South Africa needs take a radically different path if it is going to make its economy more inclusive. It must start from the premise that markets are intrinsically skewed to historic privilege.
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Articles on Transformation
Displaying 21 - 39 of 39 articles
If researchers pose the right questions about transformation, this can lead to better answers, stronger policies and, ultimately, real change.
South Africa’s Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan spoke of protecting the economy from predators. This is commendable but not enough to build an inclusive economy.
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.
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.
Knowledge is power. If you own it, you can control those without it. Since so much knowledge about Africa doesn’t sit on the continent, it’s apparent that Africa lacks power in this regard.
Decolonising the curriculum is far more nuanced than replacing theorists and authors. Universities first need to define how they approach the development and dissemination of curricula.
Much of academic philosophy, even on the African continent, is openly and unashamedly in love with the idea of the West as destiny.
For law faculties, the transformative vision embodied in South Africa’s constitution provides a potent driver for change. So what does a transformed law faculty look like?
In future, universities will only survive if they can produce knowledge fast and innovate. This will require transformational leadership that gets everyone involved.
The debate about the quality of High Court judges after the Pistorius trials reflects a different cultural clash in South Africa – one in which incompetence is often associated with black people.
Universities need to change to become more equitable learning spaces. But what’s the best way to measure their transformation, identify gaps and emphasise successes?
When South Africa won the Rugby World Cup in 1995 the country felt invincible and united. Twenty years later it is going through a tumultuous time which is even affecting its attitude to the Springboks.
How can the higher education sector guard against proposed transformation measures being merely superficial quick fixes? At least part of the answer may lie in institutional governance.
White males still dominate South Africa’s boardrooms 17 years after legislation was passed to foster the inclusion of black executives and women. Companies have not yet embraced employment equity.
There are compelling educational reasons to employ more black academics in universities and to give them all the support they’ll need to become professors.
Universities largely fail to acknowledge the way their modes of teaching and learning are culturally, socially and politically embedded. Can this be fixed?
Protests in South Africa against a lack of services, such as water and electricity, reached unprecedented levels in 2014. Many have been accompanied by violence and destruction of property.
Top contributors
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Professor of Political Studies, University of Johannesburg
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Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Leeds Beckett University
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Professor of Religion, Psychology and Culture, Vanderbilt University
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Professor of Policy Analysis, Pardee RAND Graduate School
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Associate Professor of Climate Change, Technology and Policy, Carleton University
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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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Professor/Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria
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Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic & Student Affairs/ Dean, Teaching & Learning, Rhodes University
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Senior lecturer, Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching and Learning, 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 Public Affairs, Tshwane University of Technology
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Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Limpopo
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Senior Research Fellow, University of the Witwatersrand
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Academic Staff Development Lecturer, Centre for Higher Education Development, University of Cape Town
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Professor of Higher Education and Human Development, University of the Free State
