One of the biggest challenges facing South African higher education is that the concept of higher education is currently in a transition period, as households and families have critical value-based discussions regarding the decision of learners to further their education.
“This goes far beyond funding and access to higher education, which are often regarded as the main barriers when making this decision,” says Mohamed Goga, MD of MANCOSA. “Once households and families move beyond the funding issue, the next part of the value-based discussion becomes: are universities adequately preparing graduates to become successful in a VUCA world?”
Defining VUCA and its drivers
VUCA is an acronym comprising the word’s volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. It is a term that clearly defines the nature of the world we currently live in and provides insights into the virtues that successful people need to have to survive and thrive in this environment.
“The VUCA world has been marked by global events such as the millennium bug, the rise of social media, the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, and the Covid-19 pandemic. These events proved to be significant disruptors and created periods of uncertainty that some people found hard to navigate. If these events are going to occur more frequently, it is up to educators at higher education institutions to prepare students for this and provide them with the means to address this successfully,” says Goga.
An opinion piece on News 24 – written by Emmanuel Ojo, the Deputy Head of School at the Wits School of Education – points out that higher education institutions must answer critical questions before redefining their value proposition.
Current Education System
The News24 article asks if the current education system in South African universities is sufficiently flexible, adaptable, and innovative to prepare students for the unpredictable and rapidly changing VUCA world. Further, do the learners nurtured within our primary and secondary schooling system (in conformity with the prerequisites outlined in the National Curriculum Statement from Grades R-12) possess the acumen and adaptability necessary to flourish and triumph within South African higher education institutions?
“This is a complex problem that higher education institutions need to address fully. We can see that certain learners possess the acumen and adaptability necessary to flourish and triumph within the South African landscape. However, the majority of learners do not possess these skills. Higher education institutions need to appreciate that education does not exist in a void and that certain students need additional support to complete their qualifications within the allotted time,” says Goga.
Realising this is an issue, MANCOSA has run several programmes that offer significant support to students to help them attain their qualifications and successfully find a job in a country facing an Unemployment Crisis.
Technology Integration
The next issue that needs to be tackled is how effectively higher education institutions integrate technology into their teaching and research methods. This holds particular significance when considering the accelerated pace of digital transformation spurred by the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is another important point made by Ojo and will prove to be an important differentiator in the future value proposition of higher education. For students to succeed in their future careers, they need to possess transferable skills such as time management, priority management, and the ability to collaborate with people they have never interacted with to achieve a specific outcome,” says Goga.
He adds that this was highlighted during the pandemic when students who were familiar with the distance education model and asynchronous learning coped better than students who were forced to adapt to the model in a matter of weeks. “This is why MANCOSA prioritises technology integration across all of its programmes,” says Goga.
Curriculum Development
The News24 article asks how South African higher education providers are evolving their curriculums to equip students with skills for the future. These include skills such as critical thinking, creativity, resilience, adaptability, digital literacy, and leadership, which will be essential components in a VUCA world.
Each Industrial Revolution has been characterised by significant technological advancements, which ultimately automated many jobs and created new ones. “Like other periods in history, we have to appreciate that the future job market will look significantly different to what it currently looks like. Skills such as coding, digital marketing and generative artificial intelligence (AI) management will be in very high demand in the future world of work. In line with this, MANCOSA is the first institution in South Africa to offer a Postgraduate Diploma in Artificial Intelligence. Other courses proving popular include digital marketing and social media management,” says Goga.
Global Collaboration
The News24 article asks to what extent South African higher education institutions harness the potential of international partnerships and collaborations to cultivate a mosaic of diverse perspectives, enhance the learning journey, and equip students for the rigours of global competition
“This is an excellent point and is why MANCOSA is proud to be a part of Honoris United Universities. Belonging to a Pan-African group of universities and other higher education institutions broadens our thinking and allows us to approach a problem differently. There is more than one way to solve a problem, which is where the value of global collaborative intelligence and impact truly lies,” says Goga.
Inaction causes frustration
The challenges facing higher education institutions are not new issues. A significant reason for student frustration regarding higher education is that they feel institutions were aware of these problems in the past yet failed to act on them.
“The challenges facing the South African higher education landscape will not be resolved overnight. However, we agree that inaction causes frustration, and higher education institutions need to take steps to address this. We cannot kick this can down the road any longer,” says Goga.
