Universities South Africa ( USAF) is set for the first National Higher Education Conference, themed ” Reinventing South Africa’s universities for the future”. A three day conference hosted at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)’s International Convention Centre, north-east of Pretoria.
With the 4IR set to change the scope of every institution within the country and the world, it is also critical to look at how to change and as well as reinvent educational institutions.
To be competent as educational systems, USAF aims to focus on:
- a range of high priority issues such as how universities need to re-shape students for the future world of work how universities are re-positioning graduates as future creators of work
- The impact of new technologies in the labour market and implications for universities.
- The event will take a futuristic view at optimising technology in teaching and learning while also shining a spotlight on the impact of new, integrated technologies on the future of Higher Education.
- Explore the higher education curriculum for the future.
- Different perspectives will be heard on how universities could use transformative engagement to embed themselves in their local contexts while also deliberately re-shaping their institutional cultures.
- Deliberations will interrogate the state of research at South Africa’s universities and also dedicate a session to ethics and integrity in research publishing.
- At least two sessions have been allocated to explore funding as it pertains to the higher education sector, and to students, respectively. There will be a lot more to deliberate on.
Attending the event will be senior leaders of both public universities and private higher education institutions, the Council on Higher Education, the National Research Foundation, university associations, academics, administrators and senior government officials. Minister of Higher Education and Training, Science and Technology, Dr Blade Nzimande, It also includes a representative of the Association of Commonwealth Universities. A visiting professor from the University of Oslo in Norway, the Vice-Chancellor of the Nairobi-based United States International University (Africa).
