As the DVC: Postgraduate Studies, Engagement, and Planning, Prof Mbewe will be responsible to provide strategic leadership for all aspects related to Postgraduate Studies, Engagement, Institutional Planning and Continuing Education Services.
Before this role, Prof Mbewe served as the Dean of Agriculture and Natural Sciences at UMP, prioritizing quality teaching and research within the faculty to ensure excellence across all areas.
"My focus as Dean was to maintain the highest academic standards, offering exceptional programs taught by well-qualified staff and conducting relevant research. This is a bigger role, and it’s a bigger chance to establish a legacy within the university," he says.
As the DVC, his top priority is to ensure graduate students complete their studies on time, intervening to resolve any problems and preventing prolonged stays that would incur additional costs for the university.
“This will assist us to build a community of postgraduate students that are aware of the world around them, but are also very good in their area of expertise by virtue of the linkups that we built within the country, with industries and other universities, so that the student is really enriched.”
Closing the skills gap in the province
As UMP celebrates 10 years, Prof Mbewe attributes the university's success to its established systems and processes that bring predictability to tasks and provide maximum exposure to industry practices for students.
UMP is the only university in the Mpumalanga province, which still has huge educational or skills deficit in its population, especially for the working class who had to further their studies, elsewhere outside the Province in the past; he aims to bridge the gap of skills development, by developing flexible study options as part of further education for the target group.
“To address the skills deficit and bring flexibility, we are looking at working with on academic offerings of existing and future programmes that will put a more flexible timetable to enhance access and redress to people under employment. “
This position gives us an opportunity to also work and partner with other well-established institutions, to take students and train them to gain experience in either their chosen industry, government departments, or farms when it comes to agriculture. Another crucial focus is creating partnerships to ensure UMP students gain maximum exposure and industry experience by the time the students graduate.”
Furthermore, the institution aims to provide solutions to local communities and collaborate with various divisions to address their needs. He plans to offer flexible and user-friendly courses such as advanced diplomas and postgraduate diplomas to cater to working individuals.
Engagement with local and international communities is a key aspect, as Prof Mbewe believes it enriches teaching by staying updated with global issues and technology.
“We should be able to have academic leaders that are leading discipline-based organizations because they can only stay relevant if in contact with other people. But just as a community, the university is not isolated to have those networks amongst professional organizations so that there are collaborations in terms of research, teaching methodologies, and other technologies that some of our partners that are in South Africa and other parts of the world can share.”
Additionally, discussions are afoot with the Mpumalanga Department of Education to develop programmes that will improve the qualifications of high school educators.
Academic history
Before joining UMP, Professor Mbewe served as the Head of the Department of Water and Sanitation and Acting Director of the School of Computer and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Limpopo. He also worked at the North-West University as an Associate Professor and Director of the School of Agricultural Sciences from 2005 to 2011 teaching Microbiology.
Prof Mbewe holds a BSc in Biology from Texas Southern University, USA, and a PhD in Microbial Genetics from the University of Cambridge, UK. After an extensive academic career at various institutions and organizations, he assumed his duties at the University Mpumalanga as Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences in 2016.
He has served on several boards, including the National Task Force for the Containment of Polio in Labs (NTF), and was on the ministerial advisory committee for the National Department of Health, and the Council on Higher Education (HEQC) as a Programme Evaluator.
Professor Mbewe was also the chair of the PETAFF (Provincial Education and Training in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) in Mpumalanga and was appointed by the MEC of Mpumalanga Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs (DARDLEA), which deals with the popularising and teaching of agriculture in the entire province.
His diverse expertise and advisory roles promise valuable insights and impactful contributions to UMP's academic and strategic initiatives, as the university strives to become a leading African institution fostering sustainable development through innovation.
@ Story by Cleopatra Makhaga. Pictures supplied.