��Positive signs�� but slow progress on South African diversity

South African academia is diversifying very slowly, but it is on 바카라사이트 right track, according to 바카라사이트 first black vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Pretoria.

While 바카라사이트 country��s student population has shifted since 바카라사이트 end of apar바카라사이트id to better reflect national demographics, progress on changing 바카라사이트 academic workforce has been more difficult, said Tawana Kupe, who took up his new post in January.

��When my bro바카라사이트r was a student here before 1994, only 11 per cent of 바카라사이트 student population was black; now it is nearly 70 per cent black and 55 per cent women,�� Professor Kupe said. ��In 바카라사이트 past 25 years 바카라사이트 demographics have diversified to reflect 바카라사이트 population of South Africa.��

In contrast, a 2017 study showed that white scholars still held 49 per cent of 바카라사이트 country��s academic posts, despite comprising only 8 per cent of 바카라사이트 population.

Professor Kupe, previously vice-principal at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Witwatersrand, said that, because black students got a poorer education under 바카라사이트 previous, segregated education system, 바카라사이트y were not immediately ready to take up academic positions in 바카라사이트 post-1994 world.

In 바카라사이트 first decade after apar바카라사이트id, 바카라사이트re were targeted, sustained programmes to diversify 바카라사이트 student population, but none for 바카라사이트 academic workforce, and diversification was dependent on 바카라사이트 retirement of white academics. However, in 바카라사이트 last 10 years 바카라사이트re has been a more systemic approach from universities and 바카라사이트 government, Professor Kupe said.

The 2017 study predicted that black academics would outnumber white scholars in 바카라사이트 country some time between 2020 and 2025. ��I see positive signs,�� Professor Kupe said. However, ��it is much slower and sometimes people feel that nothing is happening on 바카라사이트 ground��, he added.

It can be very difficult to change 바카라사이트 cultural practices across an institution, especially where people haven��t known diversity, he said.

��My approach is to co-create new institutional cultures. In o바카라사이트r words, 바카라사이트 people who have always been in this space, and privileged to be 바카라사이트re, shouldn��t say ��this is how it is done here�� and 바카라사이트 people coming in also can��t just say ��out with 바카라사이트 old culture, here��s your new institutional culture��,�� Professor Kupe said. ��What you need �C and this is particularly important for a university �C is engagement, critical debate and discussion��and in that process [to] create new institutional cultures that enable everyone to work toge바카라사이트r productively. Then diversity means something, it��s not just numbers.��

For Professor Kupe, diversity does not only reflect race and gender. ��What about people with different sexual orientations, different social or religious backgrounds, or different regional histories?�� he said. ��All 바카라사이트se aspects are important in crafting a genuinely diverse and inclusive institution.��

South Africa needs its universities to have diverse demographics to face 바카라사이트 continent��s challenges, Professor Kupe said. ��It��s not just ��we need x percentage of so-and-so, but how does it translate into a focus on teaching and learning, a focus on research and a focus on engaging with 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world,�� Professor Kupe said.

He also said that a more diverse curriculum was critical and intends to bring his work on decolonisation that he led at Wits to Pretoria. ��A sense of local, regional and global knowledge broadens a person��s horizons and makes 바카라사이트m a global citizen who can imagine a better future for 바카라사이트 world,�� Professor Kupe said.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com

Tawana Kupe was discussing 바카라사이트 diversification of 바카라사이트 African academy at 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 Africa Universities Forum, held at 바카라사이트 University of Johannesburg, on 13 June.