About Walter Sisulu
Get in touch
Email Address:
Contact Numbers:
Mthatha: 047 502 2100
Butterworth: 047 401 6000
East London: 043 702 9200
Potsdam: 043 708 5200
Chiselhurst: 043 709 4000
4. Quality Education
iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu places SDG 4: Quality Education at the core of its mission as a technology-infused African university committed to inclusive, equitable education, holistic student success, and community upliftment across the Eastern Cape.
Research on Quality Education & Educational Innovation
- Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL). Read the story. The Directorate of Learning and Teaching (DLT) drives staff development and educational research through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) initiative, focusing on digital pedagogies, extended curricula, and contextualised African-centred teaching frameworks.
- Early Childhood & Foundational Pedagogy Research. Academic leadership in education advocates for foundational cognitive development and leadership building from early childhood through primary schooling.
Graduates with Teaching Qualifications & Scarce Skills Output
- Major Pipeline for Teacher Education. Walter Sisulu serves as a primary source of qualified educators for basic education in the Eastern Cape. In 2024 alone, the university produced 1,535 graduates in Initial Teacher Education out of a total 2,269 scarce skills graduates.
- Specialised Education Departments. The university maintains dedicated departments across multiple campuses to train future educators, including the Department of Initial Primary Teacher Education, Department of Adult and Education Foundations, Department of Humanities and Creative Arts Ed ucation, and the Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education.
Lifelong Learning & Community Outreach Programmes
- Short Learning Programmes (SLPs). Launched accredited Short Learning Programmes (SLPs) to upskill working professionals—including teachers, nurses, and municipal officials —in practical, in - demand skills. Formed a strategic partnership with NTG Solutions offering accredited NQF Level 5 scarce-skills training, R3,000 monthly stipends, and Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) placement for 150 unemployed youth. Developing a continental Short Learning Programme in Data Science.
- DIRISA & CSIR High School Coding School. Read the story. Partnered with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Data Intensive Research Initiative of South Africa (DIRISA) to host a week-long coding school for Grade 9–11 learners from 15 selected high schools in the OR Tambo region. Introduced foundational skills in coding, data literacy, computational thinking, and STEM problem-solving through a Mini Datathon Challenge.
- NEMISA & eSkills CoLab Digital Training. Coordinated a 4-week cellphone repair and digital entrepreneurship training in Lusikisiki for 30 rural youth, blending web development, hardware repair, and National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) funding modules.
- School Exploration & STEM Immersions. Hosted learners from Qota Primary School and regional high schools for campus exploration tours and laboratory visits to spark early interest in higher education and STEM careers.
- Public Access to Learning Resources. Library membership. Walter Sisulu provides public access to its open library repository, online databases, FigShare research portal, and campus library facilities.
Student Access, First-Year Experience & Disability Inclusivity
- First-Year Life Skills Programme (WSU101 / Intshayelelo). Read the story. A foundational life skills module designed for all first-year students to ease the transition into university academic life. Encompasses 7 core modules: Financial Literacy & Entrepreneurship, Ubuntu & Ethics, Digital Literacies, University Overview, Language Development, Academic Literacies, and Leadership & Governance. Directly aligned to SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), transitioning to an online delivery model by 2027.
- Siyaphumelela Network 3.0 Student Success Initiative. Read the story. Walter Sisulu participates in the national Siyaphumelela Network to implement data - informed student success strategies, aiming to improve retention and graduation rates while narrowing equity gaps.
- Holistic Academic Support & Digital Literacy. Academic Advising & Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL): Deploys peer tutors and academic advisors across all faculties to provide academic and learning support. Extended Curriculum Programmes (ECP): Provides extended degree pathways in technical and science fields to bridge secondary school knowledge gaps. Digital Technology Integration: DLT conducts student digital literacy training on Moodle, MOOCs, and WiSeUp, while upskilling academic staff on smartboard technologies and online assessment tools.
- Disability Unit & Inclusivity Imbizo. Read the story. Hosted the inaugural Disability Imbizo to advance policy reform, improve campus infrastructure accessibility, and strengthen support services for students and staff with disabilities
This account is drawn from the iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu Sustainability Impact Progress Report, prepared against the Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings methodology.
The Sustainable Development Goals icons are United Nations marks, used here for information. The content of this publication has not been approved by the United Nations and does not reflect the views of the United Nations or its officials or Member States. Read the Sustainable Development Goals.
