the institution’s management for bringing the university into “disrepute” after it emerged it had been offering several programmes that were not accredited. Read more

WSU in High-Level Meetings Over Accreditation Issue 

The Council on Higher Education (CHE) and the South African Qualifications Authority (Saqa) on Wednesday held meetings with Walter Sisulu University after claims that some of the university’s programmes were not accredited. Read more

WSU Partly Cleared Over Unaccredited Courses, but Faces Two more Audits 

Walter Sisulu University (WSU) has been partly cleared after claims that dozens of courses were not accredited.The Council on Higher Education (CHE), which accredits qualifications and programmes, said on Friday it had reviewed WSU’s courses with the SA Qualifications Authority (Saqa)… Read more

UWC Ranks in Top 800 on Times Higher Education for 6^th Years in a Row 

The University of the Western Cape (UWC) has done it again. It has been ranked in the top 800 universities globally by Times Higher Education (THE) for the sixth year running. Read more

 

31 March 2022

AAU and Afrobarometer Hold Strategic Dialogue to Explore Areas of Collaboration

The visit was at the invitation of Dr. Asunka for the two organisations to explore possible areas of mutual interest for collaboration. Read more

Academics Condemn Silencing of Scientists over Russian Invasion

Academics have condemned an alleged instruction by an official from South Africa’s Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) to muzzle scientists over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Read more

Academic ‘Conveyer Belt’ Approach Dehumanises Education

Building on the present historical moment when ‘distortions’ in the worldview promoted in the West have increasingly come under question in the context of the Black Lives Matter movement, the need to revamp the education systems in the Global South has become increasingly apparent… Read more

African Education Trust Fund (AETF) Committee Meets with the AAU Secretary-General

The AETF was set up by the AAU and the Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PACCI) to transform tertiary education in Africa and scale up the skills set of the continent for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Read more

Black Women in South African Academia Struggle to Get Ahead: What Needs to Change

In South Africa, the number of black women who acquire undergraduate degrees has increased more than any other population group. Yet they remain underrepresented in senior academic and management positions in the country’s higher education institutions. Read more

Bukavu Youth Agripreneurs (BYA)

Bukavu Youth Agripreneurs enterprise was started by graduates from different universities and academic disciplines. The enterprise is located in Bukavu City, South Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Read more

Continent-Relevant Solutions Needed to Improve Use of AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been identified globally as one of the biggest phenomena of the 21st century and a powerful tool in combating some of the debilitating effects of climate variability and change. Read more

DUT and JICA to Host the SATREPS Technology Transfer Workshop

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology (IWWT) at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) will be hosting the SATREPS “Production of Biofuels from Algal Biomass” Technology Transfer hybrid event on Thursday, 17 March 2022. Read more

DUT Researcher Earns International Recognition

Professor Monique Marks of Durban University of Technology (DUT) has earned international recognition for her research. The university recently announced that Marks has retained her B2 rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF) Rating. Read more

Evacuation of Africa’s Students from Ukraine Continues

While 17 African countries were among the 35 states that abstained from voting on a United Nations resolution on Wednesday 2 March demanding that Russia “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine…Read more

Higher Education Dept Working to Ensure Safety of SA Students in Ukraine

The Higher Education Department said that it was working closely with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation to ensure the safety of all 32 South African students enrolled at various institutions in war-torn Ukraine. Read more

How I Got Home … Student Recounts Fleeing from Kharkiv

South African Mandisa Sthabile Malindisa (25) travelled for four days, slept on icy roads and muscled her way through desperate crowds on several station platforms and onto trains before she reached Budapest airport in Hungary to board a plane to Johannesburg. She is feeling guilty that she escaped while others are still trapped in Ukraine. Read more

Inclusive Education: Girls and Boys Must be Treated Equally

The education sector has, since democracy in 1994, placed the “girls’ agenda” at the centre of care and support interventions for vulnerable children to address inequality, according to the minister of basic education, Angie Motshekga. Read more

KZN Students Sleep Rough Amid Housing and Registration Challenges 

About 250 first-year students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Pietermaritzburg campus spent two nights on the tarmac outside the security gates after claiming that the university had failed to provide them with accommodation. Read more

Library Uses InstaNovels to Get More Students to Read

From InstaNovels to enticing ‘Book Nook’ reading spaces in the library, we have to constantly come up with approaches to encourage our students to acquire and nurture the wonderful habit of reading. Read more

Mamdani Talks About his Research Legacy and Work at Makerere

Professor Mahmood Mamdani was the executive director of the Makerere Institute of Social Research at Makerere University, Uganda, from 2010 to the end of February 2022. During this time, he has revamped the institution’s mission and established a robust PhD programme. Read more

More Women Researchers Needed to Tackle Climate Change

Challenging the gender bias within educational institutions, in research and even in the media has been identified as a fundamental component to open up spaces for women to participate in and make an impact in the emerging field of climate change. Read more

NMU Project Part of an ‘African Solution to the World’s Problems’

The US acting consul general to SA last week hailed an innovative aquaponics partnership when he visited Nelson Mandela University’s Missionvale Campus. Read more

Preprint Servers Gain Prominence Despite Peer Review Concerns

While they have been around for the past five decades, preprint servers, repositories that allow access to original manuscripts to the public before they have undergone peer review, have gained more prominence over the past two years, owing to the sheer volume of research on COVID-19 that needed to be communicated. Read more

Protests Over Higher Education Funding Raise Questions Over Loan Scheme 

As protests over mandatory vaccines dominate student-led protests, the growing crisis over finance in higher education has also contributed to a difficult start to the academic year for some students.In recent years, the country has seen student-led demonstrations… Read more

SADC Education for Sustainable Development Framework on the Horizon

The dialogue is one of UNESCO’s responses to the aspirations enunciated in the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020–2030 of SADC, that is to develop and implement programmes, in order to improve human capacities for socio-economic development… Read more

SA’s Education Equity Gap and Those Aiming to Bridge It

SA is nearly 28 years into democracy yet the right to education, which is a constitutional right, is not a reality for many pupils in this country, with the SA education system still facing many challenges.  Read more

SA Varsities Intent on Pursuing Millions in Unpaid Fees

Amid a troubled start to the 2022 academic year during which student protests erupted on several campuses over financial exclusions, debt-ridden South African universities have said they have no intention of writing off unpaid student fees… Read more

Science and Race in SA: Lessons From ‘old bones in boxes’

In this edited extract from the introduction of his new book, Bones and Bodies: How South African scientists studied race, published by Wits University Press, Alan G Morris examines the discipline’s South African history. Read more

Scientific Diplomacy and Cooperation in this Time of War

As the vice-president of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) responsible for membership matters, I have been involved in formulating a position for the IUPAP about scientific cooperation with Ukraine and with Russia in this extremely difficult time of war. Read more

Scientists, Policy-Makers and Activists Should Work Together

Higher education stakeholders recently gathered to discuss how solutions emanating from the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) can be applied in various contexts, including higher education, to support society’s recovery from COVID-19 consequences. Read more

South Africa Could be Ready to Ease COVID-19 Restrictions Further…

Former head of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19, Salim Abdool Karim, says that South Africa could be ready to ease pandemic restrictions further as infection rates have declined. Read more

Space Science Capabilities Depend on Quality Education

In December 2019, Ethiopia became the 11th African country to have launched a 72kg remote sensing microsatellite (ETRSS-1) into space, joining the ranks of Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Sudan. In East Africa, Ethiopia was third after Kenya and Rwanda. Read more

Stellenbosch University Launches Online Learning Platform, Funders Urged to Help

Stellenbosch University has launched SU Advantage, an innovative online learning and teaching solution focusing on supporting high school pupils and teachers from Grade 10-12. Read more

Stellenbosch University Accused of Forcing Vaccination on Ill Students 

Stellenbosch University has been accused of endangering students’ lives, after allegedly forcing ill students to get COVID-19 vaccines. Two weeks ago, a second-year medical student from KwaZulu-Natal passed away after contracting the coronavirus. Read more

The Long Journey Back to Campus After COVID’s Disruptions

For the past two years, students in South African tertiary education institutions have had to negotiate the choppy waters of emergency online tuition. In 2022, thousands of students at universities across the country have been returning to the shores of face-to-face learning. Read more

Time to Protest Criminality Disguised as Student Protest

It is becoming increasingly difficult for institutions of higher learning in South Africa to maintain the delicate balancing act of finding sustainable funding solutions amid mounting pressures caused by rapidly altering learning and teaching environments, dwindling government subsidies, and the massification of higher education. Read more

‘Tripartite Curriculum Strategy’ Bridges Work-Academia Gap

Higher education institutions in South Africa are at the helm of building an innovative, knowledge-rich, and resilient society. Yet, they are often criticised for producing graduates who are not ‘fit for purpose’ because of a disconnect between industry requirements and university curricula. Read more

UCT to decide Vaccine Mandate

THE University of Cape Town is one step closer to making a decision on a vaccine mandate policy after it wrapped up a public participation process. On Saturday the university’s Council is expected to receive recommendations… Read more

UJ Students Protest at Auckland Park Campus Against Vaccine Mandate 

University of Johannesburg (UJ) students have on Thursday staged a protest at the Auckland Park campus in Johannesburg against the institution’s vaccine mandate. Read more

UKZN and DUT Team up to Help Feed Starving Students 

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and the Durban University of Technology (DUT) established feeding scheme programmes to fight food insecurity among students in higher institutions of learning. Read more

UKZN Hosts Colloquium on Womxn in the Academy and Shaping Futures Beyond

The University of KwaZulu-Natal is expected to host a Colloquium on Womxn in the Academy and shaping futures beyond Covid-19 on Thursday.The event is being hosted by UKZN’s College of Humanities in partnership with Is’thebe Mentoring and takes place during International Women’s Month. Read more

UKZN Students in Pietermaritzburg Campus Still Facing Issues with Accommodation

Students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Pietermaritzburg campus, who slept outside the main gate while awaiting residences, are still concerned about their accommodation issues. Read more

‘Uncomfortable Conversations About Universities Needed’

African universities must experiment with radically different models of access and funding if they are to create new identities for themselves as decolonised institutions, according to former student activist and now lecturer at South Africa’s University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Rekgotsofetse Chikane. Read more

UNESCO and Partners to Hold Social Knowledge for Policy Uptake Workshop

The UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa in collaboration with the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and the South African Department of Social Development (DSD) will hold a workshop on social knowledge for policy uptake… Read more

Universities can Build Relationships with Industry by Inviting People to Networking Events

The first session of the two-day Executive Leadership Workshop (ELW) on Commercialisation of Research, held in Cape Town last week – featured two speakers from abroad.  Read more

University Council Chair has no Degree

Central University of Technology (CUT) council chairperson Matthew Rantso, who leads PhD holders with only a certificate in hand, is the only such council chairperson among South Africa’s 26 universities. Read more

‘Universities Must Grasp the Opportunity to Change’

If African universities are to meet their mandate to support development on the continent, they must change with the times and restructure, said Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela, the vice provost for international affairs and global strategies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the United States. Read more

Universities Must Find Ways to Fast-Track the ‘Brightest’

“There is an abundance of human talent in Africa, but it has not been coming through into advanced technical fields,” says Professor Neil Turok, who founded the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in Cape Town in 2003. Read more

University of Pretoria Points the Way for the use of 3D-Printing in Medicine and Science

The University of Pretoria’s (UP) Forensic Anthropology Research Centre (FARC) is setting up a comprehensive facility to help other departments in the University’s Faculty of Health Sciences with the 3D-printing of replicas of bones and organs. Read more

Universities Can do Better in Democratising Their Research

For many, participation might be intrinsically valuable. Not surprisingly, as human beings living as part of our societies, we want to be heard and be active within our communities. However, seeing the social fabric as compendiums of communities might bring light into those groups or communities where we have nothing or little to say as citizens of our global world. Read more

Universities with Unique Identities 

South Africa’s youngest universities, Sol Plaatje University (SPU) and the University of Mpumalanga (UMP) are making good strides in growing the institutions by giving them a unique identity and footprint in higher education landscape. Read more

UWC’s DNA Profiling Kit to Fight Crime

A University of the Western Cape’s recent creation of a new DNA profiling kit could help solve sexual assault-related crimes.Researchers from the institution have partnered with two biotech companies to assist in commercializing the project. Read more

Vice-Chancellors Tasked to Lobby for Better Internet Access

Vice-chancellors have a vital advocacy role to play in promoting national research and education networks (NRENs), to advance the digital transformation strategies of African universities. Read more

Vigorous Intercultural Democratic Debate on Science Needed

Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) must be incorporated in African university curricula across the continent in order to help resurrect nation-building and decolonisation projects that have been put on hold, according to Ugandan higher education thought leader Catherine Odora Hoppers. Read more

‘We Need Local Solutions to Local Climate Change Problems’

“As a continent, we must move from climate theory to climate action and, therefore, it is critical to build alliances and partnerships between different role-players in terms of climate change. This calls for the inclusion of local contexts and indigenous knowledge in climate adaptation strategies.” Read more

Why are Black Women Under-Represented in Senior Academe?

In South Africa, the number of black women who acquire undergraduate degrees has increased more than any other population group. Read more

Work Integrated Learning Strategy Aims to Advance 4IR Skills

Universities must stop churning out students for careers that may no longer exist and, instead, produce ‘adaptive’ graduates fit for purpose and ready for the 21st century and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), said Professor Thandwa Mthembu, the vice-chancellor of the Durban University of Technology (DUT), South Africa. Read more

WSU Convocation Calls for Transparency from Varsity…

The Walter Sisulu University convocation has called upon university managers to address the concerns about the validity of some of the institution’s degrees directly, truthfully and immediately to avoid irredeemable damage to the university. Read more

WSU Students Strike After Eeing evicted for Outstanding Rental 

About 1 000 students from Zamukulungisa WSU Campus in Mthatha were left stranded after their landlords allegedly evicted them from their place of residences yesterday, March 14. Read more

Youths from Africa and the Arab World Commit to Advancing Cooperation in agriculture…

The Afro-Arab Youth Council (AAYC) in partnership with the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) organized a youth dialogue under the theme, “Enhancing food security through innovations and planetary health: the role of youth.” Read more

 

28 February 2022

Academic Publishing Needs Creative Solutions to Grow

COVID-19 has dampened academic research productivity even though virtual conferences and webinars have become an antidote for visa denials and a shortage of travel funding. Where academic publishing is concerned, there may be solutions to promote development in African countries as well as increase international support. Read more

Advancing Transformation as the University’s Strategic heart

Transformation in higher education is complex and multifaceted. It involves integrated processes of continuous institutional change in all aspects of the university’s functioning. Read more

Africa Needs ‘Pluriversities’ to Respect More Ways of Knowing

Universities on the continent are so dominated by frameworks for understanding that were established in the Global North that they cannot be considered authentically ‘African’ in terms of what they teach and the kinds of knowledge they produce, says South African philosopher Mogobe Ramose. Read more

‘Data Literacy is as Important as Any other Literacy’

Computational and data science is a new essential language, and all students and graduates today need to be versed in computational thinking and data-handling skills. Read more

Does Your University have a Student Affairs Directorate?

Student affairs directorates within universities have unique roles to play in ensuring quality in higher education by maximising opportunities for students to graduate equipped with a high level of success and holistic development and allowing them to acquire those graduate attributes that prepare them to contribute better in society. Read more

Durban University of Technology’s City Campus Petrol-Bombed

The Durban University of Technology’s City Campus was petrol-bombed in the early hours of Tuesday morning.A group of approximately 15 unknown people hurled petrol bombs on the City Campus, which is situated in Anton Lembede Street, … Read more

DUT Announces Closure of Campuses on Friday Ahead of Protest March 

The Durban University of Technology (DUT) has said it will temporarily close three of its campuses in the CBD on Friday before a planned protest by the EFF Student Command. Read more

DUT’s 2022 Back to Campus: Teaching and Learning Plan 

Should the lockdown level allow and the council approved policy choices on COVID-19 are met, the university may offer mask-to-mask teaching and learning to students exiting the system. Read more

DUT’s Dr Mavela Nominated for Illustrious Science and Tech Awards

Dr Mavela works in the Student Support Development Unit under the Centre for Excellence in Learning at Teaching (CELT) at the DUT and is also pursuing her PhD in health sciences under the Faculty of Health Sciences at the university.  Read more

DUT Staff Evacuated Following Violent Protests

The Durban University of Technology (DUT) abruptly closed its doors on Tuesday after violent attacks by student groups, which resulted in four faculty staff cars set alight. The protest comes after some students alleged they were struggling to register for the 2022 academic year. Read more

DUT Upholds Mandatory Vaccination Policy …

Despite mounting reluctance from students and student organisations, universities across the country are steadfast in implementing the Covid-19 mandatory vaccination policies which prohibit students from entering campuses without producing proof of vaccination. Read more

Higher Education Minister Reveals R47 Billion in Funding

Minister of Higher Education and Training Blade Nzimande revealed on Saturday that R47 billion in student funding has been disbursed for the year through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to aid more than 700 000 students. Read more

Higher Education Proposes 4.23% Fee Increase

The Department of Higher Education and Training has proposed an increase of 4.23% for tuition fees for the 2022 academic year, and a maximum of 6.23% for accommodation at all 26 universities. Read more

How to Connect Your Research with Policy-Making Agendas

African academic researchers have been urged to stop writing long, dry and complex research papers that are meant for other scholars only, but to also consider best practices of sharing their research with lay audiences to increase their use in policy- and decision-making agendas. Read more

Institutions Brace for Protests as Funding Cuts Loom

Following the first reports of student protests, South Africa’s 26 public universities and 50 technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges are expected to start the 2022 academic year on the back foot with a ZAR10 billion (US$650 million) shortfall for student funding. Read more

Man Gets 18 Years for Stealing R1.2m Meant for Walter Sisulu University Students, Staff 

An Eastern Cape man who stole R1.2 million meant to financially support needy Walter Sisulu University students has been sentenced to 18 years in prison. Read more

New Immigration Rules Leave Foreign Students in the Lurch

South Africa has withdrawn a blanket waiver granted to foreign students studying in critical skills areas following changes to its immigration policy. Read more

Protests Called Off After Agreement Reached

The Nelson Mandela University’s student representative council and management ironed out an agreement on Monday evening after protesting students blocked entrances to the north and south campuses in Gqeberha, along with the one in George. Read more

Private and Public Universities Should Collaborate in Africa

Private universities became popular and increased exponentially in Africa around the 1990s. Read more

Project to Translate Research Articles into African Languages

A platform that publishes African research immediately and free of charge, with the aim of providing increased regional and international visibility for scientific work, has partnered with like-minded open access African portals to translate 180 research articles from English to six African languages. Read more

Protests Halt First Day of University Lectures

Lectures were brought to a halt on Monday, the first day of the academic year at Nelson Mandela University (NMU) in Gqeberha, by students protesting over difficulties with registration. Read more

‘Queen of Science’ Keeps Breaking Barriers for Women

She started school at the age of four and, at the age of 11, a lesson on astronauts in a geography class sparked a lifelong love for and dance with the sciences. Read more

Ready for a Career Change? Swallow Your Pride, Push Through

At times, passion drives people to great lengths and, as they travel the path to their highest ideals, they discover themselves along the way. Read more

SA Universities Mlaim to be Multilingual Yet have Monolingual Websites;…

With South Africa’s new Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education Institutions set to enhance the role and status of marginalised languages scheduled to kickstart this year, a scholar’s insights into what universities’ websites reflect now, are apt.  Read more

Science Output Rising, but Some Countries’ Yields Still Low

Despite numerous challenges, Africa has made notable progress in the production of scientific knowledge in the past two decades, with a total share of 7.6% of contributions to the world of science and one-third of all international publications in tropical medicine. Read more

Space Technology to Measure, Monitor Climate Change Impact

Five African countries are working with Egypt to launch a pan-African satellite project dubbed the African Development Satellite Initiative (AfDev-Sat) to study the impact of climate change across Africa and what space technology can offer in this area. Read more

Top 10 Best Universities in Africa 

Africa is home to many universities that rank amongst the top universities in the world. Scattered across the continent, they stand tall in educational excellence. Read more

TVET Colleges as Good as Universities

As Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges prepare for prospective students, the issue of unemployed graduates looms large. Read more

UCT Ikeys Come from Behind to Beat NWU Eagles in Varsity Cup Opener

UCT Ikeys produced a spectacular comeback in the first Varsity Cup match of the year to beat NWU Eagles 35-26 at the Fanie du Toit Stadium on Monday. Read more

UCT Professor, Jack Fletcher, Shortlisted for Africa Prize in Engineering Innovation

Dr Jack Fletcher has been shortlisted for the 2022 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation (APEI) with the Hyena Power Pod, a fuel-cell based hydrogen generator that converts LPG gas into usable electricity, all within one device is one of the technologies that have been shortlisted for the 2022 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. Read more

UCT Students Protest Amidst SRC Rape Allegation

Accusations of sexual harassment and rape levelled at the president of the University of Cape Town’s Student Representative Council (SRC) have led to students protesting at several locations on UCT campuses today (Wednesday 2 February). Read more

UCT Suspends Student Following Sexual Assault, Rape Allegations

The University of Cape Town (UCT) has suspended a student following sexual assault and rape allegations, which surfaced more than a week ago.”Since the matter was brought to our attention on 1 February, the survivor continues to receive support from UCT,”… Read more

UFS’ Planned #Covid19 Vaccination Policy to be Argued in Court 

A court date for an argument against the University of the Free State’s (UFS) planned mandatory #Covid19 vaccination policy, which will deal with the merits of the case, has been set for 23 March 2022. Read more

UKZN Lecturer Launches IsiZulu COVID Animation Film for Children

The film is based on the university’s social work senior lecturer Dr Maud Mthembu’s book about COVID-19 titled ‘Uhambo lwami ngesikhathi sekhovithi – My journey during COVID-19.’ Read more

UKZN Students Continue Fiery Protest Over List of Demands 

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has condemned alleged violence and destruction of property after fresh protests broke out at its campuses.The university said on Monday there were protests at the Westville and Pietermaritzburg campuses… Read more

UKZN Students Vow to Continue with Their Protests

Students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal have vowed to continue their protests until their demands are met. Read more

UKZN Study Reveals Benefits of Moringa Leaf for People with HIV

A University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) study has found that the moringa oleifera leaf supplementation can have major benefits on the health of people living with HIV. Read more

UKZN Suspends Academic Programme After Violent Protests 

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) suspended academic activities on Monday after protests at campuses.Normah Zondo, UKZN’s corporate relations executive director, said in a statement on Monday that the decision was taken after “incidents of violence and intimidation”… Read more

University of Pretoria Allocates R500 Million in Bursaries to Deserving Students

The University of Pretoria (UP) allocated an estimated R500 million to about 8 000 students in 2021 in the form of University-managed and external bursaries.Due to historic debts and financial challenges, many students find themselves having to abandon their studies,… Read more

University’s Covid-19 Vaccination Policy now Fully Active

The University of the Free State (UFS) has confirmed that its Covid-19 vaccination policy and the regulations in relation to this were effective from Monday (14/02).This came after the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein struck off the roll an urgent application by Free State for Choice (FS4C)… Read more

University Systems in 45 Countries have Barely Been Studied

Higher education in Africa has become a frequently researched topic from 2000 onwards, but the systems in 45 out of 54 countries on the continent have barely been studied and 20 countries lack internal higher education expertise. This is a matter of concern, states a new study. Read more

UP in Top Five of SA Universities at Number 474 in World 

University ranking by Academic Performance (URAP) has placed Vaal University of Technology at the bottom of the top 21 of South African universities and the UCT as number one in the country. Read more

Women Need to Upskill to Join the Digital Transformation Revolution

She grew up in Limpopo, in a township called Namakgale, but her parents never let her forget that “home” was the village. It is why Dr Stella Bvuma, Head of the Department of Applied Information Systems at the University of Johannesburg, has an acute sense of the wider technological gap in rural areas…Read more

31 January 2022

Academic Community’s Work Transcends Travel Bans, Politics

While most of the travel bans that were placed on several Southern African countries, including South Africa, under the auspice of containing the new COVID-19 omicron variant, have been revoked, Read more

African Scholars Concerned Over Biases in Review Processes

Ongoing concerns over geographical biases in the evaluation of scientific research that could be disadvantaging Africa scholars remain and suggest the need for ongoing and targeted efforts to address inequalities in knowledge production and publication. Read more

Covid-19 Screening and Vaccination Help Mitigate Virus in Tertiary Institutions 

A new study has found that integrated vaccination and routine screening are key in allowing the safe reopening of ‘face-to-face’ classes at tertiary institutions. Read more

Covid-19: Universities, Student Bodies Could be Headed for Showdown Over Vaccination

Mandatory vaccination policies have taken centre stage in the tertiary education sector as thousands of pupils and staff at these institutions prepare for the start of the 2022 academic year. Read more

Degree Programmes Needed to Boost African Film Industry

African universities lag far behind when it comes to training professionals for the blossoming African film industry that could create more than 20 million jobs and generate US$20 billion in annual revenue, according to UNESCO. Read more

DUT Students to Compete in Regional Finals of Huawei ICT Competition 

Three Durban University of Technology (DUT) students have been selected to compete in the Huawei ICT Competition Regional Finals, which is to be held online, next month, February 2022. Read more

Engineering TVET Lecturers ‘Not in Tune’ with Tech Changes

More than half the technical engineering lecturers at technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges in South Africa, who participated in a recent study, are unaware of any technological advancements in their area of specialisation. Read more

Financing and Making University Education Better in Africa

Perhaps to demonstrate the importance of education to human endeavours, academics, founders, donors and all those concerned with higher education in Nigeria and other parts of Africa were assembled for two days from January 6- 7, 2021, Read more

Government Grant for Research and Development Activities Increases 

The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, has welcomed the increase in government funding for research and development (R&D) activities. Read more

How to Bolster Hybrid Teaching and Learning Competencies

Despite many people’s concerns about the state of education, I am optimistic about the future of our universities. Read more

How to Set the Scene for First-Year University Success 

Entering university for the first time will be a culture shock for many matriculants. An education expert says first-year dropout rates have historically been – and remain – a problem in South Africa. Read more

Miratho Project Finds Universities Could do More to Enable Black Working-Class Students to Participate and Succeed …

A research project by the Higher Education and Human Development (HEHD) group at the University of the Free State (UFS) concluded that the inequalities and exclusion of the labour market and pathways to further study must be addressed by wider economic and social policies… Read more

Mathematics in Crisis in SA Despite it Being a Gateway Subject for Higher Education

Among the almost 600 000 candidates who wrote matric in 2020, a meagre 5.3% scored 60% or more for Mathematics. Given that the required pass rate is just 30% – something that only 125 526 candidates achieved. Read more

Message of Condolences to the Family of Dr Archbishop Desmond Tutu

On behalf of the Vaal University of Technology’s Council, Management, Staff and Students we extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Dr Archbishop Desmond Tutu on his passing. Read more

NDLOVU Focuses on Contributing Towards Gender Equality in the ICT Sector

Winning accolades comes naturally to Durban University of Technology’s (DUT’s) Fanie Ndlovu, a Masters Student in Information and Communications Technology, (ICT) and brainchild of VarsityGenie, a student leadership platform. Read more

Poor Planning for Online Learning Created Disparities

The COVID-19 pandemic-driven transition to emergency remote teaching and online learning has been met with controversy in the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) region, as a significant number of students from underprivileged areas in the countries were deprived of a fair and equal opportunity to complete their academic year…Read more

Powering Marine Pollution Busting with Engineering Excellence

Engineering has the biggest role to play in making fundamental societal change – this is the motivation of the team at the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Department of Electrical Engineering as they embark on a new project that aims to locate and monitor ocean pollution in waters off Cape Town. Read more

Private and Public Universities Should Collaborate in Africa

Private universities became popular and increased exponentially in Africa around the 1990s. Before then, however, universities such as the American University in Cairo, founded in 1919, functioned amid the popularity and seeming intimidation of public universities. Read more

Programme Aims to Build Bridges, Bring Academics Together

A new partnership programme involving academics and administrators in Africa as well as Black African diaspora scholars in the United States aims to nurture research, teaching and outreach collaborations, yielding academic outcomes that are set to support the nurturing of globally competent faculty and students. Read more

South Africa has Lost a Human Rights and Social Justice Giant

As South Africa contemplates a future without Archbishop Desmond Tutu, it must be with an understanding that she has lost another giant, a lodestone, an unwavering voice for human rights and social justice. Read more

South Africa to Launch Three Nanosatellites as Part of R27 Million Space Project

Higher Education, Science and Innovation minister Dr Blade Nzimande has announced the launch of three locally-produced nanosatellites from the US on Thursday (13 January), as part of South Africa’s new Maritime Domain Awareness Satellite (MDASat) constellation. Read more

South African University Students Fight COVID Vaccine Mandates

South African university students are fighting mandates that require they be vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to the classroom on February 14. Even students who are vaccinated,…Read more

‘The COVID-19 Crisis Has Taught Us How Tertiary Education Needs to Change…

It is not possible to think about the future of tertiary education, in South Africa and globally, without considering the direct and significant impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the landscape. Read more

The DUT Community Engagement Donations Handover to the Baby Home 

The DUT Community Engagement Office under the DVC Research, Innovation, and Engagement in partnership with The Division of Corporate Affairs reached out to the DUT community to help with the donation drive for The Baby Home. Read more

‘Thinking the Future’: Clem Sunter Presents 2022 in a Nutshell

“When you’re thinking the future, you’ve actually got to look around you. It’s not just about having great thoughts from within about what can happen; it’s really trying to observe what’s going on around you and projecting that into the future,” … Read more

TVET Qualification No Golden Highway to a Job, Students Say

A study among 113 South African engineering students from the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) college sector has revealed that the majority (79) believe that their qualification is “undervalued and does not guarantee employment”. Read more

UB and UPENN Embark on Antimicrobial Stewardship Practices Study for Southern Africa

The University of Botswana through the Faculty of Medicine and in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania will embark on a study titled Investigating Antimicrobial Stewardship Practices in Southern Africa (MOSAIC) covering Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Read more

UCT Master’s Student Creates Vambo Academy, an Educational Technology Tool…

Chido Dzinotyiwei, a Master of Commerce at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB), has created an educational technology tool called Vambo Academy to provide digital resources in support of language learning and translation. Read more

‘UCT Open Textbook Journeys’ Provides Access to Locally Relevant Learning Materials 

Lecturers at the University of Cape Town (UCT) are adopting innovative pedagogical and content production approaches to provide students with more accessible and locally relevant learning materials. Read more 

UFS Vice-Chancellor Pays Tribute to the Late Archbishop Tutu

The University of the Free State awarded world human rights icon and anti-apartheid activist, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, an honorary doctorate in Theology in January 2011. Read more

UKZN Apologises for Blunder with Acceptance Offers 

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has apologised after a technical glitch resulted in the institution mistakenly sending firm acceptance offers to rejected applicants. Read more

UKZN SRC Hopes the Public Can Help Raise R6 Million to Assist Students… 

The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has urged the public to assist in raising R6 million to assist students in financial debts.The idea was born due to the increasing debts of students which led them to be blocked from the university system. Read more

UKZN Threatens Legal Action Against ‘Illegal’ Matric Upgrade Centres 

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) says it will institute legal action against illegal matric upgrade centres claiming association with the institution. Read more

UKZN Warns of Fake Social Media Accounts

UKZN warns the general public about fake Facebook accounts that could be used to misguide students. Read more

University Fee Hikes on the Cards 

University students will be paying more for tuition and residence.The Higher Education Department is proposing that the country’s 26 universities increase fees for this year by 4.3-percent for tuition and 6.3-percent for accommodation. Read more

University of Pretoria-Led Study Reveals COVID-19 Delta Variants Transmitted from Humans to Animals 

A team of scientists from the University of Pretoria (UP) has published the only study from Africa that entailed genomic One Health investigations which reveal that Delta variants of COVID-19 were transmitted from humans to animals… Read more

University of Pretoria on Mission to Vaccinate Undocumented Communities in Gauteng

Pretoria – As health professionals work to increase the number of vaccinated people, to create herd immunity and reduce the chance of prolonged infection, the University of Pretoria has stepped in. Read more

University of the Western Cape Buildings Lit in Purple

In honour of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and his legacy at the University of the Western Cape, the Main Hall has been lit in purple every evening this week. So too has the Life Sciences Building on campus. Read more

UWC Staff ‘Turned Away’ Over Vaccines 

A UWC employee who was allegedly turned away after failing to produce vaccine certificates on campus, claim unfairness and say no clear communication has been given, especially for those awaiting exemption decisions. Read more

 

31 December 2021

Academics from 12 Universities on Global Citation List

A total of 16 academics from five countries in Africa and working at 12 universities have been recognised as influential researchers. Read more

COVID-19 in SA | UJ Adopts Mandatory Vaccination

The University of Johannesburg has adopted mandatory vaccination, following a trend in the higher education sector. Staff, postdoctoral research fellows and students will need to provide proof of vaccination before entering campus. Read more

Creating an Environment for Intellectual Capital Remittance

African diaspora scholars – individuals born, raised and educated in Africa and who now work in foreign universities – have for years established links and worked with institutions in their mother countries as a way of ‘giving back’. Read more

Creating Vibrant and Stronger Research Communities

Diaspora academics have called for the continued and expanded support of a programme that has enabled them to contribute to the strengthening of higher education in Africa through conducting joint research, supervising graduate students, mentoring junior faculty and co-authoring grant proposals and research papers. Read more

CUT and Namibia University of Science and Technology Discuss Current and Future Collaborations

The Central University of Technology hosted the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) as part of expanding collaborations between the two universities. Read more

CUT Researcher is Validating the Significance of Traditional Medicine… 

African indigenous medicines have throughout history received scorn, even though they are essentially the source of many boxed medicines we consume today. Read more

CUT, Women in Science – Chemistry Lecturer Dr Ritu Bhagwandeen Shares Her Views …

The imbalance between men and women in the science and technology sector is unlikely to be remedied unless organisations, schools and universities work together to change entrenched perceptions about the tech industry. Read more

Do You Want to be More Employable? Learn Coding Skills

Students in African universities and other tertiary institutions on the continent should learn coding skills, even when they are not enrolled as students at departments of computer sciences, as a way of preparing themselves for well-paying jobs in the digital sector and for career change directions. Read more

DUT’S Professor Sibusiso Moyo Scoops the Entrepreneurial Development in Higher Education (EDHE) DVC Award 2021

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), Professor Sibusiso Moyo was recently awarded the Entrepreneurial Development in Higher Education (EDHE) DVC Award at the EDHE 2021 Awards ceremony held at the Premier Hotel, in Johannesburg on the 19th of November 2021. Read more

High Gear Aligning TVET System with Industry Demand

Positioning South Africa’s public TVET college system to meet the needs of employers has been hampered by limited industry involvement in curriculum design and delivery, but that is changing thanks to a collaborative initiative that is aligning TVET courses with the automotive component manufacturing sector’s evolving needs. Read more

Kagame Praises Cape Town as a Reputable University in Africa 

President Paul Kagame has lauded the University of Cape Town as among reputable Universities in Africa that has shaped both South African and Rwandan students as well. Read more

New Medical School to Absorb Students Returning from Cuba

The Nelson Mandela University (NMU) medical school has committed to absorb the returning Cuban cohort of about 50 medical students. Read more

NWU Academic Aims to Boost Environmental Sustainability Through Industrial Engineering

Meelan Roopa, a lecturer in the North-West University’s (NWU’s) School of Industrial Engineering, is currently conducting research on new ideas and strategic ways of achieving environmental sustainability for developing countries through industrial engineering. Read more

Omicron: Academics Voice Their Dismay Over Travel Ban

African academics have expressed dismay at the move by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and other countries to block flights from several African countries following the sequencing of a new, potentially more transmissible variant of COVID-19. Read more

Over 50% of Tertiary Student Doubtful that They’ll be Employed After Completing Studies

Over 50% of tertiary students in South Africa, say that they’re doubtful that they’ll be employed after completing their studies. This is according to a study conducted by the Professional Provident Society (PPS). Read more

Paradigm Shift in EU’s Collaboration with HE in Africa

As policy-makers gear up for a summit on 17-18 February 2022 where a new multi-year strategic agreement (2021-27) between the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) will be introduced, research universities sent a clear message that enhanced African-European university collaboration should be a key component of the agreement. Read more

Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination Required to Register at Four Western Cape Universities

Proof of vaccination against the coronavirus will now be required to register at all four major institutions of higher learning in the Western Cape. Read more

Reflections on Academics and Agency During COVID

As South African universities continue to grapple with the changes to teaching and learning wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council on Higher Education (CHE) says that, while the tertiary education sector has demonstrated incredible responsiveness amid the disruptions experienced over the past 20 months, this agility has not been without costs,… Read more

Review of Science Journals Shows Strengths and Weaknesses

Of the 22 journals in the mathematics and science disciplines evaluated by a review committee of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), three were recommended for removal from the accredited list of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). Read more

SA Cautioned Following Increase in Fake Honorary Degrees and Qualifications 

Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande says people should not be quick to receive qualifications and honorary degrees without verifying the credentials of the institution that is honoring them. Read more

Scientists Urge Leaders to Up Spending on Health Education

A group of nine African academics from South Africa, Kenya, Senegal, Nigeria and Mali have called on governments and other funders for increased local investment in health research and development with a special focus on developing scientific and production capabilities, …Read more

Sexual Violence Rampant on College Campuses, Say MRC Researchers 

Female students in higher education face “pervasive” sexual violence, according to researchers who interviewed 1,293 young women. One in five told a team from the SA Medical Research Council (MRC) they had experienced sexual violence in the past year,… Read more

Stellenbosch University Approves use of Afrikaans, English and isiXhosa

The Council of Stellenbosch University has approved the proposed new language policy for the institution with an overwhelming majority. The policy provides for the use of Afrikaans, English and isiXhosa in learning and teaching at the university, as well as in communication. Read more

Stellenbosch University Honours Arts Cape First Female CEO Marlene le Roux… 

First woman to be CEO of the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town, Marlene le Roux, will be receiving an Honorary Doctorate form Stellenbosch University (SU) this week.SU will confer honorary doctorates on six outstanding individuals who have made valuable contributions in the fields of medicine, Read more

Student Mobility Between Africa and US Falls During COVID

The COVID-19 pandemic has decreased the number of international students from Africa who are studying in universities in the United States, as their numbers fell from a high of 48,679 students in the 2019-20 academic year to 45,343 students in 2020-21, a drop of 6.85%. Read more

The Mine of the Near Future Needs More ‘Imagineers’

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is now in full play, forcing big industry to either adapt or go under. For the adaptable, it has opened many opportunities, with the mining and minerals industry rapidly pursuing the exploration and implementation of innovative technologies and processes. Read more

Two 80+ Year Olds Graduate from Stellenbosch University with Master’s and PhD 

Two graduates in their eighties have embodied the words “you are never too old to dream a new dream” after enrolling in postgraduate academic programmes and successfully completing them.Antoinette Swart (83) has received the degree PhD in Ancient Cultures at the SU Konservatorium in Stellenbosch,… Read more

UCT Researchers Honoured in L’Oreal-Unesco Programmes for Scientific Excellence 

Three PhD candidates from the University of Cape Town (UCT) have been recognised by the L’Oreal-Unesco For Women in Science programme for their excellent contributions to science in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. Read more

UKZN Academic to Serve on SA Planning Commission

President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed UKZN town planning lecturer Professor Hangwelani Magidimisha-Chipungu as a member of the National Planning Commission (NPC) for the next five years. Read more

UKZN Hosts Cadaver Ceremony to Pay Homage to those Who’ve Donated Their Bodies… 

The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s College of Health Sciences last week held a funeral service for those who had donated their bodies to science. The dedication ceremony honours both the donor and the deceased for their act of donation. Read more

UKZN’s Liquid Propellant Rocket Engine ABLE Proves to be a Success

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has successfully tested a liquid propellant rocket engine through its Aerospace Systems Research Group (ASReG). Read more

UWC Adopts Mandatory COVID Vaccine Policy with Some Exemptions

The interim policy – which makes provision for certain exemptions on a case-by-case basis – will be reviewed at the end of the first semester next year. Read more

UNESCO Concludes Training of African Judicial Institutions on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists

UNESCO in partnership with the African Court of Human and Peoples Rights conducted a 5-day Training of Trainers (ToT), organized between the 29 November  to 3 December 2021,… Read more

Universities are Front-Runners in Start-Up Support Programmes

Universities, among others, are leading Egypt as a tech powerhouse for Africa as the country now rivals – and even sometimes surpasses – more established start-up ecosystems such as South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya for levels of entrepreneurial innovation and investment. Read more

University of Johannesburg and I-DAIR Collaboration Set to Advance the Health Sector in the 4IR Sphere

The University of Johannesburg (UJ) recently signed a strategic agreement with Fondation pour l’institut de hautes études internationales et du développement acting through The International Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence Research Collaborative (I-DAIR) who are based in Geneva, Switzerland. Read more

Universities Must Do Away with Deployment of Police and Security Forces on Campuses…

South African Union of Students (SAUS) has called on higher education to create a single coordinated education system to deal with police brutality occurring on campuses. Read more

University of Venda Implements Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy 

The University of Venda in Thohoyandou Limpopo has implemented a mandatory vaccination policy for students and staff. University Spokesperson Takalani Dzaga says the policy will be effective from January 1, 2022. Read more

UP the Largest Producer of Research in SA

According to the vice-chancellor Professor Tawana Kupe, the University of Pretoria, which is the largest producer of research in South Africa, has no intention of resting on its well-recognised laurels. Read more

UP and Apolitical Academy Southern Africa Join Forces to Train Ethical Leaders… 

The University of Pretoria (UP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Apolitical Academy Southern Africa (AASA) to collaborate on the training of ethical leaders in the country and the region. Read more

Vaccinate – or Say Goodbye to Your Studies 

Students who fail to get vaccinated against Covid-19 and fail to get an exemption may not be able to register for courses and could even be deregistered. Those are among the measures several universities are adopting as they impose mandatory vaccination for staff and students from next year. Read more

WITS Offering R9K Short Course for Free to Those Affected by COVID-19 

The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) is now offering a Certified Short Course in software development to those who have lost their jobs or have found it difficult to find employment, both as results of the pandemic. Read more

Wits SRC Warns Mandatory Vaccination Policy May Sow Divisions on Campus

The Wits University student representative council (SRC) has hit back at a mandatory vaccination policy set to be implemented next year. Read more

Women in HE: ‘We Either Rise Together or Sink Together’

Nurturing girls’ education at basic and secondary levels of learning, and offering increased support to women already in academia are some of the strategies that will ensure greater inclusivity in the African research sector. Read more

WSU Graduate Wins Merit Award at Sasol Art Competition

Walter Sisulu University fine art graduate, Sibaninzi Dlathu (25), walked away with a merit prize of R10 000, after making the top seven in this year’s Sasol New Signatures art competition, held on November 11, at the Pretoria Art Museum. Read more

 

30 November 2021

All Universities Must Strive to Reach the Pinnacle of the Annual EDHE Entrepreneurship Intervarsity

A total of 18 of South Africa’s 26 public universities were represented at the EDHE Entrepreneurship Intervarsity 2021 finals last week – and the address delivered virtually by Ms Mandisa Cakwe, Acting Chief Director:… Read more

British High Commission Plans Partnership to Develop Youth Technical Skills

The British government will invest up to £75-million of official development assistance, globally, for skills development across nine fast-growing economies; with the South African portion being dedicated to addressing the skills gaps, skills mismatch and quality training for unemployed youth and youth in post-school education and training. Read more

Circular Thinking Education Will Aid Sustainable Development

Inefficient management of the abundant natural resources in Africa prompted experts to call on universities on the continent to join the ‘education for circularity’ movement to equip students with knowledge and skills in circular thinking. Read more

Contact or Online? Moving Away from Binary Approaches

The coronavirus pandemic has presented us with an opportunity to hit the reset button – to reorganise, intentionally redesign and rethink teaching and learning as we know it. Read more

COVID-19 is Advancing a New Architecture of Knowledge

South Africa, according to World Bank data, is the world’s most unequal society, divided by forms of racialised and gender inequality that emerge from its history of colonialism and apartheid. Read more

Creating Engaged, Student-Centred and Responsive Universities

Professor Puleng Lenka Bula, Chairperson of the Transformation Strategy Group (TSG) and Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of South Africa, reported that she had found the three TSG breakaway sessions exciting. Read more

DUT Launched 4IR Centre of Excellence

The state-of-the-art equipment installed in the high-tech laboratories for the Internet of Things and robotics is fully equipped to support postgraduate research in IoT, drone-based computing systems, robotics programming, and computing networks. Read more

DUT Launches the Groundbreaking Innobiz DUT Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

A two-day hybrid launch of the Durban University of Technology’s (DUT’s) newly named Innobiz DUT Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation was held at DUT’s Indumiso Campus in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday, 04 November 2021,… Read more

DUT’s Level Six Edumove Gives Learners the Chance to Bring their Architectural Ideas into a Reality

The Community Engagement Office [CEO] under the DVC Research Innovation and Engagement in collaboration with the Level Six EduMove, partnered with The Umkhumbane Schools Project [USP] to host an Architecture Showcasing on 14 October 2021. Read more

DUT to Reopen Campuses on Wednesday After Violent Protests 

Durban University of Technology (DUT) says it will reopen three of its campuses after protest action, allegedly by the EFF-lead student representative council (SRC), led to the shutdown of the Steve Biko, Ritson and ML Sultan campuses on Monday. Read more

Grassroots Research Gives a Voice to the Plight of Men at Risk of a Silent Killer: Prostate Cancer

While discussing mother and baby health at a community gathering in the rural Vhembe District of Limpopo, one of the male traditional leaders asked when we are going to do something for men. Read more

First mRNA Vaccine Technology Transfer Hub Gets to Work

The World Health Organization and the COVID Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) initiative announced in mid-2021 that they were working with a consortium to establish the first COVID messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine technology transfer hub on the African continent, in South Africa. What does this work entail? What will it mean for the continent? Read more

How a Giraffe and Lightning Generated in a Wits Lab have Lit Up Forensic Science 

New research at Wits University could help forensic investigators determine whether people or animals are killed by lightning based solely on an analysis of their skeletons. Read more

How Wits University’s New “Light Beam” Tech Can Bring Fibre to Informal Settlements

The tech has been described as a beam of light “from a fibre-connected suburban home to a 3D-printed wireless communication system to a school in an informal settlement across the road, providing learners with instant high-speed, reliable internet access.” Read more

Innovation for African Unis Program Launched 

The British Council has launched a program seeking to foster and strengthen universities support for entrepreneurial ecosystems in Sub-Saharan Africa.The Innovation for African Universities program comprises 24 project partnerships with universities… Read more

Judgment on Student Theft Case Postponed Owing to Exams

Judgment in the trial of the Walter Sisulu University student, accused of the theft of ZAR14 million (US$900,000) of National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) money in South Africa, has been postponed to 14 December because she is writing exams, … Read more

KZN School of Law Raises R18 Million in Research Funding 

An innovative legal research project, led by Prof Donrich Thaldar of the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) School of Law, has been awarded R18 million in funding by the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH). Read more

Mandela Uni Open Education Advocate Receives Global Award #R2bP

In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Open Education community, Academic Developer and leader of Mandela University’s Open Education Influencers Project, Gino Fransman, has been recognised with a global Open Education Award for Excellence. Read more

N$170m Climate-Change Windfall for SADC

To achieve this goal, Namibia has established a graduate school on integrated water resources management at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust), which is expected to be transformed into a Centre of Excellence for the SADC region. Read more

NMU Set for Official Launch of Medical School

The ground-breaking group of aspirant medical doctors at the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) Medical School are putting their newfound knowledge to the test with examinations now under way. Read more

PhD Graduate Reaches for the Stars

Twala is a project manager for the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag). She started at the organisation as a volunteer in 2017. Read more

Professor Ncoza Dlova Becomes the First Black Female Full Professor at UKZN…

The renowned dermatologist has been busy since she last spoke to us. Starting a haircare business, winning international awards and making history once again – it seems like it’s all in day’s work for Professor Ncoza Dlova, but the journey has been long. Read more

Projects Pave Women’s Way into Data Science Fields

Data science has been playing a critical role in tackling real-life challenges across African communities and sectors such as health and urban development. Despite a steady increase in data scientists in Africa, gender parity and equality in the field has yet to be achieved. Read more

Protesting UKZN Students Burn Westville Campus Guardhouse, Stone Building and Cars

A group of University of KwaZulu-Natal(UKZN) students protested at the Westville campus yesterday, demanding that public transport be allowed onto the premises. Read more

Rhodes Places Lecturer Accused of Rape on Special Leave 

A Rhodes University lecturer who was accused of rape by a student has been placed on special leave. The court case was closed by the NPA, according to the university, who issued a statement on Friday. Read more

Scientists Find Fossil of Early Hominid in South Africa 

The fossil remains of an early hominid child have been discovered in a cave in South Africa by a team of international and South African researchers. Read more

Something Amiss in Engagement with Student Leaders

During the first two weeks of November, South Africa’s Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, in collaboration with the South African Union of Students (SAUS) and Polisee Space, a public policy consulting organisation, … Read more

South Africa’s Best Universities to Study These Top Subjects

Times Higher Education (THE) has published its annual ranking of the top universities for 2022 by subject, featuring 10 South African universities in four key fields of study. Read more

School of Law Publishes Its First Peer-Reviewed Law Journal

The School of Law has recently published its much-anticipated peer-reviewed journal titled ‘’Turf Law Journal’’, which seeks to create a platform for high quality research on transformative and developmental perspectives on law in South Africa and beyond. Read more

Telegram App Used to Teach Student Entrepreneurs

Homeboy Mthembu is a jewellery design and manufacturing student at Durban University of Technology’s (DUT) City campus. When he isn’t juggling his demanding studies, he is working on his jewellery brand, BigHomie and Co, designing attractive pieces for his growing customer base in his rental studio. Read more

The Quest for Collaborative, Ethical and Impactful Research

As she reported on the three breakaway sessions of the Research and Innovation Strategy Group (RISG), Professor Thoko Mayekiso, Chairperson of RISG and Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Mpumalanga, said the three sub-themes that they had unpacked,… Read more

Top 20 Best Universities in AFRICA – US World News Ranking System (2021)

The rankings are based on, Global research reputation (12.5%), Regional research reputation (12.5%), Publications (10%), Books (2.5%), Conferences (2.5%), Normalized citation impact (10%), Total citations (7.5%), Number of publications that are among the 10% most cited (12.5%), … Read more

UCT Fees Hiked by Almost 400% in Almost 100 Years 

Inflation-adjusted tuition fees at the University of Cape Town (UCT) increased by an average of nearly 400% from 1923 to 2020.Most of the increase in tuition fees happened after 1970. Read more

UCT GSB MBA Ranks Top in Africa on Sustainability Performance

The University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB) has been ranked 22nd in the world for its MBA programme on the Corporate Knights’ 2021 Better World MBA list of the top 40 global business schools. Read more

UCT’s Professor Lynette Denny Honoured by the President with National Order

Cape Town – Close to three decades of research on cervical cancer was recently recognised when University of Cape Town Professor Lynette Denny received the Order of the Baobab in Silver. Read more

UCT’s Rebecca Ackermann Appointed to Prestigious Journal

Professor Rebecca Ackermann has been appointed to the editorial board of the prestigious scientific journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. Professor Ackermann is a biological anthropologist, professor in the Department of Archaeology, and the deputy director of the Human Evolution Research Institute (HERI) at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Read more

UCT Students Should Remember 3rd January for Appeals to Continue Studying

Students at the University of Cape Town (UCT) have been urged to remember the date of 3rd January 2022, as it is the deadline to submit an appeal to continue to study. Read more

UJ Warns Against Fake Funding Message Doing the Rounds

The University of Johannesburg (UJ) has issued a warning to students that false information is being circulated that should not be engaged with. Read more

UKZN’s Engineering Master’s Student Outdoes Herself

Durban – Giselle Pillay graduated cum laude for her Master of Science in Engineering degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She specialised in waste and resource management, a new master’s programme now offered by the university. Read more

UKZN Pietermaritzburg SRC Chair to Focus on Students’ Rights

The newly-elected student representative council (SRC) chair at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Pietermaritzburg campus is determined to champion students’ rights. Read more

UKZN Professor is a Leading Diabetes Researcher

University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) professor Shahidul Islam was named in Expertscape’s top 0.1% of scholars, this week, for his expertise, experimental and research work in a particular aspect of diabetes, especially over the last decade. Read more

UKZN Students Slam Decision to Close University Residences by November 30 

Student leadership at the University of KwaZulu-Natal have vowed to challenge the decision by the institution to require them to vacate residences by November 30. Read more

UKZN Students Take Second Place at 2021 Youth Innovation Challenge

A group of young and talented University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) students secured second place in the 2021 Youth Innovation Challenge (YIC). Read more

Unisa Multidisciplinary Team Wins the NRF Science Team Award 

The National Research Foundation (NRF) has recognised a multidisciplinary team of Unisa researchers with the prestigious NRF Science Team Award. Read more

Universities are as Transformed as they Positively Change the Environments in Which They are Located

Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lincoln in England, and one of the contributing authors to the book The Responsive University and the Crisis in South Africa, Professor Mary Stuart, says universities stand to maintain relevance if they evaluate and work with the needs of communities in which they exist. Read more

Universities Granted Millions to Develop Covid-19 Vaccine 

Walter Sisulu University (WSU) and North West University (NWU) have been granted R3.5m to support locally made candidate vaccines, including one for Covid-19.A memorandum of agreement between WSU and the Chemical Industries Education & Training Authority (Chieta) was signed in November… Read more

Universities Put Measures in Place Amid Load Shedding and Exams

Tertiary institutions in the province are in discussions with their students about the impact of load shedding on their studies and how to support them with exams underway. Read more

University of Free State Student Abducted and Robbed at Gunpoint

A University of Free State student was allegedly kidnapped by two men travelling in a car with a Lesotho registration number. Read more

University of Pretoria Expert to Lead WHO Group Probing Origins of Novel Pathogens Including COVID-19

Professor Marietjie Venter of the University of Pretoria (UP) has been selected to chair the international scientific advisory team appointed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to probe the origins of novel pathogens including SARS-CoV-2. Read more

University of Pretoria Honours its top Researchers at Annual Academic Achievers’ Awards

The awards are hosted annually by the university to acknowledge the work of UP’s academics, who increasingly ensure that their research helps to solve “real-life problems” and has a transformative impact on South African and global society. Read more

UP’s Centre for Human Rights Publishes Photobook Highlighting the Stories of LGBTIQ+ People Living in South Africa

The Centre for Human Rights (CHR), Faculty of Law, at the University of Pretoria (UP) has launched a photobook series, titled Looking through the prism: Narratives of queer dignity in South Africa, featuring photographs and narratives of the lives of LGBTIQ+ people living in South Africa. Read more

UP’s Zoology Programme Ranked 45^th Globally in University Ranking…

The University of Pretoria’s (UP) Department of Zoology and Entomology in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences has been ranked 45th globally for its research and impact by the University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP). Read more

Vaccine Inequity: Countries Fail at ‘Global Solidarity’

Sub-Saharan Africa has no shortage of public health challenges: as a region, it carries the highest burden of disease in the world and boasts some of the lowest allocations of public funding to deal with that burden. Read more

WSU Men Pledge Solidarity Against GBV

Over sixty male students at Walter Sisulu University’s Komani Campus recently took a binding pledge to immortalize their solidarity with South African women burdened by the scourge of gender-based violence. Read more

Young African Universities Take the Lead

Having long played the role of collaborators with other, more renowned, institutions, historically disadvantaged South African universities are now challenging the status quo — and emerging as leaders. Read more

 

31 October 2021

6^th 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 2^nd 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 (5^th year) and Mohamed Hoosen Suleman (1^st 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 10^th 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.

Read more

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 49^th place. UKZN was bested by UCT which came in at nine, Wits at 11 and Stellenbosch at 24. The University of Pretoria followed at 78^th 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 1^st 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

South African Medical Research Council Funds Efforts to Deliver New Antibiotics for Drug-Resistant Infections

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.

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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