As institutions of higher learning, we exist because of society, and it follows that we should be functioning for the good of society. This calls for us to ensure and increase our relevance and efforts towards greater societal impact that is characterised by inclusivity, and demonstrates evident contributions to just and sustainable development. We are institutions for the public good, and in the formulation of Chris Brink, author of The Soul of a University: When Excellence is not Enough, this means going beyond the question “what are we good at?” to “what are we good for?” What is needed in higher education are universities that embrace excellence, and twin it with relevance and impact, pursuing fundamental knowledge as well as challenge-led research. We need universities that are attuned to the complexities, uncertainties and disruptions that are an integral part of our current and future realities.

In the African context, societal challenges are magnified. This is largely driven by how globally connected the world has become, and the stark power imbalances that contribute to the current vulnerability of systems in Africa. These drivers further constrain our ability to recover from shocks. For example, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on weak economic and social systems aggravated existing societal fault lines, and drove worsening inequality.

In acknowledging the important role and contributions that higher education institutions must make, we recognise that we are well placed to create spaces for dialogue where multiple voices can contribute to a better understanding of the problems we face, and collectively begin to create the necessary solutions.

In this context, demonstrating and measuring impact is an emerging science. At the University of Pretoria (UP) we seek to be at the frontier of both driving positive societal impact, as well as demonstrating our contribution in tangible ways.

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and our own National Development Plan and African Union Agenda 2063 collectively provide us with a good and accepted framework to shape our actions in a way that is relevant to society. They all share a common thread of addressing development in the face of the ubiquitous challenges of poverty and inequality. In pursuit of a shared future where all people have equitable life opportunities and meaningful existence, our planet is protected and we co-exist with all forms of life.

Recognising that complex challenges cannot be addressed by actors in isolation, UP is intentionally advancing the practice of trans-disciplinarity. This entails a problem-focused approach to dealing with complex challenges, and ensuring that the right voices from different disciplines and sectors are around the table to help understand and address the issues at hand. It is anchored on disciplinary excellence, and requires us to forge local, regional and global collaborations and partnerships that collectively work towards the public good. As an extension of problem-focused collaboration, through the recently established Knowledge Equity Network, we are also active participants in a movement towards Open Science and Open Education. By broadening access to knowledge in a way that transcends parochial interests, we can be catalysts of change beyond our relatively limited circles of influence and impact.

Last year, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) South Africa was launched at UP by several partners. These global networks are an international initiative that marshals global scientific and technological expertise to promote practical solutions for sustainable development. The aim of the national network is to mobilise and support South African universities and other leading research institutions, business and civil society to promote the UN’s SDGs in South Africa, as well as the country’s contribution to the goals globally.

Despite all the attention being given to impact, current approaches to measuring success and the impact have significant limitations, and are not the best way to critically assess our impact in society. At best, indicators such as research outputs and productivity, the quality of the journals that we publish in, and the number of citations made, describe our impact within a closed academic ecosystem. They should be seen as a means to an end, and not an end in themselves. In isolation, they are weak surrogates for the impact we should be demonstrating at macro-societal levels, such as addressing poverty and inequality, and those at micro-societal levels where we enhance the lives of people and the communities that they live in.

Acknowledging these limitations, our approach to evaluating our impact is through a mix of evaluation systems, each with different baskets of indicators. These include our University Council-approved performance indicators and targets; self-evaluation against applicable SDG targets; and sustainability-related university impact rankings. Each mode has its own set of strengths and weaknesses, and in the absence of a magic bullet, we believe that looking at our performance through different lenses and from different angles will help to create a more holistic view of our progress and impact.

The mix of Council-approved performance indicators and targets are linked to the institutional goals. These cover academic staff profiles, research outputs, and student demographics and enrolments. As a foundational dimension of our contribution to societal impact, some 70% of our academic staff hold doctorates. Our numbers of first-time enrolments to undergraduate programmes, along with graduates in scarce skill areas, continue to grow. On the research front UP has enjoyed a number of global research breakthroughs. These range from new insights into the universe, to the simple detection of tuberculosis through a 3D-printed insert added to a standard face mask.

Over the past decade, UP has intentionally focused on sustainable development as an important aspect of our strategy and practice. From 2019 we further entrenched this, shifting towards it being integral to what we do. Embedding sustainable development into our institutional strategy has been a profound and intentional step, and gives a clear indication of our efforts to move closer to society. Despite advances made however, a comprehensive understanding of how this translates into improved lived experiences and existence at a community level remains elusive.

As with the other performance measurement systems, the use of university rankings has limitations. This is clearly evident in the plethora of ranking organisations, the diverse suites of products offered, differing sets of metrics used, and varied approaches to collecting data. Additionally, within the different rankings, it is recognised that there is room for manipulation of information for improved positioning among peers. Notwithstanding the challenges and dilemmas, we continue to pursue participation in the university rankings, particularly those focusing on sustainable development and societal impact. Our rationale is based on our view of sustainable development being central to who we are and the purpose we fulfil, the importance of external review even with its limitations, and our desire to be a part of the solution in developing new and better ways to evaluating impact.

 UP is one of only three universities in Africa that has been ranked in the top 200 globally in the 2023 QS Sustainability Rankings released in October 2022. The University was ranked second in South Africa and Africa and in the 171-180 band globally.

In May 2022 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, named UP South Africa’s second-best (joint second) and Africa’s third-best (joint third) university. The sustainability rankings provide a framework to show how universities respond to the world’s most significant environmental, social and governance challenges.

As we continue to navigate the emerging impact space, the diversity and heterogeneity of different segments of society, their needs and expectations, we believe that we may need to see impact through a completely different set of lenses.

Making a positive difference in the environment and in people’s lives is one of UP’s preoccupations.

Professor Tawana Kupe is Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria.

This article first appeared in the Mail & Guardian on 24 February 2023.