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2. Vision 2030 stakeholder engagements • Enhanced student support.
(2018–2021) • Revitalised and well-maintained infrastructure and
campus safety.
In pursuit of its intention to foster a values-driven, • Positioning and marketing to raise the national and
transformative institutional culture, Nelson Mandela international profile of the University.
University makes every effort to engage broadly with • Sustainable funding from government and other
key internal and external stakeholders in co-creating sources and excellent stewardship of resources.
and implementing future-focused institutional
strategy. To this end, the University embarked on The Vision 2030 stakeholder engagement processes
a stakeholder mapping exercise to ensure that the yielded qualitatively rich inputs that informed the
crafting of the Vision 2030 institutional strategy was formulation of the University’s strategy for the next
informed and shaped by the voices of students, ten years. The process of engaging stakeholders
employees, alumni, and various other external elicited a groundswell of good will and commitment
stakeholders. Internal and external stakeholders that needs to be leveraged and maintained into
were engaged in Vision 2030 using a variety of the future as a prerequisite for effective strategy
methods, including administering an online survey implementation.
and convening a series of focus group discussions
with different permutations of students, employees, The approval of Vision 2030 by Council in March
alumni, and external stakeholders. 2021 marked a new phase in the journey of
Nelson Mandela University towards achieving its
The Vision 2030 stakeholder engagement report aspiration to change the world through life-changing
provided a consolidated overview of the key themes educational opportunities, innovative research,
emerging from these engagements to ensure and transformative engagement. It seeks to do so
that these were appropriately embedded in the through focusing on four strategic focus areas that
University’s Vision 2030 Strategy. The stakeholders relate closely to the core academic missions of the
overwhelmingly stated that a united collective effort University, namely:
from all stakeholders and hard work were needed to
make it possible for Nelson Mandela University to be • Strategic Focus Area 1: Liberate human potential
a university of choice by 2030. Several other enablers through humanising, innovative lifelong learning
were also highlighted by numerous stakeholders, experiences that prepare graduates to be socially
such as the following: conscious, responsible global citizens who serve
the public good.
• Attracting and retaining the best employees and • Strategic Focus Area 2: Pursue impactful, pioneering
lecturers. research, innovation, and internationalisation to
• A university that is in touch with the plight of its address grand societal challenges and promote
immediate community and offers excellent quality, sustainable futures.
up-to-date and relevant modules, programmes • Strategic Focus Area 3: Engage with all publics in
and qualifications. equalising partnerships to co-create transformative,
• A shared vision and implementation of the strategic contextually responsive solutions in pursuit of
plan with milestones, timelines, and a budget. social justice and equality.
• Ongoing engagements with stakeholders, • Strategic Focus Area 4: Catalyse dynamic, student
dialogues, or opportunities to co-create, including centric approaches and practices that provide life-
more international partnerships and leveraging changing student experiences within and beyond
alumni networks. the classroom.
• The importance of ethical, compassionate
governance, leadership, and management at all These core missions are supported and enabled
levels of the University. through a values-driven, inclusive institutional
• Improvement and innovation in agile systems, culture that liberates the full potential of students,
processes, and policies to promote excellence employees, and communities. Further critical
in supporting service delivery, including an HR enablers that will support our strategic intentions
system that meets international standards. include ethical governance and leadership, fostering
• An institutional culture that is centred on creating a a values-driven institutional culture and empowered
caring, inclusive environment for all. employees, creating an enabling environment for

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