It’s been a long and winding road for MUT. First, starting with 15 students in 1979, then surviving institutional mergers in 2003 and being promulgated as a University of Technology in 2007. But still no change in how we looked then and now.

Forty years later, MUT has set a new course for itself: To ‘shape and own the future’. ‘Shaping and Owning the future’ is the 2025 MUT Strategy Statement. We are proud of our MUT Strategy Statement ‘Shaping and Owning the future’ because it demonstrates our commitment to provide a revitalised academic value chain for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. ‘Shaping and Owning the future’ lays the foundation for MUT to provide knowledge and learning that:

• advances the professions, business, industry, government and our communities,

• learning that aligns to emerging fields of knowledge and scholarship,

• a curriculum that advances knowledge and understanding among our communities, and

• Offer a decolonised curriculum that inspires a truly African identity.

‘Shaping and Owning the future’ also makes us ponder to ask what would a revitalized academic value chain entail for MUT? A revitalized academic value chain would mean adopting MUT’s mission, vision, and core values statements reflect the purpose of our institution (Mission), what we aspire to be (Vision), and the guiding principles that we will use to reach our goals (Core Values).

As we ‘Shape and Own the future’, we retain our core values: IIFASE:

• Integrity

• Innovation

• Being at the Forefront

• Accountability

• Self-Respect & Respect

• Excellence

But we will also augment these with values rooted in leadership expectations-DEEDS

For more than 39 years, we wore a coat of arms as our corporate identity. In developing our new identity, we had to examine our past, present situation and where we want to be. It has been a wide-ranging process; involving long-term planning and represents an integral part of MUT Strategy 2025.

From the research undertaken during this journey, there is a strong sense of pride and purpose instilled within students, staff and alumni of the Mangosuthu University of Technology. MUT is perceived as a strong, distinctively African and proud brand.

As we celebrate our 40 years and on the road to adopting MUT Strategy 2025 that is also informed by the new academic identity, we are ready to assimilate our future identity, our new CI, into this Strategy 2025.

The design objective for the new Corporate Identity has thus been to create a proudly African brand that represents the unity and strength of the Mangosuthu University of Technology. The brand is world class and reflects the forward-thinking and progressive spirit of the organisation that remains rooted as an institution committed to learning, development and making a positive contribution to society.

We salute all staff, executive management and students who heeded a call to participate in the Brand Development Survey from November 2018 to March 2019. Déjà vu as the process was for those who were here in 2011 when the first Corporate Identity campaign kicked off. We are thankful for all your patience and commitment to make this journey a success – it was not easy. We thank you for sharing with us your perceptions of how our future identity should be.