Message from the Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Tawana Kupe
The lingering COVID-19 pandemic, which has extended from 2020 to 2021, has proven to be both a disruptive force and an opportunity to reimagine and reposition UP to secure our short-, medium- and long-term success, vitality and sustainability. Creating a sustainable university strengthens our core mission of teaching, research and impacting society, and ensures that we adapt to the challenges confronting us, which are complex and interconnected, demanding an ever-evolving approach. UP views its students and staff as its most valuable asset and to ensure their continued growth and success, the University has a Financial Sustainability Plan for the period 2019–2025. The key focus areas of the plan include the maximisation of operational efficiencies, costcontainment and the optimisation of all income streams.
Prof Tawana Kupe
• Enhancing the utilisation of digital technologies and platforms to improve services and reduce costs.
The plan was revised to address the financial sustainability
The University accelerated implementation of innovative
challenges that were heightened by COVID-19, and the
and systemic processes in a direct response to the
following are some of the key actions we implemented:
challenges of the pandemic and the demands of the era. UP’s agility enabled it to advance its strategic imperatives,
• Reallocating funds to support key priorities;
including developing and implementing a comprehensive
• Fundraising campaigns for bursaries;
COVID-19 master plan and successfully completing the
• Introducing cost-cutting measures;
2020 academic year. The latter achievement was largely
• Launching the Solidarity Fund to provide financial
attributable to the University’s digitalisation plan, with
assistance to students and to purchase laptops for
teaching and learning, research and innovation, and all
them;
operational functions pivoting seamlessly onto digital
• Securing external research funding; and
8
platforms.
University of Pretoria
