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Education on the African continent focus of UFS #AfricaMonth celebrations

25 May 2022 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Dries Myburgh

Africa Month celebration on the UFS South Campus — Attending the Africa Month celebrations on the UFS South Campus were, from the left: Temba Hlasho, Executive Director: Student Affairs; Thandeka Mosholi, Head: Social Responsibility, Enterprise, and Community Engagement; Prof Colin Chasi; Ms Zola Thamae; Prof Francis Petersen; Simphiwe Dube, South Campus SRC President; Dr Cornelius Hagenmeier, Director: Office for International Affairs; Poloko Masuelele; Nombulelo Shange, Lecturer in Sociology; and Bulelwa Moikwatlhai (seated), Office for International Affairs.

Amid great fanfare, colour, and song, the South Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) kicked off Africa Month in celebration of education on the African continent.

Delivering welcoming remarks on behalf of Dr Marinkie Madiope – the South Campus Principal – was Poloko Masuelele, Assistant Director heading the Curriculum Design and Development Unit on the South Campus. “The African continent is suffering a great deal of challenges, including the scourges of malnutrition and strained delivery of basic education. How revolutionary would it be if we could simultaneously eradicate these vices by formulating policies, mechanisms, and vehicles that would enable us to feed, heal, and teach our people? It is incumbent on us as thought leaders to take the lead in this significant enterprise.”

Bringing a government prospect, was Ms Zola Thamae, the Acting Director in the Free State Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation. She stated that there is much that could be done to address challenges in Africa if the university and government take hands. She also urged students to read and educate themselves in order to change their background.

Searching for African solutions

Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, delivered the keynote address. Focusing on the theme of Africa Month, he said when it comes to educational development, there is no other continent that has faced the same trials and challenges as ours. “But in the harsh crucible of history, character, tenacity, and a sense of ubuntu were forged, translating into an exciting, fertile breeding ground for new knowledge creation, independent thought, and innovation,” he added.

He quoted Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, who said, “Africa’s story has been written by others; we need to own our problems and solutions and write our own story,” and added that over the past few decades, on many fronts and in many spheres – also in education – this is exactly what has been happening.

“We are actively searching for African solutions to African problems. The value we can offer is substantial,” he said.

Prof Petersen expressed confidence not only in Africa’s people, but also in what they are bringing to the table. “While Africa has established itself as an attractive investment destination, it is now more sought after for its people than for its physical assets. And its people have been driving exciting and encouraging developments in education.”

“In terms of Africa’s contribution to global knowledge, the world is slowly but surely acknowledging the abundant evidence of scientific innovation contributed by African scholars – not only at present, but since the earliest times.”

He also trusts that Africans have advanced considerably in decolonialising curricula. “Across our continent, African history, achievements, and discoveries have been absorbed into school curriculums, replacing a Eurocentric focus in education, and fulfilling the vision of Africans owning their own story. Most higher education institutions – the UFS included – have over the past decade or two also been engaged in a comprehensive, systematic process of decolonising our curricula – incorporating the knowledge created on our own continent in various study fields.”

Despite these encouraging milestones that education has reached in Africa, Prof Petersen is of the opinion that much remains to be done. “As custodians of higher education in Africa, and as part of the larger education sector, we have our work cut out for us,” he stated.

He believes that the unique point in time in which Africa finds itself presents an opportunity to completely reimagine the entire education landscape.

Collectively we will succeed

Also contributing some valuable input to the celebratory event, was Prof Lynette Jacobs, Associate Professor in the Department of Open and Distance Learning. She stated that one of the problems of colonial education is that it does not cultivate African self-esteem. Quoting President Julius Nyerere, she shared that “Education should not alienate students from their traditions but should rather make them appreciate themselves as Africans.”

According to her, Africans have lost the confidence to celebrate themselves in their African cultures and traditions within the formal education environment.

“Collectiveness, togetherness, dialogue, and being authentically human are what Africa brings to the world. The world has so much to learn from Africa,” she said and asked the audience, “Do you embrace who you are and are you proud to share it with the rest of the world?”

Representing the Unit for Institutional Change and Social Justice was Prof Colin Chasi. He emphasised the importance of working together to bring about positive change in Africa. “We enhance our capacity if we are working together. Collectively we will succeed; separately we will suffer a terrible fate,” he stated.

News Archive

MBA Programme - Question And Answer Sheet - 27 May 2004

2004-05-27

1. WHAT MUST THE UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE (UFS) DO TO GET FULL ACCREDITATION FOR THE MBA PROGRAMMES?

According to the Council on Higher Education’s (CHE) evaluation, the three MBA programmes of the UFS clearly and significantly contribute to students’ knowledge and skills, are relevant for the workplace, are appropriately resourced and have an appropriate internal and external programme environment. These programmes are the MBA General, the MBA in Health Care Management and the MBA in Entrepreneurship.

What the Council on Higher Education did find, was a few technical and administrative issues that need to be addressed.

This is why the three MBA programmes of the UFS received conditional accreditation – which in itself is a major achievement for the UFS’s School of Management, which was only four years old at the time of the evaluation.

The following breakdown gives one a sense of the mostly administrative nature of the conditions that have to be met before full accreditation is granted by the CHE:

a. A formal forum of stakeholders: The UFS is required to establish a more structured, inclusive process of review of its MBA programmes. This is an administrative formality already in process.

b. A work allocation model: According to the CHE this is required to regulate the workload of the teaching staff, particularly as student numbers grow, rather than via standard management processes as currently done.

c. Contractual agreements with part-time staff: The UFS is required to enter into formal agreements with part-time and contractual staff as all agreements are currently done on an informal and claim-basis. This is an administrative formality already in process.

d. A formal curriculum committee: According to the CHE, the School of Management had realised the need for a structure – other than the current Faculty Board - where all MBA lecturers can deliberate on the MBA programmes, and serve as a channel for faculty input, consultation and decision-making.

e. A system of external moderators: This need was already identified by the UFS and the system is to be implemented as early as July 2004.

f. A compulsory research component: The UFS is required to introduce a research component which will include the development of research skills for the business environment. The UFS management identified this need and has approved such a component - it is to take effect from January 2005. This is an insufficient element lacking in virtually all MBA programmes in South Africa.

g. Support programmes for learners having problems with numeracy: The UFS identified this as a need for academic support among some learners and has already developed such a programme which will be implemented from January 2005.

The majority of these conditions have been satisfied already and few remaining steps will take effect soon. It is for this reason that the UFS is confident that its three MBA programmes will soon receive full accreditation.

2. WHAT ACCREDITATION DOES THE UFS HAVE FOR ITS MBA PROGRAMME?

The UFS’s School of Management received conditional accreditation for its three MBA programmes.

Two levels of accreditation are awarded to tertiary institutions for their MBA programmes, namely full accreditation and conditional accreditation. When a programme does not comply with the minimum requirements regarding a small number of criteria, conditional accreditation is given. This can be rectified during the short or medium term.

3. IS THERE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE ACADEMIC CORE OF THE UFS’s MBA PROGRAMMES?

No. The UFS is proud of its three MBA programmes’ reputation in the market and the positive feedback it receives from graduandi and their employers.

The MBA programmes of the UFS meet most of the minimum requirements of the evaluation process.

In particular, the key element of ‘teaching and learning’, which relates to the curriculum and content of the MBA programmes, is beyond question. In other words, the core of what is being taught in our MBA programmes is sound.

4. IS THE UFS’s MBA A WORTHWHILE QUALIFICATION?

Yes. Earlier this year, the School of Management – young as it is - was rated by employers as the best smaller business school in South Africa. This was based on a survey conducted by the Professional Management Review and reported in the Sunday Times Business Times, of 25 January 2004.

The UFS is committed to maintaining these high standards of quality, not only through compliance with the requirements of the CHE, but also through implementing its own quality assurance measures.

Another way in which we benchmark the quality of our MBA programmes is through the partnerships we have formed with institutions such as the DePaul University in Chicago and Kansas State University, both in the US, as well as the Robert Schuman University in France.

For this reason the UFS appreciates and supports the work of the CHE and welcomes its specific findings regarding the three MBA programmes.

It is understandable that the MBA review has caused some nervousness – not least among current MBA students throughout the country.

However, one principle that the UFS management is committed to is this: preparing all our students for a world of challenge and change. Without any doubt the MBA programme of the UFS is a solid preparation.

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