WSU SHARPENS STRATEGIC FOCUS TOWARD VISION 2030 AND BEYOND

Walter Sisulu University (WSU) is intensifying its drive toward Vision 2030 and Beyond through a deliberate strategic refocus designed to strengthen institutional coherence, accelerate implementation, and position the institution for measurable impact.

At the centre of this recalibration is a clear shift from broad ambition to disciplined execution, ensuring that priorities are not only articulated, but systematically embedded across faculties and administrative units.

This strategic drive underscored the two-day Executive Management Strategic Planning Session in which institutional leadership, led by Vice-Chancellor and Principal Dr Thandi Mgwebi interrogated priorities, tested assumptions, and deliberated on a sharpened pathway forwad. The event convened from 9 to 10 February.

The session created a structured platform for collective reflection and strategic refinement, reinforcing a unified direction as the university advances toward Vision 2030 and Beyond.

Opening the session, Mgwebi framed the gathering as a deliberate moment of institutional recalibration rather than a cosmetic review.

“This is a deliberate process of reorganisation and refocusing aimed at strengthening the university’s impact in the medium to long term. The engagement is not about final wording or fixed outcomes, but about refining the underlying thinking that will shape a coherent, purpose-led strategic framework for WSU,” she said.

Mgwebi reminded the attendees how Council expectations must be aligned with executive responsibility and institutional capacity-reinforcing the importance of disciplined and collective leadership.

“The discussions will be around five core pillars: institutional culture and social cohesion; developmental, impact-oriented research; the mainstreaming of modern technologies and innovation; advancing the university town concept; and the deliberate mobilisation of partnerships and resources,” said Mgwebi.

These pillars echo the commitments she articulated during her candidacy presentation for the Vice-Chancellorship, where she outlined a vision of a locally rooted yet globally relevant university.

At the time, she envisioned WSU as uniquely-placed to lead a necessary course correction in a world marked by polycrisis.

She argued that previously disadvantaged institutions must be able to convert structural challenges into strategic advantage through partnerships, sustainability leadership, and community-embedded scholarship.

Throughout the two-day session, Executive Management moved into working groups to interrogate what the university should retain, what must be strengthened, and what should be let go.

Discussions tested the relevance and differentiating power of WSU’s proposed signature themes, asking whether they position the institution as a university of choice rather than simply another option in the higher education landscape.

Executive Management examined the alignment of Research, Teaching and Learning, Societal Engagement, and Partnerships with the realities of the Eastern Cape, including youth unemployment, deep poverty in certain districts, and the need for sustainable socio-economic development.

Day Two saw a valuable input from Council Member Vuyani Jarana, who challenged the institution to adopt a new mental posture suited to a rapidly changing digital era, reinforcing the urgency of innovation and technology-enabled access.

His call for re-engineering access through digital innovation struck a chord with Mgwebi who has long been emphasising on leveraging geographic advantage and collaborative ecosystems within the province’s dense higher education network.

“This retreat does not signal a wholesale strategic reset. It is about sharpening our alignment and moving decisively from planning to implementation. We are introducing a strategic resource allocation model that replaces fragmented, piecemeal funding with a structured, criteria-driven investment approach. Faculty initiatives must be treated as institutional investments, supported through deliberate seed funding and clear accountability mechanisms to ensure measurable impact,” said Mgwebi.

Reaffirming the academic core of the institution, Mgwebi stressed that while partnerships and enablers are essential, the signature themes remain fundamentally academic in nature.

She emphasised the urgency of concluding consultations and securing Council approval so that WSU can proceed with a clear, approved framework.

The objective, she indicated, is to enable the university to move forward with a clear, approved strategic framework that supports coordinated execution and long-term impact.

By Anita Roji