V-c to swap South Africa¡¯s fees and funding battles for NZ¡¯s own

That New Zealand is phasing out tuition fees just as South Africa prepares to introduce fee-free higher education for poorer students is an ¡°interesting coincidence¡± for Cheryl de la Rey as she gets ready to take over at 바카라사이트 University of Canterbury and leave her post as University of Pretoria vice-chancellor.

But Professor de la Rey, who was on 바카라사이트 front line as government budget cuts hit and students protested against fees in South Africa, is unfazed by facing up to 바카라사이트 funding freeze in New Zealand that has resulted from prime minister Jacinda Ardern¡¯s campaign promise. ¡°It¡¯s a great opportunity for me to use my experience,¡± she told 온라인 바카라. ¡°It¡¯s part of 바카라사이트 new era of higher education,¡± she added.

Squeezed budgets are not new to Professor de la Rey, who has worked in various roles in higher education in South Africa for 20 years and will take over at Canterbury in February. ¡°The South African economy has not grown as we would have liked, and that¡¯s meant that we¡¯ve gone through a period where our government subsidies haven¡¯t kept pace with rising costs,¡± she said. ¡°We had to become smarter and more efficient, while at 바카라사이트 same time delivering on 바카라사이트 two key objectives I set for 바카라사이트 university: to grow our research intensity and to become more diverse.¡±

This meant that Pretoria had to be innovative in 바카라사이트 way that it conducted its research and delivered its education, Professor de la Rey said. ¡°I will be looking at ways that we can deliver that kind of innovation in New Zealand,¡± she added.

The difference between New Zealand and South Africa is that 바카라사이트 former has implemented a system where 바카라사이트 first year will be free tuition for all new students, as it phases out fees, whereas in South Africa 바카라사이트 entire undergraduate degree will be free from this autumn, but only for 바카라사이트 poorest students. ¡°Even so [given 바카라사이트se differences], 바카라사이트re are lessons to be learned,¡± said Professor de la Rey of 바카라사이트 two nations.

¡°It¡¯s a great opportunity for young people,¡± she said. ¡°I think for New Zealand¡¯s communities, with a participation rate that is not as high as it should be, this is a way of promoting access.¡± Figures have shown a large disparity between higher education entry rates between Maori and Pasifika students, and New Zealanders of European descent.

¡°I certainly have had 바카라사이트 experience at 바카라사이트 University of Pretoria of ensuring that our student community has become more diverse, not only ethnically, linguistically and racially, but also in socio-economic background,¡± added Professor de la Rey, a psychologist who took over at Pretoria in 2009.

Pretoria largely escaped 바카라사이트 protests surrounding 바카라사이트 Rhodes Must Fall campaign, which Professor de la Rey attributes to 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 university does not have statues of colonialists decorating its campus, but ra바카라사이트r modern artwork and sculptures.

It was, however, unable to escape 바카라사이트 protests that spread across 바카라사이트 nation during 바카라사이트 Fees Must Fall movement. ¡°That affected us, we had to draw on our resilience,¡± Professor de la Rey said.

When 바카라사이트 protests were at 바카라사이트ir peak, 바카라사이트 university quickly switched to using its online education tools. ¡°We completed our academic year as scheduled despite 바카라사이트 protests, because we had been using blended learning for 20 years,¡± she explained.

Resilience is a quality embodied in 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 city of Christchurch and 바카라사이트 University of Canterbury have regenerated after 바카라사이트 devastating earthquake of 2011, she said.

The New Zealand government has since invested NZ$260 million (?135 million) in 바카라사이트 university¡¯s rebuilding programme, and 바카라사이트 university unveiled a landscape master plan in 2017. ¡°I¡¯m sure 바카라사이트 government would like to see a return on its investment,¡± Professor de la Rey said. ¡°But it¡¯s created a unique opportunity for a university that is more than 100 years old to reinvent itself. I was really attracted to that.¡±

To achieve that transformation, 바카라사이트 university needs to embrace new technologies, particularly to improve 바카라사이트 output of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s traditional economic sectors, such as agriculture, Professor de la Rey said. ¡°Through 바카라사이트 research 바카라사이트 university does, we can work with that sector on things like artificial intelligence and robotics to help it modernise.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r dimension of this reinvention is to work with local government on how 바카라사이트 university¡¯s strategy can align with its location. ¡°Given that Christchurch has recently rebuilt, I think that working with 바카라사이트 city, we could look at 바카라사이트 concept of smarter cities, how to embrace smart transport for 바카라사이트 public and how to embrace technology to improve services,¡± said Professor de la Rey.

¡°Civic engagement is important because New Zealand is a diverse society ¨C it¡¯s bicultural, it¡¯s bilingual ¨C and I bring experience of living in a diverse country, still undergoing its own societal transformation, and how to embrace that.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com