SAHDIA HOLDS 7TH NETWORKING WORKSHOP TO ADVANCE HDI

iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Internationalisation Prof. Nosisi Feza chaired the seventh networking workshop of the South African Historically Disadvantaged Institutions Alliance hosted by Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University on April 20-21.

 The sole purpose of the alliance is to advance Historically Disadvantaged Institutions, and the workshop was centred around addressing the structural inequalities that persist in the country’s higher education system due to apartheid -era legacies.

Delivering her welcoming address Prof Feza said that SAHDIA must evolve beyond being merely a platform for engagement to become a mechanism for coordinated action.

She further emphasised that robust, responsive and future orientated governance frameworks are the key elements of influencing the funding landscape meaningfully.

“Our students are not leaving us. They want jobs when they graduate from the same university, which we don’t have much of. We have internships that never end because of the economy of the country,” she said.

“There is a need in our country for us to have serious debates about the economy,” Feza added.

Department of Higher Education and Training Deputy Director General Prof. Thandi Lewin believes that sustainability of Historically Disadvantaged Institutions requires innovation and intentionality.

“The sustainability of Historically Disadvantaged Institutions will not be secured through traditional funding models alone. It requires agility, innovation and a deliberate alignment with national development priorities,” Lewin said.

Institutions that were represented at the event included University of Fort Hare, University of Limpopo, Sol Plaatjie University, University of Mpumalanga, University of Zululand, University of Venda, University of Western Cape, Mangosuthu University of Technology and the host university Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University.

By Namhla Mbongendlu