This morning, Friday, 26 August 2022, Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) hosted the 2022 annual State of the University (SOTU) address to give staff, students, parents and the University community an update on the state of various developments within the institution. The address ran from 10h00 to 13h00 on MUT Radio, Microsoft Teams and MUT’s Facebook page.
Acting Vice-Chancellor & Principal of MUT, Professor Marcus Ramogale, said the university had made great strides in advancing its vision of being excellent. He told listeners that the university was making progress on its teaching and learning, research and efforts to internationalise the institution, among others. The fact that women amounted to 58% of the total number of graduates during this year’s graduation, was a testament to the university’s commitment to transforming lives through education. Professor Ramogale also highlighted the appointment of MUT alumni, Sanelisiwe Mnyandu, as Chairperson of Council as a victory for women. He condemned acts of violence against women and the destruction of property during the student protest.
Professor Ramogale commended staff members’ research efforts for getting MUT into a “brave new world”.
He also highlighted efforts to internationalise MUT. On this front, Professor Ramogale said: “the university now has partners in Africa, the US and Europe. Previously our partners were only in the US and the UK. Recently, I signed partnership agreements with universities in Sweden and France.”
Professor Ramogale also wished the MUT Founder, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, a happy 94th birthday.
Dr Manyane Makua, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning, commended staff and students for continuing with teaching and learning even under Covid-19. Dr Makua said that the Council on Higher Education had approved the Advanced Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor of Environmental Health and Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences. He added that it was important for the university to continue to get its full accreditations from accrediting bodies.
The Advanced Diploma in Public Management: Human Settlement, Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting, and Postgraduate Diploma in Cost and Management Accounting have been given e Programme and Qualification Mix (PQM) clearance and are ready for accreditation by the higher education quality committee.
“The continued success of academic departments to present their qualifications to external scrutiny and come out with shining colours is a feather in our cap,” said Dr Makua.
Dr Makua also commended the Cooperative Education Directorate for placing 60% of students in various organisations for Work Integrated Learning (WIL) and internships last year. He said that the experience that students gained through WIL and internships provided an important practical component to the university’s qualifications.
Chief Financial Officer at MUT, Rodney Delomoney, who started the session, gave the audience a picture of the university’s financial health. He explained that MUT was highly dependent on the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). DHET also determined the percentage that the university can increase fees. Delomoney also pointed out that student debt was a growing concern, along with building a reserve for the University.
Dr Johan van Koller, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Resources and Planning, highlighted developments and challenges in his portfolio. Among the many developments, Dr van Koller stated that the New Engineering Building and the Student Centre would soon be handed over to the University. He also said that the university was well on its way to introducing borehole water and collecting rainwater to supply the campus. In terms of security, Dr van Koller said security would be beefed up on campus and external residences to ensure the safety of students. Panic buttons will also be installed in residences. In terms of the university’s technological capabilities, he said the university was upgrading its infrastructure to meet the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Follow the link to listen to all the sessions: https://www.mut.ac.za/state-of-the-university-address-26-august-2022/