South Africa has taken a major step towards securing its health system with the launch of FuturePHARMA. President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday launched the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) FuturePHARMA facility in Tshwane. He described the launch as a significant step towards strengthening South Africa's pharmaceutical capabilities and advancing the country's health...

Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Yusuf Cassim has made an agreement with the University of Fort Hare, student leaders and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to improve student accommodation, safety and funding at the institution. This follows Cassim's oversight visit to the university's East London Campus on Monday, where he met with university management, led by...

Parliament has recommended urgent mediation to end a seven-year standoff between the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and the South African Dental Technicians Council (SADTC), which has left dental technology students unable to complete their training. CPUT and the council, which regulates dental technicians, had reached an impasse about new facilities at CPUT for dental students...

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) is set to embark on a forensic investigation into the Northern Cape Urban TVET College. This follows concerns raised by the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) that a material irregularity involving fraudulent quotations at the college had not been adequately investigated or followed up with consequence management and recovery of funds...

North-West University (NWU) is mourning the death of celebrated South African musician, composer and Chancellor's Medal recipient Bernard (Babsy) Mlangeni. Mlangeni died on Thursday (1/10), aged 83, after a music career spanning more than five decades. Born in Orlando East, Soweto, in 1943, he lost his sight at the age of three but went on to become one of South Africa's best-known musicians. His...

The dispute over student fees at Rhodes University has moved beyond a disagreement about how much students must pay to register, with 13 students facing the financial consequences of arrests made during protests and a R90 000 legal bill that a civil society organisation says the police should pay. The 13 students were arrested during a protest at the 1820 Settlers National Monument on Friday...

Every year, thousands of young people enter our universities with ideas, ambition and an appetite to solve problems. Some will build businesses. Others will develop technologies, create social value or find opportunities where others see constraints. Some will become employers and innovators in an economy that urgently needs both. Our responsibility in higher education is increasingly clear...

With the prospect of even more extreme climate change, with the challenges faced in the environmental space worldwide, the importance of a holistic, joined-up, collective understanding of ecological science grows daily, Oppenheimer Generations executive chairperson Jonathan Oppenheimer said in opening the fifteenth Oppenheimer...

For 15 years, the DSTI-NRF Centre for High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (CHRTEM) at Nelson Mandela University has explored the atomic and nanoscale universe, unlocking vital insights for energy security, green hydrogen, nanomedicine, and industrial manufacturing. As the home of Africa's only aberration-corrected...

As part of the commitment of the North-West University (NWU) to community engagement and knowledge sharing, the School of Languages in Education, together with the School of Psycho-Social Education, recently visited the Groenpunt Management Area of the Department of Correctional Services to engage and inspire female staff on...

Thuthula Sodumo worked for years to earn her Master of Philosophy in Gender Studies. She thought the moment she had dreamt about would be even sweeter after bagging her qualification with distinction. But her moment to shine was taken away from her. Instead of hearing her name being called out in front of her family and fellow...

Universities are being urged to use their knowledge and research to address local challenges, as UCT leaders and Cape Town officials push for stronger university-community partnerships amid rapid technological change. The call was made during a Times Higher Education World Academic Summit panel discussion examining the changing...

Entrepreneurship is no longer an optional pathway for young South Africans but an economic necessity, according to higher education and government leaders at the third International Conference on Business Innovation and Incubation. Nelson Mandela University demonstrated how tertiary institutions can drive job creation through...

What began as the pursuit of an undergraduate diploma in 2008 has culminated in a remarkable academic milestone for Dr Mphihleng Pleasure Magoro, whose journey at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) has come full circle. From student to lecturer and now doctoral graduate, his story is a testament of perseverance, mentorship...

AI: Can we trust the advice that it gives us, and the motives behind the people who build the systems? The warning on the opposite page sounds sensible enough, and yet these are precisely the high-stakes areas in which people are turning to generative AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude and other large language models (LLMs). The...

For more than three decades his distinctive voice has helped South Africans make sense of politics, democracy and a changing nation. Now veteran broadcaster and media personality Tim Modise will receive an honorary doctorate from the North-West University (NWU). The university will confer the honorary doctorate on Modise during a...

The Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) advanced its research and entrepreneurship agenda through the presentation of research by esteemed academics and students at the 3rd International Conference on Business Innovation and Incubation (ICBII), hosted by the Business Incubation Web Association (BIWA). The conference...

The Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) is bringing together scholars from South Africa and abroad to shape the future of teaching and learning at the 12th International Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), taking place from 7 to 9 October 2026. Held under the theme "Advancing Student...

Sol Plaatje University's Research Office recently held its annual Postdoctoral Fellowship Day, bringing together postdoctoral fellows, academics, and support divisions to celebrate diversity, African heritage, and mutual learning. This engagement was held to connect postdoc fellows with the support divisions that handle the...

A new framework developed through Dr Siyabulela Dywili's doctoral studies could help improve how higher education infrastructure projects are planned, funded and delivered in South Africa. Dywili, Deputy Head of Department for Construction Management and Quantity Surveying in the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and...

For hundreds of Vaal University of Technology (VUT) graduates, crossing the graduation stage was more than receiving a qualification. It was the culmination of years of sacrifice, perseverance and determination, as well as a moment shared with families, friends and loved ones who had supported them every step of the way. VUT...

For 13 years, Dr Gaye Lesley Taylor Moonieya worked as a journalist and editor, listening to people and telling their stories. Now, at 67, she has turned that same attention to women's experiences after abortion, with her doctoral research finding that most of the women she interviewed had received no counselling before or after...

The journey towards becoming a Chartered Accountant can be demanding, making every academic milestone worth celebrating. At the University of Fort Hare (UFH), a group of Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting (PGDA) students had their excellence recognised as they continue working towards the CA(SA) qualification. The students were...

Good transport makes life easy, while bad transport impacts the ability of individuals to do anything. The primary driver of economic development, social equity, and environmental sustainability is transport, says Professor Rose Luke. Prof Luke is a researcher in Transport Economics, and Director of the UJ Institute of Transport...

For a group of Semester 4 Chemical Engineering students from the Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FET) at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT), educational visits to Eskom's Lethabo Power Station on 17 and 21 September 2026 provided more than technical insight. The experience offered a valuable opportunity to connect...

For Ms Antoinette Botha, Director of Professional Services at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's (UKZN) College of Humanities, leadership has never been simply about the position one holds. It is about the people one develops, the challenges one helps overcome and the difference one makes along the way. With 36 years of experience...

The Faculty of Accounting and Informatics (FAI) at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) welcomed the MICT SETA Board and Management for an engagement aimed at strengthening the partnership between the two organisations while showcasing the impact of technology-driven learning, research and innovation. The visit provided MICT...

On 2 October 2026, MUT bade farewell to one of its senior managers, who has served the Institution since 2014 as Head of the Clinic. Addressing her Clinic colleagues for the last time as their Head, Sister Nomusa Mkhwanazi thanked everyone for the relationship she had with them over the years. She highlighted how each department...

For Ms Lexia Naidoo, science education is about more than sharing knowledge. It is about helping young people discover possibilities they may not have known existed. As the Science and Technology Education Centre Officer in the University of KwaZulu-Natal's (UKZN) College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, Naidoo works at the...

Reasons to be Proud - #R2bP: Executive Dean of the Faculty of Law, Dr Lynn Biggs, has recently been appointed as President of the South African Law Deans' Association (SALDA). SALDA represents law faculties across South African universities and provides a platform for advancing excellence, transformation and collaboration in legal...

A potential partnership between the North-West University (NWU) and the Sernick group could create new opportunities for student training, livestock research and emerging farmer development. The two organisations have started discussions on collaborations in beef production, research, experiential learning and agricultural...

Newly elected 2026/2027 student leaders from across the University of the Free State's three campuses have been equipped with key principles and insights to guide them in their leadership responsibilities. Fresh from being elected, the University of the Free State's (UFS) 2026/2027 student leaders have begun their leadership...

Altogether 58 key stakeholders from 15 institutions recently gathered at Nelson Mandela University to strengthen articulation pathways in the Eastern Cape's agricultural education and training sector. The University's Centre for Integrated Post-School Education & Training (CIPSET), in collaboration with the Unfurling Post-School...

That question was at the heart of an international benchmarking mission led by the University of Venda (UNIVEN), as the institution explored some of Europe's leading music museums for lessons that could help shape an ambitious African Music Museum. From 26 September to 3 October 2026, Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof...

Prof Annie Chimphango of the Department of Chemical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering delivered her inaugural lecture on Tuesday 6 October 2026. The title of her lecture was From the shade of a mango tree to the circular bioeconomy: unlocking value, harnessing potential. Chimphango explained to Corporate Communication and...

For nine MUT student leaders, a journey to Rwanda became their first opportunity to travel beyond South Africa's borders. Behind that milestone is a partnership championed by Professor Sibusiso Chalufu, former Interim Dean of Students at MUT, who has taken up a new leadership role as Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the Cape Peninsula...

The life and times of music and literary giant Rev Daniel Cornel Marivate were honoured in a musical extravaganza and a public lecture held at the South Africa State Theatre on 3 October 2026. The lecture, delivered by Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Tinyiko Maluleke, celebrated Marivate's contribution to literature, choral and...

Prof Nicky Terblanche of Stellenbosch Business School (SBS) in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences delivered his inaugural lecture on Thursday 1 October 2026. The title of his lecture was From curiosity to impact: Uncovering the potential of AI coaching through research. Terblanche, who is Programme Head: MPhil...

Beneath South Africa's estuarine waters, the movements of endangered fish and the sounds of changing marine environments are telling an urgent story. Rhodes University researchers are using machine learning to help marine scientists understand that story and respond before more of it is lost. Their work took centre stage at Machine...

The Centre for General Education (Gen Ed) at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), in collaboration with glocal stakeholders, is set to celebrate diversity, inclusion and self-expression at the third annual Student Diversity Festival 2026. The festival, themed "A Kaleidoscope of Diverse Gender Expressions" will be held at the...

With vibrant pride in our many cultures, identities, and shared heritage, the Centre for Diversity, Inclusivity and Social Change (CDISC) recently brought the spirit of Heritage Day to life at Granger Bay Campus during the Institutional Heritage Day Commemoration. The Heritage Commemoration brought the CPUT community together to...

Researchers at the Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform (WADDP) are engineering tiny drug-delivery systems that could change how medicines are transported to the brain. One approach uses specially engineered liposomes - microscopic lipid-based nanoparticles - to improve neuronal cells' uptake of galantamine, a medicine used to...

The first-ever meeting of the Africa Charter for Transformative Research Collaborations forum followed fresh on the heels of the Times Higher Education World Academic Summit. It was hosted within the University of Cape Town's (UCT) Faculty of Humanities, and drew senior leadership from universities and higher education bodies from...

The University of Cape Town's (UCT) Modelling and Simulation Hub, Africa (MASHA) has joined a network of global leaders working to strengthen epidemic analytics and infectious disease modelling capacity across the Global South. It has secured a R14 million award through the newly launched Global South Leaders in Epidemic Analytics...

South Africa must move beyond simply connecting learners and teachers to technology - by embracing meaningful digital transformation that enables an equitable, resilient, and socially just education system. This was one of the key messages contained in the Inaugural Lecture by Prof Thuthukile Jita, Head of the Department of...

The University of Venda (UNIVEN)'s Faculty of Management, Commerce and Law (FMCL) hosted a successful three-day Career Expo from 28 to 30 September 2026. The event brought together students, industry leaders and government institutions. Held at the University Auditorium under the theme "Connecting Talent to Opportunity: Building...

New research by the University of Pretoria's (UP) Faculty of Veterinary Science in partnership with SANParks provides scientists and veterinary professionals with a new way to estimate an immobilised rhino's blood oxygen saturation levels when conventional devices become unreliable. Immobilising or anaesthetising rhinos is...

From corruption undermining South Africa's municipalities to research methodologies that do not always reflect African realities, two authors have challenged how institutions respond to some of the country's most persistent problems. Dr Manyedi Solomon Nkashe, author of South African local municipalities bleeding from fraud, and Dr...

Two new digital services from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research have been integrated into the National Government Digital Services Portal, the High Commission for Digitalization (HCN) announced in a press release Wednesday. "Pursuant to the high directives of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune aimed at expanding...

Kisii University Vice Chancellor Prof Nathan Ogechi has challenged university students to look beyond academic qualifications and acquire practical skills that can help them earn a living after graduation. Prof Ogechi said having a university degree should not be viewed as an automatic guarantee of employment or financial success...

Kenyan universities are shifting more academic staffing towards computing and health-related disciplines as the number of lecturers in engineering, agriculture and mathematics and statistics declines, a new report by the Commission for University Education (CUE) shows. The changes were recorded against an overall increase in...

The Federal Government has released the Consolidated Non-Academic Staff Tertiary Institutions Allowance (CONTA) to non-academic staff of all Federal Universities, Polytechnics, and Colleges of Education, covering the period from January to August 2026. The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, who announced the release...

The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has matriculated 23,885 newly admitted students, with its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Uduma Uduma, declaring Open and Distance Learning (ODL) as the future of higher education. Mr Uduma made the declaration on Wednesday in Abuja during the university's 31st Matriculation Ceremony, held...

Rwanda's National Defence University is beginning to take shape, with the first cohorts of two constituent colleges opening within the past two weeks. The Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), through the Ministry of Defence, opened the National Defence College-Rwanda (NDC-R) on September 25 and the Defence College of Health Sciences (DCHS)...

THE Minister for Transport Prof Makame Mbarawa has said Tanzania is proud of the reputation earned by 23 Tanzanian students studying at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) in Egypt, citing their discipline and outstanding academic performance. Prof Mbarawa made the remarks in Alexandria during...

Ugandan air quality monitoring initiative AirQo has been named among the 15 finalists for the 2026 Earthshot Prize, recognising its work to tackle air pollution across African cities. Founded at Makerere University in 2015, AirQo uses low-cost air quality monitors, open data and artificial intelligence to track pollution and...

Victoria University plans to move to a new campus in Naguru, Kampala, with modern buildings whose designs vice chancellor Dr Lawrence Muganga says could be mistaken for artificial intelligence creations. Muganga shared architectural impressions of the proposed campus near Phaneroo Ministries and announced that construction would...

UNIVERSITIES cannot produce graduates who fit industry, but should produce critical thinkers able to match and co-evolve with industry needs, HR expert and executive Dr Farai Ncube has said. Dr Ncube said this in an interview on the sidelines of the IPMZ 2026 HR Symposium in Victoria Falls on Tuesday, calling for a deliberate shift...

Port City International University will inaugurate its two-day international conference on sustainable development through higher education on Thursday. Vice-chancellor of the university Professor Mohammad Tayeb Chowdhury read out a statement outlining the objectives and arrangements of the conference at a press conference held on...

Since 7 October, 2023, universities have become a hotspot for antisemitic mobilisation, featuring hate-filled graffiti, attacks on Jewish students, and the presence of antisemitic groups within student committees. These groups negatively influence university policies, making life increasingly difficult for Jewish students...

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), an Institution of Eminence and a Deemed-to-be-University, has partnered with Google India to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence across its academic and institutional ecosystem, with a strategic focus on healthcare and medical education. The collaboration positions AI as a...

Student accommodation remains a major challenge for universities, despite a new Government strategy aimed at increasing supply. Declan Raftery, DCU Chief Operations Officer, has said that it has been unable to make a planned student accommodation project financially viable becuase of soaring construction and financing costs. He...

Polytechnics, matriculation programmes and pre-university education could be brought under a proposed single higher education law as part of a major overhaul of the country's tertiary education system. Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir said the proposed One Higher Education Act (OHEA) would take into account...

Pakistan Television (PTV) and universities across Pakistan will explore collaboration to provide media and communication students with practical training, industry exposure and professional opportunities, as PTV Head Adil Shahzeb met Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Wajiha Qamar in Islamabad to...

The Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education said Wednesday that more than 22,000 students and education workers have been killed since the Israeli occupation began its war on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023, while hundreds of schools and university buildings have been destroyed. In a report on violations against the...

Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who want to finish their studies or earn higher qualifications now have more pathways to do so, as the Marcos Jr. administration expands access to education and skills development for migrant workers. Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) joined the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)...

Scholars and academics from several countries have announced the launch of the "Global Network of Scholars for Rojava Universities" to support Rojava and Kobani universities and strengthen academic and research cooperation with international universities and research centers. To support Rojava and Kobani universities and strengthen...

Universities may be required to pay a fee of up to $100,000 for international students who want to work in the U.S., pending a new effort by the Trump administration to limit foreign student enrollment. In a Wednesday news release, the Department of Homeland Security introduced the proposal to impose a $70,000 fee for every...