2015 Annual Report

The evolution from HESA to USAf in July was important because it placed firmly on the agenda our commitment to create a representative voice for South Africa's 26
public universities. We resolved to do things differently, to make an impact, to proactively participate in the national discourse and to establish an organisation that has the ability to act in the best interests of the South African academy.

We developed a strategic framework that emphasised the need for universities to undertake quality teaching and esearch; to secure adequate resources for universities; to significantly contribute to the socio-economic and cultural development of the country; and to enable internationalisation of our universities so that South Africa benefits from a mobile global student and academic talent pool. We further committed to promoting the value of universities to the economy and to ensuring that higher education policy is evidence-based and informed by high quality research. Finally, we agreed that we should strive to ensure that deserving students gain access to our universities regardless of their social, cultural and economic background.