WALTER SISULU MEETS MAHATMA GANDHI IN GLOBAL ACADEMIC COLLABORATION

A iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu delegation travelled to Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam, India, to strengthen an international partnership built on innovation, research excellence and shared learning, which signified a profound shift in the mechanics of international academic collaboration.

Over five days, academic heads and postgraduate students led by Walter Sisulu Faculty of Economic and Financial Sciences Executive Dean, Professor Manoj Panicker, exchanged knowledge with their Mahatma Gandhi counterparts on postgraduate education, entrepreneurship, rural economic development and research collaboration.

Delivering the opening presentation on behalf of Walter Sisulu postgraduate manager, Dr Zibo Mpongwana, outlined the purpose of the study visit, highlighting the importance of deepening institutional collaboration through postgraduate benchmarking, research partnerships and academic exchange.

“The visit seeks to strengthen existing ties while identifying innovative approaches to postgraduate education, entrepreneurship and rural development that will benefit both institutions,” said Mpongwana.

The postgraduate directorate at Walter Sisulu University provides a comprehensive support framework for students pursuing honours, masters, and doctoral degrees. To ensure academic success, the office manages specialized capacity development programs, technical laboratory assistance, and the coordination of external assessments.

“These initiatives aim to improve student throughput rates, ensuring that researchers graduate on time to maintain the university's financial sustainability. Overall, the leadership is dedicated to growing enrollment numbers while removing the economic and technical barriers that hinder postgraduate progress,” Mpongwana concluded.

Professor Manoj Panicker followed with a presentation on Walter Sisulu's postgraduate throughput, academic performance and the challenges facing higher education.

His presentation explored student success initiatives, completion rates and institutional interventions aimed at improving postgraduate outcomes while opening discussions on shared solutions between the two universities.

Delegates also benchmarked postgraduate administration, student support systems and mechanisms to enhance staff and student mobility, while exploring future academic exchange opportunities and collaborative education research.

The day's programme concluded with a visit to the MGU Innovation Foundation, where the Walter Sisulu delegation gained insight into Mahatma Gandhi University's innovation ecosystem and initiatives that support entrepreneurship, commercialisation and industry engagement before participating in a wrap-up discussion.

By: Sinawo Hermans