Page 12 - Transformation Report 2023

Transdisciplinary Institution for Mandela Studies (TIMS). The faculty undertook institution-wide activities through The two psychology clinics, the Zanempilo mobile health
Curriculum Renewal and The purpose of the document was to map the emerging interfaculty collaborations. This included lectures on Af- services and the Kazibantu project, provide opportunities
Transformation Mandela figure at the University, highlighting a selection rican Indigenous Jurisprudence, and Value-Based Lead- where students obtain such exposure. The intentional
of operational, programmatic, and strategic events that
ership with a focus on African Leadership systems. These
embedding of regional, national and international part-
speak to this Mandela identity. Insights obtained from lectures were preceded by Masterclasses offered to third nerships in some of the initiatives (for example, the Kazi-
focus groups at student, faculty, and governance levels year and postgraduate (PG) students across Faculties. bantu project) enables the practical training of students
Critical Pedagogies form the basis of a comprehensive report reflecting in- in Human Movement Science, and Human Nutrition and
sights into the current thinking and praxis related to the Faculty of Law Dietetics, and exposes the students to international re-
The coordination and management capabilities of the Mandela Posture and Identity at the University, and will search partners and collaborators.
Humanising Pedagogy hub have been re-established inform the developing framework for Mandela Studies. A new compulsory module in Law and Regional Integra-
with funding from the University Capacity Development tion in Africa was introduced for final year students in the Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences
Grant (UCDG). During 2024, further activities are planned Faculty-Based Curriculum Renewal LLB programme. This module addresses how law, poli-
to raise awareness, engage in scholarship and conscien- Initiatives tics, trade and human rights intersect from an African per- The faculty identifies and facilitates work integrated and
tise academics and students about the conceptual fram- spective and in terms of the protection of human rights in service-learning opportunities as part of its efforts to aug-
ing of Humanising Pedagogy, with the hope that this ap- Africa. The module is delivered through a collaboration ment the readiness of its students for the future of work.
proach could impact LT. Faculty of Humanities with the Department of Development Studies in the Fac- To further enhance the readiness of graduates for life
ulty of Humanities. and work, the Management Practice Department in the
Each school within the Faculty of Humanities hosted Cur-
The Teaching Development (TD) unit continues to infuse School of Management Sciences piloted an online Em-
transformative approaches and content to instil critical riculum Conversations, with the aim of guiding the trans- Faculty of Science ployability Workshop in 2022 with its final year students,
reflective ways of engaging in LT and curriculum trans- formative curricular interventions. The faculty’s 2023 focus using content from LinkedIn Learning.
formation. in the Curriculum Conversations sought to celebrate the The faculty has been working since 2022 on renewing its
200th year since the systematic codification of isiXhosa
from an oral language. This is in alignment with the in- streams and curricula across all programmes (diplomas, Due to the overwhelmingly positive responses from the
Mandela Posture and Identity stitutional strategic thematic area of Origins, Memory, BSc and Honours). The curriculum renewal project aims participants, the online workshop was implemented
Culture and Heritage to facilitate intellectual engage- to ensure that the faculty addresses Africanisation/decol- throughout the faculty. The graduate placement unit has
As an African University that embraces diverse knowl- ment with literary production of early African intellectu- onisation, while integrating transdisciplinary and 4IR el- expressed interest in making use of the employability
edge paradigms and world views, the curricula across all als, whose writing can be included in the curriculum to ements in its training of 21st century scientists to remain workshop.
qualifications must align with this aspiration. Curriculum provide African intellectual histories which are otherwise agile and relevant in the future of work.
renewal and transformation is a key enabler to produce excluded in our academic canon.
graduates equipped with foundational knowledges, liter- A curriculum renewal symposium hosted in June 2023 Digital Transformation of
acies, competencies, and skills who will make a consider- Following two years of piloting, a new Philosophy, Politics signalled the creation of new programme streams, incor- Learning and Teaching
able contribution towards alleviating societal challenges and Economics Stream on the BA General degree was porating IKS, and facilitating communication with service
– locally, regionally, nationally and globally. Various proj- approved in 2023. This new stream, which focuses spe- faculties to identify transdisciplinary areas. The curriculum
ects are underway towards the development of the con- cifically on Philosophy, Politics and Economics, will allow renewal symposium covered important topics such as
ceptual framings of decolonisation and Africanisation, BA students, who historically have been excluded or have critical and humanising pedagogy, the impact of Artificial Blended Learning Spaces
respectively, within the context of the Mandela identity. excluded themselves from participating fully in the Eco- Intelligence on education, and preserving basic science
The development of a document entitled ‘Embodying nomics curriculum, to combine two disciplines which are disciplines while embracing transdisciplinary approaches The Annual Report provides further details about the dig-
Mandela at Mandela University’ was undertaken by the becoming increasingly sought after in South Africa. to solving complex global challenges ital transformation of learning and teaching (LT).
The Faculties of Science and Humanities have started re- The occurrence of COVID-19 was a catalyst for increased
vising their curricula and aim to identify the overlapping use of technology in LT, which has resulted in an expan-
of streams in their respective programmes and areas to sion of the blended learning spaces across our campuses.
incorporate interdisciplinarity. The Infrastructure and Efficiency Grant (IEG) funding was
used to procure, install and modernise technologies in
Faculty of Health Sciences teaching venues across our campuses.

The faculty has focused on enhancing cultural diversity Installation of equipment to facilitate hybrid teaching
awareness through the inclusion of IKS in its Medical, in South and North Campus enabled the use of these
Nursing, Pharmacy, Psychology and Social Work pro- non-conventional venues for LT. This allowed teaching
grammes. Community engagement initiatives within the for an additional 650 seats for the Faculty of Science and
faculty are integrated into the core undergraduate (UG) 450 seats for the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environ-
and PG curricula through work integrated learning op- ment and Technology (EBET). The Furntech building on
portunities. The placement and rotation of students and George Campus, three venues in the Science building
interns in community service points expose the students and an additional 18 venues across the campuses were
to diverse socio-economic and socio-cultural environ- modified, including the distribution of interactive white-
ments. board hybrid devices.

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