Tshwane University of Technology s3

Approved: Senate 25/10/2004

TSHWANE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

THE PHILOSOPHY ON TEACHING AND LEARNING OF TSHWANE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

1. INTRODUCTION

The philosophy of TUT is a scientific, rational foundation of the principles governing the reasons for its existence, its characteristics and its purpose.

There has to be a direct correlation between the Philosophy of the Institution and its vision, mission, pillars and values. Furthermore, the philosophy of the Institution should be in line with national legislation and policy documents on Higher Education, including the Higher Education Act, NQF, SAQA, CHE, NPHE, PQM, Restructuring of the HE Landscape, HEQC policy, Skills Development Act, NAP.

The development and trends in higher education internationally, as well as the current realities and needs in South Africa and its neighboring countries, require a realignment of higher education institutions to keep pace with global trends and needs in the country.

On the international scene, the impact of globalization, the changing world of work, the information era, new modes of knowledge production and the emergence of a new learning industry have had and are having a major influence on the restructuring of higher education institutions.

In the South African context other dimensions need to be added to these trends. These dimensions include the international competitiveness of the region, large percentages of unemployment, economic indicators that predict low economic growth rates, and youth and literacy profiles that indicate that huge demands will be made on the existing education and training facilities.

The strategic plan of TUT needs to incorporate these trends and simultaneously address a number of fundamental aspects for the sake of a vigorous economy and political stability, which include:

 socio-economic and cultural imbalances  educational imbalances and changing student profile

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 lifelong learning and a new generation knowledge worker  economic degeneration and unemployment  productivity and job motivation  innovation and entrepreneurship  responsiveness to the needs of the economy  community participation and upliftment  the creation of an informed and involved citizenry  improvement of effectiveness  partnerships

The Education White Paper 3: A programme for the Transformation of Higher Education (1997), emphasizes these aspects by stating “there is a chronic mismatch between the output of higher education and the needs of a modernizing economy. In particular, there is a shortage of highly trained graduates in fields such as science, engineering, technology and commerce and this has been detrimental to social and economic development.” It furthermore states that “too many parts of the system observe teaching and research policies which favor academic insularity and closed-system disciplinary programmes.”

The Institution will have to take into account the challenges, opportunities and needs for higher education, the changing world of work within the information era, the emerging international learning industry and new modes of knowledge production, and the trends in Africa, to develop a strategic plan to position itself to fulfill its role effectively and successfully.

2. THE CHANGING ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION ON THE GLOBAL FRONT

The focus of this topic is on the occurrences that are taking place in and around the arena of higher education within the global setting, and which are of specific importance with reference to the South African situation.

As the effects of a world-wide trend of massification of students requiring education and wider access to education, as well as economic instability are making themselves increasingly felt (and even more so in the African context), it leads to governmental and public demand for a re-interpretation of, and greater accountability with respects to secondary and higher education responsibilities; as well as novel and innovative ways of enhancing and exploiting alternative income opportunities.

In terms of the above Gibbons (1998), in a study for the World Bank, indicates that the time is now right for a re-think and diversification in higher education in terms of mission statements, programmes, operating procedures and clients, as well as the centrality of knowledge and intellectual capital in the innovation

S.412/2004 (2) 3 process brought about by globalizing trends. International competition is creating demand for a new generation of knowledge workers, a change that cannot otherwise but influence higher education institutions, who do not only produce knowledge but also, and perhaps more importantly, train future cadres of knowledge producers in most societies.

2.1 THE CHANGING WORLD OF WORK AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

The emerging Information Era brought fundamental changes to the way work is done, business and work is organized, technology is used and the way in which new skills and knowledge disciplines are created. These processes have also been stimulated and accelerated by the effects of globalization. Today success, whether on an individual or country wide basis, depends on vastly different parameters than in the past.

Critical success factors are the exploitation of knowledge, global communication and competitiveness, cross-cultural sensitivity, management of relationships, entry to key networks and time-zone flexibility.

Traditional approaches to business have changed virtually overnight and the sources of wealth and economic development in the Information Era have shifted to knowledge, learning and innovation, which reside in people and have brought new pressures and challenges to the educational systems. For the first time in hundreds of years educational institutions have to deal with fast, radical change linked to a growing need for a new generation of knowledge workers

Knowledge workers are people with much higher levels of relevant, applicable knowledge and skills, who are able to function optimally in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural environments and under rapidly changing circumstances.

The characteristics of the Information Era include:

 Rapid rate of knowledge growth and simultaneously the rapidly decreasing shelf-life of knowledge.  The life cycle of products has been shortened by 40 % over the last five years.  The average life cycle of an enterprise is currently less than twenty years.  The rapid development of new forms of knowledge and technology and knowledge production outside the traditional higher education sector.  Unprecedented increases in productivity expectations.  The doubling time of knowledge and technology is currently estimated at eighteen months.  The shelf-life of knowledge has decreased from eight years in 1975 to three years in 1996.

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It is expected that the number of employees of an average manufacturing organization will halve during the next five years, that the workload will double and that the desired outputs will increase up to three times the present level.

In the transition from an industrial economy to an information economy the job/skills model changes from a pyramid to an egg-shape. Where the pyramid is dominated by a majority unskilled/semi-skilled workers (70 %), the egg-shape model has huge demand for high-level skilled people (80 %).

The following table indicates the impact on organizations and workers in the transition from the industrial economy to the information economy, and which will have a direct impact on the higher education system.

TRANSITION FROM AN INDUSTRIAL ECONOMY TO AN INFORMATION ECONOMY

Characteristic Industrial Era Information Era Nature of jobs Tightly defined positions Knowledge workers that are mobile Nature of organizations Rigid, formula driven Fast, fluid, flexible Source of organizational Physical assets Intellectual assets, team- values centered knowledge Work By individual By team Resources Capital Information/people Leadership Autocratic Inspiring

For the effective utilization of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) in all sectors of the social and economic development of a country, one of the critical factors remains the human resource pool of high-level technologically skilled people. Currently there is a world-wide shortage due to the fact that ICT is becoming an integral part of careers and opportunities across the spectrum of arts, culture, science and technology. The current emphasis in the USA and in countries such as Japan and Singapore on the training of engineers and ICT specialists clearly indicates the future growth markets, using IT platforms and building business applications on it. Leaders in California are describing these challenges by stating that the world has moved into the ICE era (Internet Changes Everything).

2.2 MASSIFICATION OF EDUCATION AND THE EMERGING LEARNING INDUSTRY

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The development of mass higher education in modern industrial societies after World War II was due to a number of independent forces: the democratization of politics and society; the growth of the public sector; a growing industrial and technological economy; the belief that further economic development depended on educated manpower, especially scientists and engineers, as well as the importance of education.

Increasing growth in the numbers of students seeking a university-type education has a number of consequences for the systems of higher education: growth in the old, elite universities, the creation of new universities, the expansion of non- university forms of post-secondary education, the assimilation of sectors to the degree granting system and the expansion of new programmes.

New institutions catering for mass higher education have begun to affect all other areas of society by creating a large population of graduates. They thus created a growing market for new cultural and technological products of all kinds and underpinned the widespread distribution of initiative and innovation in the economy. This made possible the explosive growth of small service and high technology industries, particularly in countries such as the United States. Amongst the most significant effects of mass higher education is the large increase in the market for continuing education in which life-long learning as well as training and retraining are possible and taken for granted by large portions of the population. The readiness to learn greatly increases the capacity of a labour force to respond to rapid technological change and is just as important as the innovations that support it and the competitive markets that drive it.

The emergence of a learning society and the progressive massification of higher education have also direct links with the profound transformation of knowledge production taking place inside and outside the higher education sector. Some of the shifts that have accompanied the massification of higher education in most industrialized countries and which will have an impact on future knowledge production, are highlighted in the following table:

MASSIFICATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION LEADS TO:  The diversification of programmes and variety of functions  A change in social profile of student populations  An emphasis on education for the professions  Growth in problem-oriented research  A decline in primary knowledge production  Use of technology for teaching  Broadening of accountability  Multiple sources of funding for higher education

The massification of higher education has also led to the rapid growth and diffusion of learning activities outside traditional higher education institutions such

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as universities and colleges. Learning now takes place through many enterprise- based organizations, companies and alliances. In communities where educated citizens continuously generate, manipulate and interpret knowledge and information, the value of relevant knowledge and skills is increasingly acknowledged in order to ensure a better quality of life. The need to acquire such knowledge and skills, irrespective of who the provider is, has become a strategic survival and development strategy.  Projections in the USA show that the for-profit adult education market will grow by 12 % annually.  Currently this sector has 4 % of the $210 billion higher education market.

An important trend is that the lines between corporate training and post- secondary education have begun to blur. In the USA partnerships between corporate clients and two- and four-year colleges have become commonplace in recent years. Typically the corporate client specifies the specific needs for its employees and in many cases they are involved in parts of the instruction.

The information and ICE Era has brought new challenges to traditional instructional methodology and media. The utilization of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) has not only broadened access to programmes offered by higher education institutions, but has also paved the way for a variety of flexible learning options.

In certain countries higher education institutions have established different forms of Open Learning Environments through which students have free access to the internet, general information, class notes in a variety of multi-media formats, tutorials, assignments and test papers. The development of sophisticated lecture halls equipped with computer, video and other interactive facilities allows the lecturer to monitor the progress students are making during a lecture or discussion session and enables the lecturer to utilize video clips or library information on-line.

In the USA various models for flexible learning and on-line learning have been implemented successfully to address the challenges linked to a life-long learning strategy. In a national survey in 1998 on the corporate education sector, 88 % of the respondents said that they use live instructions to deliver training. Yet when they were asked to estimate what percentage of their organization’s courses were delivered by live instructors in the classroom, they indicated an average of 70 % for 1998, compared to 81 % the previous year.

USE OF INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA % USE Workbooks/Study Manuals 73 Video tapes 70 Computer-based training 50 Audio-cassettes 39

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Non-computerized self-study program 35 Case studies 33 Internet/www 31 Intranet 21 Video conferencing (to groups) 17

The survey further indicated that about a third of the courses were out-sourced for design, development and delivery.

2.3 THE EMERGENCE OF A NEW MODE OF KNOWLEGDE PRODUCTION

Traditionally most higher education institutions have a model of knowledge production that is disciplinary based. Such as disciplinary based structure of knowledge has come to play a central role in the management and structuring of the programmes of the institution. It forms the basis on which teaching and research and research is structured and uses the specialist within a discipline as the primary driving force. This structure provides guidelines for researchers on what the important problems are, how they should be tackled, who should tackle them, and what should be regarded as a contribution to the field.

2.3.1 Reasons for a new mode of knowledge production

The disciplinary structure adhered to by an educational institution defines both what shall count as “good science” and prescribes what students need to know if they intend to become scientists. Due to the fact that the currently used disciplinary structure has been institutionalized in universities, they have tended to become the primary legitimators of this form of new knowledge generation, which Gibbons (1998) refers to as Mode 1 knowledge production.

Gibbons states that so much new basic knowledge has been generated over time at universities that the market has now become saturated for this type of knowledge. To be useful this knowledge now needs to be configured innovatively and exploited in enterprises that are applicable and beneficial. This implies that the mode of knowledge production as it is currently employed, needs to change in order to create a new type of knowledge production.

According to Gibbons narrowly specialized institutions who produce new knowledge in isolation and which is governed by the interests of that discipline only, need to re-think their operations. He warns that the seat of ultimate knowledge concerning a discipline no longer necessarily resides in a university, bur that professors have now trained enough knowledgeable persons employed elsewhere to become their competitors. Given the fast turnover rate of

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knowledge, persons who operate on the cutting edge in industry may have already, in many instances, outsmarted their professors.

Given the fast turnover rate of knowledge, Gibbons is of the opinion that what is currently taught from books at institutions of higher education is outdated and irrelevant. Rather than research becoming an extension of outdated knowledge as is currently the practice at universities he proposes that it works the other way around, ie that relevant, applied, state-of-the-art research (which, according to him is applied research done in conjunction with persons in industry) feeds into the teaching to keep it up to date and relevant.

These factors mentioned have given rise to a need for a new mode of knowledge production. Gibbons refers to this as Mode 2 knowledge production.

Characteristics of Mode 2 knowledge production

Characteristics of Mode 1 and Mode 2 knowledge are contrasted in the following table:

CHARACTERISTICS MODE 1 MODE 2 Governed by academic interests Governed by a discipline of application Exists as the extension of the Relevant, applied research is the start academic discipline and feeds into facilitation Relates to a single discipline at a time Spans over a number of disciplines, trans-disciplinary Produces new knowledge for the sake Aims to make knowledge useful to of new knowledge apply Emphasis on discovery of new Emphasis on configuration of existing knowledge knowledge Concerns a homogeneity of skills & Relies on heterogeneity & hierarchical structure organizational diversity Operates in relative isolation Operates in collaboration with industry and other partners Relies only on peer review as a Relies also on useful application as a measure of success measure of success

 Knowledge produced in the context of application

The contrast between modes 1&2 lies between knowledge production which is carried out following the codes of practice relevant to a particular academic discipline, and knowledge production which relies on problem solving which is organized around a specific application. In the latter such knowledge is intended to be useful and applicable in industry, for the purpose of

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government or society and this imperative is present right from the start. It incorporates a process in which market supply and demand factors do operate, but occurs in a more diversified format.

A discipline of application ensures that useful knowledge is configured and used as a commercial venture. Maintenance of internationally comparable standards and the possibility of international cooperation and export makes this a valuable method of contributing to global competitiveness and ultimately leading wealth creation in South Africa.

Mode 2 knowledge production in terms of the discipline of applicability can be summed up to be the following: - Knowledge is produced and configured for the sake of applicability - It is governed by the need to solve a relevant problem - It transcends disciplinary and environmental boundaries - Success is measured by its usefulness rather than peer review only - It lends itself to commercialization - It has problem-solving, problem-identification and strategic brokering at its heart - It is not stagnant knowledge, but has the inherent possibility of leading to wealth creation.

 Trans-disciplinarity

Unlike Mode 1, knowledge production according to Mode 2 transcends the boundaries of a single academic discipline to make use of the insights of a number of perspectives and its applicability often lies outside the specific discipline somewhere in industry. It has its strength in synergy and cross- fertilization occurring in the interstices between established disciplines and in networking.

Mode 2 knowledge production operates in collaboration with a number of partners, and in so doing has the benefit of shared use of academic and industrial facilities and technology.

This aspect of Mode 2 knowledge production is characterized by the following: - Guided by synergy and cross-fertilization - It enables shared use of academic and industrial facilities - It is sensitive to social and environmental issues - Improved comparability with international trends and movements is achieved - Improved possibility for application is attained - It is enriched by allowing a number of perspectives from different disciplines

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 Heterogeneity and organizational diversity

Mode 2 knowledge is heterogeneous in terms of the skills and experience persons bring to it. The composition of a problemsolving team can change over time as requirements evolve. Challenging problems emerge in a way which makes their anticipation very difficult. Hence it is marked by:

- an increase in the number and type of organizations where knowledge can be created; no longer only universities and colleges, but non- university institutes, research centers, government agencies, industrial laboratories, think tanks, consultancies - the linking and networking of these organizations may occur in different ways – electronically, organizationally, socially, informally – through functioning networks of communication - the simultaneous differentiation, at these organizations, of fields and areas of study into finer and finer specialities. The recombination and reconfiguration of these sub-fields from the bases for new forms of useful knowledge

In Mode 2, flexibility and response time are the crucial factors. New forms of organization have emerged; people come together in temporary work teams and networks which dissolve when a problem is solved or redefined. Mode 2 knowledge is thus created in a great variety of organizations and institutions, including multi-national firms, network firms, small high-tech companies, government institutions, higher education institutions, government laboratories and institutes, as well as national and international research programmes.

 Social accountability and reflexivity

The growing public concern about issues such as the environment, health, communications, education, security and unemployment have had the effect of stimulating the growth of knowledge production in Mode 2. Growing awareness about the variety of ways in which advances in science and technology can affect the public interest, has increased the number of groups who wish to influence the outcome of the research process. This is reflected in the varied composition of research teams. Social scientists work alongside natural scientists, engineers, lawyers and businessmen, because the nature of the problems requires it. Working in the context of application, increases the sensitivity of scientists and technologists to the broader implications of what they are doing. Operating in Mode 2 makes all participants more reflexive, due to the fact that the issues cannot be specified in scientific and technical terms alone.

 Quality assurance

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Quality in Mode 1 is determined essentially through the peer review judgements about the contributions by individuals. In Mode 2, through the context of application, additional criteria emerge, due to a diverse range of intellectual interests as well as other social, economic or political considerations. Typical questions that are posed, include: Will the solution, if found, be competitive in the market? Will it be cost-effective? Will it be socially acceptable?

The fact that perspectives in Mode 2 knowledge generation exceeds the boundaries of a single discipline necessitates an expanded system of quality assurance, including components such as heterogeneous peer review, self- assessment by teams, continuous monitoring and communication during the process of knowledge production. Closer cooperation and links with the international arena also ensures that internationally acceptable and comparable standards are maintained.

2.3.3 Implications for higher education institutions

In summary, this new mode of knowledge production within the characteristics as outlined above, has important consequences. In the first place it presents the contours of the intellectual landscape – the research and development environment – in which higher education institutions, in the future, are going to have to operate. Second, this is also the environment of many other types of institutions, including but not solely, business corporations. Third, if higher education institutions intend to practice research and development at the forefront of many areas, they are going to have to organize themselves so that they can operate in this mode. One consequence of this is that they will have to become more open, porous institutions, more aggressive in seeking partnerships and alliances, than they are currently. Fourth, these changes are far reaching and profound and are indeed helping to establish the context within which relevance needs to be interpreted.

In this respect Gibbons predicts that institutions may expect a move away from:  a liberal to a professional education  inner to outer directed institutions  knowledge for the sake of knowledge to applicable knowledge  institutional autonomy to partnerships and networks  self-reliance to business amongst/with others  face-to-face tuition to technology enhanced flexible learning

This generates the need for a university of technology which will be geared to respond to the demands and challenges of the 21st century. Considering all these developments, needs and challenges it is of paramount importance for TUT to adopt the approach of Mode 2 Knowledge Production.

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2.4 INTERNATIONAL RESPONSES OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

The aspects described in this section on the changing world of work, massification of education and the new mode of knowledge production, together with issues of globalization and international competitiveness have lead to a variety of responses by a progressive generation of higher education institutions in the world.

The following is a summary from recent publications and reports on the changing environment.

2.4.1 Revision of Higher Education Programmes

There is a major revision of educational programmes at under and post-graduate levels to better address the needs of industry, business and communities. This includes curriculum and courseware design linked to an outcomes based type of education as well as to modes of delivery. The Teaching Factory concept at Nanyang Polytechnic in Singapore, the SUCCEED initiative between eight universities in the USA for first year engineering studies and the TSM Business School in the Netherlands, which exists as a private company and a joint venture between the University of Twente, University of Groningen and Eindhoven University of Technology, are typical examples of recent initiatives.

As part of the internationalization of higher education, institutions are redefined. The Hoogescholen in The Netherlands are becoming Universities of (Higher) Professional Education and the Fachhochschulen in Germany are being renamed as Universities of Applied Sciences.

2.4.2 Flexible learning models

The utilization of ICT for a variety of flexible learning modes and online learning, has broadened access to programmes of higher education institutions, as part of a worldwide lifelong learning philosophy. This covers the total spectrum of technology enhanced distance learning, as well as a variety of modes used within a well-designed curriculum or part of a course. In the case of UCLA Extension/OnlineLearning.net the offerings are restricted to persons at the graduate level. Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University) utilizes the Virginia State network (Net.Work.Virginia) to offer courses at graduate level in Engineering and Business Administration and to offer events via the network for students as part of their learning activities.

2.4.3 Entrepreneurial Higher Education Institutions

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A new generation of innovative and entrepreneurial universities have been established. In a recent publication: Creating Entrepreneurial Universities: Organizational Pathways of Transformation (1998), five institutions in Europe have been identified and analyzed as being very successful: University of Warwick in England, University of Twente in The Netherlands, University of Strathclyde in Scotland, Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and the University of Joensuu in Finland. Common characteristics include: * A strengthened steering core with central faculty involvement and an administrative backbone that fuse new managerial values with traditional academic ones; * The strengthened managerial core consists of agents who work to find resources for the institution as a whole; * A lesser dependency and greater autonomy from government; * An enhanced development periphery where outreach units promote contract research, contract education and consultancy. They include new units and centers that are generally multi- or trans-disciplinary. The university moves into a matrix – type structure of basic units in which traditional departments are supplemented by centers linked to the outside world; * A revised diversified funding base by constructing a portfolio to share rising costs. As new patrons contribute, their expectations of what they should get in return readily intrude to become new constraints; * Academic departments bought into entrepreneurial change, even if the shift for social science departments (excluding economics and business) was more difficult; * Successful entrepreneurial beliefs, stressing a will to change, can in time spread to embrace much and even all of an institution, becoming a new culture; * An organizational identity and focus to solve the problem of severe imbalances and to define anew their societal usefulness.

2.4.4 Centers for Research and Development

There is a move towards the development of R&D centers of specialization with common features such as being multi-disciplinary in nature linked to a thematic approach in general, with the areas of specialization directly linked to the needs of industry and business, and the participation of staff and students from various departments and faculties in the activities of the centre. This includes educational programmes, R&D projects, industrial consultancy, innovation, incubation, the transfer of technology and product development.

There are frequent interactions with business people, venture capitalists, patent lawyers, production engineers and researchers located outside the institution. The R&D outputs may not always be reported in the traditional way through scientific conferences and journals, but be confined to reports closely held by commercial sponsors, and patents and licensing agreements.

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2.4.5 Higher Education – Industry Partnerships

A new dimension in higher education – industry linking and partnerships has emerged. The progressive generation of institutions have realized both the potential and need for cooperation, partnerships and joint ventures with industry and business, linked to an entrepreneurial approach. This ranges from formal education and training programmes and short courses to research and development (R&D) projects and programmes. Examples include:

 the success of Silicon Valley is directly contributed to the extensive linkage with the four major universities (USF; U Berkeley; U Stanford and California State University) and their strong engineering schools;  the Warwick Manufacturing Group of the University of Warwick plays a key role in the development of Warwick Science Park, a hothouse environment for the nurture of high tech companies;  the University of Twente, recognized for its innovative and entrepreneurial approach, seeks to instill a promotional culture towards small and medium- sized firms, utilizing the Twente Business and Science Park, in ensuring a vibrant economic development for the region;  The University of Limerick in Ireland, being the key driver for economic development for the Shannon region, in partnership with local development agencies and industry;  The two universities and four polytechnics in Singapore play a vital role in the economic development plan of EDB for Singapore. Their close linkings with industry and business ensured the establishment of state of the art plants and R&D facilities on the campuses, eg. the GINTIC Institute of Manufacturing Technology at Nanyang Technological University

2.4.6 Contributions towards regional and economic development

An extended and revised role for higher education institutions in contributing towards regional and economic development of the community they serve has emerged. The UK Dearing Report (1997) strongly promotes the establishment of more technology incubator units within or close to an institution for the fostering of start-up companies and to support staff and students in taking forward business ideas developed in the institution. In the case of Silicon Valley in California it has been calculated that more than 1 500 companies have emerged as spin outs from the work of staff and students from the engineering schools of Stanford University. The current value of the IT companies within this group exceeds $90 billion.

In 1996 the sales from technologies licensed by academic institutions in the USA were estimated at $20.6 billion for that year.

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2.4.7 Institutional support structures

Effective institutional support structures for their revised and linking with industry and business are being established. These groups assist in the promotion and facilitation of projects and business development. The structures differ in order to accommodate specific needs of institutions.

2.4.8 Lessons learned

From the responses of international higher education institutions, and successes they have achieved, TUT can consider the adoption of successful strategies.

3. TRENDS AND CHALLENGES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IN AFRICA IN GENERAL AND SOUTH AFRICA IN PARTICULAR

The purpose of this topic is to highlight some of the Africa trends in higher education and to discuss the challenges facing higher education institutions, with a focus on South Africa and its neighbouring countries.

3.1 THE AFRICA TREND IN HIGHER EDUCATION

During the Conference of African Universities in Arusha, Tanzania (1 – 4 February 1999), it was emphasized that universities in Africa must play a more significant role in national development than they do in other major regions of the world.

Contemporary African universities are currently characterized by deteriorating quality of teaching and research. They are also under increasing pressure to follow the world trend to design courses that are of greater relevance to the developmental agenda of the economics on which they now almost exclusively depend for funding.

Factors contributing to the declining quality of education include inter alia, weak internal managerial capacity, lack of resources to facilitate the adoption of technological innovations, micro-management of universities by the national political leadership, poor management of scarce resources and corruption within the institutions themselves. Adding to this, antiquated teaching, learning and evaluation methods, declining quality of intake, unsatisfactory conditions of service and brain drain, the total picture of the Africa crisis in higher education becomes a very gloomy one.

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The lessons to be learned from the Africa trend in higher education include that institutions need to:  become more pro-active  improve their efficiency  do better strategic planning  actively manage change  reduce dependence on government subsides  exploit to the utmost the principles of innovative and entrepreneurial thinking and management  equip all staff to support institutional survival  supply sophisticated workforce that will stimulate and support economic growth.

3.2 CHALLENGES FACING HIGHER EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICAOUTH AFRICA

It is important to consider some of the challenges in more detail. The discussion will be restricted to those challenges to which higher education institutions and more specific universities of technology, need to make significant contributions. The following clustering is an attempt to highlight the key challenges.

3.2.1 Human resource development

Developing an adequate number of proficient human resources is no slight matter. The world of today demands more profit, more efficiency, higher standards and lower overheads. Success depends on the ability to organize, obtain results and adapt readily to changing circumstances. Economic survival and international competitiveness depend on human resource development – on the training and retraining of employees to constantly meet new demands. For higher education to meet these demands the fundamental responsibility is to design, develop, deliver and evaluate learning systems that will maximize relevant student performance at a minimum cost in time, effort and money.

The country needs high-level skilled personpower pool that is not only trained in a specific scientific or technological discipline, but also within multi-disciplinary themes. Leading edge expertise across the various disciplines of science and technology is indeed very important for any young economic developing country, but adding to this people also need other skills. These include communication and language skills, computer literacy, multi-disciplinary cooperative skills, motivation, enthusiasm, commitment, flexibility and a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. The challenge is to develop undergraduate and post-graduate curricula in such a way that an appropriate balance in an integrated approach is obtained.

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Furthermore the country needs an adequate research and development (R&D) expertise pool that is equipped to create new knowledge, designs and inventions as well as contribute to the various steps needed in order to get a product into the market or to implement R&D outputs successfully. The various R&D contributions should be geared towards addressing the national development needs and priorities of the country and the region.

In all aspects of human resource development the promotion of quality is of key importance. This will make a significant difference to the envisaged available human resource pool. In order to achieve these major challenges in human resource development the importance of partnerships has to be emphasized. True partnerships between higher education institutions and industry, government, science councils and different community structures are essential components and prerequisites for success.

3.2.2 Technology and the Information Era

Technology is understood to be knowledge and skills which reside in individuals, and will lead to the development of useful products and rendering of services. In particular the advancement of technology will lead to products and services that will give nations a competitive advantage.

The information era demands an inspiring leadership contributing to this advancement of technology, directly linked to the needs of clients within local and global markets. The transition into the information era demands from higher education institutions to place a much stronger emphasis on the importance of technology in their education and R&D programmes. In particular technikons need to become key players in the practice of technology especially within teaching, transfer and research and development activities. The practice of technology has its origin in the application of practical, useful outcomes of existing scientific knowledge in order to solve a given practical problem, often by finding new applications for existing scientific knowledge. The practice of technology does not only cover the natural science and engineering disciplines, but is also applicable in the arts, human and social sciences.

It is clear that South Africa and in particular the higher education sector must position itself with regard to the ICE era (Internet Changes Everything). A new digital economy is on its way, demanding a new economic learning enterprise in order to address the worldwide shortage in well trained IT experts. This has led to various international education programmes initiated by large multinational IT companies. The programmes include the training of the trainer, provision of infrastructure and software, curriculum and courseware development, certification of training provided and internships for staff of higher education institutions.

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The technology within the ICE era enables higher education institutions to develop and implement strategies for a flexible learning system. The teaching and transfer of technology offers unique opportunities for technology enhanced delivery modes including multimedia, computer based education and online learning.

3.2.3 Community upliftment and development

The demographic tide wave that is sweeping Africa is going to lead to a massive increase in the numbers of students seeking admission and access to higher education. The latest predictions show that the current enrolment figure of circa 600 000 in higher education in South Africa will grow to 1,5 million by the year 2005. The massification of higher education is going to place tremendous pressure on the limited resources and available infrastructure and hence has to be challenged with innovative ways and models by utilizing appropriate educational technologies and ICT.

Community upliftment and development is needed throughout the different educational levels at school, further education and training, including adult basic education and training, and higher education. The major challenge is to ensure a true enrichment towards life skills and life values. In many cases higher education institutions together with the communities involved could play a facilitating role by assisting in identifying the education and training needs of the community and the region. This could lead to appropriate training-the-trainer programmes which forms the heart of community upliftment.

Furthermore there exists a major need for academic support, bridging and technology access programmes, offered in partnership with other educational institutions.

3.2.4 Economic development and International competitiveness

Closely related to the above-mentioned challenges is the economic survival of our country. It is clear that job creation and workforce development have become crucial factors for economic development. The primary focus has become economic development as the only way to job creation, stability and prosperity. Higher education institutions need to reassess their roles and contributions toward stability and economic growth.

Currently South Africa is not meeting the projected GEAR targets for economic growth and the estimated average unemployment rate of 32 % of economically active persons is alarmingly high. Looking at the World Competitiveness Reports over the past few years indicate other serious trends. In 1998 South Africa was rated 42nd overall among 46 countries and placed last in terms of the development of human resources for a competitive economy, a positions that

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South Africa has been maintaining since 1994. In the Africa Competitiveness Report of 1998, South Africa was placed 7th, behind countries such as Mauritius, Botswana and Morocco.

Six factors have been identified in order to ensure sustained economic growth and the consequent increase in wealth of all people. They are:  Law and order  Stable economic climate  Motivated people  Educated and trained people  Technology  Competition

South Africa is competing in the same international market as all the other countries in the world and our productivity will be measured according to the same modern-world norms and measures. The higher education sector needs to realign its strategy in order to ensure that their contributions will impact on productivity and the economic development of the country.

3.2.5 White Papers of Government and the promotion of an entrepreneurial and innovative culture

The Government’s response to these challenges have been outlined in a number of White Papers of which the following two are extremely important in the context of this discussion:  The White Paper on Science & Technology (1996)  The Education White Paper 3: A Programme for the Transformation of Higher Education (1997)

The White Paper on Science & Technology strongly advocates a National System of Innovation (NSI). The NSI must support and promote the attainment of national objectives by the creative use of the outputs of the science and technology system with regard to new knowledge and technologies. The knowledge, technologies, products and processes produced must be converted into increased wealth and into an improved quality of life for all members of society.

It furthermore emphasizes the importance of technological innovation as the underlying engine for modern economic development. Technological innovation is the process which transforms the development of new knowledge into new wealth. It’s an embracing process, which includes the activities that give rise to the invention as well as all the steps that lead to successful commercialization.

The Education White Paper on the Transformation of Higher Education strongly supports technological innovation and the National System of Innovation by

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stating that the higher education system is in fact an integral component of the NSI. It furthermore highlights:  The mismatch between the outputs of higher education and the needs of a modernizing economy  Differentiation within the higher education market to supply the diverse spectrum of personpower South Africa needs  South Africa’s rapid entry into global economic relations, the competitive arena of international production and finance and rapid changes as a result of new information and communication technologies  The re-orientation of institutions of learning, the redress of inherited inequalities and an increased and broadened participation.

It is important to realize that these visions and objectives will not be achieved automatically – it needs a clear strategy and business plans. In a recent paper (Correa, 1998) on Argentina’s national innovation system, it was clearly indicated that their higher education sector is not participating as originally envisaged and that the sector is not constituting a source of technologies for use by their private sector.

In recent documents of the Department of Education on the three year rolling plan process for higher education institutions the importance of regional collaboration between higher education institutions has been emphasized. The Department will introduce incentives designed to:  increase co-operation in the number and proportion of academic programmes offered jointly by institutions in a region  encourage inter-institutional research projects  encourage the joint utilization of the human and physical resources available to higher education institutions in a region.

3.2.5 Technology development in South Africa

A recent research project on the development and establishment of technology in South Africa conducted by a team of Technikon Pretoria (1998) revealed similar trends as in the case of Argentina. The survey investigated the factors that promote the development and establishment of technology, the importance of those factors as well as the performance of South Africa in this regard. The overall outcome showed that South Africa is very poorly positioned and that the effectiveness and efficiency of the development of technology in South Africa is at a level close to total failure.

The following three factors were identified as being very important for a country:  An adequate pool of high-level technologically skilled personpower  The role of higher education institutions  The presence of entrepreneurs who are successful in the development and establishment of technology

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The survey revealed that the science and technology leaders in South Africa are of the opinion that the country is indeed performing poorly with regard to these factors. On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 indicating total success and 1 indicating a total failure, the average response on these factors were between 3 and 4. This re-emphasizes the urgent need for the revision of the role that higher education institutions must play in this regard.

3.2.7 The role of the University of Technology

The White Paper on the Transformation of Higher Education clearly states that higher education must be restructured to meet the “needs of an increasingly technological economy with the capacity to participate in a rapidly changing global context” and “to prepare for integration into the competitive arena of international production and finance”.

To address this crisis, policy makers in many countries suggest and apparently simple solution: higher education should produce an indigenous supply of able and highly qualified person power, particularly in the areas of science, and technology and management, which are seen as engines of progress. A strategy for partially addressing the skills shortage has been to create “new” universities or trying to steer traditional universities toward science and technology, complemented by professional subjects. The White Paper clearly indicated a new “technology focus”. The new critical role the universities of technology have to play in South Africa is becoming more evident by the day. The country has an urgent need for more institutions of higher education with different academic cultures – institutions that focus on stimulating economic growth and increasing international competitiveness, institutions that inject a new generation of highly skilled graduates with relevant specialized knowledge and skills, and who will become essential tools of progress in a competitive workforce.

4. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT

From the international and national perspectives highlighted in Sections 2 and 3 it is clear that dynamic higher education institutions are indeed facing enormous and exciting challenges.

The new and critical role that TUT has to play in South Africa is becoming more evident by the day. The country has an urgent need for higher education institutions with different academic cultures – institutions that focus on stimulating economic growth, increasing international competitiveness and improving quality of life, institutions that inject a new generation of highly skilled graduates into a generally unmotivated and poorly educated workforce. If these graduates have relevant specialized knowledge and skills, they will become essential tools of progress in a competitive workforce.

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TUT, with a strong focus on the changing need of the labour market, its innovative and entrepreneurial mindset, quality career focused education and addressing the needs of industry and society, can make major contributions.

4.1 GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

The concept of a University of Technology has been born from the need to embody this revised and particular type of institution. Examples mentioned in Section 2 clearly show that there are different models for “universities of technology” across the globe. The university of technology concept in Australia differs largely from the Eindhoven University of Technology in The Netherlands of the ETH in Switzerland, the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. In each case the institution has certain uniqueness, closely related to the specific environment and challenges in which they have to operate. Hence there is no single clear concept on the notion of a university of technology. There are however a number of common characteristics linked to these types of institutions of higher education.

The University of Technology will also share with general universities many common characteristics and responsibilities, like the following core responsibilities stated by Watts (1997):  establish by example a respect for scholarship and teaching  instill in its students a love and respect for learning as an activity inseparable from life itself  teach those skills which underpin professional practice and understanding of the need to enhance and update those skills as graduates  provide for its staff and students and its community an independent forum of debate on, and for the development of those values which determine the quality of life within a community and the professional fulfillment of graduates  provide formal and informal learning opportunities leading to and understanding and tolerance of people and cultures, so that judgements can be made without prejudice  encourage and sustain a curiosity and a search for truth as the foundations of independent and cooperative research of fundamental and applied significance, both in the service of the community and as an activity of value in its own right,  seek ways to use the human and physical capital of the university in the service of the community, normally through cooperative activity and partnerships.

4.2 SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS

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At this University of Technology, technology is not only the focus of study, but it is also the object of study. The University of Technology will be characterized by the following:  a strong corporate-orientation focus  service to industry and the community  own characteristics roles and values  relevance of programmes  responsiveness to and fulfillment of the needs of industry, community and society  appointment of experts acknowledged by industry  strong attention to niche areas  emphasis on scholarship, innovation and R&D  transfer of technology  preparation of a new generation of knowledge workers  curricula will be developed around the graduate profiles defined by industry and professions  a focus on strategic research, applied research and professional practice  the primary concern is the development of vocational/professional education  technological capabilities are as important as cognitive skills  multi-level entry and exit points for students.

4.2.1 The discipline of specialization in application

The first distinguishing characteristic is built on the concept of the discipline of specialization in application, used as an overall description for the new mode of knowledge production as discussed in section 2.3 and in general referred to as Mode 2 knowledge production.

Knowledge production and utilization within the discipline of specialization in application has to be seen as a cross cutting characteristic over the education, research and development to capture the key aspects of the discipline of specialization in application within the Southern African framework.

Specialization in (knowledge) application is a fundamental approach that exploits useful knowledge to become applicable and be to the benefit of communities, government, industry and to overall socio-economic development of a country. It cuts across the total spectrum of the human, social and natural sciences and technology. Furthermore it is trans-disciplinary due to the problem based approach, linked to relevant knowledge and skills available. The team concept with specific knowledge contribution, forms an integral part of this approach.

Students trained in this characteristic will be ready to contribute to economic prosperity and improved quality of life. This should not be confused with practical skills. The knowledge and skills obtained within the discipline of specialization in application provides one with tools and experience to be utilized within and

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In the following paragraphs this approach is discussed in more detail for the key education functions of the higher education institution. Simultaneously this discipline of application also needs to be incorporated into the management and academic support structures of the institutions.

Education programmes The discipline of specialization in application challenges the institution to become a learning organization together with programmes offered relevant to the needs and priorities of the country. Education programmes need to ensure that qualifying students will, indeed, have extensive knowledge and skills that they can apply, but also an ethos to make knowledge useful. Furthermore, as knowledge workers they need to become the next generation of knowledge producers who will be able to challenge the problems and opportunities within a developing environment. They will have to learn how to exploit knowledge and opportunities in an innovative and entrepreneurial manner, not only to help the country excel but also enhance international competitiveness.

This implies that the education programmes have to:  incorporate the needs of industry through pro-active engagement with industry  curriculate and set standards in harmony with industry  exploit cooperative education and industrial attachment/exposure  specialize in the making knowledge useful and applicable  incorporate different educational methodologies  ensure effective processes for the collation and appropriate utilization of information  develop value systems and an ethos which ensures that today’s students will be equipped with knowledge and skills for tomorrow’s changes.

The challenge is going to be to ensure leading edge expertise across scientific and technological disciplines together with a variety of other skills, including communication, computer literacy, motivation, commitment, multi-disciplinary cooperative skills, and a spirit of innovativeness and entrepreneurship.

Research and development programmes Research and development (R&D) within the discipline of specialization in application is understood to be the creative investigation into problems in order to create new knowledge and to utilize existing and new knowledge in devising applications and solving these problems. Specialization in knowledge application emphasizes the importance of relevance, appropriateness and applicability of the R&D undertaken. It, furthermore, promotes a new approach towards formulating projects, executing projects and the utilization of knowledge created.

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Much of the knowledge production within the specialization in application, has its origins in the interaction of groups consisting of academic and other knowledge workers within government, industry and society at large. This new mode of knowledge production and application does not only operate within the context of application and trans-disciplinarity but also needs the heterogeneity in terms of skills and experience persons bring to it.

Post-graduate students play a very important role in these programmes. They will spend much of the formative part of their R&D training and practice working collaboratively in teams of various kinds, closely tied to a problem solving context, becoming skilled at handling more than one intellectual framework and relating it to the presenting R&D problem.

International post-graduate students need to be part of this new mode. The identification of those scholarships that can benefit through the sharing of resources will ensure that the exchange of international students forms an important component within the collaborative context.

One of the key challenges remains the utilization of existing and new information and knowledge, by adding value and packaging it in such a way that its application indeed solves the original identified problem.

The main change is that knowledge production, transfer and diffusion are no longer self contained activities, carried out in relative institutional isolation. The R&D outputs in the form of product and process development, adaptation and diffusion of technology, demonstration of results and the solutions to problems, need to be disseminated and implemented within appropriate environments. This approach will contribute to the economic development of the region and the improvement of the quality of life of people.

Community development and upliftment The discipline of specialization in application paves the way to incorporate the identified community priorities and needs into the educational and research and development programmes of the institution. This key function will no longer be a separate activity in isolation but will become integrated into the programmes and projects of the institution.

The involvement and participation of communities in identifying needs and priorities as well as their involvement as team members in activities such as curriculum transformation, courseware development, the offering of training initiatives, adult lifelong learning, participation in the design and execution of R&D projects and the dissemination of research finding, will bring a new dimension into the role and contribution of the higher education institution.

4.2.2Leadership through technology

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The second major characteristic of this University of Technology is its leadership through technology. As stated earlier in paragraph 3.2.2, the term technology is understood to be the availability of knowledge and skills for the development of useful products and the rendering of services. The terms products and services need to be interpreted within a broader setting, incorporating “hard” and “soft” products and services, in a similar way as the traditional references to hard and soft sciences.

The current trends in the knowledge and information technology (KIT) clearly indicate a major shift towards mastering the knowledge and technology for its creative utilization. Hence the real challenge for a University of Technology is to be a key player in the practice of technology within its education technology transfer, research and development and community upliftment activities. This includes the following:  Leadership in the application of technology The development, adaptation, transfer and diffusion of technology across the spectrum of the sciences and at various appropriate levels within the national and international context, has to be closely linked to the current and future needs of government, communities and commerce and industry. Staff and students must not only be able to demonstrate their mastery of technology, but also through the practice of technology contribute to the various steps within technological innovation, right from the start of an idea or concept up to the diffusion of technology and successful commercialization of the product or service. This creates a major challenge in utilizing the limited funds available in converting available knowledge and skills into technology which is useful to the people and has market place in the Southern African region or on world markets.

The development of R&D focus areas around specific themes with a critical mass of staff, students infrastructure and equipment is an appropriate mechanism in order to establish technology leadership. These focus areas which are applied and multi-disciplinary in nature, need to be developed into R&D centers of excellence with activities focusing on educational programmes, consultancy work, service delivery and R&D programmes.

 Leading through the utilization of technology The cost effective, efficient and affordable utilization of information and communication technology (ICT) in the key performance areas of the institution has to form part of a strategy to optimize productivity and the utilization of resources. This includes: # The use of ICT for information systems, data warehousing, competitive intelligence, decision support systems and strategic planning and management. # The use of ICT in local and regional networks, linkings into intranets and the internet and ensuring a connectivity environment for access to worldwide information

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# The utilization of ICT in educational programmes and models, technology enhanced (distance) learning telematic education, in order to address major challenges linked to massification and life-long learning. # The utilization of ICT in R&D programmes, computational infrastructures in support of R&D and the development of networks among and between teams at various institurions. # A human resource pool of ICT experts that understand the current and future trends and needs within the higher education environment.

The utilization of ICT forms part of a broader integrated technology plan of an institution. This incorporate the various technology needs of academic programmes, support facilities and administrative support departments, including library services, student support services and office equipment. The successful implementation of an integrated technology strategy will contribute significantly to increase productivity and the overall effectiveness of the institution.

4.2.3 An innovative and entrepreneurial culture

A key characteristic of this University of Technology is an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit and approach among management, staff and students which is reflected in the education and R&D programmes, community development initiatives, as well as in the strategic plan, the resourcing, the marketing and the overall management of the institution.

This spirit and approach needs to clearly distinguish the institution from other types of higher education institutions. It has to become an integral part of the daily functioning of the institution, cutting through all the policies, processes and procedures.

Within this framework innovation should be considered as the process of transforming an idea into a new or improved product, process or approach. It relates to the actual needs of societies and involves application in scientific, technological, organizational or commercial fields. An innovative culture hence describes a mindset which is creative in identifying and transforming good ideas in a pro-active way. Entrepreneurship is the ability to recognize possible ‘business’ opportunities and ideas, and to transform them into value added activities. The essence being “doing something different rather than doing better what already is being done”. That is the reason why innovation is said to be the specific instrument of entrepreneurship.

Managing an organization as an innovative and entrepreneurial institution will therefore imply that the way the organization goes about its business needs to be revised. The end products should be, amongst others:  the development of staff nurturing this culture  revised academic programmes and curriculums which instill an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit

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 R&D programmes that promote an innovative and entrepreneurial culture  Support services of the organization incorporated into the revised culture and strategy  The establishment of innovation/incubation centers where innovative ideas can be transformed into products and the promotion of the establishment of new SMME’s can take place.

This is directly in line with the primary objectives of the National System of Innovation which is currently being implemented in South Africa.

4.2.4 Vibrant partnerships

Another important specific characteristic of this University of Technology is the promotion and establishment of vibrant partnerships with higher education, government, industry and communities at a regional, national and international level.

The term vibrant partnerships is used to incorporate various models of partnerships, including cooperation, collaborative and joint venture initiatives, and lead towards a win-win situation for the involved parties.

A well-developed higher education – industry (large and small) interface and collaboration with the various humanitarian and commercial sectors is of key importance. Regional, national and international cooperation amongst higher education institutions should form an integral part of this approach.

The development and promotion of partnerships with various groups in the public and private sectors need to be linked to the corporate goals and objectives of the institution and the various educational, R&D and community development programmes.

On the international front, international recognition and accreditation of diplomas and degrees offered, including the joint presentation of under and post graduate programmes with similar type of universities in other parts of the world, will be part of guaranteeing the standing of our university of technology.

In particular, the various challenges include:  Partnerships and joint ventures with the fast emerging learning industry. This includes the joint offering of educational programmes through experiential learning opportunities, the utilization of ICT within a flexible learning setting, as well as learning franchise opportunities.  Partnerships with research foundations, commerce and industry, government departments, science councils and other higher education institutions for the development of R&D focus areas, with a focus on applied and strategic areas, shared knowledge and expertise, as well as the joint utilization of facilities.

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 Joint academic business development initiatives with commerce and industry in order to exploit the intellectual property of the institution. This includes the development of appropriate business incubators, innovation centers and SMME development and support centers. The establishment of spin out companies, technology transfer and diffusion units and appropriate science and technology service structures should become part of the partnership initiative.

It’s clear that different groups and organizations need to be incorporated into such a strategy and that this also has to be linked to other current initiatives in the county. This includes the economic development plans and initiatives at national and regional level, regional consortia of higher education institutions as well as major job creation and SMME development initiatives.

5. IMPLEMENTING THE PHILOSOPHY

The approved philosophy of TUT should underpin its strategic plan, which includes the strategies and plans to implement the philosophy to ensure that TUT will fulfill its purpose effectively and successfully.

REFERENCES

(To be specified when the document is finalised.)

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