Thabo Mbeki School trains leaders who solve complex problems in SA and beyond

During the advent of colonialism in Africa, the public services of African countries were shaped by colonial powers to serve the national interests of the colonial authorities. Public service to the African people was reduced to the “administration” of territories with the emphasis on supplanting Arabic and European religious practices and education inferior to what was offered in their own countries.

Colonial powers developed essential infrastructure in these “territories” to ensure the flow of minerals from exploitive excavation to “home” countries abroad. While some Africans who lived and worked close to colonialists benefited from these developments, most people remained on the periphery of society. Many divides and dysfunctions in African societies were reinforced, and new insecurities were created.

During the so-called “Cold War”, competing belligerents from Europe exploited the divides by arming and leading Africans to fight each other as proxies of either China, Russia or the Western alliance. With the demise of the Soviet Union at the end of the 20th century, African states, despite political independence, did not benefit from a new vision of globalisation and had to remain economically dependent.

The foreign relations of African states were absorbed in multilateral institutions such as the UN, where Africans were forced to assume a subordinate role to that of the vetoing major powers of the world. African institutions such as the AU accepted the position of being a subsidiary of the UN and wealthy member states in a relationship characterised by financial and political dependence committed to the agendas of powerful states in the world.

Today African states remain caught up in legacy systems to manage their public services, and “toe the line” in an international order that remains firmly “rules based”, meaning that those with the economic power make the rules.

It's against this background that the Thabo Mbeki African School for Public & International Affairs (TM-School) was founded in 2019, in partnership with the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, at the University of SA (Unisa).

The TM-School's bouquet of learning offerings, primarily doctoral and master’s qualifications, have been developed with the political, economic, social and cultural renewal of Africa in mind. 

They're aimed at training public servants, academics, diplomats, leaders in business, civil society, NGOs and communities, and lifelong learners to adopt a transdisciplinary approach to solving complex problems in Africa and beyond. In doing so, they contribute to creating a culture of excellence in the public service and international affairs arenas.

It is, however, with the intent to make an immediate short-term impact on the challenges in Africa’s public service delivery that the TM-School has also launched a series of advanced short learning programmes and courses.

TM-School's advanced short learning programmes

The TM-School's advanced short learning programmes and courses form a coherent whole as building blocks for formal postgraduate studies. These informal offerings will empower leaders to improve public service delivery and diplomacy in various African contexts.

While participants are expected to critically interrogate current policies, strategies and practices, they will also be encouraged to apply appreciative inquiry of what is good in contemporary cultural and global contexts.

Together, participants will continuously search for indigenous Africa-centric solutions, mainstreaming the role of the youth and women for progressive growth in Africa.

With an average duration of six months, these advanced short learning courses and programmes include: 

Advanced course in good governance in Africa

This course aims to build a cohort of current and future leaders who can rescue Africa from the scourge of corruption affecting its people. In doing so, it will contribute to a developmental Africa that seeks to take its position as an equal partner in the international arena.

With this objective in mind, the course capacitates participants in the concepts and principles of governance, including how to implement public service programmes. 

Advanced programme in policymaking and analysis for Africa’s development

This unique programme addresses the changing needs for public policy development. As such, it presents participants with the catalysts for uplifting the quality of life in African countries, specifically policymaking, analysis (including cost-benefit analysis), policy implementation, monitoring and evaluation. 

Advanced programme in dynamics of peace and conflict in Africa

During this programme, participants are introduced to the theoretical concepts and practices relating to peacebuilding and conflict transformation in various African contexts. This includes women in conflict resolution, community dispute resolution and decision-making for conflict management.

The aim is to prepare participants to act as peace and conflict practitioners who can contribute to a peaceful society. 

Advanced course in thought leadership for Africa’s renewal

The aim of this course is to develop and nurture new thought leaders for Africa's renewal, who are empowered for critical thinking and considerate of cultural sensitivity, local context and progressive and pragmatic ideologies.

Participants will interrogate and challenge existing leadership paradigms, considering endogenous and exogenous factors that shaped the past and inform current human conditions in various parts of the world, particularly in Africa. 

Advanced course in humanitarian and development leadership

This course provides an academic, policy and practice setting for current and future leaders to develop an understanding of responses to humanitarian and development needs in complex operational contexts.

Advanced course in security management on the African continent within a global context

This course meets the need for private industry and public service to establish human security, which is people-centred, concerned with the wellbeing of people in a society, giving them the freedom to exercise their choices, guaranteeing equity access to market and social opportunities, and living in peace. 

Advanced course in intelligence management

This course aims to introduce participants to the purpose and nature of intelligence management.

Its purpose is to equip agile public, private and international professionals with critical intelligence management skills, operational competencies and relevant attitudes so that they can manage the collection, processing, interpretation and dissemination of intelligence in the fields of diplomacy, crime prevention, violent conflict prevention, social instability and war. 

Advanced course in diplomacy studies

This course consists of three modules: diplomatic practice, SA’s journey to democracy, and structured analytical techniques for diplomats.

It will introduce participants to diplomatic theory and practice and enhance their ability to present an informed perspective on SA’s journey to democracy and its current governance system, economy and policies. 

Click here for more information or to sign up for one of the TM-School's advanced short courses and programmes. Applications close on February 28.

• About the author: Professor Andreas “Dries” Velthuizen is head of the advanced programme unit at the TM-School. He specialises in peace, conflict and security studies in Africa and is the co-editor-in-chief of the 'African Security Review', a journal accredited by the department of higher education & training. 

This article was paid for by the TM-School.