Towards a Common Future: Higher Education in the SADC Region Regional Country Profiles

Towards a Common Future: Higher Education in the SADC Region Regional Country Profiles The country study presented here was prepared as a part of the study A Profile of Higher Education in the Region published in Towards a Common Future: Higher Education in the SADC Region (SARUA, 2009). It is published here as an appendix to that report. The methodology used to obtain the data presented here is described in full in Towards a Common Future (see page 63 68). This methodology relied on surveys sent both to the relevant Ministry of Education, and to individual institutions in the region. Where data from the two sources did not match, a follow up process of data confirmation was undertaken, until agreement was reached. Although the data obtained via this method does not necessarily match data obtained using different methodologies (some differences are evident between the data presented here and that presented in other SARUA studies), in order to retain integrity of the data gathering process, no attempt has been made to manipulate the data artificially to reflect similar findings. Rather, the data must be read as having arisen from, and being true to, the particular methodology used in this study. The problems of obtaining accurate data from the region are well documented (mentioned in all SARUA studies, see particularly p. 65 of this report), and speaks to the urgent need for a process for regular maintenance of such data. We publish these country studies as supplemental information to that presented in the report itself, and hope that they will be of value to other researchers in the region. 1

Swaziland: Review of Public Higher Education Key Country Context Statistics Population: 1.146 million (2006) GDP: US$2,300 (2006) Human Development Index (HDI): 0.547 Unemployment levels: 40% (2006 est.) Key economic sectors: Manufacturing, Tourism Principal Exports: Soft Drink Concentrate, Sugar, Wood Pulp, Refrigerators. HIV and Aids prevalence: 26.09% (2007 estimate) Gross Primary Enrolment Ratio: 98 (2006) Gross Secondary Enrolment Ratio: 43 (2002) Gross Tertiary Enrolment Ratio: 4 (2006) Source: Country context data was obtained from a variety of sources: (CIA, 2008; SADC, 2007; UNAIDS, 2008; UNDP, 2006; UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2006) 1. NATIONAL LEVEL OVERVIEW Primary education in Swaziland lasts for seven years, leading to the Swaziland Primary Certificate. Primary school begins at age six. Secondary education lasts for five years and is divided into two cycles: a three year cycle leading to the Junior Certificate and a two year cycle preparing pupils to the General Certificate of Education O Level which gives access to higher education (International Association of Universities (IAU) World Higher Education Database, 2003). At primary level, Swaziland faces challenges in retention. Of the children who enrol for grade one, only 50% complete grade seven and some of them take twelve years to do so (Forsyth Thompson, 2006). The government s priority at secondary level is to improve secondary education so that graduates at this level can access employment or become selfemployed. As such, secondary education curriculum reform has included the introduction of pre vocational education, information technology and entrepreneurship, schools agriculture, and technical subjects and home economics (Swaziland Government). Higher education is provided by the University of Swaziland, which was established as a National Institution in 1982 (International Association of Universities (IAU) World Higher Education Database, 2003). The University has three campuses: one for the agricultural faculty, one where academic and professional courses are run, and another for the health sciences (UNISWA Foundation, 2007). Efforts are being made to fill gaps at university level, including degree courses for architects, engineers, and medical practitioners who presently study abroad. However, this growth is highly dependent on available funding. Distance learning is also offered through the Institute of Distance Learning for students unable to attend courses full time (Forsyth Thompson, 2006). Tertiary education in Swaziland is under 2

pressure because of the high demand for places placed on it by increased expansion of the schooling system. As such, education spending by government is skewed towards tertiary education. In addition to supplying contact learning, the University has increased access to higher education by offering distance learning courses (Swaziland Government). Other institutions of higher education include teacher training colleges, which are affiliated to the University, and specialized institutes (International Association of Universities (IAU) World Higher Education Database, 2003). Several institutes provide different levels of technical, commercial, and vocational training. These include the Swaziland College of Technology (SCOT), Gwamile Vocational and Commercial Training Institute, and the Nursing College. Training in technical and commercial skills is also available (Forsyth Thompson, 2006). Swaziland s higher education sector consists of seven institutions of higher learning including a publicly funded university, publicly funded polytechnics and specialized colleges, and privately funded accredited universities and colleges. Table 1 Overview of HE Sector Type of Higher Education Institution Number of Estimated % of HE students enrolled institutions in this type of institution Publicly funded universities 1 75.2% Publicly funded polytechnics or specialized colleges 1 6.7% Publicly funded HE Colleges 4 18.1% TOTAL 6 100.01% Source: Swaziland MoE questionnaire response The following statutory bodies play a significant role in HE in Swaziland: Education Board: the Education Board oversees the implementation of education policies and advises on the need to review outdated policies and targets. Scholarship Selection Board: this board is responsible for screening tertiary education scholarship applications and making recommendations to the minister of education on who should be awarded scholarships. University Council: the council is responsible for university operations and ensures the smooth operation of the University of Swaziland. University Senate: the senate is responsible for all academic affairs of the university and all affiliated tertiary institutions. University Research Board: this board is responsible for commissioning research studies, advising on issues related to research and ensuring the progressive operation of the university research centre. The five main HE goals identified by the Swaziland MoE respondent are summarized in the following table. They include training personnel to meet the developmental challenges of the country, strategic planning, forging links between intellectual development and community development, creating a culture of research output that enhances social, professional and social development, and fostering a culture of lifelong learning. 3

Table 2 Swaziland: Five Main HE Goals/Objectives Goals/objective 1. To provide trained and skilled personnel in accordance with identified socio economic needs of the country 2. To provide leadership and set trends in which the education system of the country should go 3. To assist in the preservation, transmission and increase of knowledge and in the stimulation of the intellectual life and cultural development of the country. 4. To teach research skills and inculcate a culture of research for personal, professional and social development 5. Provide life long training opportunities and make arrangements for re entering the main education system for further educational advancement and training Source: Swaziland MoE questionnaire response Description of how goal/objective aligns with national development priorities National Policy Statement on Education National Development Strategy (NDS) which lays out the country s Vision for 2022 National Development Strategy (Vision 2022) when articulating the role of HE in the development of socio economic status of the country. Poverty Reduction Strategy and Action Plan TVET Strategies. National Review Commission (NERCOM) Report of 1985 National Development Strategy National Policy Statement on Education National Policy Statement on Education of 1999 The goals set above were achieved through a consultative process involving meetings, workshops, and consultative visits at grassroots level, where the citizens of Swaziland were invited to make contributions. The formulation of all of the national policy documents outlined in the table above also followed a similar consultative process, and included the views of stakeholders including civil society participation. The MoE sets specific targets to be achieved by higher education institutions in order to achieve these goals. It was reported that higher education institutions are usually successful in achieving their targets. The monitoring of progress towards achieving the HE goals in Swaziland is performed by the Smart Programme for Economic Empowerment and Development, which is also a vehicle for monitoring progress towards achievement of national goals. The main challenges faced by Swaziland in the HE sector are the HIV/AIDS pandemic, funding, size of HE in terms of its capacity to provide access to HE to the student population eligible for HE, brain drain of lecturers, and lack of modern infrastructure to provide training in line with global developments. These challenges and the ministry s interventions to address them are summarized in the following table. 4

Table 3 Swaziland: Main challenges faced in HE sector Main Challenges 1. HIV/AIDS which has seen a number of students orphaned and not able to meet their HE aspirations, due to lack of access to finance. 2. Inadequate funds from Government to provide scholarships to students at HE or tertiary level. 3. Inadequacy of space at HE level to absorb all students graduating and qualifying to enter into HE institutions. There are not enough HE institutions. 4. Brain drain of lecturers, caused by poor salaries and other quality of work life issues. 5. Lack of up to date equipment and facilities required to provide training and skills development that is commensurate with the changing socio economic environment. Source: Swaziland MoE questionnaire response Ministry initiatives/interventions to address challenges Government provides scholarships to all qualifying students (orphaned and non orphaned) admitted into local tertiary institutions and a few scholarships are awarded for study in South Africa and abroad, Government is reviewing its Scholarship Policy to try and introduce cost sharing mechanisms at HE level. Distance Education initiatives have been introduced to provide cheaper and non residential means which may be utilized by students who are work part time. The Government continues to improve the working conditions of HE institutions lecturers and support staff through engaging the services of consultants. The Government, with the support of donor agencies, is trying to provide up to date. However, this is at a marginal level due to the inadequacy of funds. The key areas in which there are skills shortages or capacity constraints in the national HE is outlined in the following table. Table 4 Summary of Key Skills Shortages or Capacity Constraints in the HE Sector Skills Shortages/Capacity Constraints Brief description 1. Technical and Vocational Education and Training Short supply of engineering skills because engineering qualifications are not offered in the country. 2. Mathematics and Science The country is in short supply of medical practitioners and doctors. There is also a shortage of mathematics and science teachers which results in a professional shortage in science and maths oriented professions. 3. Information Communication Technology (ICT) The country lacks properly qualified ICT lecturers. Source: Swaziland MoE questionnaire response The following capacity development mechanisms are in place to support the development of human capacity in Swaziland: National Human Resources Development Planning Program executed by the Ministry of Public Service and Information (MOPSI) in collaboration with other ministries including the Ministry of Education: This programme identifies key programmes which need to be pursued in order to drive the country s human capacity development forward. These include: education and training systems, policies and growth perspective, national classification of occupations, training needs assessment, human resources development planning, labour market information systems, human resource profiling, human management information systems, and human resource planning. Scholarship Policy Development: a HE Scholarship Policy is currently being finalized. Once it is approved, it will provide guidance on who will benefit from government scholarships and which areas will be prioritized. 5

Human Resource Development Bill of 2003: The Bill is still at pilot stage. Once it becomes an Act, it will inform the HE sector on areas to focus on in terms of human capacity development. EU/Government of Swaziland Support to Education and Training (SET) Programme: The SET Programme will give technical support in the development of a National Qualifications Framework that will lead to a competency based curriculum and strengthen delivery mechanisms including formal and non formal training to respond to demands of the labour market and build capacity within technical colleges. 1.1 POLICY CONTEXT The National Education Policy 1999 outlines some of the problems faced by the education system, and its priority areas, including: Providing Universal Basic Education. Providing a two year programme of high school education to learners who have successfully completed their nine year basic education, which will prepare learners for life skills and further education and training. Learners will be encouraged to take one practical, pre vocational subject which will have the same status as academic subjects in the curriculum. Supporting the integration and inclusion of children with special needs in the education system, and to provide special facilities for gifted children. Supporting Adult and Life long education initiatives. Providing guidance and counselling services to all learners. Addressing the concern that many higher education graduates are not absorbed into formal employment and the high cost of higher education by: Providing trained personnel; Developing a cost sharing mechanism between the ministry and beneficiaries of tertiary institutions; Structuring the curriculum to suit the world of work and self employment; Considering the cost implications and relevance of programmes in relation to the duration of programmes, and Imparting research skills and foster a culture of research. Re orienting teacher education to respond to the reform of curricular content, ICT, and special needs. Promoting Vocational Education and Training. The MoE will fund different levels of education according to priority needs at the time, assist needy students with bursaries, and there will be cost sharing between the MoE and beneficiaries Management of the education system, which requires reorganization at national, sectoral, and regional levels. Creating a Management Information System unit which will be an integral part of the MoE planning section. Establishing library services. Delineating functions and grant authority to the National Curriculum Centre (NCC) which will produce and procure instructional materials approved by the MoE. 6

Supporting international organizations that have the same aims and objectives of the MoE with regard to educating the nation (Government of Swaziland, 1999). As a UNESCO member, Swaziland is a signatory to the Education for All (EFA) Declaration. Swaziland completed its draft EFA action plan in 2003 in consultation with stakeholders (Swaziland Government). To meet the needs of needy children in line with EFA, the Swazi government allocated E16 million towards the education of these children in 2004 (Swaziland Government). Swaziland has a national scholarship policy for pre service training, based on a 50% loan and 50% grant formula. The awarding of scholarships under this policy is rationalized according to the country s needs and mechanisms are being developed to ensure that beneficiaries pay back their loans (Swaziland Government). There is no national HE policy. 1.2 GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT It was reported that Swaziland currently does not have a National Qualifications Framework that can provide a regulatory framework for HE nor a National Quality Assurance Framework. In the absence of these two structures, HE colleges or polytechnics have affiliated themselves to the University of Swaziland, which accredits courses offered at diploma and certificate levels. The University of Swaziland enjoys relative autonomy of governance from government which is not enjoyed by the other HE institutions that are fully controlled by the government. Three other institutions that are church owned but government dependent colleges also enjoy relative autonomy. The Ministry is responsible for monitoring the governance and management of HE at institutional level. This monitoring is done through the office of the Chief Inspector for Tertiary Education who also monitors the governance and management of HE in the country at national and institutional level. However, the government does not set performance targets or base the allocation of resources on the achievement of targets or strategic priorities in the area of governance and management. In Swaziland, students, graduates, employers, and community members play a meaningful role in HE governance as highlighted in the following table. Table 5 Swaziland: Role Played by Stakeholders in HE Governance at National Level Stakeholder Students Graduates Employers Community Members Source: Swaziland MoE questionnaire response Play a meaningful role (yes/no) 7

The HE sector in Swaziland faces governance and management challenges, which include lack of clear legislation for establishing TVET colleges, heavy dependence on government funding and management by HE institutions, lack of a National HE policy, budgets that are not aligned with the needs of the HE institutions and staff conditions of service that lead to poor staff retention. There are several interventions that have been put in place to address these governance and management challenges. In relation to the lack of a clear legal instrument to establish TVET colleges, the government is working closely with the colleges to institute a Higher Education Act that will, among other things, address the issue of statutory recognition of colleges. This act is in a draft stage currently (in 2007). Considering the issue of heavy dependence of colleges and the university on government s financial resources and for general management, the hope is that finalization and promulgation of the Higher Education Act will provide colleges with support structures for management which will afford colleges a certain degree of autonomy that will also allow them to engage in their own fund raising drives to ensure their sustainability. With regards to the lack of a specific national Higher Education policy, the government has not done much in addressing this challenge as current efforts are directed at developing an HE Scholarship Policy. In terms of the recurrent budget allocations not aligning with the requirements of HE institutions, particularly the colleges, the government has not done much to address this challenge as colleges continue to experience budgetary shortages which result in class boycotts by students. Considering improving conditions of service to attract and retain qualified staff, the government is continually improving conditions of service, but the efforts are not sufficient to attract and retain qualified staff. Thus, this remains an ongoing challenge. 1.3 FUNDING The percentage of the national education budget allocated to HE in Swaziland over the past five years has varied between 18% to more than 22% as reflected in the following table. Table 6 Swaziland: Percentage of National Education Budget Spent on HE Year Percentage of national education budget spent on HE 2003 20.1% 2004 22.3% 2005 22.7% 2006 18.6% 2007 21.9% Source: Swaziland MoE questionnaire response 8

Swaziland indicated that it does not use a funding model or formula for allocating public funds to higher education institutions. Financial support to students in Swaziland is available in the form of scholarships, grants, and loans to students. The scholarships are provided to universities to award to students and are based on a half grant, half loan formula. Students pay back the loan part of the scholarship upon completion of their studies at an interest rate of 5%. Business and industry are currently not involved in the financing of higher education, but there are plans to include them as part of the HE funding strategy in the near future. 1.4 QUALITY ASSURANCE As indicated above, Swaziland does not have a national quality assurance framework for higher education. However, HE institutions are required to monitor quality internally on an ongoing basis, using their own quality assurance processes. The University of Swaziland accredits college and polytechnic courses offered at diploma and certificate levels. The Ministry of Education provides support to HE institutions in the development of institutional quality assurance policies and procedures, as this lies within its mandate. Although nothing concrete has been done yet to provide this support, plans are underway to make this contribution, in collaboration with the European Union. Swaziland has identified five priority areas in which quality improvements are needed in the HE system as being: the development of a National Qualifications Framework and National Qualifications Authority; capacity building for teacher training and college lecturers; improvement of conditions of work life; upgrading equipment and other teaching and learning facilities; and strengthening research facilities and policies. In relation to putting in place a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and a national Qualifications Authority, the MoE will be developing an NQF in collaboration with the European Union shortly. Regarding capacity building for teacher training and college lecturers, the government provides training opportunities for university and college lecturers but these efforts are inadequate due to insufficient funding. With regards to conditions of work life, the government makes efforts to improve conditions of work for the academic staff through negotiations with the unions, but these efforts fail to retain staff adequately, especially at colleges. In terms of upgrading of equipment and teaching and learning facilities, the government s efforts at upgrading and purchasing new equipment are marginal because of funding constraints. In terms of strengthening research facilities and policies to encourage and support research, a Research Centre has been established at the University through government funding. 1.5 REGIONAL COLLABORATION Swaziland reported that it places emphasis on Regional collaboration in the HE sector. Tthrough the SADC Protocol on Education and Training, Swaziland has agreed on which collaboration and integration to focus. To some extent, some of the collaborative initiatives have been successful, for example admission of students from SADC, harmonization of 9

entrance admission levels, mutual recognition of qualifications attained within the Region, mobility of students within the Region for purposes of study, research, student and staff exchange programmes, and so on. It was reported that some of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have explicitly influenced higher education planning in Swaziland. The specific MDGs that have had an influence in the planning are identified and described in the following table. Table 7 Swaziland: Influence of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on HE Planning MDGs 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 2. Achieve universal primary education 3. Promote gender equality and empower women Source: Swaziland MoE questionnaire response Description of how this MDG influenced planning (where relevant) Channelling more resources to social services sectors and towards lower levels of education which are regarded as strategic avenues to reduce poverty. Allocating more resources towards basic education as opposed to HE and introduction of cost sharing measures at HE. Planning for the education of the girl child, particularly at HE level. Where female and male students have the same performance profile, positive discrimination is applied but the occurrence of such cases is marginal. 2. PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES 2.1 UNIVERSITY OF SWAZILAND 1 The University of Swaziland was formed from the Universities of Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland (UBLS), formerly known as the University of Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland (UBBS), and based in Lesotho between 1964 and 1975 (University of Swaziland, 2007a). The University s three campuses are in Kwaluseni, Luyengo, and Mbabane (University of Swaziland, 2007b). The University s main areas of focus are teaching and learning, research, and community service activities, distributed in almost equal proportions as highlighted in the following table. Table 8 University of Swaziland: Institutional Focus HE Function Approximate Percentage Of Institutional Focus Teaching and Learning 37% Research 33% 1 A questionnaire response was submitted by the University of Swaziland and further information was gathered from the university website: www.uniswa.sz 10

HE Function Approximate Percentage Of Institutional Focus Community Service Activities 30% Source: University of Swaziland questionnaire response 2.1.1 Student Data The University of Swaziland provides both contact and distance learning. In 2007, there were 2,137 distance students and 3,648 contact students. The majority (98%) of students are national citizens, with 108 students being SADC students and 17 students being from other international, non SADC countries. Table 9 University of Swaziland: Summary of Enrolment Numbers (Actual data, 2007) Major Field Of Study Total Number Of Students (Headcount) Number female students Number male students Undergraduate degree/ diploma Number of students enrolled per level of study Postgraduate degree/ diploma Masters Degree Doctoral Degree Other qualifications (short courses, certificates etc) Science, Engineering & 435 139 296 426 0 9 0 0 Technology Business, Management & 2,568 1,265 1,303 2,568 0 0 0 0 Law Humanities and Social Sciences 1,027 567 460 1,024 0 3 0 0 Health Sciences 386 235 151 386 0 0 0 0 Other (Agricultural 1,034 406 628 1,014 0 20 0 0 resources Other Education 335 182 153 185 134 16 0 0 TOTALS 5,785 2,794 2,991 5,603 134 48 0 0 Source: University of Swaziland questionnaire response Most students at the University of Swaziland are enrolled for undergraduate study. The highest enrolment numbers are in Business Management and Law, Agriculture, and Humanities. Education has the most number of students enrolled for the postgraduate degree/diploma. Overall, there does not appear to be a large discrepancy with regard to enrolment by gender, but more female students are enrolled in health sciences. In the 2006/2007, the University of Swaziland awarded a total of 1,085 qualifications, distributed as shown in the following table. 11

Table 10 University of Swaziland: Summary of Qualifications Awarded (Actual Data, 2007) Major Field Of Study/Faculty Total Qualifications Awarded Number of Qualifications awarded at this level Undergraduatgraduate Post Masters Doctoral degree/ degree/ Degree Degree diploma diploma Other qualifications (short courses, certificates etc) Science, Engineering & Technology 77 71 0 6 0 0 Business, Management & Law 309 309 0 0 0 0 Humanities and Social Sciences 178 173 0 5 0 0 Health Sciences 133 133 0 0 0 0 Agriculture 240 232 0 8 0 0 Education 148 13 130 5 0 0 TOTALS 1,085 931 130 24 0 0 Source: University of Swaziland questionnaire response. The majority of qualifications were awarded at undergraduate level. As with enrolment numbers, most qualifications were awarded in Business Management and Law, Agriculture, and the Humanities. The University of Swaziland reported that they have the following facilities for students: Table 11 University of Swaziland: Student Services Type Of Student Service Academic orientation services Academic support services (e.g. writing centres, study skills etc) Accommodation facilities Career guidance services Psychological counselling services Sports facilities Information on study opportunities in other institutions Language training Social and cultural activities (bars, clubs, theatre, music etc) Source: University of Swaziland questionnaire response Service Provided (/No) No 2.1.2 Staff Data In 2007, the University of Swaziland employed 229 academic and research staff. This staff complement constituted 154 Swazi nationals, 46 from the SADC Region and 29 international staff from countries outside the SADC Region. The following table shows the distribution of staff according to faculty and gender. 12

Table 12 University of Swaziland: Academic and Research Staff (Actual data, 2007) Major Field Of Study Total Number (headcount) Number of females Number of males Science, Engineering & Technology 46 10 36 Business, Management & Law 23 10 13 Humanities and Social Sciences 50 17 33 Health Sciences 27 21 6 Agriculture 50 13 37 Education 33 9 24 TOTALS 229 80 (34.9%) 149 (65.1%) Source: University of Swaziland questionnaire response. In all faculties except Health Sciences, there were more male than female staff. This gender disparity is also reflected in student enrolment figures although the gender disparity between female and male students is not as wide as that among female and male staff. The staff:student ratio in the Faculty of Business, Management and Law is higher than in all faculties. The staff:student ratio is lowest in the Faculty of Science, Engineering, and Technology. Most academic staff at the University of Swaziland have Doctoral degrees. The following table summarizes the qualifications held by academic and research staff in each of the faculties. Table 13 University of Swaziland: Academic and Research Highest Level of Qualification (Actual data, 2007) Major Field Of Study Number of Academic and Research Staff with as this as their HIGHEST qualification Under Post graduate graduate degree/ degree/ diploma diploma Masters Degree Doctoral Degree Science, Engineering & Technology 3 0 5 41 Business, Management & Law 1 0 18 4 Humanities and Social Sciences 1 0 42 20 Health Sciences 0 0 19 8 Agriculture 2 0 0 31 Education 1 18 15 TOTALS 8 0 102 119 Source: University of Swaziland questionnaire response. The University employs 39 management and administrative staff, 38 of whom are Swazi nationals and one of whom is from another country in the SADC Region. The Faculty of Science, Engineering, and Technology has the most management and administrative staff. The following table indicates research output at the University of Swaziland in 2006/2007. 13

Table 14 University of Swaziland: Research Output (Actual data, 2004 2007) Major Field Of Study/Faculty Publications in internationally accredited journals Number Of Publications in locally accredited Books Published journals Other research activities Science, Engineering & 13 7 0 61 Technology Business, Management & 1 8 0 10 Law Humanities and Social Sciences 6 6 0 13 Health Sciences 4 1 0 13 Agriculture 14 18 0 54 Education 6 5 0 3 TOTALS 44 45 0 154 Source: University of Swaziland questionnaire response Research output is quite high in the category of other research activities compared to publications in internationally and locally accredited journals. The Faculty of Agriculture has the highest research output, contributing towards 35% of the total research output in the University. The Faculty of Science, Engineering, and Technology follows with a research output of 33% of total research output. The Faculty of Education had the least research output. The University of Swaziland reported critical staff shortages in the following areas: Science, Engineering and Technology; Business, Management, Law; Health Sciences; Education; and Institutional Management. 2.1.3 Governance and Management The University of Swaziland s governance structure is the University Council. The Council consists of members appointed by His Majesty and Chancellor, King Mswati III, ex officio members, members appointed by the Minister of Education, members elected by the senate, alumni, and by the academic and administrative staff and students. The University s governing body includes the following representation. Table 15 University of Swaziland: Governing Body Representation Number Of Members Governing Body Representation Representing This Group Number of members who come from or represent the business/industry sector 5 14

Number Of Members Governing Body Representation Representing This Group Number of members who come from or represent the community sector 1 Number of members who come from our represent the public (i.e. government) sector 5 Number of student representatives 1 Number of staff representatives 1 TOTAL 13 Source: University of Swaziland questionnaire response. 2.1.4 Funding The University of Swaziland receives the majority of its funds from government subsidies/grants. A sizeable amount of the income comes from student fees. Table 16 University of Swaziland: Funding Sources (Actual data, 2006 2007) Sources of Funding Percentage of total funding/income Student fees 20% Government subsidy/grants 66% Residence Fees 5% Refectory fees 2% Book Sales 7% Total 100% Source: University of Swaziland questionnaire response The sources of funding for the University have not changed significantly over the last ten years. Current funding received is insufficient for the University to operate effectively as a large amount of the government grants goes towards salaries rather than operational costs. It was reported that, in 2006/2007, 98% of the total research funding came from government grants. Only 2% of research funding came from international funders. The University calculates the average annual cost of student tuition per faculty and in the 2007/8 academic year, the cost of tuition for Science, Engineering, and Technology was E9,640 per student for undergraduate study and E16,820 per student for postgraduate study. In the Faculty of Business, Management and Law, the cost of tuition was E8,870 per student for undergraduate study. Tuition in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Science was E8,870 per student for undergraduate study and E6,740 for postgraduate study. The Health Sciences costs E9,640 per student for undergraduate study. It is estimated that 95% of students receive additional financial support towards their studies besides that which they get from their families. The main funding challenges facing the institution are discontinuation of capital budgeting by the government, decline in the value of grants, and donor fatigue. The University has embarked on interventions to address some of these challenges. With regards to discontinuation of capital budgeting by government, the University has established a 15

Foundation for Fundraising. Considering the decline of the value of grants, the University is commercializing its farm, and offering consultancy and training services. It has indicated it has a strategic plan to develop additional income sources. 2.1.5 Quality Assurance The University of Swaziland does not have internal quality assurance processes in place. Currently, it does not conduct internal evaluations of its academic programmes, and there are no mechanisms for ongoing staff development. The University of Swaziland is not required to report on quality assurance issues to authorities at the national level. The main challenge in the area of quality assurance is the absence of a national quality assurance authority. To address this challenge, the University has forged links with other institutions of higher learning, and voluntarily participates in peer review quality assessments. 2.1.6 Regional Collaboration It was reported that the University of Swaziland s senior management and academic staff value Regional collaboration. It also values enrolment of students from other SADC countries, although there had not been a significant change in the number of foreign students studying at the institution. The University does not provide any language and/or cultural support to incoming international students. The University is involved in seven collaborative academic or research programmes with other institutions of higher learning located outside of Swaziland. Five of these programmes are at undergraduate level and two at postgraduate level. There are two collaborative projects with the Universities of Guelph in Canada and the National University of Lesotho. The Faculty of Science has two collaborative programmes with the Universities of Botswana and Witwatersrand. The Faculty of Health Sciences is collaborating with Turku University and Diacona University in Finland. The Faculty of Humanities has a collaborative programme with Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique, and the Faculty of Education has a collaborative programme with the University of Pretoria in South Africa. The University of Swaziland reported that it can derive tangible benefits from Regional collaboration, including harmonization of programmes offered, enhanced exposure to peer review mechanisms, cross fertilization of ideas among academics and administrators, increased mobility of staff and students in the Region, and enhanced excellence in service provision. The University identifies inadequate financial support as the main challenge to Regional collaboration and this can be addressed through fundraising from the donor community. The University reported that the government could facilitate Regional collaboration among HEI by viewing SADC students in the same way as national students, and increasing the University budget for collaboration. It was reported that donors and other international 16

organisations could facilitate Regional collaboration by forging partnerships with institutions and making their funding frameworks and priorities known to institutions. 3. REFERENCES CIA. (2008). CIA The World Factbook Swaziland.. Retrieved August 13, 2008, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the world factbook/geos/wz.html#econ. Forsyth Thompson, C. (2006). Swaziland Business Year Book: Education (Overview). Swazibusiness.com. International Association of Universities (IAU) World Higher Education Database. (2003). World Higher Education Database (WHED). Swaziland Education System.. Retrieved August 12, 2007, from http://www.unesco.org/iau/onlinedatabases/systems_data/sz.rtf. SADC. (2007). SADC Review 2007/2008: Country Profiles.. Retrieved August 22, 2008, from http://www.sadcreview.com/country_profiles/frprofiles.htm. Swaziland Government. Sectoral development plan. Online,. Swaziland Government. Performance Report 1. UNAIDS. (2008). 2008 Report on the global AIDS epidemic.. Retrieved August 8, 2008, from http://www.unaids.org/en/knowledgecentre/hivdata/globalreport/2008/2008_gl obal_report.asp. UNDP. (2006). Human Development Report 2006 Swaziland. UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2006). Education in Swaziland.. Retrieved August 13, 2008, from http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/tableviewer/document.aspx?reportid=121&if_l anguage=eng&br_country=7480&br_region=40540. UNISWA Foundation. (2007). Faculties and Programmes. Retrieved July 15, 2008, from http://www.uniswa.sz/uniswafnd/university faculties.htm. University of Swaziland. (2007a). History of Uniswa. Retrieved July 15, 2007, from http://www.uniswa.sz/aboutus/history.htm. University of Swaziland. (2007b). Campuses. Retrieved November 11, 2007, from http://www.uniswa.sz/uniswa/campuses.htm.. 17