Under the theme “Dynamics of Humanisation”, the annual event which took place from 4 to 6 August, provided a platform for critical dialogue, knowledge-sharing and scholarly engagement on contemporary approaches to learning, teaching and assessment.
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Learning and Teaching Week forms part of Mandela University’s broader commitment to student success, transformation and social justice, engaged scholarship, purposeful digitalisation and the development of a humanising institutional culture.
The event also provided an opportunity to interrogate the ongoing transformation of higher education in South Africa, including issues surrounding curriculum decolonisation.
The programme featured keynote presentations, workshops, couch conversations, showcases of innovative teaching practices, collaborative learning sessions, book launches and scholarly discussions. Interactive activities encouraged participants to reflect on the relationship between innovation, transformation and human-centred education.
What does “human-centred teaching” mean in practice?, Can Critical Thinking Still Be Taught in the Age of AI?, Invoking a pedagogy of care in higher education towards equitable societies and an Overview of the Language Policy all formed part of the many interesting presentations.
“Learning and Teaching Week at Nelson Mandela University has, over the years, established itself as a significant platform for advancing the scholarship of teaching and learning,” said DVC: Learning and Teaching, Prof Muki Moeng.
Prof Moeng said the themes explored in previous years had helped foster an institutional culture that placed pedagogical innovation, reflective practice and scholarly inquiry at the centre of teaching and learning.
This year’s programme was shaped by abstracts submitted by staff and enriched by the student voice, keeping discussions connected to the challenges and opportunities facing contemporary higher education.
“The inclusion of student perspectives is particularly significant, as it underscores the principle that learning and teaching are co-constructed processes, requiring active engagement from all participants in the academic community,” said Prof Moeng.
Dr Noluthando Toni, chair of the Learning and Teaching Week local organising committee, said extensive planning by the committee and its working groups had resulted in a programme that examined innovation not only as an idea, but through its impact.
“The long hours of engagement and exchange of ideas culminated in the formulation of a theme that explored the essence of innovation, i.e. innovation with impact,” said Dr Toni.
She said the University’s emphasis on a human-centred approach made it important to challenge participants to consider what genuinely transformative learning and teaching should look like. The strong response from staff and students was reflected in the number and diversity of abstracts submitted.
The 2026 programme also attracted academics and practitioners from other South African higher education institutions.
“We were very excited to welcome all the participants, especially presenters who shared their research and innovative teaching and learning practices,” said Dr Toni.
She described the involvement of presenters from other universities as “a sign of growth and expansion of transformative practices in the South African Higher Education landscape”.
The programme extended beyond conventional conference presentations, combining formal sessions with “couch and table transformative conversations”, poster presentations, collaborative doodling and other interactive activities.
Dr Toni emphasised that these approaches were deliberately designed to promote intellectual exchange and dialogue, giving practical expression to Paulo Freire’s notion of dialogical engagement.
“Participants were invited to engage with boldness and intellectual rigour. What excites me even more is the inclusive approach of bringing together academics, students, leaders and managers as well as professional administrative staff with a common aim of further exploring the dynamics of humanisation,” said Dr Toni.
She highlighted for that for Mandela University, Learning and Teaching Week was more than a showcase of educational innovation, it created space to ask why particular innovations matter, whom they serve and whether they contribute meaningfully to transformation.
“May the insights gained and the networks established during this week continue to inspire and guide our collective work in the months and years ahead,” said Prof Moeng.