Former education minister Naledi Pandor is Nelson Mandela University's new chancellor, pledging youth empowerment and the pursuit of 'good trouble' amid global challenges to higher education.
The appointment of former education minister Naledi Pandor as Nelson Mandela University's chancellor has been praised as a vote of confidence in her leadership, but it also comes with the important task of advancing youth development in the Eastern Cape.
Speaking on behalf of Premier Oscar Mabuyane, Eastern Cape Legislature chair of committees Tony Duba urged Pandor to draw on the expertise she cultivated in her previous roles in South Africa to drive this work.
"Nelson Mandela University continues to play a pivotal role within the economic hub of our province, and remains a critical partner in advancing inclusive economic growth and development," Duba said.
Duba said Pandor's appointment came at a time of "renewed vigour" in the province. He said that, in his view, the Eastern Cape government had made deliberate moves on infrastructure development and industrial expansion, with a drive to attract direct investment to the region.
"The appointment of [a person of ] Chancellor Dr Pandor's calibre, a former minister of international relations and cooperation and SA's diplomat-in-chief, could not be more fitting.
"It is therefore our considered view that institutions of higher learning such as NMU, working with TVET colleges, carry a profound responsibility of developing...
