During the day that has become a day of both serious and relaxed messages, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University, Professor Nokuthula Sibiya gave staff an update on several issues, particularly those that happened in the current year. Professor Sibiya first asked staff to remember those students who lost their lives this year. There are more than 10 of those students, even before the end of the year, Professor Sibiya said. Professor Sibiya also asked staff to pay tribute to their fellow colleagues who passed away this year. “May their souls rest in peace,” she said.
Reminding staff that the event’s theme was ‘resilience and renewal, shaping and owning the future’, Professor Sibiya gave several reasons for the University to celebrate. According to the first female Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Institution, MUT has achieved a lot this year. “I am filled with pride about the milestones we achieved together. The year 2024 has been productive. We have achieved a lot. One of these achievements was a smooth audit report. “We achieved an unqualified audit. We are some of the few that achieved this feat,” Professor Sibiya said. She implored all members of staff to ensure that this trend is sustained.
Professor Sibiya reminded staff that this was a time to take stock of what the University had achieved in the last 10 months. “Colleagues, allow me to take you on a quick reflection on 2024, focusing on our university goals; goal 1: Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Our commitment to teaching and learning has also yielded impressive results. Thanks to targeted academic support initiatives, the Faculty of Engineering saw graduation rates improve from 15% in 2023 to 20% in 2024. We launched Advanced Diploma programmes in Mechanical and Process Engineering, which received provisional accreditation,” she said. The Faculty of Management Sciences increased the number of staff holding PhDs to 20.
Another milestone achievement in our efforts towards excellence in Teaching and Learning has been the successful placement of 1,973 students for Work Integrated Learning (WIL) achieving a 100% placement rate in Management Sciences and 89% in Health and Applied Sciences.
The second goal was Excellence in Research, Innovation and Engagement. Professor Sibiya said their journey towards this goal had seen significant strides. “By the end of the third quarter, we had captured 40.6380 research output units, a commendable effort towards our target of 65 units. Our Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio has also shown impressive growth, with nine entries, surpassing our target of eight,” she said. She also told staff of the 10-day World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) SA Summer School on Intellectual Property (IP) and Transfer of Technology (TT) that it is ending today. MUT was the host of the event.
The third goal was Excellence in Community Engagement. Professor Sibiya applauded the Community Engagement and development (CEAD) directorate for all the massive achievements in this area. Recently, CEAD has the Community Engagement Awards at the University’s Seme Hall. Professor Sibiya said she was more than impressed with the success of the event, and added that the university would host a Community Engagement conference in 2026.
In 2024 the University continued to strengthen its efforts at creating international partnerships. This is fourth goal, called ‘Targeted National engagement and Internationalisation’. Among the key achievements on this area was that MUT secured R1 million from SANEDI for the EnergyWaterFoodClimate Nexus Summit. The Summit itself was a major success, showcasing our commitment to addressing global challenges, Professor Sibiya said.
MUT also signed several MOUs with various institutions and organisations. “Additionally, my office hosted several strategic visitors, including the chairperson and a delegation from the National Research Foundation (NRF), visitors from Ghana Christian University, the United States Deputy Chief of Mission, and recently a delegation from Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST),” Professor Sibiya said.
Professor Sibiya also updated staff with governance matters, which she defined as a requirement for an enabling support environment. “I am happy to share with you colleagues that the reconstitution of the MUT Council is underway, with internal governance structures elected and external member recruitment in progress,” Professor Sibiya said.
As usual, another highlight of the event was the announcement of staff members that have achieved academic qualifications and promotions, and those that have served the Institution for 25 years or longer.