Manamela flags funding, AI and transformation challenges in universities

Manamela challenged the higher education sector to consider whether the current university system adequately responds to the country's challenges Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela is calling for South African universities to confront challenges around funding, student debt, institutional stability and transformation, warning that expanding access without strengthening institutions could undermine the sector. Manamela made the remarks while delivering a keynote address at a webinar on the intellectual directions of higher education in South Africa on Tuesday. He called for a renewed national conversation about the purpose of universities and their role in addressing inequality, preparing graduates for the future and contributing to society. “A university is not simply a factory producing certificates, a recruitment agency for employers or a consultancy to the state,” Manamela said. “It must remain a place where knowledge is discovered, received wisdom is challenged and society develops the capacity to imagine a different future.” Funding and access remain challenges Manamela acknowledged South Africa’s achievements in expanding access to higher education, transforming the student population and developing internationally recognised research institutions. However, he said universities needed to look beyond immediate challenges and consider the long-term sustainability and purpose of the higher education system. He identified sustainable financing and equitable access as key priorities, arguing that student funding and institutional sustainability needed to be addressed together. “If we protect access while undermining the institutions that must educate students, we risk weakening the very system we are trying to expand,” he said. The minister also called for universities to demonstrate their public value through their contributions to society, while protecting academic freedom and independent inquiry. AI and decolonisation The growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) presents another challenge for universities, which Manamela said must prepare graduates to think critically, interrogate evidence and exercise ethical judgement in an AI-driven world. He also called for Africa to develop its own capacity to produce and shape emerging technologies instead of remaining dependent on systems developed elsewhere. Intellectual transformation and decolonisation were also among the priorities he highlighted. Manamela called for stronger African scholarship, multilingualism and the meaningful integration of African knowledge traditions into teaching and research, while maintaining engagement with global intellectual developments. He further stressed the importance of protecting the academic profession, supporting emerging scholars and recognising the contribution of the humanities, arts, sciences and technology to national development. Universities must rethink their future Manamela challenged the higher education sector to consider whether the current university system adequately responds to the country’s challenges, including inequality, climate change, AI, the future of work and the unfinished work of democracy. “If we were designing our university system today, knowing what we know about inequality, artificial intelligence, climate change, the future of work and the unfinished work of democracy, would we design the system we currently have?” he asked. “If not, what are we prepared to change, and what must we protect?” He said government, universities, students, academics, workers and society needed to shape the future of higher education collectively.