January / February 2011
Provincial Cabinet met Higher Education in the Western Cape
On 1 February 2011, the Premier together with her Cabinet met the Vice Chancellors / Rector and members of the executive from the CHEC universities to discuss Provincial priorities, possible synergies and new areas for partnerships.
The Joint Task Team highlighted progress made to date in a number of areas related to research, enhancing skills development, innovation, and the Soccer World Cup. Items for a Programme of Action to guide future collaboration were also discussed. (Refer to the Presentation from the Joint Task Team for more detail.)
Posters illustrating recent and current work undertaken at the universities in the areas of Health and Social Development, Environment and Sustainability and Innovation and technology were on display.
Click here to download the presentation from the Joint Task Team.
Posters:
Graduate Attributes Symposium, 14 and 15 March 2011
The programme for this event to be held at the Sports Science Institute includes three international speakers: Professor Geoff Scott, the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Quality) at the University of Western Sydney, A/Professor Simon Barrie, the Director of the Institute for Teaching and Learning at the University of Sydney, and Dr Caryn Musil, the Senior Vice President at the Association of American Colleges and Universities who oversees the Office of Diversity, Equity and Global Initiatives. (Refer to the short bios of these speakers for further details.)
In addition to these international perspectives, Dr Lis Lange, the ex-Executive Director of the HEQC, CHE, will offer a national perspective and staff from the four universities will give overviews of developments within their institutions. Student representatives and representatives from government, business and civil society will also participate in presentations and discussions.
The last session will focus on a possible research project to assess the quality of graduates in the region.
Collaborative efforts to address Substance Abuse in the Western Cape
Following a series of discussions between the Provincial Government of the Western Cape and CHEC, the Premier awarded a grant to the universities to offer specialised courses in the field of substance abuse treatment and intervention.
Participation in the Erasmus Mundus Programme
The four CHEC institutions and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) were selected to participate in the Erasmus Mundus Programme – Action 2. This programme provides study opportunities for students and staff from the partner universities (Target group 1), and for a smaller category (Target Group 11). The latter is open to members of the broader South African community.
Calls for applications for M and PhD programmes opened on 1 October 2010. Further details about the submission and selection processes can be found at www.ema2sa.eu.
Towards regional collaboration for IT at the CHEC universities
At a meeting held at CPUT’s Hotel School on 12 October 2010, the IT Directors from the CHEC universities shared high-level strategy and plans around the use of IT in relation to research, teaching and learning, and community engagement and identified key issues for collaboration.
A Framework for Bursary Support in the Region
Following two meetings held in 2010, CHEC commissioned the Rural Education Access Programme (REAP) to draft a set of guidelines for bursary provision in the province. These have been prepared with students from poor economic and educational backgrounds in mind and aim to enhance students' chances of success while also developing responsibility, accountability and community consciousness graduates.
The draft document has been circulated for comment to a range of stakeholders. It is anticipated that the final document will be presented to a wider audience later this year.
The development of a conceptual model for driving innovation in the Western Cape
CHEC, under the leadership of the University of the Western Cape, commissioned a study on how best universities can contribute to promoting innovation in the region. At a workshop held at UWC on 23 November 2010, the findings were presented and discussed. The final report will available shortly.
Report to the MEC Public Works on Urban Regeneration
CHEC presented the MEC Public Works with a report that outlines a framework for urban regeneration. For further information, see the Report on the Cape Town Central City Provincial Government Regeneration Initiative, 2010, CHEC.
CHEC supports Cape Town's bid to become the World Design Capital 2014
CHEC has sent a letter supporting Cape Town's bid to become the World Design Capital in 2014. In addition, the four universities have collected information about qualifications / programmes as well as Centres and Institutes that contribute to making Cape Town a "design city", i.e. a city that uses design to develop solutions that make an impact in addressing socio-economic challenges.
For more information, go to www.capetown2014.co.za
Soccer World Cup
The CHEC 2010 Working Group’s Report on CHEC coordinated activities in relation to the 2010 FIFA World Cup describes the involvement of the CHEC member universities in this event. See the full report for the details on base camps, accommodation, transportation and park and ride facilities, joint marketing and research.
Disaster Risk Science and Management
The photographs below were taken at a recent workshop at the University of the Western Cape where the guests gathered to hear CHEC students’ presentations on their work in Disaster Risk Science and where the new publication, RADAR, was launched.
The Cape Higher Education Consortium Joins the Call for the Withdrawal of the Protection of Information Bill
The Board of the Cape Higher Education Consortium (CHEC), at its meeting on 28 October 2010, added its voice to the growing call from a wide range of organisations for the withdrawal of the Protection of Information Bill.
The CHEC Board acknowledged the statement of the Stellenbosch University Senate (2 September 2010) which highlighted the fundamental flaws in the proposed legislation which, if promulgated in its current form, is likely to be detrimental to teaching and research in higher education through the restriction of access to and the free flow of information.
An earlier statement by Dr Max Price on behalf of the University of Cape Town (22 August 2010) had called for the redrafting of the Bill, the function of which “should be to ensure a balance between the country’s security interests and the full protection of the rights of the public to knowledge and access to information, as enshrined in the Constitution”.
CHEC supports the appeals made to the Government to redraft the Bill, taking into account the objections that have been raised and hopes that this process will include full public consultations.
CHEC – City of Cape Town seminar series
The first of these seminars was held at the Sports Science Institute on 2 December 2011. Professor Mark Swilling from the University of Stellenbosch drew on the newly released book he edited "Sustaining Cape Town – Imagining a Livable City" to frame inputs from City officials and the lively discussion that followed.
The next seminar will be advertised soon.
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