the installation of Deputy President, Pumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka as Chancellor of
Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Tshwane
2 November 2007
Deputy President, Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
Vice Chancellor and Principal, Professor Errol Tyobeka
Chair of TUT Council, Mr Vusi Matlhare
Excellencies here this evening
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen:
Deputy President, it is a great honour to be asked to say a few words on the
occasion of your installation as Chancellor of Tshwane University of
Technology.
Higher education in South Africa is currently in a period of consolidating a
range of new initiatives. These include the mergers of higher education
institutions, the embedding of quality assurance processes into the system, the
planning of student enrolments for higher education in order to ensure that the
quality and number of our graduates in our country can be improved.
We called for consolidation in the budget speech in May 2004 and at the
important Council on Higher Education colloquium held in November 2004. The
system needed time to implement all the existing positive policies in the
sector, so that the opportunities for transformation and development could take
root in higher education.
Looking back on this period that began with democracy in 1994, it is clear
that higher education has much to be proud of.
The increase in the number of students has been positive - for all racial
groups and for both men and women.
The student participation rate has increased from 10% in 1995 to 16%
today.
Our national plan set targets for student enrolments in science, technology
and engineering to increase, and we have shifted significantly towards reaching
the targets that you have spoken of so often.
We are producing many more graduates today than we did in 1995, as the South
African Qualification Auhtority's (SAQA) national learners record database
shows so clearly.
There has also been an increase in postgraduate enrolment, though not as
many postgraduates complete as we would like.
And we have over 50 000 foreign students in our universities, making an
important contribution to cultural diversity and institutional
transformation.
Universities of technology play a special role in our education sector. They
train science, engineering and technology graduates and diplomates. Over the
past two years we have made additional funds available to the traditional
universities to increase the number of trained engineers. Other efficiency and
restructuring funds have been made available to universities of technology to
participate in this drive for more and better technology-savvy graduates.
This university has a target of increasing its science and technology majors
from 36% to 40% of its graduation ratio. We look forward to your reaching this
target well before 2010.
In this period of consolidation higher education institutions have committed
themselves to making inroads into the skills shortages that the Accelerated and
Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA)/Joint Initiative for
Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA) initiative has identified â the areas of
engineering, management and planning, and teachers.
Universities have made this social-engagement commitment within the concept
of the developmental state. Universities have acknowledged that the pursuit of
knowledge can be tailored to solving pressing needs in social and economic
development.
No one in our country knows more about the skills challenges that we face as
a nation than the Deputy President, champion as she is of the AsgiSA and JIPSA
initiatives.
Tshwane University of Technology has selected its new Chancellor with great
prescience.
However, the selection of the Deputy President as your Chancellor does not
mean that you can now sit back and watch the institution benefit from her
political power and personal presence. In fact, I believe it is quite the
opposite - the Deputy President is a hard-worker and will expect you to follow
suit.
Chancellor, your leadership will be valuable asset to the Tshwane University
of Technology.
All universities need good leaders, and good women leaders in particular,
which we sorely lack in higher education.
I believe that as Chancellor of TUT you will assist the institution realize
its quest to promote science and technology successfully.
I am extremely pleased and honoured to welcome you as a further colleague in
education.
I could not have thought of a more suitable candidate to follow in the
footsteps of our late, Mama Adelaide Tambo.
I have no doubt that your tenure here will entrench a spirit of excellence
in the TUT community â in the staff, students, and management alike.
There is one caveat, Chancellor, I need to raise with you.
I have to tell you that the university record in retaining leaders is not
good. In fact, university leaders survive in harness for even shorter periods
than ministers.
One study shows that since 1994 there has been a turnover of 64 Vice
Chancellors in South Africa, with an average term of 3,7 years.
The turnover of Chancellors fortunately is not as high. We know from past
experience that Chancellors are blessed with a greater longevity. But it just
goes to show, that in terms of leadership, Chancellors have a special role to
play in supporting their Vice Chancellors and Councils.
In closing, let me say, Chancellor, that I hope that your presence in the
sector will inspire us and provide us with renewed strength and enthusiasm to
keep that critical thing you refer to so often, the âskills revolutionâ
turning. I congratulate you warmly, and thank you for having given us the
opportunity to share this wonderful moment with you today.
Issued by: Department of Education
2 November 2007
Source: Department of Education (http://www.education.gov.za)
