As part of their Good Luck Campaign, Student Recruitment at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) recently visited Sastri College to donate over 200 stationery packs to the Grade 12s and pass on their well wishes ahead of their final exams.

According to a timetable released by the Department of Basic Education, the National Senior Certificate (NSC) final examinations began on Monday, 31 October 2022 and ends on Friday, 09 December 2022.

The Student Recruitment Manager at DUT, Alex Mdletshe was accompanied by his two colleagues, whom are both Student Recruitment Officers at DUT, Michael Zulu and Dr Sathishah Ramrathan.

Addressing the matrics, Mdletshe said: “We are here because you were one of our Top 26 feeder schools. This means your school is amongst the schools that gave DUT most students and we thought we should do something for you. The team prepared stationery packs that you can use during your final exams. We want to say to you good luck for your exams,” said Mdletshe.

He also handed over a certificate to the school as a token of appreciation from DUT, to acknowledge their mutual beneficial partnership.

The matrics were filled with excitement as their stationery packs from DUT were handed over to them. All seemed confident about starting their exams soon, with the hope that their hard work will pay off.

The School Principal, Santosh Rajcoomar expressed his gratitude to the DUT for the support and fruitful partnership over the years.

“Thank you very much to the DUT for the partnership that we enjoy with the institution. Being neighbours and being so close to each other, we embrace the DUT as a great partner to us. We enjoy quite a few programmes with the DUT. We have been registered as the service provider for providing work integrated learning for the DUT interns. We have the DUT ICON office proving us with tutors for our learners in the gateway subjects, so we enjoying some really interesting partnerships with the DUT. We encourage lots of our learners to enrol with the DUT,” said Rajcoomar.

Passing his message to the Matric Class of 2022, Rajcoomar said they are looking for some great results.
He indicated that he is aware that the past two years have been challenging, especially to the Class of 2022, who were in Grade 10 when the COVID-19 pandemic started.

“They have been through a difficult time, in the last two years, including this year. Sastri College and its loyal team of educators have done everything possible to support our leaners. We are hopeful that the results are going to be great,” concluded Rajcoomar.

Other schools that benefited from this campaign are Adams College, Empangeni High, Eshowe High, Gcinimfundo Secondary, Gugulesizwe Secondary, Masijabule High, Mconjwana High, Menzi High, Sinethezekile Secondary, Sithengile Secondary, Umthoqotho High, Velabahleke High, Vukile High, Zwelibanzi Secondary, Arena park Secondary, Marburg Secondary, Margot Fonteyn Secondary, Mthwalume High, Nkosibomvu Secondary, Pinetown Girls High, Port Shepstone Secondary, Sibusisiwe High, Verulam Secondary and ML Sultan Secondary.

STAFF REPORTER

Times Higher Education has published its global university ranking by subject, showing which South African universities come out on top when looking at key subjects like computer science, engineering and physical sciences.

The Times Higher Education World University Ranking claims to be the only global performance table that judges research-intensive universities across all their core missions: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.

It uses 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparisons, trusted by students, academics, university leaders, industry and governments.

The performance indicators are grouped into five areas:

Teaching (the learning environment);Research (volume, income and reputation);Citations (research influence);International outlook (staff, students and research); andIndustry income (knowledge transfer).

For the subject rankings, the same indicators are used but are recalibrated per subject, with the weightings changed to suit the individual fields.

The group’s subject rankings look at 11 broad fields of study, including arts and humanities, law, education, health, science and technology, among others. BusinessTech looked at which universities ranked top in technical fields, including Computer Science, Engineering and Physical Sciences.

15 universities total from South Africa ranked among the top in the world in these subjects, with nine featuring in the computer science ranking, 10 in the engineering ranking and 15 in the physical science ranking.

Stellenbosch University (SU) ranked as the top school for computer science in the country while ranking in the same band as two others for engineering. Six universities ranked within the same band for physical sciences.

SU shares first place in Engineering and Technology with Unisa and North-West University while leading the way in Physical Sciences alongside North-West University, the University of Cape Town (UCT), the University of the Free State, Rhodes University, and the University of the Western Cape.

Computer Science 

Overall, 974 universities were ranked, up from 892 last year.

UniversityRankingStellenbosch University401-500University of Cape Town601-800University of Johannesburg601-800University of KwaZulu Natal601-800North-West University601-800University of Pretoria601-800University of the Witwatersrand601-800University of South Africa (Unisa)801+Tshwane University of Technology801+

Physical Science

This subject field ranks universities that are leading across the following disciplines: mathematics and statistics, physics and astronomy, chemistry, geology, environmental sciences, as well as earth and marine sciences.

Overall, 1,307 universities were ranked, up from 1,227 last year.

UniversityRankingUniversity of Cape Town401-500University of the Free State401-500North-West University401-500Rhodes University401-500Stellenbosch University401-500University of the Western Cape401-500University of KwaZulu Natal501-600Tshwane University of Technology501-600University of Johannesburg601-800University of Pretoria601-800University of South Africa (Unisa)601-800University of the Witwatersrand601-800Durban University of Technology801-1000University of Fort Hare1001+University of Venda1001+

Engineering

This subject field highlights the universities that are leading across the following disciplines: general engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, mechanical and aerospace engineering, civil engineering and chemical engineering.

Overall, 1,306 universities were ranked, up from 1,188 last year.

UniversityRankingNorth-West Unviersity401-500University of South Africa401-500Stellenbosch University401-500University of Johannesburg501-600Tshwane University of Technology501-600University of Cape Town601-800University of KwaZulu Natal601-800University of Pretoria601-800University of the Witwatersrand601-800Durban University of Technology801-1000

EKURHULENI East TVET College Springs Campus students embarked on a protest outside their campus last week.

It is believed that the protests come from the frustrations of students who have not received their National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) allowances since the beginning of 2022.

Some students at the campus complained about not being able to pay for their accommodation and not having enough money for food and transport.
“We are supposed to be writing our exams in a peaceful state, yet we find ourselves very frustrated. We have outstanding debts and our landlords have resorted to evict us. No one seems to care,” said student Sinalo Skopana.

“When we approach relevant parties, from one person to the next, we are turned down because no one wants to take accountability.”

When the college management negotiated a sit-down meeting with the students, some students declined the offer as they said they still needed to voice their concerns.

“We want to be heard. They want us to listen, but they refuse to listen to us,” said an emotional Zama Zulu.

The college has confirmed the protest relates to the payment of NSFAS allowances and has further said they have engaged with students as a way to resolve the matter.

“We invited an NSFAS representative to address students and we gave them proof and assurance that their allowances would be paid,” said college assistant director in marketing and communications Zuko Mbolekwa.

The college has further said that after a brief talk was held with the NSFAS representative and the students, all students were satisfied and content with the kind of care and assistance they had received.

“After yesterday’s resolve, we are hoping everything will be back to normal,” said Mbolekwa.

STAFF REPORTER

WENDY MOTHATA

THE Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says her department is confident in its readiness to conduct the National Senior Certificate (NSC) final examinations, which will officially start on Monday.

Motshekga was addressing a media briefing in Pretoria on Sunday.

She says that it has been a challenging year for the matric class of 2022, notwithstanding COVID19-pandemic and the intermittent power cuts by Eskom.

“DBE can confidently say that it is fully prepared to administer the November 2022 examinations based on the principles of fairness, reliability, validity and integrity,” said Motshekga.

“This year was challenging at first we saw the return to normalcy following two tumultuous years in which we battled COVID-19. For the first time since 2020, our learners went back to school without having to wear masks or observe social distancing.”

The minister said last year the department prepared for a return to full-time daily time-tabling as part of the recovery plan put in place to mitigate the impact of COVID on the schooling system.

She said learners and educators had to re-adjust from the COVID-19 environment of wearing masks to a normal way after two years of the pandemic.

A total of 753 964 full-time and 167 915 part-time students will sit for the final examinations.
The minister said that the DBE has stepped up its security across all points in the question paper chain, based on a continuous review of all examination processes.

“In addition, all learners sitting for the NSC examinations and their parents have signed ‘Commitment Agreement’ to maintain honesty and not to participate in irregularities during the writing of examination. The Commitment Agreement binds the learners and parents to follow the rules relating to the examination,” she said.
In line with this agreement, learners and parents are obliged to make any irregularity related

information immediately available to the school principal or the DBE hotline.

“They are also expected to surrender cell phones and any other related device if there is an allegation of involvement in an act of dishonesty. Learners are briefed on all the rules and regulations pertaining to the examinations and on the consequences, should they be implicated in irregularities.”

The minister said it continues to liaise with Eskom, the security cluster, PEDs and other relevant stakeholders to manage the risks posed by load-shedding and other security related matters.

She said that the National Policy on the Prevention and Management of Learner Pregnancy states that barring a learner from school on the grounds of pregnancy is discriminatory.

“In terms of the Policy, schools are required to take all necessary steps to reasonably accommodate the learner to facilitate her continuing education.”

A learner who is pregnant shall be allowed to sit for national examinations if her health condition permits.

“The school principal and staff in collaboration with parents/guardians shall take all reasonable steps to accommodate the learner’s learning, health and maternal needs during the examination period. This policy came into effect as from January 2022 and we expect all our school communities to comply with and implement it accordingly.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

WENDY MOTHATA

THE Gauteng Education MEC, Matome Chiloane, has confirmed the province’s readiness for the 2022 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.

Chiloane was addressing the media at the BB Myataza Secondary School in Etwatwa on the state of readiness for the final exams Where learners signed the 2022 October/November NSC Examinations Pledge.

Qualifying candidates are required to sign a pledge as an indication of their commitment and willingness to comply with the NSC Examination Code of Conduct.

Chiloane said Gauteng is ready for the 2022 NSC exams.

“We can confidently say, as a department, we can say that logistically and administratively, we are ready. We have done everything possible to ensure that our pupils are ready. We know that there were challenges. This is the third cohort to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Gauteng has a total of 194 611 full-time and part-time candidates writing this year’s exams across 1 018 examination centres in the province.

He said 138 877 full-time and 55 734 part-time pupils would write the exams under heavy supervision.

“Gauteng is ready to implement 100% coverage of all examination centres,” Chiloane said.

Gauteng’s Class of 2022 is the 15th cohort to sit for NSC Exams and the 3rd cohort to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic for three consecutive years.

They are also the 5th cohort to be exposed to a variety of new subjects.

Chiloane said their Secondary School Intervention Programme (SSIP) ensured that the matriculants are thoroughly supported. “Our Secondary School Intervention Programme (SSIP) ensured that our matriculants are thoroughly supported by providing extensive revision lessons for gateway subjects through Saturday programmes, holiday walk-in centres, residential camps and daily live broadcasts.”

“One of the areas of focus for the audit was whether the centres have a generator to serve as a back-up in the event of an electricity supply cut. Eskom and City Power have been informed of the critical dates on which CAT and IT practical examinations are being written to minimise power cuts on those (specified) dates.”

“Examination centres that do not have generators will procure or rent generators to avoid the disruption that may result from a power cut,” said Chiloane.

The examinations will commence in full scale on October 31 and will proceed until December 7, 2022.
The marking of scripts will start on 9th to the 22nd of December 2022 in 19 Marking Centres spread throughout the province.

INSIDE EDUCATION

WENDY MOTHATA

WITH fewer than five days to go before the start of the 2022 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations for matric pupils, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) said it was well prepared after conducting matric camps across the country to assess, monitor, and motivate Grade 12 learners.

The 2022 final exams are set to start on October 31, and end on December 7, 2022.

This year’s matric cohort had Grades 10 and 11 impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, which disrupted schooling.

The impact of disrupted education following the Covid-19 outbreak was devastating, with learners between 75% and a full school year behind where they should be, according to a 2021 report by humanitarian organisation, UNICEF.

Rotational attendance, sporadic school closures, and days off for specific grades, resulted in school children losing 54% of learning time.

Students have also had to deal with damaged property, and school closures following unrest which resulted in more than 140 schools being vandalized in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

On Monday, teachers unions said they were concerned about power cuts during exams.

The National Teachers’ Union (NATU) said that the supply of generators would help mitigate the impact of power interruptions during the writing of exams, especially in schools that offer computer-related subjects.

But the Director-General of DOE, Hubert Mathanzima Mweli, said the department was hoping for smooth final exams, adding that learners were eager to do very well in their exams despite some challenges.

“Learners have shown determination to do well in their upcoming exams. Let’s continue to support them at all times,” said Mweli.
As part of the NSC final exams countdown, DBE has been encouraging learners on social media by posting daily tips on how to prepare better for the final examinations.

The provincial departments have also been encouraging Grade 12 learners as they gear up for the exams.

MPUMALANGA PROVINCE|

Unveiling the State of Readiness for the Management of the Conduct of the 2022 NSC Exams, the provincial MEC for Education, Bonakele Majuba, said that all due processes have already been put in place to ensure that the 2022 examinations take place within the provided rules and regulations.

“The 2022 Grade 12 Examination will be the biggest in the history of writing such an examination process, and for this reason, we will need to be extra vigilant and more meticulous in all material aspects of managing these examinations. In total, 71,582 full-time candidates have registered to write the 2022 National Senior Certificate Examination,” said Majuba.

Majuba said it’s the first time that the province has registered such a high number.

“I must say that I am extremely encouraged and happy about it because it confirms that the majority of learners that enter our system in grade R, the majority of them do make it to Grade 12.”

The provincial department has already appointed markers, exam assistants, admins, and capturers. The department has selected the schools that will be used as exam centres and has already appointed chief invigilators.

NORTH WEST PROVINCE|

North West MEC for Education Mmaphefo Matsemela said that all the systems are now in place in terms of how the learners are going to approach the final exams During her visits at schools around the province, Matsemela said she encouraged and gave learners tactics on how they could prepare for their examinations.

FREE STATE PROVINCE|

Free State Education MEC Tate Makgoe said all hands are on deck and the department was combat-ready for the 2022 matric exams. Makgoe sad contingency measures were already in place for any eventualities.
“The issue of Eskom is really a challenge but we are trying to say to our learners don’t panic, we will do all our best to engage the powers that be. Eskom and municipalities ensure that during the time learners are writing, there shouldn’t be any disruption,” Makgoe said.

NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE|

The Northern Cape Department of Education spokesperson, Geoffrey van der Merwe, said the department continues to improve appropriate standards and strengthen initiatives to deepen the maturity of the examination assessment system.

“We have continued to identify and curb threats to mitigate the credibility of the examination and assessment,” said van der Merwe.

KWAZULU-NATAL PROVINCE|

KwaZulu-Natal MEC of Education, Mbali Frazer, said with less than five days before the start of the exams, the department is ready for the assessments. “We are all here today to play both our individual and collective roles in protecting the credibility and integrity of the upcoming exams,” she said.

Frazer also committed that the Department would only use adequately trained invigilators and markers to conduct the examination.

She warned the Class of 2022 about the consequences of cheating on the exams, saying if found guilty, the learner could be disbarred from rewriting for a number of years.

Frazer also encouraged Grade 12 learners to visit local churches and temples for a Provincial Examination Prayer.

LIMPOPO PROVINCE|

The Limpopo Education Department has been on a drive to motivate learners, the provincial MEC, Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya has urged learners from Sekhukhune East and South Education districts to use the remaining days to prepare thoroughly for the final matric examinations. Lerule-Ramakhanya said that the department had various intervention programmes since the beginning of the year to assist learners.

GAUTENG PROVINCE|
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane has confirmed the province’s readiness for the 2022 NSC exams.

Gauteng has a total of 194 611 full-time and part-time candidates writing this year’s exams across 1 018 examination centres in the province. Gauteng’s Class of 2022 is the 15th cohort to sit for NSC exams and the third cohort to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic for three consecutive years.

They are also the fifth cohort to be exposed to a variety of new subjects.

“Our Secondary School Intervention Programme (SSIP) ensured that our matriculants are thoroughly supported by providing extensive revision lessons for gateway subjects through Saturday programmes, holiday walk-in centres, residential camps and daily live broadcasts,” said Chiloane.

Chiloane said examination centres that do not have generators will procure or rent generators to avoid the disruption that may result from a power cut.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Edward Webster and Jacklyn Cock

AS the number of black students increased at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa in the 1980s, township struggles spread onto the campus and management came under increasing grassroots pressure to implement change within the university.

In response, social scientists in the Faculty of Humanities, with the financial support of the university’s research office, undertook an extensive survey of perceptions of Wits. It included organisations in black communities as well as of international academics, students and staff at Wits. They even had a meeting with the then-banned African National Congress (ANC) in Lusaka.

The outcome of this Wits-initiated research project was published at the height of apartheid in 1986 Perspectives of Wits: Tomorrow Begins at Wits Today: The Role of the University in a Changing South Africa. It revealed a disconnect between black South African’s perceptions of Wits and the image the administration had been attempting to convey of the university as a progressive opponent of apartheid.

The research revealed that a large proportion of the community members surveyed thought Wits served mainly white, corporate interests.

The report recommended further transformation of the university.

Knowledge for whom, for what, by whom?

Nearly 40 years later, university leadership, staff and students are increasingly representative of South Africa’s demography. Wits has made progress towards what the late anti-apartheid cleric Reverend Beyers Naudé described during the interviews as: “securing a democratic, educational future for all in South Africa”.

However, we must ask whether the university’s responses to the multiple crises South Africans face today are not reproducing a similar disconnect. A growing number of students are struggling to pay their fees, and impoverished masses are eking out an existence in the country.

Do we need another survey to establish whose interests and needs the university is serving?

This survey needs to be framed by three crucial questions: Knowledge for whom? Knowledge for what? And knowledge by whom?

Mind the mines

These questions are of relevance because of the university’s long-standing relationship with the mining industry. Its origins go back to the South African School of Mines, established in Kimberley in 1896.

At the time of the Perspectives of Wits survey, the Chamber of Mines – and Anglo American in particular – was the university’s largest private donor.

Of course, there have been occasions when the Chamber, now Minerals Council, felt it was not receiving a satisfactory return on its investment in the university. An example was the attempt by the asbestos industry to suppress the findings in the 1950s by the Wits Pneumoconiosis Unit of a link between asbestos and cancer – the hidden disease of mesothelioma.

On balance, however, it can rightly be claimed that Wits has served mining capital well over the years.

Today, extractivism – the process of extracting natural resources from the earth to sell on the world market – particularly of coal, is under attack because of its relationship to climate change and deepening inequality. As in the past, there are various responses to these crises among Wits’ diverse constituencies.

The establishment of the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies and the recent appointment by Wits of a Pro-Vice Chancellor on Climate, Sustainability and Inequality is an exciting response. It places Wits at the forefront of two central national challenges. These are climate change and the persistence of South Africa’s position as the most unequal country in the world in terms of income and wealth.

The high levels of inequality have been sustained, and in some cases have deepened, in the post-apartheid era.

Will researchers at Wits help promote a shift in the dominant view of coal? From being seen as a source of energy, jobs and foreign exchange, will coal be seen as a driver of inequality and environmental damage?

Will it help promote a democratic “just transition” from coal, which includes the lived experience of people in coal-affected communities?

In the present cacophony of voices addressing the question of a just transition, we hope that these marginalised voices will be heard.

Commodifying knowledge

Much has changed over the past four decades as Wits and universities globally have been restructured according to a market logic. Knowledge is largely valued in terms of its capacity to be commodified.

As the state has defunded universities, funds have been sought through raising student fees, the provision of short and online vocational courses, trusts and foundations, and endowments from wealthy alumni.

One of Wits’ biggest mistakes, which it has since rectified, was to try to cut costs by outsourcing its service staff to avoid paying benefits.

Furthermore, over time, the balance of power has shifted from academics to the administration. A form of academic managerialism triumphed and Senate was in danger of being sidelined. The Senate is accountable to the Council for regulating all teaching, learning, research and academic functions and all other functions delegated or assigned to it by the Council.

The Australian academic Jill Blackmore suggests that this market logic results in epistemic injustice … it ignores the social and material conditions of knowledge production – the social relations of collegiality and collaboration, the emotional labour of teaching and researching.

She warns that this is “dangerous for democracies”.

As Wits proudly celebrates a century of independent critical thought, maybe it needs to revisit the perceptions of its external stakeholders. This is particularly pertinent in the face of increasing inequality, casualisation of labour and ecological devastation.

Indeed, is it not time for all South African universities to revisit their multiple publics and explore with them what a public university in southern Africa in the 21st century could – and should – become?

(Edward Webster, Distinguished Reserach Professor, Southern Centre for Inequality Studies, University of the Witwatersrand)
(Jacklyn Cock, Professor Emerita in Sociology and Honorary Research Professor in SWOP, University of the Witwatersrand)

This is an edited version of an article that first appeared in the University of the Witwatersrand’s special Curiosity edition to mark the institution’s 100th anniversary.

ALEC BASSON

WILL a four-day work week be a hit in South Africa? This was the question Prof Mark Smith, Director of the Stellenbosch Business School, explored in a recent Stellenbosch Forum lecture. The lecture, the eight and last in the series for 2022, was themed ‘A Four-Day week: time to work smarter?’

The Stellenbosch Forum lecture series was started in 1990 and provides regular opportunities to SU staff and students as well as members of the public to learn more about the world-class research conducted at SU. Presented in an accessible and understandable way, these lectures offer both academics and non-academics a platform for critical debate across disciplinary boundaries.

In his lecture, Smith said the current proposal to pilot the four-day work week in different parts of the world (a six-month pilot will be run in South Africa in 2023) shows that in the post-pandemic environment, we all have a reflection of how much we work, how much time we spend in the household, and how much time we have with our loved ones, family and children.

“We are interested in the four-day work week because of the pandemic and post-pandemic effects. We are questioning how we work and live in that environment.

“In a short period of time, we demonstrated that the impossible is possible. Everybody can work online, we run organisations, we can run countries, we can deliver services at a distance and we don’t all need to be at the office on the same days.

“The pandemic also accelerated concerns about work-life issues, retention, recruitment and productivity.

“Previously the nice kind of flexibility might have been reserved for managers and white-collar workers, whereas the pandemic showed that many more people could work from home, from a distant, and also have autonomy about how and when they work.”

According to Smith, results from the pilot show that a four-day work could lead to greater work-life integration, productivity gains, and an improvement in people’s quality of life as they have more time for leisure in principle. He added that it is also close to the ideal “target” working time and that companies involved in the pilot showed improvements in retention and more people wanted to work for them.

There are, however, potential downsides to a four-day work week.

“What if we can’t get the job done in four days? For some organisations it might not be possible. How would workaholics cope? The increase in intensity is a potential risk. There is also a potential risk that we may exclude some groups with some enjoying three days of leisure and others working five days.”

Smith said there is a perception that a four-day work week is a magic bullet that would solve all our problems. Focusing specifically on South Africa, he said there is also the risk of unintended consequences of implementing a four-day work week.

“We have relatively long hours, high levels of employment, and low levels of productivity. There is a legal framework that strictly defines how many hours people should work. The employer-union relations are also more contentious and conflictual than in some countries.”

Smith added that we will also have to think about the impact of loadshedding and extreme inequalities.

He said it is important to dispel any misconceptions about the four-day work week.

“It not working part-time; it is not a compressed working week; and not everyone works the same four days. It is also not partial employment which exists in some countries where instead of people being retrenched, everybody works less.”

Smith pointed out that the four-day work week is not a new idea. In the 1920s, British economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that we would be working 15 hours a week in future, and in the 1950s former president of the United States Richard Nixon also anticipated a four-day work week.

He added that the eight-hour day and 40-hour week are a norm that emerged in the 20th century.

“It is a kind of imaginary rule. It has grown out of the manufacturing context of what was a normal and regular working week. It is the norm that dominates how we might think about time in society, but it doesn’t apply to everybody. Students work part-time, people in the service sector work fragmented hours. There are many people who are not working the standard working time of 40 hours a week.”

SUPPLIED| Stellenbosch

Confucius Institute at the University of Johannesburg (UJCI), the fifth Confucius Institute opened in South Africa, was established in 2016, offering Chinese language teaching to students and nearby communities.

After six years of development, the institute has set a successful example of cultural exchanges.

Today, with the deepening cooperation and better courses, the role of UJCI will become increasingly imperative.

Recently, students of international communication at the Renmin University of China, who were intrigued to know about the experience of the Confucius Institute in cultural exchanges interviewed Peng Yi, an associate professor at the School of Law and Politics, Nanjing University of Technology.

From January 2018 to February 2022, she worked as the Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Johannesburg (UJCI), South Africa.

In this discussion, Peng narrated her work experience in South Africa and reveals the landmark cultural exchanges during Chinese language teaching.

What informed your decision to work at the Confucius Institute, and how was the selection process?

It was one of my colleagues who mentioned that we have this cooperative program with Confucius Institutes in South Africa and Spain during a small talk. He believed I can fit into any situation smoothly with a responsible attitude, and encouraged me. I applied for it without much hesitation because such a platform would be a rare opportunity for me to sharpen my skills during work.

More than that, it would be a great honor if my efforts could make a small contribution to promoting cooperation between the two universities and friendship between the two countries. That’s how I applied to be a candidate for the Chinese director.

As for the selection, I would say the whole process was very rigorous. Firstly, I obtained a school recommendation to the headquarters after a strict selection. Then it led me to another selection which was a full-day task that included written tests and interviews in both Chinese and English. The tasks were wide-ranging. It was quite a brainstorming day. It’s not hard to tell that the two-step selection was very strict, so the directors are indeed the best choices.

Although English is the official language of South Africa, it is not the most spoken in everyday life. Did you learn any other languages or had difficulty communicating?

During work, although our courses are open to the public, we mainly get along with students as well as staff in universities and local government agencies. Therefore English was sufficient for the past four years.

There are 11 official languages in South Africa. Apart from English, one of its native languages, Zulu, is spoken by the largest number of local people. I encouraged teachers to learn some Zulu from the students or teach themselves, to better communicate with the local community.

I also learned some French and Spanish when I was in graduate school. I think language can promote friendship and communication between people and countries. An extra language is an extra pair of eyes, where people can read your sincerity.  During cultural teaching and research activities, speaking Zulu brought me closer to local people, even though they were just very simple words. People there would show more respect and interest when they know you have tried to communicate with them sincerely, so the effect of the activities naturally speaks for itself.

What would you say was the motivation for the South African students in learning the Chinese language?

Some of them simply like the Chinese language and culture, and the motivations of others are multifaceted. For example, university students want to study, travel and work in China, or work in some Chinese enterprises in South Africa. University teachers want to have international exchange and research cooperation or to jointly apply for projects, publish articles, and so on. And some employees in local companies want to expand the Chinese market.

Before the epidemic, every year, South African young scientists, young student leaders, and international students went to China for visits and study. The Chinese Embassy in South Africa (CESA), the South African Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), and the South African Department of Science and Technology (DST) invited us to do pre-departure training in Chinese language and culture.

So, can we correctly assume that if one understands the needs of the local students and be willing to offer assistance, all teaching and research can be vital, and it would be easier to go deeper and farther in knowledge exchange?

Yes, I couldn’t agree more with what you said. One’s energy is limited. Students have heavy school work already, and others like company employees are busy as well. If all we offer is regular Chinese teaching classes, people would hesitate to decide to devote relatively more time to studying Chinese here.

That’s why we later started 6-8 hours classes in Chinese medicine and culture for Johannesburg University Health College, tourism Chinese classes for tourism students and practitioners, and other short classes such as Chinese technology and more. Students can get in touch with the core of Chinese culture quickly and learn some basic professional terms they need.

In this process, we are appealing by showing that our courses can be helpful and flexible, much lower cost of time for students to judge whether our courses are practical. Once they find it worthwhile, the participants will adjust their schedule and devote more energy to the regular Chinese language courses, cultural courses, and other research activities that UJCI offers.

Besides, we were often invited by the South African government or South African companies to provide language and cultural training. In early 2021, we were invited by the South African National Tourism Department (NTD) to conduct a two-month language training course for selected South African tour guides. NTD reported in seven consecutive tweets about the training on its official Facebook account. We were invited by various ministries such as DHET, and we trained over 100 local employees for Huawei’s program in South Africa “Seeds of the Future” program.

We trained and recommended a lot of local talents for the South African government or South African companies, and received extensive support.

Therefore, I think that we as teachers at Confucius Institute should reflect on and refine constantly on our curriculum. The courses should be divided into different levels and categories to cover as much of the needs of everyone. We need to seek cooperation with multiple social entities. By doing so, we can go deeper and farther and enhance our reputation in the local community day by day.

How easy was it for the UJCI to introduce students to Chinese customs, such as traditional festivals?

In China, we celebrate a number of festivals each year. In January and February, there is the Chinese New Year festival, and in September and October, there are the Mid-Autumn festival and a National Day celebration. On these occasions, we put up shows, while informing students about the festival’s history and symbols.

Our celebrations emphasize cultural exchanges between China and South Africa rather than just sharing Chinese culture.

The performances at festivals feature elements from both nations. On the 2020 Chinese New Year celebration, an elegant traditional Chinese dance and a dynamic African dance met. One could appreciate the performance of the renowned choir, the University of Johannesburg Choir, after being moved by the Chinese song “My Motherland”.

South African students demonstrated their talents in addition to that. Calligraphy and martial arts were displayed by the first-place winner of the Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competitions in South Africa. Chinese artistes also performed face-changing masks and paper-cutting.

Interactive games were part of the sessions. Students from South Africa and China engaged in cooperative games like chopsticks challenge and tongue twisters. Laughter was heard everywhere. Everyone in attendance was able to savor the traditional cuisine of both nations after the performance.

Up to 200 people attended before the COVID-19 epidemic, including the University of Johannesburg’s Chancellor, deans and staff members of several faculties, friends from South African politics, commerce, and academia, members of the community, and our partners, among others. That party was fantastic.

In addition to major events, we occasionally held the Qixi (Chinese Valentine’s Day) Song Festival in August. Students from the two nations get together and sing love songs. A loving mood is created by lovely music.

We took part in South African festivals as well. September 24, 2019, was South Africa’s Heritage Day. I was invited by Wits University students. A group of Quanzhou, China, intangible cultural heritage masters were visiting there at the time, so I invited them to the celebration. The South African students were ecstatic as they watched their performance and thanked us for providing such a fantastic show to support their festival.

How, in your opinion, would culture introduction and language instruction be combined more effectively?

The cultural introduction complements the language instruction. On special days like Dragon Boat Festival and the 24 Solar Terms, our teachers will explain the history and festival of the customs to students in the language class.

We also provided cultural classes in Chinese painting, calligraphy, and martial arts. They were quite popular among students.

In this way, students gain knowledge about Chinese culture and participate in activities while they learn the language.

We also presented cultural activities outside the classroom on various occasions. Many students enrolled in our classes after viewing the performances. They claimed that it never occurred to them how beautiful Chinese calligraphy and music are, how rich Chinese history is, and how advanced Chinese technology is. In order to study in China, they want to learn the language and culture of the country.

We can understand that the primary force behind cultural exchanges is interest. Also from your narration, UJCI has been active in a variety of areas, particularly technology. How did you achieve that feat of exciting their zest?

Simple. By creating a system that addresses multiple aspects of interests, without limiting it to the language part. We offered many platforms and chances for interactions and win-win cooperation between the two countries.

We hosted a seminar on women’s status in China and South Africa on International Women’s Day to empower women. Leaders of the student union and other interested students took part in the discussion. Together, they identified issues that both nations shared and resolved them. The students felt closer after the activity and were more curious about one another’s cultures.

Along with organizing events, we operated as a link between various parties to promote China-African cooperation in research and other sectors.

In 2018, we pushed for the foundation of a university-level Center for African-China Studies.

In 2019, we built a link between Nanjing Tech University and the University of Johannesburg. Both universities are strong in engineering. Nanjing Tech University is an engineering-based institution, and the University of Johannesburg is a comprehensive university with a good engineering base.  Two colleges have national laboratories for environmental and chemical engineering. Through our matchmaking, both institutions recommended strengthening the research interchange and collaboration between the two universities in the environmental and chemical industries. In 2019, South Africa-China Joint Research Centre on Chemical and Environmental Engineering was founded.

Many academic members and students in relevant fields who travel to China for research or exchange benefit directly from this program, which is supported by the departments of science and technology of both nations and the Chinese Embassy in South Africa.

In addition, in August 2021, we held the first high-level forum on cultural and tourism cooperation between China and South Africa. Since then, there has been a number of tourism industry practitioners and university students, and teachers coming to UJCI to learn the Chinese language and culture.

Working for UJCI, we need to think out of the box and situate ourselves within a larger, deeper context. When we have a broader perspective and construct a system that is not confined to the field of language education, any portion of the entire system will be beneficial since they are complementary to each other.

When we see the potential of a certain field, whether it be language teaching, cultural activities, scientific research, etc., we grasp every chance, drive initiatives, establish platforms, and bridge between various parties in an effort to realize it. In this way, we may not only improve that field but also contribute to bilateral cooperation.

Report by Guan Yilun, Lin Qianyu, and Sadakat Yussayin, postgraduate students at the School of Journalism and Communication, Renmin University of China; Jiang Xiancheng, a Ph.D. student at the School of Journalism and Communication, Renmin University of China.

WITS University has secured R54 million in funding from the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), to kick-start the South African Quantum Technologies Initiative (SA QuTI).

This follows a written proposal by a national consortium led by Wits professor Andrew Forbes, which saw the DSI commit the first tranche of funding up until March 2025, to set up the national quantum technologies initiative.

Approved by the DSI last year, the SA QuTI is a national undertaking that seeks to create conducive conditions in SA for a globally-competitive research environment in quantum computing technologies, and to grow the local quantum technology industry.

According to Wits, the funding will focus on human capital development, development of emerging leaders, access to quantum computers and advocacy, as well as support for quantum communications and quantum sensing and metrology deployment through start-up entities.

In addition, it will help in the establishment of quantum nodes at five centres, namely Wits University, University of Zululand (UniZulu), Stellenbosch University, University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) – eventually increasing the number of active centres across the country by finding and supporting new emerging quantum leaders.

“We managed to convince government that quantum research is too important to leave to a small research group, and that they should invest in a national programme,” says Forbes.

“It means we can drive the technology and get many quantum nodes up to scratch,” he states, adding the emphasis is on quantum technology, rather than quantum science.

“The aim is to develop people who can do something with the science, so that we can be part of the quantum revolution and develop a quantum economy.”

Quantum computing technology and quantum technology-driven research is not a new concept for the Braamfontein-based higher learning institution.

In 2019, US-headquartered computing giant IBM announced the expansion of its quantum computing efforts to Africa in a new collaboration with Wits.

The partnership saw the institution become the first African partner on the IBM Q Network and the gateway for academics across SA and to the 15 universities that are part of the African Research Universities Alliance.

In the case of the SA QuTI, Wits will manage the project, as well as administer and distribute the funding, while strengthening other research nodes with existing quantum projects, such as Stellenbosch University, CPUT, UKZN and UniZulu, the university reveals.

The aim will also be to start and support new nodes at other research institutions, it notes.

Says Forbes: “The aim is to eventually have a well-established critical mass in the national quantum community and to work with government to draft new legislation, where it comes to quantum technologies.”

While SA is not the first country to adopt a quantum policy framework, the professor is of the view that the move will put the country on the “quantum map”.

As an example, new legislation might be needed to govern the use of quantum computers to crack existing bank security codes. In a new quantum world, a bank would, for instance, not be able to say its systems are secure, if they are not “quantum secure”.

“The moment quantum computers can crack the code, current encryption systems are going to fail. You will need to have quantum security in place,” he says.

The national quantum project will not be focused on building quantum computer hardware, but will focus on writing software and building apps for quantum computers, which Forbes believes is where SA can play a strategic role in the international quantum community.

“It is important to see this not as a physics initiative. We want to involve people with different skillsets, wherever they are, so that we can build a vibrant quantum community and a viable quantum industry,” he concludes.

ITweb