Universities have played this role for thousands of years. But why in today’s world have concepts such as the information society, knowledge economy and knowledge society gained more prominence?
To make sense of this, it is important to be cognisant of the fact that the world today is mainly characterised by the following change drivers:
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The rapid innovations and disruptions mainly driven by ICTs.
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Complexity and uncertainty are the new normal of our times. Nobody knows what is going to happen tomorrow.
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Deepening inequality and poverty co-existing with opulence and wealth.
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The social distance between the leadership and the citizenry, thus producing all manner of upheavals and contestations.
Knowledge has made a tremendous contribution in shaping these drivers of change. As we have come to understand, knowledge is not just power, but it is ‘capacity to act intelligently’. Let me hasten to add that knowledge is value laden – it is not value free. It seeks to produce and reproduce or contest the dominant paradigms. Knowledge can thus lead to inclusive progress or exclusive progress.
The importance of knowledge in today’s world is to surface a new phase of societal development that brings about enduring transformation. Such a view is premised on the notion of knowledge as a key factor and resource for socio-economic development in the twenty-first century.
Knowledge is thus a bedrock for development. Countries with highly educated people are leading across all human development indicators.
We need to engage, therefore, in serious soul searching exercises. We must pause and think strategically and lead from the future as it emerges. I am therefore calling for leadership. But leadership must be ideational. We must lead with ideas. It’s about ideas. It is not about your possession it is about what you offer. The positions we hold must not possess us. We need to do serious thinking. We need to educate for empowerment and self-reliance. We must be a platform from which our students can freely unleash their talents for their own and societal development. We will only succeed in this if we disrupt ourselves. Extricate ourselves from ourselves and remake ourselves anew.
It seems impossible until it is done – Nelson Mandela
Luthando Jack
Dean of Students