The keynote address, Strategic Dynamics in Higher Education and the Role of Research Leadership, was delivered by Professor Ahmed Bawa, Professor of Human-Machine Interface at the Johannesburg Business School, University of Johannesburg.
Opening the seminar, UMP Vice-Chancellor Professor Thoko Mayekiso reaffirmed the university’s commitment to research and innovation. She announced that UMP will co-host the G20 Innovation Working Group meetings in May 2025 – a major opportunity to showcase the institution’s research achievements on a global stage.
“Our efforts are guided by Vision 2030, where we aim to position UMP as a university that leads in sustainable development and research innovation. We emphasise research impact, not just productivity. The focus is now on how research contributes to solving real-world problems," said Professor Mayekiso.
She further mentioned that UMP's strategic goal is to strengthen its research capacity and sustainability. “We aim to develop and sustain the research capacity of staff and students while fostering collaborations that address national and global challenges.”
DVC: Research, Innovation and Internalisation, Professor Stroebel opened the Forum Seminar.
Global Shifts and Academic Challenges
In his talk, Professor Bawa highlighted the rapidly changing global research environment. He pointed to the growing research dominance of countries like China and India, as well as the challenges posed by anti-intellectualism, politicisation, and the erosion of academic freedom.
“Universities must grapple with the effects of democratisation and decolonisation, which are reshaping how knowledge is produced and shared.
These forces are transforming higher education from elite institutions to massified systems, raising fundamental questions about social ownership and the role of universities in society," he said.
Professor Bawa expressed concern about universities becoming detached from the communities they serve, highlighting that for centuries, universities were embedded in their societies, but today, there's a worrying separation of who owns the university – the state, the private sector, or the students. "This is a fundamental question that we must answer.”
AI, Integrity, and the Future of Research
Professor Bawa also explored the impact of emerging technologies such as Artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data, and Digitalisation.
“AI is reshaping scientific discovery. With algorithms like AlphaFold revolutionising biological research, we must ensure that universities remain at the centre of knowledge creation — not passive consumers of AI-generated insights.”
A key concern raised was research integrity. Professor Bawa revealed alarming statistics indicating that 34% of neuroscience and 24% of medical journal articles may be fraudulent – including some in high-impact journals.
“Reproducibility is a serious problem. Once findings are published, they are often impossible to replicate. To maintain public trust in science, we must urgently restore integrity to our research processes.”
He also criticised the commercialisation of academic publishing, noting profit margins as high as 40% for major publishers.
“Academics produce the research and review it for free, then universities pay high fees to access the work. This is not a sustainable model.”
Professor Bawa emphasised that Higher Institutions should engage more actively with society.
Reclaiming Trust and Investing in the Future
Professor Bawa further warned against the corporatisation of higher education and the rise of precarious academic work. “The gig economy is creeping into academia, with short-term contracts and no job security. If we want a robust research culture, we must invest in stable academic careers.”
He also called on universities to reconnect with the public amid declining trust in experts: “The world is increasingly sceptical of expertise. We must reclaim our role by engaging more actively with society.”
Despite the challenges, Professor Bawa expressed optimism: “Universities have survived revolutions, wars, and pandemics. We will adapt and evolve. But the decisions we make now – on funding, governance, and research priorities – will shape whether we remain institutions that serve the public good.”
The seminar reaffirmed UMP’s leadership in fostering a collaborative, socially responsive research culture committed to solving real-world challenges.
Story by Cleopatra Makhaga. Pictures ChrisPlPhoto.