Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University - CHET

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University:

An Engine of Economic Growth for South Africa and the Eastern Cape Region?

by Rómulo Pinheiro, University of Oslo

HERANA

Paper prepared for the

Higher Education Research and Advocacy Network in Africa

(HERANA)

Published by the Centre for Higher Education Transformation (CHET),House Vincent, Ground Floor, 10 Brodie Road, Wynberg Mews, Wynberg, 7800Telephone: +27(0)21 763-7100Fax: +27(0)21 763-7117E-mail: [email protected]

© CHET 2010

Produced by COMPRESS.dslwww.compressdsl.com

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. The Nature of the ‘Pact’ between HE and Society 1

3. Institutionalisation Processes 33.1 Strategic Framework 33.2 Structural Arrangements 6

4. Conclusions 18

References 19

NMMU: An Engine of Economic Growth for South Africa and the Eastern Cape Region? 1

1. Introduction

South African higher education (HE) has been in a state of transformation ever since the country became a modern democracy in the mid-1990s (Mouton 2003; Swartz 2006). In recent years, a major item in the policy agenda has been the consolidation (rationalisation) of the sector via institutional amalgamations or mergers, a framework set out in the 2001 ‘National Plan for Higher Education’ (Cloete et al. 2004). Besides eleven traditional research-intensive universities offering discipline-based degrees and seven universities of technology focusing on career-orientated and professional programmes, the new institutional landscape includes five comprehensive (or dual) universities combining both roles. The creation of comprehensive institutions was driven by a governmental desire for the following four conditions: (i) improved access to, and articulation between, different types of programmes; (ii) efficiency gains; (iii) research synergies; and (iv) enhanced responsiveness to regional (social and economic) needs (Oosthuizen 2009).

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) was established in 2005 as a comprehensive university. It was the result of the merger between the Port Elizabeth Technikon (PET), the University of Port Elizabeth (UPE), and the local campus of the Vista University (Vista PE). NMMU is a medium-size predominantly undergraduate institution located in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. In 2009, 22 503 students enrolled across NMMU’s seven faculties and 20 schools.1 The university is staffed by a personnel of 1 767, amongst which 38% are academics with 73% having a permanent position. In contrast to the other case studies in the HERANA project, NMMU is not the ‘flagship’ university of the country. The rationale for selecting it as a case is threefold. First, since the university represents a new type of hybrid institution in the South African HE system. Second, given that the policy rationale for the creation of comprehensive universities relates, partly, to the ability to respond to emergent environmental demands

1 The bulk of students (92%) are campus-based with the remaining being distance ones

(Sheppard 2009). In 2008, the graduation rate across all programmes was 20.2%, with 4 463 students

successfully graduating (ibid.).

emanating from a variety of publics (students, private sector, government, civil society, etc.). Third, the Eastern Cape region lags behind the rest of the country with respect to various socioeconomic indicators.2

The data used in this report was gathered in the period between the autumn of 2007 and the summer of 2009. All in all, more than 50 qualitative, semi-structured interviews (lasting about one hour each) with senior academics and administrators at NMMU were undertaken. Various internal units, both academic and administrative, were included, encompassing the leadership structures at the central and unit levels. In addition, the site visits also included a series of interviews with external stakeholders, local chambers of commerce, student unions, and local government. All the interviews were transcribed in verbatim and analysed in detail. The data findings were categorised in light of the thematic nature of the project and its particular focus areas.3 Various quantitative elements were drawn upon via NMMU’s internal statistics office and through referring to publicly available governmental reports.

2. The Nature of the ‘Pact’ between HE and Society4

During the Mbeki era (1999–2008), particularly in its early stages, HE was not seen as a central element or key sector in the context of the policy debates permeating the government’s macroeconomic development agenda. Only towards the end of its mandate, did the Mbeki government start raising the issue of partnerships with universities through the work of the Presidential Working Groups. In late 2005, the then Minister of Education Naledi Pandor stated:

2 These include: high unemployment, social inequalities, high levels of preventable diseases,

a low skills base, dependence on subsidies and social grants, standalone and low value-added

industries, export of unprocessed raw materials, low levels of inward investment, poor land access

and high crime rates (CHET 2003).

3 For an overview of the HERANA project consult CHET’s website at: http://chet.org.za/

programmes/herana/

4 The assessment shown here is as seen from the perspective of institutional stakeholders, for

the most part through the eyes of senior leadership structures at either the central or unit level.

2 NMMU: An Engine of Economic Growth for South Africa and the Eastern Cape Region?

Universities do not exist in vacuum; they are a fundamental part of the development structures of any society in which they exist. History has shown that it is impossible for universities to seek isolation or insulation from social forces that influence progress and development. (Pandor 2005: 1)

While referring to then President Mbeki’s view on the role of HE in society, Minister Pandor stressed that, as a whole, the sector ‘needs to accommodate our nation’s quest for regeneration and its commitment to the alleviation of poverty and the acceleration of development.’ (ibid.: 2–3). Nonetheless, according to national observers such debates occurred on an ad hoc basis and were characterised by the lack of a structured approach, for example, with respect to forging ‘triple helix’ partnerships between universities and the public and private sectors (Benner & Sandström 2000; Etzkowitz & Leydesdorff 2000) in the context of knowledge transfers and the setting of a national/regional innovation system (Hölttä 2000; Lester & Sotarauta 2007). According to some of the respondents, the previous administration led by President Mbeki was characterised by a fragmentation of policy centres dealing with issues associated with macroeconomic development. This fact, in itself, partly explains the lack of a coherent overarching framework based on a clear articulation of roles and responsibilities across various government layers and sectors of the economy.

At the ministerial level, the policy agenda set by the Department of Education (DoE) in recent years has been, for the most part, dominated by structural issues such as the re-configuration of the institutional landscape in light of the historical legacy left by the apartheid regime (e.g. insofar as equity/efficiency is concerned). Capacity issues at the level of the DoE may also have played a role since the branch of government dedicated to steering the HE sector was seen by many as relatively under-resourced, thus lacking the adequate human and financial capacity to undertake broader policy efforts like the contribution of universities to the economic development of the country as a whole.

At the regional level, provincial governments, particularly so

within the Eastern Cape region, have traditionally lacked both the political willingness and steering capacity to articulate and lead a series of structured arrangements geared towards fostering local economic development through the concerted effort of a wide variety of stakeholders, HE included. In the case of the Eastern Cape, not only has the historical engagement between the HE institutions (HEIs) present in the region and regional government structures been rather weak, but, perhaps more importantly, the university sector has traditionally been conceived (by the provincial government) as an esoteric space characterised as having a national, rather than a regional, mandate.5 On the basis of the data collected it is clear that, in the case of the Eastern Cape, there is a lack of an ongoing, structured dialogue between various regional stakeholders, either at sectorial level (education) or between universities and other sectors of the economy like regional industry.6 As indicated by a senior NMMU administrator: ‘There’s no space, no networks existing for those conversations to take place.’

As far as incentive structures are concerned, the bulk of the government’s funding instruments targeting the HE sector are not, as such, geared towards directly supporting universities’ role in national/regional economic development. This is visible in the funding formula for universities which is still based on traditional outputs (student numbers and research publications) with no incentives built to support ‘third mission’ types of activities. Research in the Nordic countries (Sweden and Finland) highlights the importance of dedicated governmental funding in enhancing the institutionalisation of the economic development mission of universities (Benner & Sandström 2000; Marton 2007; Srinivas & Viljamaa 2007). In the case of South Africa, this aspect is further aggravated by the current financial stringency linked to the country’s economic slowdown as well as the various crises facing the economy (HIV/Aids, criminality, unemployment, etc.).

5 It is worth stressing that, historically speaking, the South African polytechnic sector has played

a stronger regional role, in spite of the little articulation from the side of regional/local government

structures.

6 For example, the city of Port Elizabeth is dominated by the automobile industry, which is

currently facing a major (global) re-structuring crisis, likely to affect other sectors of the local

economy as well.


As for NMMU, the current budget deficit, likely to last for a couple of more years, combined with the daily battle for survival in an increasingly competitive institutional landscape, act as major bottlenecks constraining the university’s ability to build additional capacity (both human and financial) to tackle socioeconomic dilemmas facing the nation and Eastern Cape region. As outlined by a senior administrator:

All of us [South African universities] are so involved with this battling to survive and to make sure that the system ticks over that our capacities are stretched, our forces are stretched, and often we just do not have the energy or the space, and sometimes the will too, to tackle more ambitious and larger-scale regional- or provincial-wide projects aimed at combatting poverty systematically, with other partners of course, addressing issues of structural unemployment and stimulating regional, industrial or economic development in a major way. I think our interactions are ad hoc and piecemeal and local, and opportunistic, as opposed to strategic and proactive and systematic.

Nonetheless, there are some signs of encouragement. For example, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has recently initiated talks around the notion of a ‘regional innovation hub’ where universities are likely to play a major role, a strategy successfully undertaken in other countries (cf. Hölttä 2000). However, as pointed out by some of the respondents, the existing fragmentation will need to be addressed, since, today, the various science councils are involved in funding particular developmental projects with little coordination and strategic insight amongst stakeholders.

To quote a senior NMMU administrator:

There’re hardly any trilateral conversations between those science councils, the universities and provincial governments in leveraging opportunities beyond the individual faculty making a contribution towards a certain project.

Going forward, from the side of NMMU’s central leadership, it is very much hoped that, in the near future, the new Zuma administration, via its planning commission, will be willing and able to facilitate a context and lead an ongoing discussion involving the various stakeholders (HEIs, industry, unions, government, etc.) with respect to developing a systematic (long-term) framework for engagement, which, if successfully accomplished, is likely to culminate in a set of strategic goals (and actions) and a clear division of roles and responsibilities. As far as HE is concerned, the aspects mentioned above clearly show that there is a need for articulating a bold vision for the sector insofar as its economic development role is concerned. In other words, there is a need for devising a new social ‘pact’ between HE, government and society (Maassen & Olsen 2007).7

3. Institutionalisation Processes

This section of the report looks more closely at NMMU’s internal dynamics. In particular, it focuses on the way in which the economic development mission or mandate affects structural arrangements and behavioural postures across various parts of the organisation. As background information, it is worth pointing out that, despite its recent history, NMMU has had two distinct leadership structures. One led by former UPE Vice-Chancellor (VC) Dr Rolf Stumpf (2005–2007) and the current one (2008 onwards) by Prof. Derrick Swartz, former VC (1999–2007) of the University of Fort Hare (East London). Whereas the previous administration’s main task was that of exercising the merger, organisationally speaking, the current administration’s main role is that of consolidating the process and further developing NMMU’s institutional profile/identity.

3.1 Strategic Framework

Mission, Vision and Values The work leading to the integration of the three separate

7 A ‘pact’ is different from a contract and, in essence, pertains to a long-term agreement (based

on an ongoing dialogue and common trust) about the role of the sector in society, including its direct

economic contributions.


institutions mentioned earlier was substantiated around the notion of an engaged university:

Engagement refers to a systematic relationship between HE and its environment that is characterised by mutually beneficial interaction in the sense that it enriches learning, teaching, and research and simultaneously addresses societal problems, issues and challenges. (CHET 2003: 4)

As such, mergers (in or outside HE) always give rise to radical change processes leading to the disintegration of previously established (institutionalised) formal arrangements and informal postures or mindsets. Despite being largely accepted by internal stakeholders, the data findings reveal that the notion of engagement is not unproblematic. There is a wide variety of normative connotations (both positive and negative) associated with an engaged university. For example, for many internal actors, it is not entirely clear what the distinction between engagement and the traditional service function of universities is. According to David Perry, Director of the Great Cities Institute,8 a crucial difference lies on the fact that ‘engagement feeds back into changes in research and curriculum in the institution’ (CHET 2003: 10), i.e. its core activities whereas service has traditionally been conceived as a peripheral activity not necessarily connected with the primary activities of teaching and research. Thus, unsurprisingly, NMMU’s current mission statement reads as follows:

The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University is an engaged and people-centred university that serves the needs of its diverse communities by contributing to sustainable development through excellent academic programmes, research and service delivery. (NMMU 2009, emphasis added)

Notwithstanding its general acceptance, the various site visits to NMMU reveal an interesting contrast in leadership approaches. Whereas the former central administration led by Prof. Stumpf

8 The Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois (Chicago) conducts and supports engaged,

inter-disciplinary, high-impact, research and partnerships that address key urban issues on a local/

global scale. Online at: http://www.uic.edu/cuppa/gci/about/index.htm

clearly conceived of the university as a strategic instrument or tool for leveraging certain policy agendas (like economic development), the current administration is much more cautious about it.9 Amongst other aspects, it is pointed out that the impacts of university activities are much more ambiguous and indirect than is advocated by instrumentalist perspectives conceiving of universities as ‘engines’ for economic growth and development (Chatterton & Goddard 2000; Harding et al. 2007; Lester & Sotarauta 2007; OECD 2007; Schwartzman 2008).10 As indicated by a senior administrator:

It’s not a direct infusion, injection of value in solving immediate economic problems as such. In fact universities are probably not designed in a manner that predisposes them to easily play that sort of instrumental [role]... I mean, there is an instrumentality about what we do and I guess we do provide skills in the economy, but I don’t think they function in an instrumentalist manner – at least not in an easy way that for me is discernable, where we can calculate the economic impact with a fixed datum and so on, easily.

From a value-laden or cultural perspective, the ongoing discussions about the role of NMMU in society are characterised by a number of tensions. One group of internal stakeholders, often traced to the old PET and/or Vista, argues that engagement, not a new activity per se, basically means that the central focus of the university should be on more vocational, practical training as well as applied (mode 2) research aimed at enhancing the employability of graduates and tackling the needs of the labour market and the national/regional economy.11 In contrast, academics associated with the old UPE, a more traditional type of university, claim that the focus should be on basic knowledge structures in both teaching and scholarship activities, and that

9 The previous administration was keen to conceive of engagement as part of an overarching

strategy defining the profile of a ‘new generation university’, distinct from the traditional notion of

university as an ’ivory tower’.

10 For a discussion on the shortcomings associated with an instrumental view on university

activities see Olsen (2007, 2005). Consult Arbo and Benneworth (2007) for a recent review of the link

HE-Regional Development.

11 Consult Gibbons et al. (1994) for a discussion on ’mode 1’ and ’mode 2’ knowledge

production.


universities are not adequately designed to respond quickly to external demands. Mirroring the traditional academic reaction towards imposed change, the latter group of actors further claims that, ‘too much’ engagement may end up compromising academic freedom. As indicated by a senior administrator:

We’ve achieved the formal merger but the qualitative and strategic issues have not yet been resolved […] A good synergy is required to entertain multiple and relevant missions.

A strategic arena where existing internal tensions are being addressed is around NMMU’s institutional profile, exercised around the ‘Vision 2020’ (Sheppard 2009). The current strategic framework refers to key aspects such as ‘equity’, ‘excellence’, ‘integrity’, ‘innovation’, and ‘engagement’. As far as ‘engagement’ is concerned a special emphasis is given to partnerships with stakeholders and communities in/around the immediate locality and the Southern Cape region, as well as collaborations with university counterparts both nationally and internationally, particularly across the African continent. With respect to responsiveness to stakeholders’ needs, another key element characteristic of a new generation university, the new (draft version) Vision 2020 aims at:

• Enabling a distinct academic brand that promotes excellence and responsiveness in all forms of scholarship and innovation;

• Significant national and global networks with prestigious, mutually beneficial partnerships at local, regional, national and international levels;

• Providing leadership in the educational, social, economic and technological development of the university’s communities;

• Positioning the full range of the university’s stakeholders to participate in and benefit from global engagement and internationalisation. (Sheppard 2009: 26)

One of the key challenges facing NMMU as a newly created comprehensive institution lies on finding an adequate balance (focus) between its vast array of teaching and research activities. As indicated by a senior administrator:

How do we make sure that it obtains a measure of focus so that whilst it [NMMU] does still offer a broader horizontal range of learning opportunities to learners out there, it also makes specific choices on how broad it must be. It cannot be horses for all courses and a potpourri. There must be some internally coherent manner in which you basically structure the academic profile of the institution so that it’s not just an amalgam of loose entities that hang together, but it’s something much more internally coherent, cognitively coherent, organisationally more coherent and strategically more coherent as well.

Links with Government Policy Given that NNMU’s new strategic direction (Vision 2020) is still being finalised, it is difficult to say something concrete about the level of alignment between the future direction and profile of the university as a whole, in light of the signals emanating from policy (both via the DoE and DST) as well as the National Research Foundation (NRF).12 As far as economic development is concerned, it was pointed out to us during the visit that the existing scientific and educational system currently in place in South Africa is not at all geared towards the concept of development. This is visible in the form of the existing research report-system as well as the funding mechanism for research (NRF), which exclusively prioritises individuals as well as ‘strategic’ instead of fundamental or basic research endeavours (Mouton 2003).13 Nonetheless, in certain areas (e.g. funding) there are visible signs showing that relevancy and applicability of research findings seem to rank high in the policy agenda, despite the lack of a coherent national framework aimed at leveraging the development of a national system of innovation.

12 The draft strategy refers to buzzwords like ’sustainable development’, ’community engagement’,

’service delivery’, ’excellence’, ’responisveness’, ’stakeholders’ partnerships’, etc. (Sheppard 2009).

However, due to its vagueness, it is rather unclear how these elements relate to macro-level

dynamics and policy efforts. At the surface however, there seems to be a relative tight ‘coupledness’

between the policy rationale for the creation of comprehensive institutions and NMMU’s public

communications discourse.

13 ‘Strategic research’ is linked to specific governmental goals. According to Mouton (2003), the

former represents a kind of ’hybrid’ form of knowledge production, between fundamental or basic

and applied research.


As part of a governmental effort geared towards increasing collaborations between universities and industry, the government (via NRF) has launched a series of ‘Competitive Industry Programmes’. One consequence of such efforts has been a gradual move (by HEIs) away from ‘blue sky’, long-term orientated basic research in many disciplinary fields which obviously affects the ability of institutions to both develop capacity over the long run and increase their national and global competitiveness with respect to mode 1 knowledge production. Even in those cases where more applied aspects are covered (like in the service provision to Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises [SMMEs]) government funding made available to universities (via DST, Technology Innovation Agency) runs on short-term cycles. From a structural perspective, however, there are signs, at the unit level, revealing a tendency to align teaching and research activities to broader macro-level dynamics and policy imperatives, as shown below. At the regional (provincial) and local (Bay Area/city of PE) levels, there seems to be a huge disconnect insofar as the opportunities brought by the merger are concerned, with government facing serious capacity issues (resources and political willingness) which, inter alia, result in the lack of a coherent policy framework for education, science and innovation.14 Notwithstanding such realities, as illustrated below, the several units composing NMMU, to various degrees, are attempting to reach out and engage with external stakeholders, including regional/local government structures.

As far as research endeavours are concerned, NMMU has in place an internal policy focusing on both incentives as well as capacity-building.15 The management of existing resources and the development of future research capacity occupy a central place in the new strategic framework. There are attempts to align the above policy with the signals emanating from government, with capacity-building and development having been identified as critical policy imperatives. Financial instruments play an important role in this respect, with NRF providing dedicated

14 It was indicated to us during the interviews that centralisation of power (at provincial level)

and corruption create obstacles to decision-making processes at the local level.

15 The current policy attributes 30% of the research subsidy to individual researchers, with 7%

going directly to the faculty (via the Research Technology and Innovation Committee).

funding to such initiatives (e.g. the Thuthuka Grant). Besides the broadening of research expertise, the policy signals (and funding instruments) seem to be moving in the direction of aligning research efforts at universities with the immediate and future needs of the country/region. As indicated by a senior administrator: ‘The government is not saying people [academics] should not do “blue sky” research but they are saying that it should be research that will contribute to social development.’ Such instrumentality is not seen as problematic by many internal stakeholders given that, for the most part, the research efforts undertaken by the university can best be characterised as applied.16 When it comes to research productivity, an area of major concern, there is an internal awareness amongst stakeholders that more needs to be done in order to move from conceptualisation (around master thesis work) towards output production in the form of publications in peer-reviewed journals.

3.2 Structural Arrangements

Incentive Systems As is the case with other HEIs, NMMU’s internal reward structures follow traditional public funding models based on student and research outputs. The new central administration is currently devising a new incentive system/policy where engagement is expected to be included for the first time. However, no further details were given on ‘how to actually measure’ staff engagement. Given the financial stringency in which both the government and the university find themselves, it is not likely that substantial amounts of resources would be allocated to incentivise academics to further engage with, and directly contribute towards, economic development at the

16 As pointed out to us by various stakeholders, the separation between basic and applied research

is not always clear-cut. However, it is rather clear that most of the efforts undertaken by NMMU’s

staff occur in a context of application or mode 2. It should be stated that the basic research capacity

at the old UPE was rather low and that the old PET was, comparatively speaking, a much stronger

institution though its research activities were exclusively of an applied nature. There have been

internal conversations around a ’multi-track’ system with certain academics focusing on teaching

and others on research, but, according to the current administration, the ’teaching-research’ nexus

is a critical success factor. At the system level, studies indicate that half of all South African academics

rarely publish, and that amongst those (50%) who publish, 80% of all publications are generated by a

relatively small group of academics (Mouton 2003).


local/regional and/or national level(s). In this respect, a senior administrator expressed optimism that external donors and outside funders might be willing, in the future, to contribute by sponsoring specific projects with clear internal spin-offs (staff and student engagement) and community outreach benefits (measurable outputs).

The Academic Core NMMU’s academic core is composed of its programmatic offerings (undergraduate and postgraduate degrees) and strategic (mid- to long-term) research activities. Below two specific aspects are covered: (a) the overall size and composition of the core; and (b) the nature of its activities and the level of connectedness within the core.

NMMU’s teaching and research activities are undertaken across its seven faculties and 20 schools, including its branched campus in George. As far as research entities are concerned, the university has a set of three specialised institutes, four special centres, and 17 specific units covering areas from HIV/Aids to energy to technology/innovation to conflict resolution, etc. In 2009, there were 678 individuals directly involved with the primary activities of teaching and research, representing 40% of the total staff (Sheppard 2009).17 As for enrolments (2008), out of the 22 810 students, 13% (2 919) undertook some kind of postgraduate programme of which 57% enrolled in a master’s or PhD programme (ibid.). The largest faculty in 2009 was by far Business and Economics (32% total enrolments), followed by Arts, Education, and Engineering/Built Environment with around 14% of total enrolments each. The Faculty of Law and the campus at George (two schools) are the smallest units with around 930 students each (4% total). The merger process has considerably increased the number of degree programmes being offered. The new central administration is currently evaluating the scope of activities with the aim of ‘re-focusing’ its teaching and research efforts in line with NMMU’s future profile and strategic direction (Vision 2020). An important component of this exercise is the phasing out of cost-inefficient programmes

17 In 2008, 58% of NMMU’s staff were whites, with 54% being females (Sheppard 2009).

(often at the postgraduate level) which currently attract few students, despite the recent increase in student intake across all faculties (10% between 2008 and 2009), with the exception of Law (Sheppard 2009).

In 2008 the ratio of research publication units by permanent academic staff at NMMU was 0.34, 0.82 units if master’s and doctoral dissertations are included (NMMU 2009). A potential strategy being investigated, as followed by other national players like the University of Witwatersrand (Wits), is to frame postgraduate work at the master’s level in line with the broader research themes of the faculty, and then try to aggregate findings which will result in joint scientific publications. As for the research themes themselves and according to the central administration, the selection criteria adopted were based on a balance between national imperatives (priority areas) and existing institutional capacity (critical mass).18

As is the case with other HEIs, and given that universities are ‘loosely coupled’ systems (Weick 1976), NMMU’s core activities are more tightly integrated within rather than across units (faculties, schools, departments). The recent merger has challenged some of the traditional internal boundaries (silos) between disciplinary fields and it has also ‘forced’ individuals associated with the older three institutions to integrate their efforts. There are ongoing attempts to further explore inter-disciplinarity activities across teaching and research domains. For example, research units like the Centre for Energy Research (Faculty of Science) bring together natural scientists, engineers and economists. However, major challenges still remain. A key aspect relates to the various ‘cultural ethoses’ present in the new institution, not only linked with the traditional divide between universities and technikons but also due to existing differences across the various geographic branches. As outlined by a senior administrator: ‘We are many things and we have

18 The research themes per faculty include areas such as: social cohesion, service delivery

and democracy/human rights (Arts); HIV/Aids (Health); curriculum development (Education);

local economic development with focus on SMMEs (Business/Economics); mechatronics and

manufacturing technology (Engineering); conservation ecology, chemical technology, energy,

environment and ICT (Science); labour and social security law (Law). It is worth pointing out that

‘innovation’ as a standalone theme is not contemplated.


many cultures and many mindsets.’ This aspect is illustrated in the following quote, by another respondent:

There are different cultures that came together to form this [NMMU] university. There’s UPE, there’s PET, there’s Missionvale Campus [former Vista University]. Missionvale Campus is central to the township – that’s a different culture. The University of Port Elizabeth is central to the suburbs – that’s a different culture. PE Technikon is central to – I hope you’ll understand me – an Afrikaans culture. And then you’ve got Missionvale which is central to African culture. So you mix these different cultures together, obviously there will be a friction.

The data pertaining to the existing linkages (alignments) between teaching and research activities in/around the academic core and the socioeconomic needs of the country/region show that substantial variations do exist, both across as well as within disciplinary fields and internal units. The external signals emanating from national policy seem to be focusing on a set of strategic areas; science, engineering and technology on the one hand, and education, teacher training and business on the other. Regarding instruction, there is an increasing focus towards the need to train graduates on ‘soft skills’ like communication, business and entrepreneurship. As a means of illustrating some of these aspects, below we provide a brief snapshot of the scope of activities and existing linkages across three units, namely: the Faculties of Business and Economic Sciences; Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology; and Health Sciences.19

Given its size (largest unit with 32% of student enrolments), the Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences plays a critical role in NMMU’s strategic framework. In addition to a standalone Business School providing executive managerial training, the unit is engaged in teaching activities in areas such as Tourism,

19 Business/Economics and Engineering are the largest faculties. Combined, all the three faculties

mentioned above currently enrol 56% of all NMMU’s students (Sheppard 2009).

Management, Marketing, Logistics and Entrepreneurship.20 At the undergraduate level, besides short-cycle certificate and national diplomas, three types of bachelor degrees are offered (BAs, BComs and BTechs). At the postgraduate level, in addition to diploma/certificate and honours degrees (BAs and BComs), both master’s- (MTechs, MAs, MComs, and MBAs) and doctoral-level degrees are awarded (DTechs, DComs, DPhils, DBAs, and PhDs). All in all, the unit offers a total of 91 degree programmes of which 49 are undergraduate and 42 are at the postgraduate level. From the perspective of the faculty leadership structures, there is an attempt to combine local/regional and national relevancy with international credibility. At the level of the curriculum, labour market requirements (present and future) are enhanced through advisory boards and committees composed of external representatives (industry, alumni, professional associations). The latter provide important feedback on such aspects as ‘learning outcomes’, ‘graduate profiles’, ‘employability’, etc. In addition, regular graduate surveys enable the faculty to learn important lessons regarding the knowledge gaps between programmes offered and labour market requirements.

The newly created Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology is the first in the Eastern Cape region, though its activities can be traced back to the old PET.21 The historical engagement between engineering (former PET) and the automobile industrial cluster located within the region is of significance. The 2005 merger has created new opportunities to revise programmatic offerings in light of emerging market demands. For example, the creation of a new undergraduate and postgraduate programme (BEng and MEng) in Mechatronics as a result of the future directions within the automobile industry.22 In addition to the latter programme, the faculty undergraduate offerings include a Certificate in ICT and 11 (three-year) National Diplomas (in ICT, Engineering,

20 The faculty has five Schools: Business School; School of Accounting; School of Economics and

Development Studies; School of Management Sciences; and the School of Industrial Psychology and

Human Resources.

21 The faculty consists of three Schools (Engineering, the Built Environment, and Information and

Communication Technology) and ten departments, as well as four specialised units or centres.

22 Mechatronic Engineering is a combination of precision mechanical engineering, electronics

and computer systems.


Building, Operations), as well as 18 Bachelor degrees (BSc and BTech). As for postgraduate programmes, besides a (one-year) Postgraduate Diploma and two Honours degrees (BSc), the unit offers nine (one-year) MTech degrees, one MEng (Mechatronics) and seven MSc programmes (Construction/Built Environment). At the highest level, DTech (six specialisations) and PhD (three areas) degrees are made available.

Regarding research, the unit hosts six distinct units primarily focused on applied research, of which two are separate institutes. For example, the institute in Information and Communication Technologies (IICTA) is a multi-disciplinary research unit targeting the public and private sectors, as well as society at large. Its thematic focus includes information security management and governance, health informatics, mobile and workflow solutions, and usability and user experience. In addition, the unit’s activities also include consultancy and services to the broader community. The pragmatic (applied) nature of the engineering profession and the ‘engagement ethos’ of the old PET staff seem to act as key drivers in furthering collaborations with industry. Together with Volkswagen South Africa and DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), an international chair in Automotive Engineering has been established (in 2007) at the Department of Mechanical Engineering.23 Amongst other things, the chair provides students (undergraduate and graduate levels) easy access to internship opportunities within the automobile industry. It also helps in leveraging research collaborations between engineers at NMMU and their counterparts at German universities.

Internally, interdisciplinary research linkages (e.g. with the Faculty of Science) at the more basic level guarantee a good interaction between exploratory (mode 1) and user-driven (mode 2) research endeavours. Notwithstanding the acceptance (post-merger) of a ‘research-based ethos’, it should be stated that the historical legacy of the faculty acts as a barrier. Amongst its academic staff (of 100), only about 50% are actively involved with research, of which 20% publish on a regular basis. Only four

23 Overall, ZAR 7 million has been raised from the three partners over a three-year period.

academics within the faculty are NRF-rated. The new strategic framework for the unit aims at addressing this research deficit, however, as it was emphasised to us during the interviews, the high student–staff ratio at the faculty (29 FTE students to 1 lecturer) creates difficulties in this respect.24 More importantly, there are ongoing efforts within the unit to complement short-term research addressing the immediate needs of industry with longer-term projects aimed at developing research capacity around certain ‘pockets of excellence’ (robotics, automatic control systems, etc.) A major barrier facing NMMU as a whole pertains to the low quality of input factors: students.25 Given the relatively low entry requirements (vis-à-vis national competitors), the amount of time spent by staff making sure ill-prepared students graduate successfully makes staff re-skilling and research up-scaling daunting tasks.

An additional area where the impact of the university is expected to be felt, regionally as well as nationally, is in the area of health.26 The Faculty of Health Sciences is instrumental in training professionals (nurses, pharmacists, social workers, psychologists, etc.) for the region/country.27 The unit offers a series of undergraduate (diploma and bachelor) and postgraduate (diploma/certificate, honours, master’s/MTech, DTech and doctoral) degrees in a wide variety of areas.28 Overall, there seems to be a strong level of interaction between academics within the unit and national and regional authorities, as well as a wide variety of external stakeholders like the private sector and other educational establishments. Such relationships

24 As a comparative reference, the student/staff ratio at the Faculty of Science is around 16:1,

with 20:1 being generally accepted as the South African norm.

25 The bulk of NMMU’s students are drawn from within the Eastern Cape region. In 2008, close

to 80% of a total of 3 300 engineering students were enrolled at the undergraduate level, less than

20% at the honours level, and close to 4% at master’s or PhD level. In 2008, NMMU’s graduation rate

across all programmes was 20.2%, slightly below the national norm of 22% (Sheppard 2009).

26 Nation-wide, the Eastern Cape region ranks lowest in a variety of quality of life measures (CHET

2003).

27 The faculty consists of the following six departments: Biomedical Technology and Radiography;

Environmental Health and Social Development Professions (including Health and Welfare

Management); Human Movement Science and Sport Management; Nursing Science; Pharmacy;

and Psychology. Students (70% females) are drawn primarily from the region, with 15% being

international (other African countries).

28 All in all, the unit offers a total of 68 degrees (26 undergraduate and 42 postgraduate), of

which 31 are at the Master’s/ PhD levels. In 2009, the faculty enrolled 2 148 students (9.5% of total

enrolments) (Sheppard 2009).


often occur in the context of formalised (collaborative) agreements and programme advisory committees. At the community level, the faculty has identified and promoted ‘community representatives’ who facilitate the interaction (information gathering, trust building, etc.) between the unit and the outside world. External stakeholders are an inclusive part of the class settings on campus (in psychology, social work, and nursing).

In terms of research activities, and in line with the broader strategy of prioritisation (key themes) set by NMMU’s central administration, the Faculty of Health is actively involved in consolidation efforts targeting key research areas. Incentive schemes are seen as an important component in this regard. Moreover, according to respondents, research endeavours within the unit are becoming increasingly intertwined with the immediate needs of the surrounding community as well as the priorities set by national and regional governments. This aspect is most visible in the special (strategic) unit created by the university which is dedicated to the study of HIV/Aids.29 At the regional level, the current strategic partnership with the Eastern Cape Department of Health acts as a major driver for engagement. As far as the needs of the region are concerned, as pointed out by a senior administrator, these relate to broad ‘health management’ issues, both from the perspective of health administration as well as the efficient use of public resources. As a means of direct response to external developments, within the region/country, the faculty has devised a (two-year) part-time postgraduate programme (MA) in Health and Welfare Management. The latter targets senior managers (doctors, nurses, pharmacists) from the public health sector across the Eastern Cape region. In terms of bottlenecks, the major research barriers facing the faculty are twofold: (a) difficulties in instituting an interdisciplinary mindset, due to traditional ‘silo mentality’; and (b) the lack of critical mass, with the most productive researchers operating independently and in isolation, with no research team around them. The unit is also struggling to recruit young (research) talent, given that many

29 The unit reports directly to the D.V.C. for Research. It strives, ‘to prevent HIV transmission and to

mitigate the health and socioeconomic impact of HIV/Aids on students, staff and the community.’

of the newly educated professionals (e.g. clinical psychologists) never come back to the university after a compulsory period of practice. The exception here is the case of students enrolled in pure research master’s (10% postgraduate students) who often continue to PhD level. When it comes to structural linkages with other units within NMMU, these are, for the most part, rather sporadic and underdeveloped, as is illustrated in the minor collaborations with the Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences around ‘Sports Management’. There are, however, some preliminary plans to develop common efforts together with the Faculty of Engineering on issues pertaining to ‘pharmaceutical engineering’.

It is worth emphasising that, as pointed out to us during the visit, the nature of the student market within the region is changing. The trends point towards a tendency for an increasing number of adult learners with specific educational needs and career objectives. At the policy (macro) level, there have been some significant developments in the past few years, such as the institutionalisation of joint appointments where health professionals from the public sector are allowed to go back and forth between university and hospital/clinic. Furthermore, concerning funding structures in the health sciences, the DoE has, in recent years, taken an increasingly predominant role, though some areas (like nursing) are still funded via the Department of Health.

Hence, in a nutshell, the picture one gets whilst analysing NMMU’s academic core in detail is that of a rather unbalanced situation. Undoubtedly, there is breadth around its programmatic offerings at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, to a great extent as a result of the recent merger and the comprehensive nature of the university. However, when it comes to research, the historical legacy of the old institutions (UPE, PET, Vista) comes to the fore. Not only is the bulk of research efforts centred around applied (mode 2) inquiries, but, perhaps more importantly, its basic research activities are, for the most part, restricted to the endeavours


of postgraduate students (master’s and PhD levels).30 This is problematic for two reasons. First, this body of (student) work goes, by and large, unpublished outside the internal channels of the university. Second, given that many postgraduate students leave the institution upon graduation, they do not directly contribute to (long-term) capacity-building. At the university level, out of 520 permanent academics only around 30 (approximately 5.8%) are actively engaged with research of an international calibre.

With respect to internal links across the academic core, despite ongoing efforts to increase collaboration within and across units, there are still some substantial barriers, as indicated by various interviewees. As for external linkages, there are indeed attempts (in various degrees) to align the programmatic offers (including postgraduate education) of the university to the socioeconomic needs of the region and the country as a whole. The data gathered also reveals some internal willingness to address capacity issues around research in line with policy imperatives. However, in this regard, it should be emphasised that the signals emanating from government (through policy) are seen by stakeholders as lacking both clarity and stability, thus creating dilemmas in terms of (long-term) strategic planning. A major challenge facing NMMU as a comprehensive institution pertains to its future profile, i.e. the balance amongst its core teaching and research activities. Even though it seems clear that academics (of all sorts) accept the need to subscribe to the traditional ‘research ethos’ characterising university systems worldwide, it remains to be seen how, in practice, this element translates in shaping NMMU’s academic core across its various units. Attempts at tightening the links between teaching and research activities, particularly of the basic (mode 1) type, are not unproblematic given the historical legacies of the old (pre-merger) institutions, and the various ‘ethoses’ present under one (big) roof. Such a dilemma is explicit in the comments by a senior administrator:

30 In 2008, 12.8% of all enrolled students undertook a postgraduate degree. In the academic year

2008/2009, a fifth of all graduates were postgraduates with 7.3% having either a Master’s or a PhD

(Sheppard 2009).

It’s not that we [NMMU] are aspiring to become a UCT (University of Cape Town), it’s just that we want, in our core functions, to be in a sense informed by research and not necessarily research intensive.

As indicated to us during the interviews, recent national debates on the future profile of comprehensive universities seem to agree that, despite their unique (hybrid) nature, these institutions are not totally different from traditional universities, and that ‘what remains core is that they are universities.’ As stated by a senior administrator/academic: ‘There are underlying tensions in terms of how people [within NMMU] perceive the idea of the university.’ There are clear signs indicating that such tensions are being addressed (resolved) in/around the academic core of the university.

The Extended Periphery Burton Clark’s (2008, 1998) work on (European) entrepreneurial universities sheds light on the fact that these, amongst other aspects, tend to expand their activities along what the author terms their ‘extended developmental periphery’.31 NMMU’s extended periphery is composed of all the activities that, in essence, are located ‘outside’ its academic core (i.e. regular degree programmes and strategic research activities). More specifically, it relates to teaching and research efforts aimed at particular external audiences, in the form of service learning, consultancy, contract research, special developmental projects, etc., often undertaken together with external parties. It should be stated at the onset that, conceptually speaking, we are not advocating for a clear-cut division between the ‘core’ and ‘periphery’. As indicated earlier, there are many aspects of NMMU’s academic core that are linked to (directly/indirectly) external goals and agendas, as well as the internal need to generate additional streams of income. Nonetheless, if one adopts a less strict definition between core and periphery then it is indeed feasible to talk of those activities that, in traditional

31 Besides an extended periphery, Clark’s (1998) study reveals that entrepreneurial institutions:

have a diversified funding strategy composed of various sources of income; possess a strong steering

core; infuse a spirit of entrepreneurship; and actively involve the ’academic heartland’ (faculties,

departments, institutes, etc.).


in serving the needs of students and staff.34 Amongst other aspects, the units assist with the setting and quality control of short-term courses offered by the various academic units. Within HEADS, collaborations or partnerships with external stakeholders are driven by the Centre for Academic Engagement and Collaboration (CAEC) whose mission is to serve as the interface between internal and external stakeholders.35 CAEC acts as the gateway (entry point) for all partners interested in collaborating with NMMU. As part of its activities, CAEC has identified academics that are actively engaged with external partners and has devised a central database with qualitative and quantitative information regarding the nature and scope of such collaborations, as well as respective areas of expertise.

CAEC’s goal is to initiate the process by linking stakeholders and devising contractual arrangements, and then involve other support functions within NMMU, like the office responsible for technology transfers (below), legal, research-office, etc. A particular element being emphasised here is the need to work across traditional disciplinary boundaries in the form of interdisciplinary efforts as to better address the needs of various external stakeholders. Examples here include Coega, a large-scale long-term industrial development project in the region and the Mantis Group, a five star game reserve based in the region with branches all over the world. NMMU has signed a memorandum of understanding with Coega for supplying short courses, doing consultancy, delivering formal programmes, and accessing environmental impacts, etc. As for the Mantis Group, the university has a formal agreement in place to provide staff training and environmental assessment within and beyond South Africa.

Community Outreach Community engagement ranks high in NMMU’s strategic agenda (Vision 2020). For example, in consultation with the

34 HEADS is composed of four distinct units or centres; for teaching, learning and media; for

extended studies; for student counselling, career and development; and, for academic engagement

and collaboration. The unit reports directly to the Deputy Vice Chancelor for academic affairs.

35 The CAEC has four units: the Cooperative Education & Service Learning Unit; Continuing

Education Unit; Community Engagement & Empowerment Projects Unit; as well as the Graduate &

Student Placement Unit.

terms, have not been a central element in the primary affairs of university systems worldwide.32 For the sake of simplicity, while assessing the size, scope and nature of activities within the periphery, we will mostly focus on aspects pertaining to service- or community-based tasks (instruction), as well as externally-funded development projects and contractual type of activities (research).

As highlighted above, the willingness to become an ‘engaged institution’ results, amongst other aspects, in the building of bridges (linkages) with a wide variety of external stakeholders. This mission, though relatively new to the former UPE staff is rather familiar to those previously involved with the former PET and Vista, where local engagement and responsiveness were at the heart of their institutional mission.33 In this respect, as pointed out to us during the interviews, the strategic framework of engagement (or extension) builds on an existing historical legacy rather than an entirely new paradigm. Below we shed light on five interrelated processes, namely: (i) structural arrangements (central level) aimed at supporting the service mission of the university; (ii) efforts geared towards enabling community outreach; (iii) technology transfer processes; (iv) specific projects with a clear economic development objective; and (v) the rise of an entrepreneurial culture at the unit level.

Supporting the ‘Service Mission’ Despite the fact that service-related activities at NMMU occur, for the most part, at the unit level (faculty, department, etc.) the level of centralisation is relatively high. NMMU’s support infrastructure (organisational matrix) is composed of various service units of which the Higher Education Access and Development Services (HEADS) plays a prominent role

32 An additional remark in this respect: In the context of ’dual’ or comprehensive institutions

there is indeed a valid argument claiming that non-traditional activities (like community service or

economic development) are an intrinisic part of their raison d’être (core mission), given the diversity

of functions adopted (cf. Garrad & Macfarlane 2009).

33 Conceptually speaking, whereas ’engagement’ pertains to activities undertaken by academics

with external stakeholders, ’responsiveness’ is a more formal process relating to the way in which

primary activities are designed (shaped) as a direct response to external trends and events (e.g. the

creation of new degree programmes).


form of consultancy services and applied research. Academics from the Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences (where the unit is based) are often brought into the projects, but the unit is mostly run by non-academic, non-permanent staff. An interesting aspect relates to the fact that the Small Business Unit is self-funded, with 15% of all the generated income going to the university’s central fund (5% of which goes to the faculty). This raises some issues regarding the commitment by the university leadership (central and faculty levels) to the ‘engagement mission’. As indicated by one of the interviewees:

The commitment is more symbolic, the commitment is not direct, honestly speaking. We [within the Small Business Unit] are doing a lot of work in the communities. We engage communities; we bring value for the university. The university is known by the communities through our outreach programmes. The university doesn’t see the impact in terms of that. So if the university did see the impact they would contribute a lot, they would budget for those units. There’s no budget at all. You develop your own. You survive on your own.

Various reports point to the fact that, community-orientated projects like the ones mentioned above are not seen as strategic, given their lack of an academic basis. As indicated earlier, incentive and promotion systems within university systems in South Africa do not, as of yet, contemplate engagement in the form of outreach activities. The same is true at the institutional (NMMU) level, where traditional teaching and research are (still) the two aspects that academics are accounted for/evaluated by. The following statement by a senior administrator illustrates this aspect:

I think there could also be a balance to the level of engagement – one should not engage, go too far, and it should not be forced on academics. But I believe that the benefits that come with it should be recognisable to them and the institution should make available those incentives to see what the advantages are. But then also, in the end, the core functions must still be teaching and learning – so the students who come here must see the benefits of that engagement…

local government, the university has decided to move its newly created Business School as well as other internal units like the Law Clinic into the inner-city area of Port Elizabeth, as part of a governmental effort to revitalise the area. CAEC has also undertaken a regular self-evaluation of NMMU’s community engagement activities as part of the criteria set by the HE Quality Council (HEQC). As alluded to earlier, there is a growing adult learning market in the region interested in shorter (more vocational) courses. The latter are, for the most part, fee-based, thus representing an additional source of income for the university.36 Amongst those involved in service delivery, the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and ICT (former PET) ranks as ‘best in class’, given its ongoing interactions with the automotive and component clusters located in the region. It was pointed out to us by a senior administrator that a key engagement element relates to the fact that many academics at the former PET (engineers included) originated from industry itself, and that these people were always actively involved with the latter. It was also highlighted by many that research expertise (either basic or applied) is indeed a key factor in ‘engagement’, since access to knowledge is the key ingredient valued by external stakeholders.

The Small Business Unit located at NMMU’s Business School is actively involved in providing business development services and feasibility studies to local entrepreneurs. The unit runs several projects targeting the local community, drawing funding from government (Social Development) and the private sector (ABSA). The unit’s activities are directly linked to a (four-year) BCom Honours degree programme (in SMMEs) by providing advice to final year students working on a business plan. It is also directly involved with SMMEs and local government in the

36 We were told that such courses generate between ZAR 15-20 million a year in additional

revenue, payed mosty by the public and private sectors looking for professional (staff) re-skilling. At

the Business School, 62% of all students taking either an MBA or a DBA pay their own tuition fees, but

the unit also offers consultancy services to local entrepreneurs (e.g. on writing a business plan) for

a small fee. The unit’s Management Development Centre generates close to ZAR 10 million annually

from the public sector (civil service training). NMMU’s Business School has recently been ranked

amongst the top in the country. In 2008, it produced 14 customised short-term courses (fewer than

30 days) and 11 programmes of more than 30 days, delivering training to close to 500 individuals

within organisations. It also reached more than 2 000 individuals through its public leadership and

management short learning programmes during this period.


the national innovation competition in 2007 and was developed at the former UPE/Chemistry Department), an area expected to deliver significant financial benefits in the near future; and (b) a start-up company in the area of flower preservation technology (developed at the former PET/Chemisty Department).

Besides chemistry (above), NMMU’s physicists and engineers are also currently involved with licensing and/or spin-off projects. For example, NMMU has recently moved into International Patent Application Phase (PCT) regarding technology in the field of mechanical engineering. The aim here is to hire (retain) young/talented local engineers by creating a spin-off company to undertake engineering innovations, rather than licensing the technology to an existing manufacturing company. Governmental policy (IDC, Innovation Fund and IP Bill) does play an important role in such developments by providing proper financial incentive systems in the form of dedicated funding and tax breaks. However, as pointed out to us during the visit, at the regional level (provincial government), innovation is narrowly conceptualised around the notion of ‘service delivery’.

As for individual incentives, NMMU awards 30% of the generated revenues directly to the inventor(s). Publication of results is stimulated, but only after the patent has been filed.38 Going forward, the office is expected to expand by hiring an additional full-time person who will be responsible for developing the pipeline of ideas and for supporting academics in applying for external research grants (Innovation Fund, Eskom, European Union). The unit is also working together with other regional HEIs (Rhodes, Walter Sisulu and Fort Hare) in order to establish a Regional Technology Transfer Office (funded by the Government via the ‘Innovation Fund’) for the region of the Eastern Cape, which, if successful, is likely to be based at NMMU.

38 As a side comment, the TTO office is often approached by outside stakeholders (non-

academics) with an idea, however, these often lack a ’proof of concept’ and are poorly developed,

both scientifically and commercially. It is also worth mentioning that, as part of a governmental

initiative by the Department of Trade and Industry, a national Chemical Technology incubator has

been set in NMMU’s vacinity. See: http://www.chemin.co.za

An additional aspect relates to the fact that outreach or engagement efforts are, in one way or another, partly determined by the knowledge domain (expertise) in which academics are active, with more applied fields like those linked with the professions having an advantage over more theoretical or less pragmatic disciplinary domains. Moreover, there is an argument made to restrict engagement across those thematic areas seen as strategic to the university.

When it comes to disciplinary differences, one respondent commented:

I would say that there’s a certain amount of engagement within each faculty. Some faculties will be much more engaged than others. Your health sciences will be more engaged, your engineering will be more engaged. Your sciences will be more engaged but maybe the arts not – but there could possibly be multidisciplinary teams working together on specific engagement activities from across multiple faculties. And I think that’s what they’re trying to work towards. But I think I must emphasise that without good quality research and without good quality teaching your engagement is not going to be of the standard that it should be. The institution can also not be everything to everyone – that’s why there should be engagement priority areas falling within the focus areas.

Technology Transfer NMMU’s central Innovation Support and Technology Transfer Office has the task of supporting academics in commercialisation efforts and the management of intellectual property across the board.37 It was indicated to us, at the onset, that the primary motivation behind such efforts is not financial, but the need to transfer knowledge into the outside world. Nonetheless, this could be seen as a form of long-term investment in future technologies. Current investments include: (a) the licensing of technology around a chemical component (which was awarded

37 The creation of such offices is part of a governmental strategy to promote knowledge transfer

and commercialisation. Internally, the unit (staff of 1 full-time equivalent) works in direct consultation

with other central offices like Research Management and Research Capacity Development. It reports

directly to the D.V.C. for Research.


One of the areas in which NMMU staff is directly involved in supporting regional authorities in capacity-building pertains to strategic input on crafting policies in a wide variety of areas. The Institute for Sustainable Government and Development (Faculty of Law) supports local authorities in drafting legislation which, directly or indirectly, promotes local economic development.41 Examples include the design and implementation of law enforcement strategies aimed at eliminating certain community problems (e.g. alcohol sales) and/or the devising of legislation aimed at increasing tax revenues for the local/regional government. Besides consultancy services, the above unit is also involved in allowing local citizens access to free legal expertise via a Law Clinic located within the inner-city area (Missionvale Campus), as well as in providing training to the public sector.42 Across the Faculty of Law, community service is an important component of undergraduate training (LLB), with final-year students having to undertake a minimum of two hours of voluntary work (weekly), either at the Law Clinic or at another similar unit, like Street Law.43 As far as linkages with the academic core, experiences from community projects are brought into the classroom, and there are some attempts to share project experiences with a broader audience (legal experts, academics) in the form of more formal publications.

Another area in which NMMU staff is directly involved in economic development activities pertains to helping authorities in crafting regional policy within the tourism sector, seen as one of the key future growth areas for the Eastern Cape region.44 The Department of Tourism (School of Economics, Development and Tourism) has, on various occasions, been approached to provide strategic insights on how to re-configure the regional infrastructure, given its unrivalled

41 The mission of the unit is ‘to improve sustainable governance within the public sector, the

development of civil society, leadership capacity and competence throughout the public sector.’

42 Training and consultancy activities help subsidise the free legal advice. 15% of revenues are

paid to NMMU.

43 Street Law is a unit under the faculty responsible for devising and executing community

awareness programmes.

44 In the past decade, the revenues generated across the tourism industry in South Africa

surpassed that of gold.

Development Projects As part of the visit, the team asked NMMU to identify a series of ‘flagship’, externally-funded projects with the primary aim of contributing to direct economic development at the local, regional and/or national levels. Below we shed light on the core characteristics of some of those special projects.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering (School of Engineering) via its Technology Station (ACTS) provides multi-disciplinary advice to SMMEs operating within the automotive component manufacturing industry within the region and across South Africa. The overall goal of the project, which is partly funded by the DST, is to help the automotive industry across the country to become more innovative and globally competitive.39 Of significance here is the fact that there are strong linkages between the activities of the faculty (academic core) and those of the station, with engineers at both units jointly involved in longer-term R&D activities as well as undergraduate and postgraduate training, including masters and PhD supervision at the station.40 Through their direct involvement with industry, particularly those operating at a global level, engineers are able to better understand future industry directions (e.g. the move towards a hydrogen economy) and provide strategic advice to the faculty on the type of engineer graduate/education required by the labour market. Structurally speaking, ACTS’ management committee is composed of senior representatives from the faculty and its various units. One of the bottlenecks with respect to capacity-building relates to the funding mechanism adopted by the DST, with financial resources allocated on a three-year cycle basis. It was pointed out to us that, at the governmental level (Technology Innovation Agency), there is an awareness of the need to move into a ten-year funding cycle. Another constraint relates to student recruitment (selection), with a considerable number of engineering students failing their regular examinations.

39 Since its inception (2002, former PET) the unit (eight FTE engineers) has actively collaborated

with 240 SMMEs across 80 specific projects, including big industry players like GM, Daimler Chrysler,

Ford, Volkswagen, etc. Customer fees vary on the basis of a governmental subsidy table, from 90%

to 0% subsidy. The revenue generated is re-invested in infrastructure, with 15% going directly to the

university.

40 7% of all project time (600 hours/year) is allocated/paid to academics at the faculty.


you need to do the highly theoretical academic papers which very few people outside of academia will read or understand.

Entrepreneurial Mindset Two of the best run and strategically articulated development projects that we came across show clear signs of the emergence of a (localised) entrepreneurial culture within NMMU. More importantly, such endeavours, initially mostly centred around the university’s peripheral units are nowadays becoming increasingly connected (coupled) with various aspects composing the academic core of the institution, as shown below.

InnoVenton or the Institute for Chemical Technology and Downstream Chemicals Technology Station is linked to the Department of Physics at the Faculty of Science. The unit is composed of 20 FTE staff, of which only one comes from academia (former PET). The Institute’s core activities are tightly linked with governmental policy in the sector (chemical industry) which aims at fostering the development of a SMME environment across the country. Amongst other aspects, the unit has established an innovative Honours degree programme in Chemical Technology, the first in the country, as a stepping stone to recruit (train) the next generation of chemical scientists (master’s and PhDs). In the last 18 months the institute has created four new spin-off companies, in tight collaboration with external partners, and it has also filed two international patents.

A key aspect of the unit’s activities is the development of capacity at the local/regional level, by shifting the economic base from big industrial companies to the broader community. Together with other internal units (Faculty of Business and Economics), the aim is to train community members to run operations. The research expertise is drawn from the university as well as external partners, such as NMMU’s university counterparts overseas (in Germany). Postgraduate training is an important aspect, with close to 30 master’s- and doctoral-level students directly involved in the research activities of the unit. The unit is also exploring interdisciplinary collaborations by supporting students to work across faculties and disciplinary fields/silos – e.g. between economists/business people, engineers and

expertise and neutral position. Collaborative linkages with other internal units are mostly restricted to those within the school, like the Department of Economics and Development Studies.45 Externally, the unit liaises regularly with the Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs at the level of the provincial (regional) government. However, as it was pointed out to us during the interviews, as an industry, tourism does not necessarily receive adequate strategic attention from policy-makers, both in terms of planning as well as financial resources. Besides providing generic training to undergraduate students (Diploma, BTech and DCom), NMMU’s Tourism Unit, together with the central administration and other internal stakeholders like the Business School, is exploring the possibility of expanding into the hospitality segment, through the creation of a Hotel School. The latter, amongst other aspects, would train professionals and also act as an additional revenue stream for the university.

The major internal bottlenecks relate to the need for a better coordination of activities and the development of a ‘shared vision’ regarding the role of NMMU in improving the tourism sector across the Eastern Cape region. The unit’s lack of adequate research capacity (legacy from PET) and its applied research efforts result in rather ad hoc and fragmented efforts around the interests/expertise of individual academics instead of research groups organised around strategic themes. At the school level, funding issues have also been highlighted as problematic, with funds (public and private sources) going directly to individual academics rather than to strategic projects or research teams.46 When it comes to finding a balance between basic (mode 1) and applied (mode 2) research, internal funding structures do play a crucial role, as pointed out by a senior administrator/academic:

Applied research is not funded internally by the University at all, and that is what the outside community wants. So, if you want to attract funding as an individual academic from inside,

45 The Department of Development Studies offers a Master’s level programme primarily aimed at

training the next generation of leaders for regional and national governments.

46 NRF funding as such only supports individual academics rather than research groups.


at NMMU, including the training of postgraduate students across the life sciences. External funding is drawn from local industry and national government structures (NRF and DST). From a research expertise perspective, the unit has received various external acknowledgements and it ranks amongst the most well-connected (internationally) scientific units within NMMU. Governmental policy (NRF and DST) is seen as playing a significant role by providing both a long-term ‘strategic vision’ and effective policy instruments like bursaries for postgraduate students and research chairs. In light of Clark’s earlier findings (1998), it seems clear that a diversified funding strategy is a basic element of any entrepreneurial unit, as pointed out during our visit:

If the money dries up then it [project] stops, you see. That is why I would like to increase my industry money dramatically with this facility because you can never rely on only one source of income. The university or the DST or the NRF – you don’t know about the long-term future.50

Following the ‘open systems’ perspective of organisations (Scott 2003), the unit, through its charismatic academic leader, is driven by a pragmatic attitude of responsiveness (relevancy) to environmental demands and expectations:

I’ve been around for a long time, I know what’s going on in the industries. I am also a president of the Microscope Society of South Africa, so I know exactly what is needed and I know the shortage of skills in the industries where people just don’t have the skills to reach that level. And fortunately the NRF has realised that and they said they would help us here to get started, but then we must train people for nanotechnology for South Africa, they expect large numbers of Ms [master’s students] and Ds [doctoral students] to be produced.

In short, the two cases presented above clearly show that, despite structural issues and the lack of initial support, the vision and persistence of certain academic figures, combined with

50 Besides government and industry, there is a strategic willingness to approach major private

donors/philanthropists located in South Africa as well as overseas.

natural scientists. At the faculty level InnoVenton has started to involve academics from other departments in its ‘flagship’ projects, despite their initial reluctance towards the applied nature of such endeavours.47 A critical success factor pertains to the need of recruiting students to become project leaders rather than having to rely on entrepreneurs coming from outside the university/region. Major challenges in the unit’s activities include: (a) involvement, in the form of ‘buy in’ by the local/provincial governments (a long way to go); (b) moving away from ‘projectisation’ towards the need to think systematically and to institutionalise around research teams and projects; and (c) the establishment of a vibrant research environment around the unit/institute.48

Perhaps the most dramatic example of the rise of an entrepreneurial culture at NMMU is that of the Department of Physics located within the Science Faculty. The unit runs a special project (Pebble Bed Modular Reactor or ‘PBMR’) which aims at establishing a National Centre for High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy which will focus its research activities around nanotechnology. This project is an astonishing example of academic persistence and ingenuity, combined with solid research expertise and a keen sense of the various needs by external stakeholders. Driven by a charismatic academic (former UPE), the project initially received little financial support from the central administration and is run entirely with external funds.49 It also points to the importance of attracting external funding as a means of legitimating one’s activities. Given the high maintenance costs involved, the bulk of the funds generated are used to update laboratories, including donations to other units within the faculty. The goal is to establish a vibrant (microscope) scientific community

47 In academia it is not atypical that the marginalised nature of more applied units located in the

extended periphery need to constantly justify their existence through fighting for legitimacy vis-à-vis

those units closer to the academic core.

48 According to one respondent there are many parts of the university that ‘are stuck in the mid-

1970s’.

49 The idea for the project was initiated around 1996 at the former UPE, but, lack of vision by

the then central administration led to initial setbacks. More recently, the unit got the commitment

from NMMU’s central administration in the form of a ZAR 27 million donation for a new facility.

Nonetheless, it is still to be formally recognised as a standalone unit and its charismatic leader is still

to be formally recognised as its formal director.


templates in the form of comprehensive institutions. There is an overwhelming consensus amongst internal stakeholders (at NMMU) that the new university model offers unparalleled opportunities in linking more vocational (applied) type of instruction and scholarship with that of more traditional (theoretical) means. Nonetheless the current situation is still characterised by a number of ‘internal tensions’, as pointed out to us during the visit. Despite the various pedagogical and scholarship traditions associated with the three previous institutions, there is a general acknowledgement about the importance of research in the future profile of NMMU. The new strategic framework (Vision 2020) refers to the role of research and innovation of international and national prominence in selected niche areas. The latter is expected to ‘have a major impact on the university’s communities and contribute to sustainable development’ across the board (Sheppard 2009: 25). Service delivery in the form of responsiveness and engagement via strategic partnerships with a wide variety of stakeholders is another prominent aspect of NMMU’s future profile.

NMMU’s academic core, as composed by its programmatic (degree) offerings and strategic mid- to long-term research activities, is rather unbalanced. The merger has created a surplus in the number and types of degrees (undergraduate and postgraduate levels) made available to student publics. However, the breadth and depth characterising the programmatic part of the academic core is not matched by the nature and scope of NMMU’s research activities. This is to a large extent to be explained by the historical legacies and institutional profiles of the older HEIs (UPE, PET and Vista), where research was not allocated a central role. Even in those situations where there were attempts to establish an ‘ethos of research’, as was the case at the former UPE, the institutional realities – ill-prepared students combined with the lack of capacity/expertise – made it a daunting task. As shown earlier, the research productivity at NMMU (2008) is still a third of the leading (research intensive) universities in the country (UCT, Stellenbosch, Witwatersrand), in spite of its relatively competitive standing vis-à-vis the other comprehensive universities like Johannesburg or Zululand.

knowledge expertise and valuable networks (within and beyond academia), as well as adequate external funding structures are all important mechanisms in fostering an entrepreneurial culture spanning across the university’s academic core and extended periphery. Such a process is likely to lead to a set of systemic synergies that are both difficult to emulate and, more importantly, are likely to result in capacity-building and research productivity (national/global competitiveness) in the long run.

4. Conclusions

In the South African context, ‘development’ does not seem to be explicitly linked to governmental policy in HE, despite the numerous mechanisms (policy instruments) in which governmental agencies are supporting a wide variety of initiatives which, ultimately, lead to economic development either at the local/regional or at the national level. As is the case in other regions of the world (Maassen & Olsen 2007), the existing ‘pact’ between HE and society (via government) in South Africa is currently being re-evaluated. This process occurs in the backdrop of broader macro-level (socioeconomic) trends and political developments in the country, such as a new national government. From the perspective of NMMU and its various constituencies, there seems to be a lack of strategic insight and system-level articulation on the side of government (policy) with respect to linking the HE sector to the economic development of the country as a whole. At the regional/provincial (Eastern Cape) and local levels (Bay/Metro Area), the situation is even more troublesome with many respondents referring to a ‘sense of crisis’ in the ability of governmental agencies to help devise and orchestrate a long-term partnership between HEIs and the various regional stakeholders (industry, governmental agencies, NGOs, community groups, unions, etc.).

As an organisation emerging from the amalgamation of three distinct entities, NMMU is still struggling to find its own institutional profile and identity. Traditional notions associated with the binary divide between universities and technikons are being questioned by the rise of new hybrid organisational


As for its extended periphery, the historical traditions and service orientations characterising the older institutions, in particular PET and Vista, come to the fore. In the context of the newly formed NMMU, the traditional ‘third missions’ of service, community engagement and, more recently, innovation rank high in the strategic framework/future profile of the university (Vision 2020). Insofar as teaching/instruction is concerned, NMMU is committed to providing external stakeholders (across the public and private sector) with a wide variety of services aimed at training, re-skilling, and/or knowledge transmission. In the area of research, various internal units (institutes, centres, etc.) and specific projects are extending their scholarship activities in order to address particular stakeholder needs, from local governmental agencies to schools to industry to the community at large. More importantly, there are attempts to link the efforts being undertaken in/around the periphery – in the form of strategic partnerships and engagement – with those activities directly located within the academic core. Examples here include the revamping of curriculum structures addressing external trends and demands, as well as the training of undergraduate and postgraduate students within the thematic areas covered by more peripheral units.

At the level of the central administration, there is an ongoing effort to institutionalise a new notion of engagement, which goes beyond the traditional ad hoc activities of community service and/or consultancy. The new ‘paradigm’ approaches engagement from the perspective of scholarship, i.e. as a process of mutual benefit contributing to the revitalisation of the academic core of the institution, in contrast to the traditional unidirectional process characterised by few structural linkages between the two. Having said that, it is important not to overstate that, as is the case with most traditional universities, there is evidence pointing to the fact that NMMU’s academic core is fiercely protected (buffered) from outside influences, amongst other things, through conservative attitudes by certain staff members/units. As suggested elsewhere (Oliver 1991), buffering processes often occur in the form of strategic ‘de-coupling’ of activities and resistance to change, as pointed out by some of the interviewees. It should also be mentioned

that, here and there, there are ‘pockets of excellence’ with academic entrepreneurs vibrantly pushing for a more ambitious scholarship agenda, in spite of the lack of a formal incentive system within the university. Such individuals are also being instrumental in the revitalisation of the academic core, amongst other things, through making sure the latter is tightly connected with external developments which are best captured within the scope of peripheral activities.

Finally, as far as the linkages between NMMU’s structural arrangements and governmental policy are concerned, a major focus of this study, unsurprisingly, this aspect is most evident in those cases where adequate incentive structures (financial instruments) are in place. It is, however, noteworthy to stress that, insofar as the contribution of South African universities to economic development is concerned, either directly (specific projects) or indirectly (capacity-building), both DST and NRF play a much more prominent role than is the case with the DoE, with regional government structures, by and large, incapable of having a significant impact.

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