The way South African universities have joined forces to help emerging scholars is of historical significance, says Dr Phethiwe Matutu, the chief executive officer of Universities South Africa (USAf). In a higher education environment marked by competitiveness, it is encouraging to see universities collaborate, she said.
Dr Matutu was speaking at the hybrid launch of two digital platforms, Thuso Resources and Thuso Connect, on Thursday 18 May. About 30 people – representatives from universities, science councils, donor organisations and the media – gathered at the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) Convention Centre in Pretoria, while about 70 watched the online streaming of the event that celebrated the two platforms going live. Thuso Resources has been coined a ‘’national toolbox for emerging scholars” and Thuso Connect is a mentorship platform.