NMU welcomes 7,200 new students as academic year begins

Officially opening the new academic year, Nelson Mandela University (NMU) welcomed about 7,200 fresh faces to its six campuses. 

Addressing the new arrivals and their families at the university’s Indoor Sports Centre in Summerstrand on Saturday, NMU vice-chancellor Prof Sibongile Muthwa applauded the new first-year students for working hard to qualify for access to higher education.

“As you start your learning journey with us, I encourage you to think and dream big, work hard and persevere in the face of adversity,” she said. 

“Yes, adversity will be inevitable as you engage with learning, and with growing up.

“I urge you to be solution-driven and recognise your own agency in overcoming challenges. 

“Always be respectful and considerate of others and be adaptable as you embrace the inevitability of change.”

According to Muthwa, NMU received 111,000 applications from prospective first-year students of whom only 7,200 were accepted. 

In addition, she said, as part of the university’s transformation policy, the student demographic profile had shifted dramatically over the past two decades and now boasted more than 60% of its students coming from quintile one to three schools, which are the most under-resourced schools in the country. 

NMU at present has 31,600 students and about 2,500 employees, and houses more than 5,000 students at the various campuses. 

Muthwa said more than 17,700 students had received firm offers for funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

“We also welcome the announcement by the government to provide funding for the so-called “missing middle” students, many of whom would not have been able to pursue higher education studies without this support,” she said.

According to Muthwa, the university continued to strive to establish a flexible learning and teaching environment which offered students a blend of in-person, online and hybrid learning opportunities.

“We recognise the disruptive potential and influence of digital advancements on education, and we set out to harness the benefits of these innovations while preserving the quality and academic integrity of our educational offerings,” she said.

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