WATCH | National Summit on Higher Education Funding

Unisa Enterprise, in partnership with Business Day Dialogues, recently hosted the National Summit on Higher Education Funding — watch the recording above.

This event explored the intersection between academic research, financial strategies, corporate collaboration and cutting-edge technology in shaping the future of education.

With a focus on commercialising university-level innovations and fostering inclusivity through strategic funding — while leveraging technology — panels of experts challenged traditional solutions for driving educational excellence, equity and sustainable development in SA.

Panel discussions included:

Panel discussion 1 — Monetising academic research: strategies and synergistic efforts for educational excellence

• Moderator: Nastassia Arendse, financial journalist;
• Wayne Stocks, managing partner of Stocks & Strauss Fund Manager, the fund manager of the University of Technology Fund; 
• Justice Dabampe, president of the Unisa Convocation and member of the Unisa Executive Council; and
• Lesetsa Matshekga, CEO of Unisa Enterprise.

Panel discussion 2 — Promoting inclusivity through strategic funding: private sector contributions to educational advancement 

• Moderator: Nompumelelo Sibalukhulu-Runji, CEO of Critical ThinkAR;
• Lerato Nage, CEO and Delivery director for KEA Capital;
• Linda Maqoma, national president of ABASA;
• Nkosinathi Mabilane, president of the National Student Representative Council at Unisa; 
• Yoliswa Makhasi, director-general of the department of public service & administration; and
• Gary Muizenheimer, director of SunCom (Stellenbosch University Commercial) and GM of Factory 209.

Panel discussion 3 — Transforming education through technology

• Moderator: Nastassia Arendse, financial journalist;
• Wesley Diphoko, technology journalist and analyst, editor-in-chief, Fast Company (SA);
• Justice Chikomba, CEO of Analytics Hive;
• Veronica Motloutsi, CEO of Smart Digital Solutions; and
• Sujo Mulamattathil, CEO of Sparcx.

This article was sponsored by Unisa Enterprise.