Prime Highlight
- Nelson Mandela University will host The Education Collaborative’s Southern Africa Hub Convening, bringing regional higher education leaders together to strengthen student development and success.
- The Convening will focus on purpose, belonging, and impact, encouraging collaboration to reshape higher education across Southern Africa.
Key Facts
- The event will take place in Johannesburg from 14 to 16 January 2026 and is organized by The Education Collaborative, a network of African universities.
- The Collaborative aims to positively impact more than 1.1 million students by 2030 by improving graduate outcomes and leadership development.
Background
Nelson Mandela University will host The Education Collaborative’s Southern Africa Hub Convening in Johannesburg from 14 to 16 January 2026. The event will bring together higher education leaders, institutions, and partners from across the region to focus on ‘Strengthening Student Development in Higher Education in Southern Africa’ with an emphasis on purpose, belonging, and impact.”
The Education Collaborative is a network of African universities that work together to improve education and help students succeed across the continent. The upcoming Convening aims to create shared solutions that strengthen student success and reshape higher education in Southern Africa.
Executive Director Rose A. Dodd said the network allows institutions to work collectively toward better graduate outcomes. She noted that the Collaborative aims to positively impact more than 1.1 million students by 2030 by helping them develop the skills and character needed to lead in business, industry, and society.
Dr Naziema Jappie, Director of the Southern Africa Hub, will play a key role in the Convening. With more than three decades of experience in education leadership, she is known for advancing inclusive and student-focused learning environments.
The Convening will address major questions facing universities today. These include how institutions can work together to support student success, improve housing and well-being services, and link academic learning with co-curricular experiences. Another focus will be on empowering students to help shape their own learning journeys.
The themes build on earlier discussions held in November 2025 at a national higher education dialogue hosted by Nelson Mandela University. At that event, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Azwinndini Muronga stressed the need for urgent reform, collaboration, and excellence in curriculum design.
He said universities must work with government, industry, and communities to prepare future graduates and entrepreneurs, adding that collaboration across sectors must become standard practice to meet complex regional challenges.
