Dear colleagues and students,

The Vice-Principal, Professor Themba Mosia, invites you to the University’s Student Conference on Re-imagining the future of the University of Pretoria that will take place from 17:00 to 20:30 on 13 and 14 October 2021 respectively. 

This is a virtual conference involving the student body of the University of Pretoria seeking to elicit student voices that will inform how the University can reimagine itself based on its experiences of place and context in a global location. It is anticipated that the combination of keynote speakers, question and answer sessions and panel discussions will advance conceptually rich and practical ideas and provide guidance toward how we will re-envision ourselves as an institution. 

The two themes for the conference are: 

1. Student Success, Health and Wellness Matters
2. The Future Word of Work and Funding Matters

Dr Lisa Coleman, Senior Vice President: Global Inclusion and Strategic Innovation, New York University, and Dr Calie Pistorius, Director and Principal Consultant, DeltaHedron Ltd, UK, will be the two international keynote speakers on the topics of holistic student wellbeing and the future world of work respectively.

This Student Conference is a follow-up to the Senate Conference held at the beginning of 2021 at which the question was asked: what are the feasible options for the University of Pretoria in the midst of considerable unpredictability? 

Over the two evenings, additional speakers will include moderators and panel members from a diverse range of experiences, primarily staff, students and alumni of the University of Pretoria. Between the formal conference sessions, delegates will also be able to connect socially via a virtual platform specifically created for this purpose.

This Student Conference thus provides an opportunity for students to reflect on and generate ideas for a reimagined future in terms of the two themes mentioned above. Discussions will centre around student access, student life and well-being, and student success, as well preparing students for the future world of work within the context of a re-imagined UP teaching and learning, innovation, research, internationalisation, and community and societal engagement. The Conference will also be open to staff across the institution who are interested or involved in student life and the student life-cycle.

Please set aside the evenings of 13 and 14 October 2021 to participate in this important event. Please visit the conference website for more information and to access the programme. Confirm your attendance here.

Prof Themba Mosia

Vice-Principal: Student Life