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The Kovsie Phahamisa Academy (KPHA) at the University of the Free State (UFS), in collaboration with Stellenbosch University (SU) and North-West University (NWU) recently hosted the 2025 Short Learning Programme (SLP) Intervarsity Colloquium on the UFS’s Bloemfontein Campus.

The two-day event, which took place from 3 to 4 September 2025, brought together administrators and academics from several institutions across the country to share insights on their experience of working on SLPs.

Prof Hester C. Klopper, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS, addressed attendees, touching on the strategic importance of SLPs in higher education. “SLPs are now far more than just another revenue opportunity, but in essence what we see unfolding around the world is that they are a fundamental expression of universities to be 21st-century institutions, and that implies that we are responsive, accessible, and that we are deeply connected to those we serve,” Prof Klopper said.

She also encouraged attendees to think of immediate challenges and solutions, and to consider how SLPs can contribute to the kind of sustainable development South Africa needs.

Two learning-filled days

Each of the colloquium’s two days was assigned a specific theme, with the first day focused on ‘Academic quality, operational compliance, and micro-credentials through a keynote address as well as presentations and panel discussions’.

Attendees heard from Dr James Keevy, CEO of Jet Education Services, who served as the first keynote speaker. His address, titled ‘Navigating the future: The promises and pitfalls of micro-credentials’, touched on several sub-topics. He provided a brief overview of micro-credentials as a concept, highlighting that, “Though it can be argued that short learning programmes are a form of micro-credentials, micro-credentials have existed in the employment space for many years – long before we talked about SLPs.”

Dr Keevy also shared his thoughts on the process of building micro-credentials into the National Qualification Frameworks (NQF). “I really think bringing micro-credentials into the NQF is a good first step, but actually there is much more that needs to be done. The NQF itself needs to transform; the NQF itself needs to become a credential platform and not a qualifications platform.”

The second day of the colloquium, themed ‘Quality, councils, and skills development’, also brought together several speakers, including Mustak Ally, Head of Skills Development and Human Resources at the Minerals Council of South Africa, who served as the day’s keynote speaker. Ally’s address focused on the Quality Council for Trades and Operations (QCTO) and Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) in the higher education landscape.

Think tank: Challenges and solutions

The last item on the programme was a think tank, facilitated by Adv Shirly Hyland, Director of the KPHA. The session was aimed at helping attendees reflect on the discussions that took place over the course of the two days, and to share some of the challenges they experience within the SLP space in their respective environments.

Moving towards the standardisation of quality management in South Africa, as well as aligning portability and articulation both locally and globally, were some of the challenges highlighted.

The session concluded with the establishment of task teams that will consider three themes which encompass some of the challenges faced by professionals in the SLP environment in higher education. These themes include the standardisation of quality assurance processes, unification of the post-school sector, and the scope of continued education given its consistent changes.