In June 2022, the University of the Western Cape (UWC) launched its mid-career research leadership programme called PEEP, which address four key modules - Purpose, Equipping, Environment and People.

UWC has a mission statement from its IOP (2021-2025) anchored in its local and sub-regional context and inspired by its distinctive academic role to build a more equitable and dynamic society that believes through knowledge creation, knowledge translation emanates.

Leadership stretches beyond the borders of academia. It encompasses the individual, holistically on all levels of leadership engagement. Our responsibility as an institution under the banner of the DVC: Research and Innovation, is to ensure that we strive towards and effectively realise the motto of ‘connecting possibilities’. Developing the next generation of leaders for higher education is vital to the sustainability of the sector.
Today, we celebrate the achievement of the participants who completed the PEEP programme. 

Following the end of the first cohort that focused on the participants getting to understand themselves and others through a colour profile and 360 degree feedback of the programme, this is what the participants said: 
 

“This programme is futuristic and it's bigger than a person, and we can play a role to expand the university. The question is what can UWC do through me to meet the goal of Agenda 2063. I can really agree and stand with the motto of UWC, as an institution and a campus community which is committed to our vision of being a place of quality, and a place to grow from hope to action through knowledge.” - Dr Sebolelo Mokapela, Faculty of Arts and Humanities. 

 

“The programme not only teaches you to be a resilient leader, which is incredibly important in the political, social and economic challenges we have to face as leaders, but it also teaches you to be a people driven leader. This programme definitely provided me with a roadmap and gave me the tools to identify opportunities to make strategy decisions.” - Dr Angela van der Berg, Faculty of Law.

 

“Networking is very important and this programme provided me with opportunities to engage and build strong networks through collaboration across faculties and departments, which we would not do under normal circumstances. This programme has immensely helped me and created platforms for engagement on all levels in different spaces.” - Dr Meron Okbandrias, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. 

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation, Professor José Frantz, is intentional about pushing the agenda of mid-career researchers in leadership. Her vision is to create a programme which pulls together all expertise in her team and to drive the programme of well-rounded future leaders.

She emphasised that leadership programmes aim to empower and equip others so that they have the knowledge and skills to pay it forward in their spaces.
 

“We are driven by Goal 8 in our IOP, which talks about leadership development, and thus attaining the goals of the SDG Agenda 2030, through collegiality and collaboration, grounded on the values underpinning UWC."

Prof Frantz added: ”The voice of the South needs to echo in spaces of influence, and through your impact it is possible”. 

In conclusion, we can identify that there has been an immense impact on participants and this is just the beginning of greater things to come. The feedback from the first cohort shows that programmes such as these build character, grow individuals holistically and invest in strong future leaders - creating effective leaders for a better tomorrow.