Technological Higher Education Network South Africa joins Jameel World Education Lab as first consortium member

The MIT Jameel World Education Lab proudly welcomes the Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA) to its membership network. THENSA is an innovative consortium, representing 10 universities across South Africa and Namibia, for advancing technology-focused institutions with a transformative societal impact. This collaboration signifies a commitment to advancing education innovation on a global scale. THENSA joins a prestigious group of educational institutions dedicated to transforming education worldwide.

The Technological Higher Education Network South Africa, previously known as the South African Technology Network, was founded in 2008 as a representative body for technology-focused higher education institutions in South Africa and Africa. THENSA is governed by a board of directors comprising the vice-chancellors of all the member institutions.

The main objective of this consortium is to promote relevant, impactful, and globally competitive qualifications, skills, research, and innovation in partnership with business, industry, and research institutions, both locally and internationally, to ensure a vibrant economy in Africa. THENSA is focused on its transformation agenda regarding the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Industry 5.0, focusing on societal value and well-being by creating curricula, entrepreneurs, and international research, innovation, and business partnerships, which has become one of its essential strategic objectives.

Part of MIT Open Learning, the Jameel World Education Lab (J-WEL) was founded in 2017 to open the doors of MIT to educational innovators everywhere seeking to harness the power of educational institutions to improve society and economies. As MIT’s collaboration hub to explore ideas and insights drawn from across the campus and the world, J-WEL curates ideas, develops customized workshops to address member needs, co-designs innovation projects, and builds global linkages with like-minded educators. The goal: enabling collaborating members to better serve learners in their setting by increasing the reach, quality, and relevance of education, research, and ecosystem interactions.

With this collaboration, THENSA and J-WEL are working together to develop and disseminate practical and effective solutions that increase THENSA members’ innovation potential. J-WEL and its members are eager to tap expertise across THENSA’s member institutions and their shared experience in running impactful university consortia. By combining their collective expertise, resources, and networks, both organizations are committed to advancing educational practices and empowering learners to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

“THENSA is indeed excited to join as J-WEL’s first consortium member," says Henk de Jager, THENSA’s Interim CEO. "Together, we will explore effective solutions that will contribute to the skills enhancement required for the future world of work through highly employable and entrepreneurial graduates who can serve the needs of the people of South Africa and Namibia. Our membership of J-WEL will allow us to foster creativity, innovation, and Afro-futuristic imaginations for the public good, thereby catalyzing the transformation of technological-focused higher education that promotes economic, social and environmental sustainability.”

“We extend a warm welcome to THENSA as they join our community,” says Julia Reynolds-Cuéllar, J-WEL's associate director for membership. “With expertise spanning across their ten participating member universities, THENSA brings invaluable insights and experience to our efforts. Their dedicated work toward transforming technological-focused higher education across Southern Africa is truly inspiring. We look forward to learning from their expertise and generating meaningful output to reform higher education.”

 


 

Originally published at jconnector.mit.edu.

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