Two major strategic initiatives approved during Professor Rushiella Songca’s first 100 days in office are expected to strengthen both institutional heritage and long-term sustainability at Mangosuthu University of Technology.
The first is the revival of the MUT Founder’s Annual Lecture in honour of the institution’s founder, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi. Professor Songca said the lecture would serve as a platform for intellectual engagement on contemporary societal issues while preserving the values that shaped the founder’s legacy.
“Prince Buthelezi was not only the Founder of this institution but also a statesman who believed deeply in education, dialogue, constitutionalism and peaceful nation-building,” she said.
The second initiative is the establishment of the Friends of MUT Network, a strategic partnership and philanthropy platform designed to mobilise support from alumni, industry leaders, community stakeholders and friends of the university.
The network aligns MUT with leading universities globally that increasingly rely on philanthropy and stakeholder partnerships to advance institutional priorities.
Professor Songca described the initiative as an opportunity to create a sustainable ecosystem of support that contributes meaningfully to the university’s future growth and development.