2021 Annual Report

While the University continued to confront numerous challenges in 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Council is proud thatled by a dedicated Executive Management team-staff, students and other stakeholders persevered and ensured that the University’s core functions of teaching and learning, research and community engagement were maintained.
In building on our past achievements, UKZN was guided by its Strategic Plan (2017-2021) and its commitment to transformation. Work continued on the Strategic Plan in 2021 to ensure its objectives were achieved against the backdrop of a rapidly changing global and local Higher Education landscape.

UKZN is known as one of the most transformed Universities in the country and Council is committed to addressing the legacies of the past and redressing inequalities while remaining cognisant of the need to ensure both short-and long-term financial sustainability. The COVID-19 pandemic continued to impose severe financial strain on the Institution during 2021. The financial risk arising from the crosssubsidisation of the student residences funds deficit from the unrestricted Council-controlled funds, and the high level of student debt also remain of grave concern. A Task Team has been established to interrogate this issue and explore various models for the University to provide student accommodation in a financially sustainable manner.

Project Renewal, which was approved by Council in 2020, is an internal audit and review to determine the most effective strategies to ensure UKZN’s sustainability. A review is being conducted of the University’s College Model as well as an academic review and professional services review. The investigative phase of Project Renewal commenced in 2021 and the investigations and analyses will enable all the University’s stakeholders to engage in the second phase.
Management continued to craft and implement innovative strategies across the wide range of institutional operations in 2021, and the success of these endeavours is evident in the progress achieved.