2020 Annual Report

As an institution of higher learning, Nelson Mandela University remains committed to serving the public good by changing the world for the better through advancing social justice and sustainability. In doing so, the University seeks to adapt with
agility to the changing and complex landscape of post-school education and training in South Africa and globally. This by implication requires a measured and holistic approach to tackling persistent challenges such as a flailing national economy, increased student enrolments accompanied by growing expectations for expanded support, as well as intensifying global competition for talent and funding.

Over and above these considerations, the University faced the additional and unheralded challenges wrought by the COVID-19 global health crisis in 2020, which affected every aspect of university life across the world. The core academic missions of learning and teaching, research, innovation, internationalisation and engagement have been significantly impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, as have other dimensions of campus life. These factors compelled a swift yet integrated response to ensure the completion of the 2020 academic year while remaining mindful of the moral imperative to advance social inclusion and ensure that no student was left behind in the rapid transition to hybrid and remote emergency learning necessitated by the national lockdown.