Real role of universities
Beyond research, they need to produce responsible, accountable, relevant, ethical graduates
GONE ARE the days when universities were viewed as ivory towers and out of reach and reserved for the elite.
Now the role of universities is to move beyond the traditional research but to also cultivate a democratically-minded citizenry, in constant engagement with society on both developmental needs and challenges.
Universities should produce Rare graduates: R-A-R-E being an acronym that stands for: responsible, accountable, relevant and ethical graduates, who will stand out, make a difference and impact society positively.
At the core of these obligations, you will find the spirit of social justice and gender equity, something I feel passionate about. At a time when the term “social justice” is regarded as a buzzword and part of a university’s strategy, it should be an operative word at all universities.
Universities should be proactive in setting an agenda for a social cause, rather than being reactionary to the agenda set by our social ills.
For me, social justice is about providing access to quality education, as embedded in our Constitution; and through the university’s core teaching and learning provision, training and community involvement, all members of the university and its community, to recommit tirelessly to ensure that “no one is left behind”.
As our fallen heroine, Dr Charlotte Maxeke, preached,a strong sense of community is central to building and maintaining a cohesive society.
At the heart of its social justice commitment lies the quest to collaborate and engage. If, after all, there is one thing universities understand, it is the importance of collaboration.
More importantly, we need to create a safe environment for our young girls. Following recent episodes of femicide and gender abuse, safety should be a priority.
When it comes to dealing with challenges, I believe we need problems and crisis to know if we are headed in the right direction or not, since these challenges create opportunity. And I believe we are at the tipping point of a breakthrough in the education system in the history of our country.
Our education system needs a holistic, inclusive approach that incorporates the technical and practical learners who would feed into the scarce-skill pool the country lacks and needs – and not only put emphasis on academic learners.
We can’t all be academic scholars; otherwise, we’d be stuck with theory, with no practical implementation. It’s time that we communally dig deep into the reservoirs of our being, with a sense of newfound confidence to enable us to resolve that which we otherwise think of as being impossible.
I believe universities should strengthen partnerships with the private sector to provide impetus in funding, research partnerships and also affording our students opportunities to gain experience for the job market.
Just like the Swiss model, which places emphasis “on the job training”, in South Africa we have the Yes (Youth Employment Service) programme, which promises to deliver on this.
In light of this, a university should find new ways of collaborating with communities by directly impacting lives; by sharing knowledge and expertise; by engaging in innovative problem-solving and by working together on projects and initiatives that have practical applications within the community, creating jobs.
These four pillars represent a myriad activities and initiatives aimed at driving change – academically, economically or socially.
This ranges from bringing the internet to rural areas to enable bright youngsters to apply for their studies online, to accommodating students in extended degree programmes to facilitate the acquisition of Stem skills.
This includes fostering entrepreneurship as a career option to enable students to transform to business plan creators. It includes teaching them to be critical thinkers, empowering them to test the boundaries of their knowledge. In terms of research, this ranges from state-of-the-art facilities and resources to ground-breaking discoveries that change the world.
In a society where traces of human kindness seem to be eroding, we need hope to keep our faith alive. Hope for our communities! Hope for our society! Hope for our country!
Hope for a better future, in which the sons and daughters of the continent can proudly take their places as leaders in progress, innovation and sustainability and, ultimately champion humanity, through knowledge and impact. The looming fourth industrial revolution makes it clear that universities have an important role to play, in safeguarding the future, for not only the current generation but for generations to follow.
We are at the tipping point of a breakthrough in our education system