Vice-chancellor moves to strengthen research at MUT

We want to be research-informed, not research-led like other institutions. We want the institution’s academic identity strengthened

Enoch Malaza, left Vice-chancellor of the Mangosuthu University of Technology

● One of the major challenges facing the Mangosuthu University of Technology in Durban is poor research output.

The institution’s vice-chancellor, Enoch Malaza, who took the helm in May, admitted that indicators in the higher education sector showed that the institution’s research production was “very much at the bottom”.

But he is confident the recent appointment of three professors in the faculties of engineering, management sciences and natural sciences will enhance the development of research.

MUT, as it is widely known, has 12,096 students and a staff complement of 615, including 47 who have doctorates. It has 17 professors, three associate professors and eight assistant professors.

Malaza said MUT focused on four areas of research: environmental and green technologies, human settlements, food technology and marine studies. “We want to be research-informed, not research-led like other institutions. We want MUT’s academic identity strengthened.”

Another challenge was attracting qualified South African academics to take up head of department posts. “We have a sizeable number of vacancies. It’s a huge problem.”

MUT’s student “success” rate in academic offerings and programmes, which is about 83%, is very impressive. It excels as an undergraduate teaching institution.

The vision statement and strategy for 2020-2025 that was presented at a meeting of the university’s council last month talks of a “transformed, equitable, sustainable and academically excellent university of technology anchored in its communities”.

The institution is planning to “shape and own the future” through advancing knowledge among its communities and putting people first as the university’s “major asset”.

MUT has been mired in controversy since the release of a forensic report which found that former vice-chancellor Ratale Kgaphola hired bodyguards at a cost of R4.6m over six years, without a contract.

Higher education minister Naledi Pandor hired former Unisa vice-chancellor Professor Barney Pityana as an assessor to conduct a probe into governance at MUT.

Pityana began conducting his audit at the time of Malaza’s appointment. “We have seen that process through and we are still waiting for the report from the ministry.”

One of Malaza’s initiatives to improve governance at MUT was “reconstituting” the executive management committee, which had only two deputy vice-chancellors when he took up his position.

Now a broad-based executive committee — which includes the deans of the three faculties as well as executive support directors — is in place.

“It’s much more diverse in terms of expertise,” Malaza said.

He was also encouraged by the younger age of members of the newly elected students’ representative council, who are predominantly members of the EFF.

“These are not students who have been too long in the system and we are encouraged by that. We see it as an opportunity to develop leadership skills among them. There’s a sense of reaching out from them as well.”