SOUTH AFRICA: Provinces to get new universities

04 October 2009

Two of South Africa's provinces are to get new universities, Department of Higher Education and Training director-general Mary Metcalfe said recently, reports Sue Blaine for Business Day. Northern Cape and Mpumalanga are currently the only two of nine provinces that do not have public universities.

"There is no plan or time frame (but there is) political commitment," said Metcalfe. The two provinces had national institutes of higher education and the government had been working on increasing their capacity, Metcalfe said. The Northern Cape institute was established in 2003 and the Mpumalanga one in 2006, both as statutory co-ordinating bodies for higher education provision in the provinces.

Parliament's portfolio committee on higher education was to start work on exploring the idea, committee chairman Marius Fransman said. The committee would look at the practicalities, from the number of potential students and the type of programmes to be offered, to garnering a sense of what work the department had already done, he added.
Full report on the Business Day site

Receive UWN's free weekly e-newsletters

Sponsored Article

Getting to net zero, one community at a time

University of Victoria staff

Accelerating Community Energy Transformation is a University of Victoria-led collaborative initiative that brings together over 40 partners, including Indigenous knowledge keepers and community leaders, to create innovative place-based solutions for energy system transformation.

Promoted by the University of Victoria.

Sponsored Article

Africa pays a premium for global climate change sluggishness

Stellenbosch University staff

Africa needs to stop paying the price for the rest of the world’s recalcitrance to act fast enough in response to the irrefutable conclusions that climate change is real and that the impact of global warming could be devasting, says Professor Guy Midgley, interim director of the School for Climate Studies at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

Promoted by Stellenbosch University.

Sponsored Article

Innovations to ensure energy savings in a hot, arid climate

UAE University staff

Researchers from the United Arab Emirates University have shown that the potential benefits of building energy savings and a cooler indoor environment, as well as improved cooling effect on air temperature at pedestrian level, strongly indicate that a cool roof with high solar reflectance and albedo is a promising strategy for buildings in regions with hot, arid climates.

Promoted by United Arab Emirates University.

Sponsored Article

A new global university ranking with an ethical mission

Aftab Dean

A new university ranking system aims to serve as a catalyst for positive transformation in higher education, ensuring that universities create an environment grounded in integrity and sustainability that inspires and supports students and staff in the development of novel solutions to global challenges.

Promoted by Globethics.net.

Sponsored Article

SDG progress report launches university into new territory

University of Pretoria staff

In the publication of its first progress report on its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, the University of Pretoria is navigating new territory at the same time as it is acknowledging its clear stewardship role in protecting the environment and biodiversity.

Promoted by the University of Pretoria.