Unisa celebrated its memorable 150th anniversary event at the Muckleneuck campus in Pretoria on Monday.
Gracing the event were conspicuous guests including government officials, media personalities, cultural leaders, and higher education officials.
In her address, vice-chancellor professor Puleng LenkaBula reflected on the university’s contribution to the education landscape locally and globally since its inception in 1873.
She acknowledged Unisa as the mother of distance education that ranks in the top 10 universities in South Africa and one of the leading universities on the continent.
“Unisa is a national treasure that has shaped the futures of students, thought leaders and change-makers in the knowledge production, political and economic systems, locally, continentally and globally,” she said.
She noted that Unisa is accessible to all including the poor, working class, and geographically marginalized communities.
“Unisa has made an indelible mark in the quest for a better quality of life, culture, and the self-realization of the people,” said LenkaBula, adding that as the institution marches on to its next 150 years, it is necessary to reflect honestly and critically about the history and place of the university nationally and on the continent’s future.
Mashukudu Maboa, chairperson of Unisa council, remarked that the celebration was a moment where the university’s reflections should transcend the immediate past years, as it casts its eyes farther and broader and marveling with pride at the trailblazing footprint it has left on the education landscape.
Maboa affirmed that for the past 150 years, Unisa had shaped futures in the service of humanity, adding that the university continues to produce quality graduates who successfully lead society in academia, commerce, politics, and other fields.
“This celebratory moment demonstrates that Unisa is still standing strong regardless of the challenges it may be facing. We have the will, expertise, and commitment to turn things around and take this institution to greater heights,” Maboa said.
Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister Blade Nzimande said: “Unisa’s core values embrace ethical and collective responsibility, integrity, innovation and excellence, and its belief in dignity in diversity.”
Nzimande also acknowledged that through, among others, examining knowledge production and epistemologies, Unisa endeavours to decolonize the curriculum.
He noted that as the university strengthens itself further, it is encouraged to reflect on its role in combatting societal ills. “Even though Unisa is an open-distance learning institution, it educates many young people with the potential to lead the world with necessary skills.”
Nzimande also encouraged other institutions of higher learning to produce students that are knowledge producers instead of knowledge recipients.
Former president and Unisa chancellor Dr Thabo Mbeki acknowledged that Unisa must address shortfalls that it is experiencing but not cease to protect its identity.
Mbeki encouraged Unisa’s stakeholders to unite to ensure that the university overcomes the challenges and lives up to the expectations it has created.
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