Engagement & Transformation Portfolio

Engagement & Transformation Portfolio The core purpose of this portfolio is to provide intellectual and strategic leadership and oversee e

The inaugural address of Prof Muthwa, April 2018, informed by extensive consultations, suggested the following guiding themes for the University's intellectual and programmatic work: social justice, poverty, inequality and unemployment; public, transformative leadership; university and higher education transformation; non-racialism, equality, human rights and democracy; university, community and society (reimagining engagement); the Mandela identity and posture (memory and legacy); renewal of the academy and curriculum; humanising pedagogy; transdisciplinarity; revitalising the humanities; and student-centrism. The inaugural ​followed the University's historic name change in 2017 to Nelson Mandela University and its commitment to re-energising its human and social projects in response to the grand challenges of our time, captured within South Africa’s National Development Plan (2012), the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. In 2019, the University embarked on an organisational redesign process for its architectures to align with its recalibrated strategic goals; and with the emerging strategic priorities of Vision 2030. Clustering existing and new programmes, units and entities, the executive portfolio of Engagement and Transformation was established in July 2019. The DVC – Engagement and Transformation was appointed in October 2020. The following programmes, units and entities are part of the engagement and transformation portfolio.

- Engagement
- Transformation
- Hubs of Convergence
- Centre for Advancement of Non-racialism and Democracy (CANRAD)
- Centre for Women and Gender Studies (CWGS)
- Chair – Critical Studies in Higher Education Transformation (CriSHET)
​- Centre for Integrated Post-School Education and Training (CIPSET)
- HIV/AIDS Research Unit
- Chair – Youth Unemployment, Employability and Empowerment
- Transdisciplinary Institute for Mandela Studies

The objectives of the portfolio are:



Advancing the praxes of an engaged, transformative university; locally responsive, nationally active, regionally alive, and globally aware. Aligning engagement and transformation with the vision and strategic priorities of the University; including oversight of the institutional transformation plan and the engagement strategy and philosophy. Articulating engagement and transformation as an institutional orientation that supports the aspiration of excellence in research as well as learning and teaching. Anchoring, conceptually and programmatically, the strategic goals of engagement and transformation within and beyond the University. Embedding engagement and transformation across the University portfolios for socio-economic impact and in the interest of the public good. Leading creative and innovative engagement and transformation projects; positioning Nelson Mandela University strategically within the national and global higher education sector. Cultivating a culture of scholarship as an intellectual resource base that buttresses the engagement and transformation approaches and programmes of the University.

01/10/2026

📚 A new book has arrived!

We’re excited to unbox In Pursuit of Epistemic Healing by Dr. Wanelisa Xaba — a thought-provoking exploration of colonial education, Indigenous ways of knowing, spirituality, and the ways Black students resist coloniality in South Africa.

Coming soon, and definitely one to add to your reading list. 👀📖

Be sure to RSVP for the official launch this Friday!
Check out
for all the details 📚

Celebrate our living heritage with us! 🇿🇦With our history and memories of food, people, clothing, patterns, and celebrat...
25/09/2026

Celebrate our living heritage with us! 🇿🇦

With our history and memories of food, people, clothing, patterns, and celebrations, we live in a place of incredibly rich cultures that are often interwoven in the most beautiful ways!

What do you think of when you think of heritage?

17/08/2026

We continue the ETP Office Art Tour Series by speaking to .spellman, who created a body of work for the TIMS Indaba last year, under the theme : From Dalibhunga to Rolihlahla: Making Trouble with Mandela

Zama touches on the inspo and process of creating the first two pieces created using oil on canvas. Reflecting on the different sides of Mandela, Nelson the Champion and Rolihlahla, the troublemaker, the pieces have a distinct difference in colour, feel and expression.

These pieces are displayed at the entrance of the Offices on Bird Street, should you wish to view them.

07/08/2026

We continue the ETP Art Tour with a look at the work of Zama Spellman, displayed at the Bird Street offices of the ETP.
The Mandela Artwork Series is comprised of a body of work created for the TIMS Indaba titled "From Dalibunga to Rolihlahla: Making Trouble with Mandela"

First up is a closer look at the two pieces in the series depicting two different images of Mandela, using oil on Canvas.

We're chatting to the artist about her work this week, so feel free to drop any specific questions in the comments below!

22/07/2026

Part 2 of the ETP Office Art Tour Series looks at the collaborative mural of the Shekere, created by staff members of the Portfolio.

Members were encouraged to make their mark on this collaborative piece of art, leaving their prints as a symbolic piece of themselves within the work of the Portfolio.

The mural is displayed on the ground floor corridor of the Felsted Building on Bird Street Campus.

29/06/2026

The Shekere - a traditional African percussion instrument made from a hollow gourd and woven beads. One rhythm, one sound.

This particular shekere was handcrafted as part of the university's Institutional Culture Signature Program - the Mandela in Us. Through its beads, strings, and sound, it tells a story of collaboration, creativity, and collective purpose.
It thus reflects the work of ETP, bringing together diverse communities, and different forms of knowledge in our quest towards transformation.

Transformation is not achieved by one person or one voice. It is an ongoing process created through participation, relationships, inclusivity, shared meaning and a deep commitment to people, education and social justice.

Each bead is unique, and every string plays a role.

This post is beyond what's said on paper. Anti-homosexuality laws don't just ban acts - they erase lives, love and the r...
26/06/2026

This post is beyond what's said on paper.

Anti-homosexuality laws don't just ban acts - they erase lives, love and the right to form and build kinship and community. They can serve to restrict access to work, healthcare, and even housing - a great infringement on the human right to dignity.

LGBTQIA+ individuals are not pleading for special rights but asking to exist as humans, to love and to belong, without fear.

This international pride month we hope to shed light on this plight and advocate for change globally.

Excited to introduce our ETP Office Art Tour Series!Join us over the next few months as we talk about the art in our spa...
03/06/2026

Excited to introduce our ETP Office Art Tour Series!

Join us over the next few months as we talk about the art in our spaces and how they represent the people and the work of the Engagement and Transformation Portfolio.

Part 1 of the series introduces the ETP Artefect which emerged as part of the university's Institutional Culture Project.

Keep an eye out for our upcoming video on the Shekere, and how it symbolises who we are and what we stand for as a Portfolio.

As we close out May, let's reflect on the significance of Workers' Day. Students are the future workforce, and exercisin...
30/05/2026

As we close out May, let's reflect on the significance of Workers' Day. Students are the future workforce, and exercising your right to vote is an important way to have a say in our government. This month we specifically highlight sinking employment rates and labour policies that affect them. Let's focus on fairness, equity, and sustainable futures for all.

Visit the link in our last slide to register to vote today. Your voice matters!

Equality assumes everyone starts from the same place. Equity recognises that this is often not the case.Histories of col...
29/05/2026

Equality assumes everyone starts from the same place. Equity recognises that this is often not the case.

Histories of colonialism, apartheid, economic exclusion, and unequal access to resources continue to shape people’s lived realities today. Equity asks us to think beyond sameness and towards fairness, support, and justice.

In workplaces, institutions, and society, true transformation requires more than equal treatment — it requires acknowledging historical and structural inequalities, and responding to them meaningfully.

With May being Worker’s Month, we reflect on what it means to create spaces where dignity, opportunity, and access are not determined by privilege or circumstance.

QOTD: Can a workplace or institution be “equal” but still inequitable? Why?

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