Page 77 - Transformation Indaba Report

Closure

In closing the two-day Indaba, Prof Keet offered some insight through as ‘transformative’ in how the university is trying to
and ideas for the anticipated journey ahead. image itself. Prof Keet felt the knowledge research project
should receive more thought, given its centrality within the
He found the energy, commitment, and thought processes university space.
that went into the Indaba remarkable and enjoyed the fusion
of conceptual ideas with programmatic work. He acknowled- Prof Keet echoed Prof Soudien’s concerns around the iconisa-
ged the worries expressed by many around implementation tion of Mandela. In response to contributions made through-
and particularly measurement, which seems to be key within out the Indaba, he asked that we avoid becoming overly
the transformation study space. He suggested transformation paralysed by a burden too heavy to bear and suggested we
practitioners devote serious attention to the qualitative dimen- rather use the social figure of Mandela as a ‘horizon’ against
sion of transformation measurement. He furthermore shared which we work and to use it with excitement and commitment.
that Prof Soudien had agreed to assist practitioners with the
thinking around the particular image of the transformative Before concluding, Prof Keet shared some exciting develop-
university, as well as how to evaluate the achievement of ments. A Transformation and Engagement Committee is
milestones in the transformation journey. being established. In addition, we’ll also have a Transdiscipli-
narity and Internationalisation Committee. Establishing these
On the question of V2030, Prof Keet commended Prof Nel committees strongly indicates re-organisation for better align-
for her presentation, which provided perfect guidance and all ment to V2030 and our transformation trajectory. A Transfor-
the contributions made by the six Indaba breakaway groups. mation Forum, as a Community of Practice within our univer-
These contributions made it possible to conclude the Indaba sity, will process all the wonderful ideas and work Mandela
with a framework of thematics for the institution’s new ITP. In University colleagues have been doing. Lastly, Prof Keet
terms of process, Prof Keet indicated the new ITP would, in mentioned that an Online Resource for Higher Education
all probability, serve before Council at the September 2022 Transformation would be launched early-2023. The project
meeting. He went on to caution us not to fall prey to the trans- comprises three components - 1) archive on transformation
formation matrix we critique but instead find ways around work, 2) CoP interactive platforms, and 3) training and
the obsession with compliance, to get the transformation development. Resources from around the globe will be pulled
work done. together for the High Education space.

Prof Keet asked that we give thought to the support for the In thanking all for participating and contributing to a success-
various intellectual and programmatic interventions. An ful Indaba, Prof Keet mentioned the external guest speakers
example of how our intellectual research signals deep trans- Sianne, Claire, and George, his esteemed colleague Prof Crain
formative possibilities for the university is some of the work Soudien, the Mandela University’s Vice Chancellor and exe-
being done by numerous entities. If we think back to the cutive colleagues, and Dr Levendal and her team.
Engagement Colloquium, we see how the institution comes

emerging themes from the indAbA

1. The role of the university: Nelson Mandela University’s purpose and role in society
2. The Mandela identity: an “action”, a transformation aspiration, and a sustainability aspiration
3. Transformation at Mandela University: conceptual framework; plan; institutional architecture; implementation; accountability/
reporting; M&E
4. A transformative institutional culture
5. The academic project: epistemic access, renewal and success
6. The multi-pronged long-term sustainability of the Nelson Mandela University: resources, NSFAS, ICT, infrastructure, digital
transformation, environment,

NelsoN MaNdela UNiversity • traNsforMatioN iNdaba • 2022 71