By Puleng LenkaBula
THIS coming Monday, that is, 26 June 2023 to be precise - the largest university in South Africa and the largest open distance learning institution in Africa, the University of South Africa (Unisa), will commemorate its sesquicentenary.
This will undoubtedly go down the annals of history/herstory as a prime milestone in the history of the university, especially given that Unisa remains the longest standing dedicated distance education university in the world.
Throughout its 15 decades of existence, Unisa has consistently demonstrated its centrality in the higher education environment. Not only did the university play a central role in spawning the university system in South Africa, but it has been leading from the front in the production of quality graduates, many of whom have gone to lead society in politics, commerce, academia and many other fields, successfully. Thus, our graduates can now confidently declare: Montshepetša bošego, ke mo leboga go sele (One who walks me during the night, is thanked in the morning).
Unisa has and continues to provide study opportunities to students from diverse backgrounds – the rich and famous and the hoi polloi. With an average of about 400 000 registered students in over 130 countries and over a million alumni, the University of South Africa has demonstrated beyond doubt that while it is physically situated somewhere on a hill on the outskirts of Pretoria, South Africa’s capital city, it is deeply rooted in communities both at home, continentally and abroad.
As we mark the sesquicentenary of this great university, aptly given the moniker of the University of the Land, we do so against the backdrop of the recent developments in the university. The recent release of the report of the Independent Assessor appointed by the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation to look into the affairs of Unisa, has precipitated a barrage of opinions and commentary from many quarters.
As an institution, we have chosen not to adopt the way of an ostrich in confronting this matter and we have consequently addressed our response to the Minister through official channels. Since the release of the Independent Assessor’s report, we have noted several other views expressed by many in the public domain, many of which are as a matter of fact, bereft of fact. We believe and respect that everybody is entitled to their opinions, but none to their own facts. One indisputable fact is , contrary to the wishes and proclamations of many a naysayer, Unisa is not collapsing.
A closer look beyond the innuendo, gossip and fabrications will show anyone a picture of a university which is well-functioning, viable and sustainable, notwithstanding the challenges that confront it. By the way, many of these challenges are being experienced by the sector as a whole – a point elucidated eloquently during the recent sitting of the parliamentary portfolio committee on higher education.
The academic project of Unisa remains intact and uppermost in the list of the university’s strategic priorities. In fact, in our quest to ensure continuous improvement, not only do we self-introspect regularly, but we also subject ourselves to several external audits from reputable institutions such as the Commonwealth of Learning, the Council on Higher Education, the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Engineering Council of South Africa, to name but a few.
By and large, these audits provide irrefutable evidence that, whilst it faces some challenges, Unisa continues to provide access to those who would not ordinarily find opportunities in contact universities. Moreover, it is becoming increasingly clear that Unisa is now an institution of first choice for adult learners, professionals as well as students entering the higher education space for the first time.
The following are but some of the many successes attained by Unisa within the higher education system in South Africa:
- Unisa accounts for 33% of all national enrolments by public higher education institutions and over 90 % of the distance learning component.
- Unisa produces over 20 % of all graduates from the higher education sector, with over 40 000 students graduating from the university every academic year.
- For the fifth consecutive year, Unisa has retained 8th position with regard to overall publication output in the sector.
- In terms of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2023, Unisa’s Engineering discipline has been placed first, jointly with Northwest University and Stellenbosch University. It has also been placed joint eleventh on the African continent.
- The Times Higher Impact Ranking results for 2022 has put Unisa in the top half globally, placing us in the 401-600 band out of 1 406 ranked universities.
- In 2022, Unisa won the Zairi International Award for Research Impact, which recognises outstanding performance for higher education institutions worldwide, in areas such as research, digital transformation and community engagement. In this regard, we triumphed over 90 nominations from 31 countries across the world.
- In 2021 alone, Unisa filed a total of 41 patent applications, six of which have been completed successfully.
- We continue to make an impact in various communities through our engaged scholarship programme, with over 100 registered community projects across various areas such as economic stability, education, environmental sustainability, health, and human rights.
- Recently, Unisa has been invited to partner with the African BioGenome Project (AfricaBP), a coordinated pan-African effort to build capacity and infrastructure to generate, analyse and deploy genomics data for the improvement and sustainable use of biodiversity and agriculture across the continent.
Nothing demonstrates our commitment to helping the country respond to the demands of the new global world and produce knowledge in critical areas of the economy than the adoption of the ten catalytic niche areas in 2021. This has been done to catalyse research and engaged scholarship in the university.
These niche areas are in Marine Studies, Aviation and Aeronautical Studies, Automotive Studies, Energy Space Study and Square Kilometre Array, Fourth Industrial Revolution and Digitalisation, Natural Sciences/Biotechnical Studies, Health Studies/Medicine, Feminist/Bosadi/Womanist Theorisations as well as Student Support and Co-Curricula Activities.
As we mark the 150th anniversary of Unisa, we should do so proudly and encouraged by the demonstrable proof that the university continues to be a beacon of hope to a myriad of people locally and internationally. Notwithstanding the challenges we face as an institution – some
emanating from legacy issues and others occasioned by the sudden transition from hybrid to full digital mode – we have ensured that the academic project stays on track.
It would be remiss of anyone not to acknowledge the enormous contributions of the various generations who carried this institution and lifted its banner high, since its inception 150 years ago. It is a recognition that must certainly be accorded the staff, students and alumni who regard Unisa as their home and alma mater.
Indeed, Di retwa di boa mokatong (They (the horses) are praised, only if they have finished the race). The current generation, on whose shoulders the future of Unisa lies, are traversing a clear path carved by those who came before them.
There is no doubt in my mind that the journey to the next sesquicentenary will be filled with successes aplenty. As members of the Unisa epistemic community, we are a focussed and resilient lot.
- Professor Puleng LenkaBula is the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Unisa