The Institutional Advancement Department at Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) is set to launch the R100m & Change initiative, a 10-year alumni resource mobilisation project, during this year’s Alumni Fundraising Dinner (AFD) to be held on 20 October. MUT Chancellor and prominent businessman, Mr Sandile Zungu, will be the host of the AFD.
The R100m & Change project is part of a series of programmes by the university’s Institutional Advancement Department dedicated to gathering resources to create financial reserves and endowments for the university. The project is aligned with the new direction that the university is embarking on to safeguard its financial sustainability.
“Like many Historically Disadvantaged Institutions, our institution is relatively young and does not have the reserves and endowments that our privileged counterparts have. MUT has identified a need for a strong focus on resource mobilization, and we have a department dedicated to institutional advancement. The R100m & Change project gives our alumni and industry partners an opportunity to contribute to building a new legacy for our university,” said Professor Marcus Ramogale, Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal of MUT.
He further explained that he was encouraged by the commitment of the university’s alumni community to give back to the university through such an ambitious project which could change the destiny of the institution.
“A university is only as good as its alumni. I am thrilled that our alumni have a focused programme of giving which will attach their names to the legacy of our institution. Our project portfolio is diverse and extends far beyond the R100m & Change to give all our stakeholders causes that they can contribute to,” explained Professor Ramogale.
Professor Ramogale added that the university was also targeting partnerships with industry players and the business sector. This is an area that MUT Chancellor Mr Zungu has committed to focus on during his tenure as Chancellor at the institution. Zungu has already started extending invitations to his network of fellow businesspeople to follow his lead.
Dr Connie Israel, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement, said having the University Chancellor and Convocation Executive at the centre of it all should signal to the business community that MUT’s doors were open to any person or organisation interested in making an investment into the future of South Africa through education.
“MUT has a portfolio of diverse projects that potential donors and funders could contribute to beyond the R100m & Change project. We are going to share some of these projects with our guests at the AFD to give them an opportunity to pledge their support and contributions,” said Dr Israel, whose department leads the University’s resource mobilization efforts.
She added that her department was also knocking on the doors of businesspeople in the province to move MUT to the top of their lists when they consider who and what to fund.
Seats at the AFD will be available at R2,000 per seat or a table with 10 seats at R20,000. Guests have a limited opportunity to purchase seats on the Founder’s Table, Chancellor’s Table, Vice-Chancellor’s Table, Convocation Table, Alumni Masters’ Table, Women in Engineering Table, and the Leaders’ Table. Details of the event are as follows:
Name: Alumni Fundraising Dinner
Venue: The Oyster Box Hotel
Date: 20 October 2023
Time: 17h30 for 18h00 – 22h00
RSVP by no later than 20 September 2023. Contact alumnievents@mut.ac.za for more information.
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Dr Azwi Mufamadi
Director: Fundraising and Development
Mangosuthu University of Technology
Tel: +27 31 819 9417 | Cell: +27 78 528 6065
Email: mufamadi.azwi@mut.ac.za