UMP to lead advance in research leadership and education
The University Of Mpumalanga (UMP) aims to strengthen research leadership and higher education strategies by bringing together research leaders from different institutions to discuss the evolving landscape of higher education.
ALSO READ: MER urges members of the public to be responsible during Easter
The university hosted the Deputy Vice Chancellor Forum Seminar on April 10. The outgoing vice chancellor, Prof Thoko Mayekiso, highlighted the role of the university in national and international research collaboration, noting that UMP has partnered with 42 higher education institutions across Europe, North America, Australia, Asia and Africa.
'Our emphasis is on research impact, not just productivity. Our focus is on how research contributes to solving real world problems. We aim to develop and sustain the research capacity of staff and students while fostering research collaborations that contribute to national and global challenges,' she said.
A theoretical physicist and former CEO of Universities South Africa, Prof Ahmed Bawa, discussed the strategic plan in higher education and the role of research leadership. He also noted in his presentation that China and India are dominating the global research landscape, surpassing the United Kingdom and the United States.
ALSO READ: University of Mpumalanga explores digital transformation in higher education
'Universities must also grapple with the effects of politicisation, democratisation and decolonisation, reshaping how knowledge is produced and shared. These forces are transforming higher education from elite institutions, to massify education systems leading to debates on social ownership and the role of universities in society,' Bawa said.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
2 days ago
- The South African
Chocolate prices set to rise in South Africa
Global cocoa prices remain near record highs and may still rise, leaving South African consumers unlikely to find cheaper chocolates this year. According to BusinessTech , while South Africa's overall inflation remains within the Reserve Bank's 3% to 6% target range, food and non-alcoholic beverage inflation rose to 4.0% in April 2025. Within that category, sugar, confectionery, and desserts saw sharper increases, rising 5.6% year-on-year. Chocolate prices alone jumped 6%. Over a longer period, the increases are even more striking. A standard chocolate slab now costs nearly 27% more than it did in 2023, while the price of a chocolate bar has gone up 18.6%. Soaring global cocoa prices, which have increased by almost 300% in the past year, have directly driven the surge in chocolate prices. Cocoa reached a record high of $12 565 per metric tonne in December 2024. Extreme weather and disease have devastated cocoa crops in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, driving the spike in prices. The two countries together produce about two-thirds of the world's cocoa. Although exports from the Ivory Coast briefly increased earlier this year, easing prices, the government has since warned of tighter supply, which reversed the trend. Now, concerns over the quality of the ongoing mid-crop are driving prices higher again. Reuters analysts report that cocoa processors are rejecting truckloads of beans due to poor quality. Cocoa processors reject about 5% to 6% of mid-crop deliveries, compared to just 1% during the main crop. Erratic rainfall has caused the drop in quality and could cause yields to fall 9% from 2024 levels. Major chocolate manufacturers, including Mondelez International which owns Cadbury and Oreo have acknowledged the price strain. The company flagged 'unprecedented cocoa cost inflation' in recent forecasts and warned that more price increases may be necessary if prices remain high. Nestlé and other global producers have also hinted at future price increases due to cocoa shortages and rising input costs. Tiger Brands owner of Beacon and South Africa's popular marshmallow Easter eggs is looking to sell its chocolate division, citing decades of underinvestment and limited strategic focus. The group admitted it had failed to keep pace with competitors like Cadbury and acknowledged it had not actively engaged with the brand or updated its technology in over 30 years. Tiger Brands will support Beacon until it finds a suitable buyer but believes new ownership could improve the brand's performance. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Eyewitness News
3 days ago
- Eyewitness News
Pope Leo condemns 'exclusionary mindset' in Pentecost address
VATICAN CITY - Pope Leo XIV exhorted the faithful on Sunday to reject an "exclusionary mindset" he said had led to nationalism around the world. Leo's homily did not call out current events and conflicts nor identify individual leaders. But his choice of language was significant, encouraging people to "open borders" within their hearts and minds. The address marked a month since the former Robert Prevost from Chicago was elected pope, and came during a Sunday mass to celebrate Pentecost held under sunny skies in St Peter's Square. Before mass, the 69-year-old pontiff made a turn around the sprawling Baroque square in his popemobile to the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd, estimated by the Vatican at around 80,000 people. Leo said the Church "must open the borders between peoples and break down the barriers between class and race". People must move "beyond our fear of those who are different," he said, noting that the Holy Spirit "breaks down barriers and tears down the walls of indifference and hatred..." "Where there is love, there is no room for prejudice, for 'security' zones separating us from our neighbours, for the exclusionary mindset that, tragically, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms." Leo did not speak of physical borders but his focus on barriers and walls evoked the politics of US President Donald Trump, who has vowed to stem illegal immigration into the United States. The pope also said the Holy Spirit was an antidote to toxic relationships marked by "suspicion, prejudice or the desire to manipulate others". "With great pain," Leo cited "cases where relationships are marked by an unhealthy desire for domination, an attitude that often leads to violence, as is shown, tragically, by numerous recent cases of femicide". In Italy, a slew of femicides have become front-page news over the last month, including the killing of a 14-year girl by her boyfriend last week. Leo also cited the dangers of social media, saying it risked making people "ever more alone" within a "vortex of individualism." "Constantly connected, yet incapable of 'networking'. Always immersed in a crowd, yet confused and solitary travellers," he said. Since his election, Leo has offered to mediate between leaders of countries at war and earlier this week, he had his first telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Several speeches made by the new pontiff -- including among his first words from St Peter's Basilica when he became pope on May 8 -- have focused on building bridges between individuals and peoples. Pentecost marks the end of the Easter season and commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ.
IOL News
5 days ago
- IOL News
Mr Price Group raises final dividend 12. 7% after market share gains in volatile consumer market
Mr Price Home store at Canal Walk, Century City. The group gained market share and sales in its 2025 financial year, with the faster sales momentum of the second half continuing into the first quarter of the 2026 financial year. Image: Ian Landsberg/ Independent Newspapers Mr Price Group increased its final dividend a creditable 12.7% to 593.5 cents a share after the value fashion retailer managed to raise its operating profit margin through lower markdowns, increased sales, and market share gains, after a muted first half. Total revenue increased by 7.9% to R40.9 billion, and the group gained 50 basis percentage points (bps) of market share, as measured by the Retail Liaison Committee. The gross margin expanded 80 bps to 40.5%, and operating profit reached a record level of R5.8bn, with the operating margin increasing 20 bps to 14.2%. Headline earnings a share increased 10.7% to 1 424 cents, respectively, after a stronger second half. This was despite the weaker month of February for the retail sector and the shift of school holidays and Easter to April, after the financial year-end, from March. 'The first half was challenging for the retail sector but improved in the second half. We are very satisfied to have gained similar levels of market share in both periods, reflecting the value we were able to provide our customers despite very different economic conditions,' CEO Mark Blair said in a statement on Friday. He said the sales momentum through the second half was supported by strong comparable store sales growth and gross profit margin gains across all trading segments. Revenue exceeded R40bn for the first time. Group retail sales of R39.4bn increased 7.8%, and comparable store sales increased 3.4%. In the second half, retail sales and comparable store sales accelerated to 9.9% and 5.7%, respectively. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Other revenue increased 6.6% to R1.3bn. Group store sales increased 7.8%, and online sales by 7.9%. Momentum improved in the second half across both sales channels, with sales growing 9.5% and 11.5%, respectively. Group unit sales increased 3.6% (4.9% in the second half), and retail selling price (RSP) inflation came to 3.7%. The group opened 184 new stores across its 15 trading chains, expanding its total store footprint to 3,030 stores. Interest rate cuts supported an improving credit environment in the second half, reflected in the group approval rate increasing to 20.3% and peaking at 23.8% in March 2025. Credit approvals would continue to be cautiously managed, the group directors said. Total expenses increased 10%, which included average space growth of 4.3%. The group's expenses to retail sales and other revenue ratio of 27.9% was within targeted range. On the outlook, Blair said a competitive and low-growth economy required the government reform agenda to be accelerated to create higher levels of employment and stimulate economic activity. He said the consumer environment in South Africa remains volatile. In the short term, consumer relief was supported by low inflation, lower petrol prices, and interest rate cuts, which collectively increased disposable income. Real wage growth experienced some recovery. However, the sustainability of an improving consumer environment in the medium term could be challenging due to the uncertainty from the global and domestic economies. He said Mr Price Apparel was the most shopped retailer in South Africa according to MAPS. Group retail sales in the first quarter of the 2026 financial year had increased 11.6%, with all trading divisions gaining market share in April 2025. 'Focus remains on extracting maximum value through profitable market share from our 15 trading chains and investment into strategic enablement projects, predominantly in the technology and supply chain functions,' said Blair. About 200 new stores would be opened in the 2026 financial year. Three acquisitions in recent years had delivered a combined operating profit of R1.2bn in the 2025 financial year and continue to be earnings accretive. BUSINESS REPORT Visit:
