Higher Education Reform Experts - South Africa

09/12/2024

EMPOWERING ENTREPRENEURS: THENSA JOINS FORCES WITH 7 UNIVERSITIES TO LAUNCH GROUNDBREAKING ENTREPRENEURSHIP VENTURE BUILDER

We are thrilled to join forces with the Cape Peninsula University of Technology to launch the Entrepreneurship Venture Builder (EVB), a pioneering initiative aimed at fostering a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in Southern Africa. The other founding members include the Durban University of Technology, University of Venda, Tshwane University of Technology, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Central University of Technology and Walter Sisulu University.

The EVB is committed to empowering entrepreneurs from Universities of Technology, Historically Disadvantaged Universities and marginalised communities and will provide a comprehensive support system to guide participants in transforming innovative business ideas into successful businesses.

At a recent gathering of the founding members, Prof Michael Twum-Darko, the EVB Manager, said “We are dedicated to breaking down barriers and creating pathways for entrepreneurs to flourish in the African market.”

Key Features of the EVB include:

Mentor-in-Residence Program: Expert mentorship from university staff specialising in technology transfer, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Incubation and Acceleration: Support to navigate the journey from Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to commercialisation.
Focus on Inclusion: Dedicated to empowering student entrepreneurs and individuals from historically marginalised communities.
Regional Impact: Initially hosted at CPUT’s ‘Business Innovation and Incubation Centre’, the EVB will expand to a decentralised model across multiple universities.

The EVB is funded by the Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) fund, a UK International Development initiative. This project marks a significant step towards strengthening campus or community-based innovation and research-to-commercialisation systems across South Africa.

26/11/2024

THENSA Launches Ground-breaking Project to Boost Entrepreneurship in Southern African Universities.
THENSA is proud to announce the launch of a pioneering initiative to foster entrepreneurial universities across the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Funded by the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) program, UNIICo-create aims to tackle the pressing challenges of low job creation, limited start-up success, and graduate unemployment in the SADC. Recognising the pivotal role of entrepreneurship in driving economic growth, the project seeks to equip universities with the necessary tools, resources, and partnerships to cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets among students and staff.
UNIICo-create builds upon the foundation laid by HERE-Africa, a network born from the THENSA's previous Erasmus+ CBHE funded project, Higher Education Reform Experts South Africa. This network, hosted by THENSA, comprises universities, Ministries of Education, and the SADC Secretariat, with support from EU partners and OBREAL and is dedicated to transforming higher education in the region.
The project's key objectives are:
• Co-creation of Curricula - Train academic leaders to collaborate with industry and societal partners in developing curricula that promote entrepreneurship and innovation.
• Establishment of Co-creation Units - Pilot the integration of Co-creation Units within university Technology Transfer Offices to facilitate collaborative projects between students, staff, and industry.
• Ecosystem of Change Agents - Create a network of advocates who can influence policies related to university-industry cooperation, curriculum design, and joint qualifications.
UNIICo-create brings together a diverse range of stakeholders, including:
• Higher Education Institutions from South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Namibia
• Ministries of Education from each participating country
• EU partner institutions from Ireland, France, and Finland
• Key higher education authorities/consortia such as the Southern African Regional Universities Association, and the South African Qualifications Authority, the Association of African Universities, Association of Technical Universities and Polytechnics in Africa and Universities South Africa.
UNIICo-create directly addresses the CBHE call for Sub-saharan Africa's priority action on Sustainable Growth and Jobs. By modernising curricula, stimulating innovation, and fostering entrepreneurial graduates, the project promises to contribute significantly to the region's economic development. The collaborative approach adopted will ensure that the project's impact will be systemic and sustainable, with strong support from both the academic and policymaking spheres, namely Ministries of Education.
With its focus on co-creation, ecosystem building, and policy engagement, UNIICo-create represents a significant step towards creating a more dynamic and entrepreneurial higher education landscape in the SADC region.

10/11/2023

From Higher Education Reform Experts South Africa (HERESA) to HERE - Africa. It is a pleasure to share with you the Outcomes Report generated from the Higher Education Reform Experts - South Africa (HERESA) Dissemination, Synergy and Sustainability Event. Importantly, this outcomes report captures our collective decision to take HERESA into its next phase.

Thank you to all who contributed to this momentous event.
Click on the link to view the Outcomes Report.
Watch this space for news on Phase 2 of the HERESA project!
Link: https://heresa.thensa.co.za/heresa-dss-event-outcomes-report/

13/10/2023

☀️ ‘Policy entrepreneurs’ acknowledged for HE reform efforts

⚡️In a follow-up article on the HERESA Dissemination, Synergy and Sustainability Conference, University World News reporter Desmond Thompson writes about the policy impact of the project which saw two informal policy briefs generated amongst our HEREs.

🌍 “Another achievement highlighted at the workshop is the fact that two formal policy briefs were created in the past three years, specifically to have an impact on policy in particular areas. These processes were coordinated by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), a full member of HERESA.”

🙏🏽Thanks again to our coordinating partner OBREAL-Global for working together with us over the last three years. As HERESA comes to close in November, we acknowledge all the hard work that has led to some of the successes of the project, contributing to the betterment of the South African higher education landscape 🙌🏽

Desmond Thompson (University World News), chatted with Dr Sershen Naidoo at the on the recent HERESA DSS Event, the project's impact on Higher Education.

12/10/2023

Over the last three years, the Higher Education Reform Experts South Africa (HERESA) has championed reform in the higher education sector, shaping policy, forging strategic partnerships and responding to evolving societal needs. As a network devised between THENSA and OBREAL Global, with funding from the Erasmus+ Programme, HERESA has solidified its reputation as an agent for change in the local and international higher education landscape.

09/10/2023

What better way to reminisce on the HERESA Dissemination, Synergy and Sustainability Conference than to share this wonderful write-up of the event from University World News 🙌🏽

Big thank you to Desmond Thompson for covering all three days of the Conference. I’m sure OBREAL-Global will enjoy this article as much as we have 🙏🏽

The need to strengthen the capacity of leaders in higher education so that they can drive much-needed change in the sector was high on the agenda at a...

06/10/2023

🌅 Over the last three years, the Higher Education Reform Experts South Africa (HERESA) has championed reform in the higher education sector, shaping policy, forging strategic partnerships and responding to evolving societal needs. As a network devised between Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA) and OBREAL-Global, with funding from the Erasmus+ Programme, HERESA has solidified its reputation as an agent for change in the local and international higher education landscape.

📽 We had the pleasure of screening the HERESA Promotional Video at our Dissemination, Synergy Sustainability Conference earlier this week that we thought we would share it with everyone on our social media platforms. Enjoy!

https://heresa.thensa.co.za/agents-of-change-heresa-promotional-video/

As a network devised between THENSA and OBREAL Global, with funding from the Erasmus+ Programme, HERESA has solidified its reputation as an agent for change in the local and international higher education landscape. Take a look at the promotional view here.

04/10/2023

☀️HERESA Explores Synergies to Take the Project Forward ☀️

🤝🏽 On the second day of the HERESA Dissemination, Synergy and Sustainability Event (DSS Event), our attendees were tasked with exploring possible synergies between like-minded institutions, organisations and networks to take the project forward.

🌍 We had over 46 institutions represented, along with a diversity of partners, stakeholders and participants present. Each provided their thoughts, ideas and suggestions on how we can build an ecosystem that would sustain aspects of the HERESA Project and executed meaningful impact across the higher education landscape in South Africa, Africa and the world.

⚡️What dawned on us was the necessity to have an ecosystem grounded by a common conceptual anchor, allowing the offshoots of this envisioned network to be aligned with the conceptual foundation emanating from the synergetic relationships established. These learnings speak to the value of having a variety of perspectives present. Not only did it broaden our horizons, but it also encouraged many of our partners and members to consider what elements of the project to build on, what best practices to exploit and how to scale the project appropriately.

Walter Sisulu University Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) University Of Venda Durban University of Technology Tshwane University of Technology TUT South African Qualifications Authority Association of African Universities

02/10/2023

⚡️HERESA Shares Learnings and Findings for the Purpose of Dissemination ⚡️

🤝🏽 If you were fortunate enough to be part of the first day of the HERESA Dissemination, Synergy and Sustainability Event (DSS Event), you would know that it wasn’t one to miss. Focused on Dissemination of the HERESA‘a learnings and findings, it was incredible to share the successes of the project in triggering higher education reform amongst our partnering institutions, acknowledge the inter-regional and inter-university collaboration between local and international universities, highlight possible oversight and room for improvement, and identity opportunities for extending the project to fit into an African context.

🌍 Though HERESA was established as a pilot project between Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA) and OBREAL-Global, with funding from the EU Erasmus Plus, it has produced the kind of work that has the potential to shape higher education reform and policy throughout the country and hopefully the continent. We are incredibly proud of all our members and stakeholders for not only embracing the mandate of the HERESA Project, but also embracing the collaborative approach to learning and knowledge sharing. It has been wonderful to observe our European partners learnings from South African partners and vice versa, emphasising the value of OBREAL’s commitment to South South North exchange and cooperation.

🤲🏽 As a result of the safe space fostered at the beginning of the project, institutions felt comfortable seeking out the expertise and knowledge that may not have been available at their respective institutions. This ability to ask for help is one of the key benefits that emerged from the Communities of Practice established around , , and . Tomorrow we will focus on locating synergies with similar networks and more opportunities for collaboration beyond the South African landscape.

Walter Sisulu UniversityCentral University of Technology, Free State (CUT)Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)University Of VendaDurban University of TechnologyTshwane University of Technology TUTSouth African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) Association of African Universities Universities South Africa

02/10/2023

🕣 We’re minutes away from the start of the Hybrid HERESA Dissemination, Synergy and Sustainability Event here at The Pivot Conference at Montecasino, Johannesburg 🙌🏽

🗓️ This is event for the HERESA Project which will see our partners and members share their learnings over the last three years according to each theme of the day.

🖊️ Today will be focused on Dissemination of the learnings and outcomes of the project. We look forward to three days of productive discussions and planning for the way forward.

🙏🏽 Thank you to our strategic partners OBREAL-Global and South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) as well as our founding members University Of Venda, Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT), Durban University of Technology, Tshwane University of Technology TUT and Walter Sisulu University.

29/09/2023

Sorry but we had to steal these photos from our friends at OBREAL-Global showcasing our lovely THENSA/HERESA delegation in institutions and organisations in Barcelona 🤫📸 We’ve had excellent feedback from this trip which has been fruitful, productive and worthwhile. There have been reflections on the HERESA project and discussions about higher education reform in a European and African context, which will go a long way in fulfilling the objectives of this project. We’re thankful to all the institutions and organisations that have hosted us: Universitat de Barcelona, Associació Catalana d'Universitats Públiques, Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputación, and Universitat Rovira i Virgili 🙏🏽

We cannot wait to welcome you all next week Monday for the HERESA Dissemination, Synergy and Sustainability Event 🙌🏽

27/09/2023

⚡️The HERESA Dissemination, Synergy and Sustainability Event is next week!

Please don’t forget to register for virtual attendance using this link: http://lnkd.in/d5e4sRiZ

It’s going to be an amazing event! Make sure that you don’t miss out ⚡️