Entrepreneurship programme within universities

This programme, a brainchild of the DHET, was conceptualised with the strategic purpose of a) building a culture of entrepreneurship on our campuses and b) encouraging interventions to develop students into young entrepreneurs as they progress through to graduation. The DHET is in discussions with USAf about the latter taking over the programme and implementing and managing it wholly, and, in that context, also becoming a home of the centre for engagement with universities. To that end, the USAf Office has presented a proposal to the DHET, which includes provision of office space and the provision of financial, technical and other management services in this respect. In essence, the entrepreneurship programme will become a USAf project funded by DHET.

The USAf Board embraced the DHET’s allocation of R18 million to facilitate the start-up engagement with universities in this regard. The Board indicated that this initiative would fit well in the work of the new World/Future of Work Strategy Group. They further tasked the Finance and Investment Committee to assess the financial implications of procuring additional office space in this context and of incorporating the management of this programme into USAf operations, and to advise the Board as appropriate.

USAf could start engaging member institutions soon, encouraging interventions to develop students into entrepreneurs as they progress through to graduation.  Photo: courtesy of VUT

The 2018 BRICS Academic Forum

Members of the USAf Board were encouraged to attend the Brazil, China, India and Russia 2018 Academic Forum which will be hosted in Stellenbosch from 5 to 7 July 2018.  The thinking is to shift the prevailing BRICs agenda away from bureaucratic domination towards a more academic focus. A budget of R1million has been allocated to six national technical committees tasked to initiate the work of structuring masters and doctoral degrees in specific areas with counterparts in Brazil, China, India and Russia.

Formal invitations will follow in due course.

Student-related issues

The Board requested the Registrars’ Imbizo to share lessons and experiences amongst themselves in terms of online registrations and how this functionality can be used to enhance operations, especially during times of instability. The Registrars’ Imbizo was also requested to

Share constitutions of Student Representative Councils (SRCs) with a view to developing a best practice guide regarding how SRCs are constituted and administered within the system.