Page 7 - KZN BUSINESS SENSE Vol3 No3

ENSURE A BETTER AND BRIGHTER FUTURE

UKZN Bursary Fund, the our community engagement is influenced by the communities
Disability Unit and to some and outreach programmes. The it serves. We realise that to Inspire
of our Community Health University has an obligation to Greatness as our purpose, means
Training Centres. ensure that projects undertaken reaching out to communities and
in communities are sustainable influencing the change we want
At this year’s graduation
ceremonies, 61,3% of our long after UKZN’s involvement to see in them. This will only be
has ended.
graduates were women and possible through meaningful
68% were African. This can We have more than 350 active partnerships with our alumni,
only bode well to satisfy the outreach programmes ranging public sector and private sector
urgent need for more female from HIV and AIDS projects partners.
and African professionals in and upskilling of Science and As UKZN, we rely on your
the workplace in South Africa. Mathematics teachers to food generosity to facilitate the many
This also confirms that the security and community tourism projects we are currently engaged
University of KwaZulu-Natal projects. Students and staff with. It is common knowledge that
is responsive to the needs of undertake these projects to ensure an investment in education yields
South African society and thus that we improve the quality of life the best results for communities
plays an active role to correct for those around us. As an engaged and society at large, and we would
the imbalances brought about institution, turning a blind eye to like to invite you to partner with
by our painful past. the underdeveloped communities UKZN and invest in our collective
around us is simply not an option.
Being aware of societal needs future. Inspiring greatness is
means undertaking our civic UKZN does not operate in trumped only by ensuring and
duty with vigour through isolation, but functions within and delivering greatness. 
Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, Vice-Chancellor of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

niversities across South without a paddle.
Africa face a plethora of
For research-intensive
Ustudent funding challenges universities like UKZN, this has
that need to be addressed. There increasingly placed a reliance
are no silver bullet solutions for this
problem and this funding challenge on third stream income. Being
research focused means we
will require innovative and creative
solutions. The #Feesmustfall have to compete with the best
in the world and therefore we
movement that started in 2015 and have to provide the best possible
continued into 2016 indicated to resources to our staff, students
all in the higher education sector and researchers.
that education remains out of reach
for many young South Africans. This third stream income (made
Moreover, it also confirmed that for up of endowments, scholarships,
many who had it within their grasp, donations, and investments from
it may remain a dream. Clearly business, partners and alumni)
the pay as you go system that is therefore critical for the future
has developed over the previous well-being of our universities and
decades will not work for the students. Third stream funding, or
majority of South Africans. direct societal investment, has the
potential to fill the gap left behind
Students know that education by the current government funding
is one of the primary tools that challenges experienced across the
can be used to address past sector. Government has done a lot
imbalances, improve the present but we do not have a sustainable
and ensure a better and brighter solution by any stretch of the
future through the upliftment imagination. The present economic
of the poor and marginalised climate is also not assisting.
communities. We cannot sit
idle. If we do nothing we will be These societal contributions
accomplices to an undesirable assist us in ensuring that we can
outcome which can only help some of our students to
precipitate a bleak future for our learn in conducive environments
country. While some may have that will produce productive
thought that the struggle for members of society. These
access to quality higher education funds also make an enormous
was over, the past 18 months is contribution towards improving
a stark reminder that it is not. accommodation on our campuses
Today we are faced with the reality and upgrading and improving
that while the National Student our technological platforms and
Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has maintaining critical resources in
increased its funding, it is simply our libraries and teaching and
not adequately funded to meet learning facilities.
the needs of the growing number The call for free education has
of financially deserving students prompted us to intensify our
enrolling at our institutions fundraising initiatives and efforts
in 2017. General funding to so that we can help finance studies
universities have also declined in for as many students as possible.
real terms for more than a decade. The UKZN Foundation, the
The pincer movement created fundraising arm of the University,
by underfunded universities has been engaged in various
together with sharp fee increases fundraising initiatives together
to compensate for the former has with the UKZN Executive.
left universities and students at sea, Priority has been given to the

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