The University of the Western Cape continues to make an impact in research, innovation and in communities by connecting possibilities. UWC has officially launched its Chair in Entrepreneurship in Higher Education, made possible by the Sibusiso Bengu Development Grant facilitated by the Department of Higher Education and Training. Minister Blade Nzimande delivered the keynote address at the launch.
Minister Blade Nzimande was the keynote speaker at the launch of the UWC Chair in Entrepreneurship
This milestone for UWC was celebrated by academic stakeholders across the Higher Education landscape. UWC’s Deputy Vice Chancellor: Research and Innovation, Professor José Frantz, said: “In the tapestry of South Africa’s education landscape we confront stark realities of unemployment rates, especially amongst graduates; they demand our urgent attention.”
“The challenge is not only about job scarcity but also the increasing unemployability of our graduates. Addressing entrepreneurship is crucial, considering its recent advancements. Yet it is disheartening that it doesn’t enjoy equal recognition amongst our youth. The argument in favour of unlocking entrepreneurial potential among higher education students becomes compelling in the face of high unemployment rates, aligning with the South African National Development Plan for 2030,” she said.
Minister Nzimande said this development grant is one that he is particularly proud of.
“I established this a few years ago, with an aim of supporting our historically disadvantaged institutions (HDI’s), to build on their own strengths, on their own specialisations, and on their own priority areas.”
“I believe a university like UWC has its own areas of strength and also it’s actually got its own new areas that it wants to develop. So the grant is aimed at supporting HDI’s to do that. What particularly excites me about this, the UWC one, is that you are actually now practically linking it to a Chair, so that we are not only able to support your programmes practically but we are also able to support the good research, which is something that is very important,” he added.
A cohort of diverse postgraduate students have already begun their research at UWC, supported by the funding. The students highlight the interdisciplinary nature of the chair by supporting students from different faculties as well as different institutions.
About the Chair in Entrepreneurship, Prof Iwu
Professor Chux Gervase Iwu, the inaugural Chair in Entrepreneurship, was also present.
He has a multidisciplinary background that encompasses degrees in Library Studies, Industrial and Organisational Psychology, Human Resources Management, and an advanced diploma in Management.
He sits on the advisory/editorial boards of the Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies (JEIEE), the Palgrave Macmillan Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurship, and the Center for Entrepreneurship Rapid Incubator (CfERI) of False Bay College, among many others. He served as head of the department of entrepreneurship at another university where he led a team that curriculated various entrepreneurship programmes.
Minister Blade Nzimande was the keynote speaker at the launch of the UWC Chair in Entrepreneurship This milestone for UWC was celebrated by academic stakeholders across the Higher Education landscape. UWC’s Deputy Vice Chancellor: Research and Innovation, Professor José Frantz, said: “In the tapestry of South Africa’s education landscape we confront stark realities of unemployment rates, especially amongst graduates; they demand our urgent attention.”
“The challenge is not only about job scarcity but also the increasing unemployability of our graduates. Addressing entrepreneurship is crucial, considering its recent advancements. Yet it is disheartening that it doesn’t enjoy equal recognition amongst our youth. The argument in favour of unlocking entrepreneurial potential among higher education students becomes compelling in the face of high unemployment rates, aligning with the South African National Development Plan for 2030,” she said.
Minister Nzimande said this development grant is one that he is particularly proud of.
“I established this a few years ago, with an aim of supporting our historically disadvantaged institutions (HDI’s), to build on their own strengths, on their own specialisations, and on their own priority areas.”
“I believe a university like UWC has its own areas of strength and also it’s actually got its own new areas that it wants to develop. So the grant is aimed at supporting HDI’s to do that. What particularly excites me about this, the UWC one, is that you are actually now practically linking it to a Chair, so that we are not only able to support your programmes practically but we are also able to support the good research, which is something that is very important,” he added.
A cohort of diverse postgraduate students have already begun their research at UWC, supported by the funding. The students highlight the interdisciplinary nature of the chair by supporting students from different faculties as well as different institutions.
About the Chair in Entrepreneurship, Prof Iwu
Professor Chux Gervase Iwu, the inaugural Chair in Entrepreneurship, was also present.
He has a multidisciplinary background that encompasses degrees in Library Studies, Industrial and Organisational Psychology, Human Resources Management, and an advanced diploma in Management.
He sits on the advisory/editorial boards of the Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies (JEIEE), the Palgrave Macmillan Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurship, and the Center for Entrepreneurship Rapid Incubator (CfERI) of False Bay College, among many others. He served as head of the department of entrepreneurship at another university where he led a team that curriculated various entrepreneurship programmes.
