WOMEN EMPOWERMENT CONFERENCE CHALLENGES WALTER SISULU TO PRODUCE PROBLEM SOLVING GRADUATES

Universities should prepare graduates not merely to enter the job market, but to identify problems, create solutions and help shape the economy and society they will inherit.

Those were the strong sentiments shared by the Empower Women in Research Affiliation (EWIRA)–FIRE Conference keynote speaker, Besky Gunjiri, in KuGompo City on Wednesday morning.

Speaking to academics, researchers, industry representatives and community partners during the two-day conference, Gunjiri challenged higher education institutions to rethink what it means to prepare students for the future economy.

Her message carried particular relevance for communities served by iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu, where unemployment, limited opportunities and complex social challenges require graduates who can do more than compete for existing jobs.

“Perhaps our ambition should be greater than producing employable graduates,” Gunjiri said.

She argued that universities have a responsibility to develop well-rounded individuals who can think critically, exercise judgement, work with others and respond ethically to real-world problems.

“Universities existed before today’s industry existed, and universities will exist long after some of these industries have disappeared,” she said.

Rather than relying heavily on simulated case studies, Gunjiri called for students to be exposed to genuine challenges while they are still learning, including water shortages, unemployment, literacy and the difficulties faced by small businesses.

She said such experiences could develop qualities that cannot simply be taught in a classroom, including empathy, judgement, responsibility and an understanding of how different disciplines contribute to solving complex problems.

“A water crisis is not just an engineering problem; it’s engineering, its economics, its finances, its environment, its politics, and most importantly, its people,” Gunjiri said.

Her argument pointed towards a model of education in which students from different disciplines work together on challenges affecting the communities around them, learning to combine their expertise rather than operating within academic silos.

She stressed that innovation should be linked to responsibility. Using Facebook as an example, she argued that students should learn not only how to create solutions and opportunities, but also how to consider the consequences of those innovations.

“The economy needs human beings who know what to do with what they know,” she said.

Her vision for graduates was ultimately rooted in both excellence and humanity and called for graduates who combine strong professional competence with compassion, responsibility and an understanding of their interconnectedness with others.

By: Yolanda Palezweni