Page 37 - Transformation Report 2023

opment of young academic staff with doctoral qualifica-
Diversification of the Academy tions. A highlight over the review period was that two
more academics obtained their doctoral degrees in April,
bringing the total of nGAP doctoral graduates to five.
Professors Project The proportion of employees with doctoral degrees in-
creased from 45 percent in 2022 to 46 percent in 2023
(Table 21). Coordination between the various offices that
The Nelson Mandela University’s Professors Project was provide capacity development opportunities within the
initiated with the aim of advancing the University’s aca- University, including the human resource development
demic reputation and the transformation of the profes- office, office of research development, and teaching de-
soriate across the knowledge fields. Eight positions have velopment unit, is an essential element to ensure career
been identified and approved in the areas of Humanities, advancement of these nGAP beneficiaries. Development
Engineering, Education, Health Sciences, and the Scienc- of coordinated and targeted career plans for each nGAP
es. The recruitment process, which considers the equity recipient will assist with intentional support interventions
imperative, is ongoing.
aimed at meeting the specific requirements associated
with academic ad personam promotion, thus contribut-
New Generation of Academics Programme ing to the diversification of the senior academic levels.
Active recruitment is underway to fill four nGAP vacan-
Since the inception of the New Generation of Academ- cies, which will increase the Mandela University cohort to
ics Programme (nGAP) in 2016, the DHET has allocated a 21 in 2024. The cohort currently consists of 17 Black aca-
total budget of over R86.5-million to the University. This demics, of whom 11 are women.
programme makes a valuable contribution to the devel-
Table 19: Academic Employees Profile According to Population Group, Gender, Disability and Nationality.

Table 20: Retirements for Academic and PASS Employees (2023 – 2028).

Table 21: Institutional Key Performance Areas on Staff Profile for 2023 Relative to 2022 and 2021.

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