News & Media

Unisa Vice Chancellor to be amongst the key speakers at high-powered 2nd Higher Education Conference: 2021

Approved for Public Release
Date: Tuesday, 05 October 2021

The Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of South Africa (Unisa), Professor Puleng LenkaBula will be one of the speakers at the 2nd Higher Education Conference that will run from Wednesday, 6 to Friday, 8 October 2021. The online conference will be livestreamed from the Future Africa Conference Centre, University of Pretoria; under the theme: The Engaged University.   

Professor LenkaBula, in her capacity as Chairperson of the Transformation Strategy Group will address a session of this group on Wednesday, 06 October 2021 at 15:55 on the sub-theme The Engaged University and Transformation. The key focus of deliberations in this group will be on its 2021 priorities, which include:

  • The reconstruction of institutional culture by focusing on the design of universities around students and staff, with emphasis on residences and the curriculum
  • Establishing a national project to theorise and to build models of universities that are seriously engaged in the local context in which they find themselves
  • Addressing inequalities highlighted by Covid-19   

The 2nd Higher Education Conference is a high-powered event hosted by Universities South Africa (USAf) in partnership with the Council on Higher Education (CHE); and is set to interrogate the university of the past and the present (and in this context explore the impact of Covid-19 on the sector) to craft sustainable institutions of the future.  The conference theme aims to -       

  • enable rigorous academic debate and deliberation on pertinent higher education issues informed by the work of USAf’s strategic structures and programmes;
  • encourage and support solution-building among key stakeholders through facilitated dialogue and enquiry;
  • provide an opportunity for information-sharing and networking across a broad spectrum within the higher education sector and with stakeholders; and
  • identify a set of goals and concrete actions towards the advancement and achievement of The Engaged University.

Amongst the stakeholders and participants attending and speaking at the three- day conference will be the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Mr Buti Manamela, the Chairperson of USAf, Professor Sibongile Muthwa, the Chief Executive of USAf, Professor Ahmed Bawa, Vice Chancellors and other senior executives from South African universities; as well as leaders from business, political, student and government structures.

Members of the media interested in attending or covering the conference are requested to get in touch with Ms Mateboho Green from USAf on (012) 030 0653 / 072 807 4677 / mateboho@usaf.ac.za to make the necessary arrangements.

For enquiries and interview request for Professor LenkaBula, please contact Unisa Senior Media Officers Tommy Huma on 072 218 6197 / 012 429 3981 / humatm@unisa.ac.za OR Edgar Rathelele on 063 731 5456 / 012 429 3981 / ratheme@unisa.ac.za

Last modified: 2023/07/30