As South African higher education grapples with the slow pace of institutional reform, a seminal new book launched at Nelson Mandela University (NMU) offers a pragmatic blueprint for lasting change.
In Higher Education Institutional Change: Perspectives from South Africa, author and academic Dr. Joseph Besigye Bazirake argues that the “slogan-heavy” approach to transformation has reached its limit. To move forward, universities must align formal governance with the “lived experiences” of the people on the ground.
The Three Pillars of Institutional Reform
Dr. Bazirake’s research suggests that transformation fails when it is treated as a top-down compliance exercise. Instead, he proposes a “layered” approach where three specific elements move in synchronization:
- Formal Structures: Governance, language policies, and official mandates.
- Institutional Culture: The informal beliefs, historical legacies, and “unwritten rules” of the campus.
- Individual Agency: The collective trust and buy-in from both staff and students.
“Universities do not change through policies alone or through protests alone,” Bazirake noted during his address at the NMU Science Centre. “Real change happens when structures, cultures, and people shift together over time.”
A Critique of the #MustFall and Pandemic Eras
The book is the culmination of years of research, including Bazirake’s doctoral work at the University of the Free State. He observes that while the #MustFall movements and the COVID-19 pandemic intensified the hunger for equality, they often lacked a practical roadmap for how an institution actually evolves once the gates reopen.
Dr. Bazirake argues that resistance to change is rarely just about “difficult individuals.” Rather, it is often structural, baked into the design and incentives of the university itself.
Leadership Reflections: The Chancellor’s Parting Message
The launch featured a keynote from outgoing Nelson Mandela University Chancellor Dr. Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, who is set to step down on April 1, 2026, following the appointment of Dr. Naledi Pandor.
Dr. Fraser-Moleketi praised the work for acknowledging that universities in the Global South are “ideological battlegrounds” where the legacy of apartheid constantly intersects with post-1994 reforms.
Collaboration Highlights: Bazirake & Fraser-Moleketi
The author and Chancellor have a history of high-level scholarly collaboration, including:
- Africa Rising in a Fast-Changing World (2025): A look at public administration challenges.
- Global Approaches in Countering Societal Imbalances (2022): Research into the post-COVID recovery.
Vision 2030: From Theory to Practice
The roadmap unveiled in the book aligns directly with NMU’s Vision 2030, which seeks to position the institution as a “dynamic African university” focused on:
- Humanising Learning: Moving away from managerial templates to people-centered education.
- Social Justice: Treating equity as a guiding value rather than a box-ticking activity.
- Active Heritage: Dissecting language and racial dynamics to build equitable futures.
“Institutional change is slow and sometimes frustrating,” Bazirake concluded, “but ideas shape how societies imagine their futures.”
