Page 36 - VC 5 Year Review Report 2022

biographical intellectual histories. This research In line with our vision
will contribute to the reduction in gender-based
inequalities and violence by showcasing the roles of to contribute to
women in political advancement and transformation
through history. This has been significantly bolstered sustainable futures,
by the launch of the DSI-NRF SARChI Chair in African
Feminist Imagination, held by Professor Pumla Mandela University
Gqola. The Chair studies the creative arts, popular
culture, and other expressions of African feminist has been scaling up
energies, while expanding African feminist theory
and scholarship and training future generations of efforts to leverage
scholars.
our strengths in
Transdisciplinary sustainability sciences transdisciplinary
In line with our vision to contribute to sustainable
futures, Mandela University has been scaling up sustainability
efforts to leverage our strengths in transdisciplinary
sustainability sciences, while also ramping up sciences.
efforts to promote environmental sustainability
through innovative solutions to water, energy, and
food insecurity. As the broader matrix of strategic
imperatives around sustainability sciences take
shape, the spirit of a socially embedded university in
the service of society is crystallising. These, together
with the ongoing work across all faculties and entities,
are sketching the outlines of transdisciplinarity by
which we should redraw knowledge frontiers to
co-create innovative and engaged scholarship that
traverses disciplinary boundaries.

To this end, the University is harnessing its research
excellence in sustainability sciences, which was
recognised by the Times Higher Education
[THE] Impact Rankings in 2021 when the University renewable energy roll-out unfolds on all campuses.
ranked fourth in South Africa. These rankings assess Within a context of water scarcity, the University is
the performance of universities in contributing also implementing innovative strategies to increase
to the United Nations Sustainable Development the use of secondary sources of water such as return
Goals (SDGs). Nelson Mandela University was effluent (RE), borehole water, rain harvesting and grey
the only university in South Africa to rank in the water to reduce its reliance on the municipal supply.
SDG Life Below Water [SDG 14] and ranked highly in
Partnerships [SDG 17], together with the University Youth leadership development and
of Cape Town and the University of Pretoria. entrepreneurship
Contending with the question of rising youth
In addition to harnessing its excellence in unemployment, the South African government
sustainability science, Mandela University is also established the Presidential Employment Stimulus
intentionally driving the transition towards greening programme to provide employment opportunities
all campuses, reducing its carbon footprint, and work experience to unemployed youth and
promoting renewable energies, and conserving graduates. Launched in October 2020, the initiative
water. As part of these efforts, the University launched has already provided 850 000 opportunities. More
a 1-megawatt solar photovoltaic installation and, as a than 80% of participants were young people, and
result, we can generate 17% of our energy usage on over 60% were women. The National Youth Service
South Campus. This will be further scaled up as the Programme (NYSP) is a further government initiative

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