Tertiary education institutions in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) convened in Johannesburg, South Africa, to initiate collaboration on co-creating a curriculum that aims to transform entrepreneurship through education.
The strategic partnership between eight institutions in South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia and Eswatini, was launched by the Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA) to enhance graduate employability in the region.
Funded by the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) programme, the University-Industry Co-Creation (UNIICo-create) project aims to tackle the pressing challenges of low job creation, limited start-up success, and graduate unemployment in the SADC region, according to project lead Dr Sershen Naidoo.
Unpacking the initiative during the event, Naidoo said the collaboration recognises the role of entrepreneurship in driving economic growth and addressing Sub-Saharan Africa’s priority action on sustainable growth and jobs.
The collaborative approach adopted will ensure that the project’s impact is systemic and sustainable, with strong support from both academics and policymakers.
Co-creation of curricula
UNIICo-create unites a diverse range of stakeholders, including higher education institutions, ministries of education from each participating nation; EU partner institutions from Ireland, France, and Finland; and key higher education authorities and consortia.
They are the Southern African Regional Universities Association, or SARUA, the South African Qualifications Authority, the Association of African Universities, the Association of Technical Universities and Polytechnics in Africa, and Universities South Africa, which represents all public universities in South Africa.
Naidoo said one of the project’s key objectives is the co-creation of curricula, which includes the training of academic leaders to collaborate with industry and societal partners in developing curricula that promote entrepreneurship and innovation.
Secondly, the plan is to establish co-creation units and pilot the integration of co-creation units within universities’ Technology Transfer Offices to facilitate collaborative projects between students, staff and industry.
As drivers of an ecosystem, they will create a network of advocates who can influence policies related to university-industry cooperation, curriculum design and joint qualifications.
Enhancing the entrepreneurial environment
From a South African perspective, according to the 2023-24 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) South Africa Report, the country’s overall entrepreneurial environment is declining. In 2023, it was the third-lowest among the 49 GEM participating economies.
Therefore, through this initiative, Naidoo said, participating universities will be equipped with the tools, resources and partnerships to cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets among students and staff.
UNIICo-create builds upon the foundation laid by HERE-Africa, a network born from THENSA’s previous Erasmus+ CBHE-funded project, Higher Education Reform Experts South Africa (HERE-Africa). The network, hosted by THENSA, also comprises universities and ministries of education.
Namibia
Dr Anna Matros-Goreses, the executive director of the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Partnerships at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), says the institution is already strengthening its role as an entrepreneurial university through the project.
A key component of the initiative is an innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship service course at NUST offered in the faculty of commerce, human sciences and education and led by its Executive Dean, Professor Efigenia Semente.
This course equips students with academic knowledge, while a practical implementation programme, supported by the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Partnerships and industry partners, facilitated by Valerie Garises, the director of technology innovation and entrepreneurship, ensures hands-on experience. The partners are also exploring funding models to secure the programme’s long-term sustainability.
“Our goal is to drive meaningful impact and establish Namibia as a hub for African entrepreneurship and technological advancement,” said Matros-Goreses.
She said this initiative targets students, researchers, entrepreneurs and industry leaders, reinforcing NUST’s commitment to bridging the gap between academia and the market, while also contributing to Namibia’s socio-economic development.
With key innovation spaces such as the High-Tech Transfer and Plaza Select and the NUST Innovation Hub, the university is creating opportunities for collaboration between academia, industry and entrepreneurs. By integrating education, research and commercialisation, NUST aims to develop home-grown solutions under the banner, ‘Made in Namibia for Africa and Beyond’.
Lesotho
Chakela Thaba, a lecturer at the Lerotholi Polytechnic in Lesotho, says the establishment of UNIICo-create was a dream come true for him because he believes that entrepreneurship skills development is imperative.
Thaba said that, when he joined the higher education sector some 20 years ago, he was appalled at how disconnected institutions were from societal needs.
“They functioned like isolated ivory towers, rarely translating [education] into job creation or offering direct solutions to the challenges faced by people in the villages of my country. It frustrated me to see knowledge locked away in silos, with little collaboration and even less tangible impact. This project promises to change that,” he told University World News.
Thaba said higher education should not be a series of lone efforts. Instead, all stakeholders should work together – not just to create curricula, but to offer them, shape them, direct them, review them, and ensure they are effective.
“It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a unified, coordinated effort to transform a nation through education.”
Eswatini
Mboni Dlamini, the executive director of Eswatini Qualifications Authority, believes that the UNIICo-create project presents a significant opportunity for students in Eswatini by fostering closer collaboration between universities and industries.
He said the co-creation of curriculum between universities and industries will ensure that educational programmes align with the real-world needs of the job market. This will reduce the skills mismatch that has been a challenge in Eswatini, where graduates sometimes struggle to find jobs due to outdated or theoretical training.
For the industry, this means having access to a workforce that is job-ready and innovative, thereby reducing the time and resources spent on retraining graduates. Furthermore, Dlamini said it encourages entrepreneurship, with students developing solutions to local challenges and creating businesses instead of relying solely on employment.
“The UNIICo-create project promotes a shift from a traditional academic model – which is often lecture-based and theoretical – to a dynamic, interactive, and experiential learning model,” he said.
Dlamini said the regional approach to higher education, by which SADC universities and industries collaborate to share best practices, research and expertise, can help enhance competitiveness in the global economy.
Through co-creation with industry, the project will enable universities to develop new qualifications in areas such as digital transformation, green technologies and creative industries, ensuring they are recognised and registered under the European Skills Qualifications Framework, he said.
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