2017 promises to be another tough year as South African universities head into the uncertain terrain of further addressing and healing the divisions that have been exposed.
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Articles on South African universities
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There are a few questions that can be posed and unpacked if universities are to move towards genuine decolonisation.
More than two decades after apartheid ended, South African universities still tend to offer a view of the country and continent that is rooted in colonial and apartheid thinking.
South Africa must address the root factors contributing to nationwide protests in the higher education sector or face dire consequences
If researchers pose the right questions about transformation, this can lead to better answers, stronger policies and, ultimately, real change.
Social justice is not just a phrase for protesting students. Instead it is something that defines them.
Demands being made by protesting students in South Africa purport to support the poor. But the most marginalised young people in the country will not benefit from free higher education.
There has been a great deal of research, planning and talking to come up with solutions to South Africa’s higher education funding crisis. Some of these plans must now be put into action.
Student protesters have demonstrated good leadership in some spheres but come up short in other areas. This suggests that universities ought to focus more on how they teach leadership.
Peacekeeping is not easy. But for South Africa’s universities to begin working towards solutions, it is crucial that their communities give peace a chance.
Many young academics and those who might be considering an academic career will be horrified by what’s unfolding at South Africa’s institution. Will bright minds be lost?
When students are genuinely listened to and understood, and their proposed solutions to problems are taken seriously, real change can happen in university faculties.
When several South African universities merged, it was hoped this would improve access and equality. It had the opposite effect.
There are several different ways to approach democracy. Polls, elections and referenda all feature, but they’re not the only way to deepen democracy.
Economic models suggest that South Africa’s GDP would fall, inequality would deepen and unemployment would rise if university graduates don’t enter the labour market in 2017.
A “buy now, pay later” model is well suited to financing higher education. Commercial bank loans are not viable. Government-backed loans with income-contingent repayment are the fair solution.
Clashes between student protesters and armed security (whether public or private) compel South Africans to consider the role of use of force in the context of protests.
There is a very real risk that South Africa’s major research projects will stumble and the whole research machine will be shut down by ongoing student protests.
Protest movements become radicalised by two factors: escalating policing and competitive escalation between political adversaries and other protesting groups.
Universities are so busy trying to make ends meet that there’s no time to listen to their communities’ stories. It’s crucial to develop safe spaces where tough conversations can happen.
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Top contributors
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Professor, University of Cape Town
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Director of Centre for Postgraduate Studies, Rhodes University & Visiting Research Professor in Center for International Higher Education, Boston College, Rhodes University
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Research Associate in Higher Education Policy and Planning, Ali Mazrui Centre for Higher Education Studies, University of Johannesburg
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Senior Research Fellow, Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study, University of Johannesburg
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Previous Vice President of the Academy of Science of South Africa and DSI-NRF SARChI chair in Fungal Genomics, Professor in Genetics, University of Pretoria, University of Pretoria
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Academic Staff Development Lecturer, Centre for Higher Education Development, University of Cape Town
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Professor of Political Studies, Rhodes University
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Professor of Higher Education, University of KwaZulu-Natal
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Chief Director: Tshwane University of Technology – Institute for Economic Research on Innovation; Node Head: DST/NRF SciSTIP CoE; and Professor Extraordinary: Stellenbosch University – Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology., Tshwane University of Technology
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Professor and Head of Department of Political and Conflict Studies, Nelson Mandela University
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Professor/Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria
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Associate Professor of Computer Science, Rhodes University
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Associate Professor of Higher Education Studies. Head of Department of the Centre for Higher Education, Research, Teaching and Learning, Rhodes University
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Professor of International Affairs and the Associate Vice-President (Teaching and Learning), Carleton University
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Professor, Department of Economics, Stellenbosch University
