Tertiary Institutional Transformation Revisited

"The challenges which face South African Higher Education are both topically diverse and historically marked by the legacies of its colonial and apartheid past. Transcending these conditions in order to reach emancipatory, inclusive and developmentally apt solutions will continue to test our creative and intellectual expertise, ingenuity and judgement. This book is an important contribution in this process. Towards the end of the last century, in the immediate wake of the post-apartheid era, a cohort of concerned and exceptional South African scholars brought their minds to bear on the challenges facing higher education in the country. Their ruminations resulted in an incisive volume; Black Perspective(s) in Tertiary Institutional Transformation (1998), edited by Sipho Seepe. Almost a quarter of a century later, this same cohort, with a few additions and subtractions, have revisited the terrain with penetrating insights and revealing historical hindsight. This book, Tertiary Institutional Transformation in South Africa Revisited (2020), is the result of their trenchant endeavours. This text has therefore enormous historical significance, now and for the future. It marks indelible milestones in the thinking about higher education in South Africa and throws up diachronic and synchronic issues, by some of its prominent and best minds."--

This book presents the most comprehensive and most thorough study of the developments in South African higher education and research after the first democratic elections of 1994 – that is of post-Apartheid South African higher education. This volume will provide its readers with a detailed insight into the new (i.e. post-1994) South African higher education system. The large number of experienced authors and editors involved in the book guarantees that the reader will be introduced in the new SA higher education system from a large number of perspectives that are presented in a consistent and coherent way. This book will be of interest to scholars, students, administrators, policymakers and politicians interested in South Africa, higher education and research, and policy analysis. "Publications on higher education are not new. But this volume, which is the first of its kind as a collective effort of tracing and examining the twists and turns taken by processes of change in the South African higher education system in a context of profound societal and global transformation, adds a fresh dimension to the debate. In its examination of the extent to which the changes were in line with policy intentions, particularly with regard to equity, democratisation, responsiveness and efficiency, and how a new institutional landscape started emerging, it makes a momentous contribution to the current debate about higher education restructuring." Njabulo Ndebele, Vice-chancellor, University of Cape Town and Chair of the South African Association of University Vice-chancellors "This book addresses a rich variety of issues on South African higher education. It puts these in the relevant context of the process of globalization and it shows that the South African experiences offer us a lot to learn. Highly recommended for those who are intrigued by the innovations taking place in South African higher education as well as for those who intend to grasp the effects of globalization." Frans van Vught, Rector Magnificus and founding Director of the Center for Higher Education Policy Studies, University of Twente, The Netherlands "Reflection is a crucial ingredient to learning. In this book on higher education we have reflections on a unique period in the history of a country that managed its transition to democracy in a way that was unique, but from which we can all learn. Higher education in South Africa played a vital role in that transition and was part of the many tensions, choices and influences. They have been thoughtfully captured." Brenda Gourley, Vice-chancellor, The Open University, UK and board member, Centre for Higher Education Transformation. "No contemporary higher education system has changed as dramatically as that in South Africa. This book, rich in data, examines the changes that took place and offers insights into how change frequently cannot be predicted. The analysis captures the excitement, high expectations, remarkable successes, and failures in the transformation of the apartheid system of higher education. This excellent study provides rich fare for comparative analysis." Fred M. Hayward, American Council on Education Pilot Project, Executive Vice President, Council for Higher Education Accreditation, US.

The book is a must read for policy makers, academics, university administrators and post graduate research students in the broad field of education and in higher education studies in particular. The book brings together a wealth of information regarding the imperatives of transformation in Africa’s higher education systems. Not only do some of the chapters provide critical discussion about the conceptualisation of transformation, the majority of the chapters reflect on empirical evidence for transformation in diverse fields of mathematics, science, gender, the training of doctoral students and the governance and management of universities. This central theme of sustainable change and reform runs across the chapters of the book. For students, the book provides exemplars of practical research in higher education. For scholars in higher education and policy makers, specific issues for reform are identified and discussed.

This book outlines successful transformation strategies and efforts that have been developed to assist the South African higher education system in moving beyond its post-apartheid state of being. Through case studies authored by South African higher education scholars and scholars affiliated with South African institutions, this book aims to highlight the status of transformation in the South African higher education system; demonstrate the variety of transformation initiatives used in academic institutions across South Africa; and offer recommendations to further advance this transformation. Written for scholars and advanced students of higher education in international settings, this volume aims to support quality research that benefits the demographic composition of South African academics and students, and offers lessons that can inform higher education transformation in similarly multicultural societies.

Conversations, debates, and policies toward higher education remain in an uncritical mode of normality on issues such as inclusion, exclusion, and equity. In addition, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has starkly highlighted the fragility of the higher education system and has raised salient questions related to inclusivity and quality in all aspects. Sustaining Higher Education Through Resource Allocation, Learning Design Models, and Academic Development fills a gap in the existing literature by introducing current practices and procedures in the face of the new normal as they affect the higher education sector. The book also addresses the various issues of current interest in the higher education sector relative to teaching and learning, student support, staff development, curriculum development, educational technologies, learning design models, and resource allocation. Covering key topics such as student engagement, assessment practices, and academic development, this premier reference source is ideal for administrators, researchers, scholars, academicians, practitioners, instructors, and students.

Science diplomacy gives possibilities for international diplomacy and science policy to collaborate to more directly address social and global challenges, such as successful diplomatic engagement, international scientific coordination, and policy coherence in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, most academic scientists lack policy process training, networking opportunities with science policymakers, and the capacity to use their expertise in the field to advance policy or diplomacy. These barriers limit scientists' research impact, inhibit science-policy relations, reduce science recommendations, and restrict university engagement in national and international contexts. The origins of science diplomacy have yet to be closely examined, and its current format does not give a clear understanding of how it concretely translates into science policy actions. Global Science’s Cooperation Opportunities, Challenges, and Good Practices provides a comprehensive overview of science diplomacy and its evolution in history and analyzes the ways in which politics, science, and diplomacy intertwine. The book also provides a critical review of science diplomacy by exposing its limitations in addressing global challenges and by reflecting on the specific questions relating to the adaptation of the science diplomacy concept to the context of the Global South. Covering key topics such as climate change, foreign policy, and energy consumption, this premier reference source is ideal for policymakers, government officials, politicians, industry professionals, researchers, academicians, scholars, practitioners, instructors, and students.