Having been at UMP since the early days of the University, what are your key highlights as the founding Vice-Chancellor ten years on? To begin with, it has been very rewarding to observe the student numbers growing from 169 in 2014 to 10 191 in 2024. Our academic programmes have increased from 3 in 2014 to 72 in 2014, ranging from Higher Certificates to Doctoral Degrees. We have produced 6 000 graduates, with 223 awarded cum laude. The percentage of academic staff with doctoral degrees has increased from 5% in 2014 to 55% in 2024. The number of NRF-rated researchers has increased from 1 in 2014 to 15 in 2024. We have constructed iconic buildings and state-of-the-art facilities, including the 4-star Tfokomala Hotel and Conference and Wellness Centre.
From an institutional point of view, what unique attributes would you like your graduates to possess?
We seek to produce graduates who are:
- Resourceful, responsive and responsible
- Critical thinkers and knowledgeable
- Innovative and entrepreneurial
- Effective communicators
- Ethically and socially aware change agents
- Adaptable
What strategies are in place to ensure strong relationships between staff and students?
Our values of Excellence, Integrity, Collaboration, Diversity, Adaptability, Relevance and Inspiration are the guardrails that ensure that a sense of pride and belonging is engendered among staff and students so that we collectively understand what we are all about and what UMP expects from all of us.
What new initiatives have you implemented to improve the performance of the institution?
UMP has introduced performance management in the form of the Promotion, Development and Reward of Excellence (PDRE) system. While rewarding excellence, this system is also developmental in approach. The integration of values-adherence assessment in the PDRE has enhanced its effectiveness.
How would you describe the inclusivity and diversity on campus?
Diversity is one of our key values. We are open to different views, perspectives and opinions; we embrace social justice and inclusion, and we ensure exposure to different experiences and cultures. Diversity is embraced and celebrated as a value.
Under your leadership, what are the initiatives that your institution has taken to advance transformation?
I have supported initiatives such as the HERS SA Academy, where we have been sending between two and four women to participate in their women empowerment programme. I have participated in this programme as a speaker, motivating women to aspire to the highest levels of higher education. We have participated in some Department of Higher Education and Training transformation initiatives such as the New Generation of Academics Programme (nGAP) and Future Professors Programme. One of the initiatives we introduced at UMP in 2021 is the Academic Talent Stewardship Programme. Talented students interested in pursuing an academic career are recruited after completing the Honours programme. They are appointed as Academic Talent Stewardship Programme (ATSP) Fellows and Associate Lecturers for three years. At the end of the three years, we expect them to have completed their Masters degrees and be working towards their Doctoral degrees. They get confirmed after three years and are appointed permanently as Lecturers. We have appointed 15 ATSP Fellows, and 4 of them have recently been confirmed as Lecturers.
How important are strategic partnerships for UMP, and what value do they have to UMP
Strategic partnerships are essential to advancing the University’s core missions in teaching and learning, research innovation and engagement. In teaching and learning, partnerships contribute to curriculum development, co-teaching, external examiners and guest seminars. In research and innovation, partnerships contribute to joint research projects, co-supervision and joint publications. These collaborative relationships contribute to research productivity, quality and impact. Our postgraduate students in Agriculture have had the opportunity to present conference papers at an international conference organised by the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest, Romania. Our students have participated in entrepreneurship competitions through our partnership with universities in Asia. In 2022, the UMP Team won the Best Pitch Award at the Entrepreneurship Summit at the Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation in Kuala Lumpur. In May 2024, the UMP Team won the Vertical on Health and Wellness at the University Incubator Consortium Ideathon 2024 in Puerto Princesa in the Philippines.
What is your approach to problem-solving?
My approach is informed by the perspective that no leader can solve all the problems. Therefore, teamwork is vital in problem-solving. I understand the importance of the ability to ask the right questions. Bolstered by my training as a Clinical Psychologist, I have learnt to listen with both ears to what is said and to what is not said. Paying attention to non-verbal communication and listening with empathy is essential. Problem-solving requires listening to both sides of the story before taking action. It is crucial to exercise urgency, impartiality and agency when problem-solving.
In several of your speeches, you continuously reference ’luhambo lwemhlahlandlela. How did the idea of ’luhambo lwemhlahlandlela come about, and what does it mean in your academic leadership journey?
The idea of “luhambo lwemhlahlandlela” means the “Pioneering Journey”. As the Founding Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mpumalanga, I was mindful of the historic responsibility placed on us as the pioneering staff of the University and that we were shaping the future of UMP. During my inauguration on May 30, 2015, I made the following statement:
“Pioneers have to build a firm foundation, mindful that what they are creating should be durable, marketable, sustainable and enduring. Generations yet unborn must find a thriving University, one they will be proud to join, because we who pioneered it laid a firm foundation, and got into this immense project with body, mind and soul”. I was, therefore, acutely aware of the enormous responsibility and privilege of being a pioneer leader at the newly established University. The enormity of the task did not escape me, and my commitment to the pioneering role has been unwavering.