On 18 July 2022, our staff and students, along with the rest of the world, will embark on efforts to demonstrate their commitment to heed the call of the adored founding president of South Africa’s democracy, Nelson Mandela. This is the time to reflect on all the values that President Mandela demonstrated to resist oppression: justice over inequality, dignity over humiliation, forgiveness over hatred. He was revered for transformational and visionary leadership, and aimed to enhance the lives of society. In our context, as an institution of higher education we play a vital role in social responsibility, through producing excellent research and market-relevant graduates to address the various social and economic challenges our country faces.       

The University of Pretoria (UP) is an institution committed to meaningful transformative social engagement. Today, about 300 academic modules, across nine faculties, and involving 110 lecturers, see 30 000 students participating in community engagement programmes annually, covering about 40 hours of community service each. These projects and programmes mobilise the expertise and resources of the University to address the myriad of challenges facing our society. At the same time it is about educating students to be socially responsive, active citizens and leaders working for positive change. A university education needs to be focused on knowledge as a catalyst for social, environmental and economic innovation and change for the benefit of the whole society. Several universities in South Africa stand out for this.

In our recently released five-year plan, named Destination 2026 and Beyond, which falls within UP 2025, the institution’s 15-year long-term strategic blueprint, the guiding vision was re-affirmed, to reimagine and reposition the University of Pretoria as “a leading research-intensive university in Africa, recognised internationally for its quality, relevance and impact, and also for developing people, creating knowledge and making a difference locally and globally”. To be a future-orientated university we need to be drivers of social change.

Community engagement and social responsibility is not an “add on”; it is a core role and responsibility of higher education. European Union and Asian countries made legal provision in 2015 that all universities in member countries have to be involved in community engagement, and they regard UP as a world leader in this approach and seek out the university’s experience. Currently, UP is the only African university on the global University Social Responsibility Network – an international group of the top 15 universities in the world in this field – and is represented on the Talloires Network: international associations of universities committed to strengthening the civic roles and social responsibilities of higher education.

It is of paramount importance to do all the above, and more, to ensure that we produce graduates who are likely to emulate the late state president Nelson Mandela. We may be living in a more democratic and developed society today, but our challenges are far from over. In fact, the disruptions and crises we face in the global context, symptomatic of the deep fault lines in the way we live on our planet, are more complex than ever, and are not going to stop any time soon. In response to this, at UP we’ve realised that we need to holistically rethink, reimagine and reposition our universities and our role in broader society, and come up with strategies which we can collaboratively implement to achieve social equity and environmental sustainability, with universities being experienced as key drivers and change agents. The emergence of transdisciplinary research approaches locally and globally has offered a unique opportunity for universities to take the lead in creating new knowledge, and new ways of doing things.

As we celebrate and reflect today, let us immerse ourselves in the legacy that this great forefather has left us. As staff and students of the University of Pretoria, my message to you today is to “do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are” – work together, integrate various community engagement projects, merge academic and research programmes, and implement them to change and enhance the life of society. In doing so, we adopt Madiba magic by encouraging each one of us to make a difference within our communities. I encourage you to continue to build UP’s reputation as a social partner and drive more social justice campaigns. Internally, let us break the silos within our management and administration systems and fix bureaucratic barriers that inhibit our ability to take advantage of opportunities and achieve deep impact.