Vice Chancellor’s Message

The Role of Higher Education in National Development

The role and importance of higher education in any country, Eswatini included, cannot be over-emphasized. Higher education plays a key role in the creation, development, dissemination and application of knowledge for sustainable social, political and economic development, peace and democracy. It is an undisputable fact that higher education produces the highly skilled human resources capacity that is critical for the sustainable development, peace and stability. Clearly, it is because of this fact that the National Development Strategy declares that the role of education in general and higher education in particular plays a critical role in the sustainable economic development, social justice and political stability of Eswatini. Universities are the institutions that are normally charged with the responsibility of discharging the imperatives of higher education: teaching, research, dissemination of information and community engagement/service.

It was against this backdrop that in 1983, the Parliament of Swaziland, through Act 2 of 1983, established the University of Swaziland, now known as University of Eswatini, with a mandate to produce the critical mass of highly skilled human resources for the sustainable social, political and economic development of Swaziland. Since then the institution has continued to fulfil this mandate, sometimes under difficult conditions, by producing hundreds of high quality university level graduates who today form a bulk of the highly skilled labour force in public, private and NGOs sectors in Eswatini, and who also work in neighbouring countries and in international organizations overseas.

Governance of the Institution/ Appointment of officers

 The University of Eswatini (UNESWA) has continued to be guided by the University Council as led by its Chairperson, HRH  Prince Phinda  to greater heights . The University is grateful to the wise counsel given by its former Chairman of Council, Prince Phinda. We are equally grateful to His Majesty King Mswati III for appointing HRH Prince David for this noble task. We look forward to a good working relationship with him.

The year under review, has also seen our long-serving Vice Chancellor, my predecessor, Professor Cisco Magagula, retire from service. He has served us well and his contribution to where we are today remains invaluable.  During the 38^th University Graduation Ceremony, His Majesty and Chancellor of the institution, His Majesty King Mswati III endorsed my inauguration as the fourth Vice Chancellor of UNESWA. During the same occasion the position of the second Pro-Vice Chancellor was also endorsed by the Chancellor.

Following His Majesty’s historic pronouncement of the name change of the country to the Kingdom of Eswatini, through Council and Senate the name change of the University immediately followed, to being: “The University of Eswatini”. The year under review has been marked by change: as the country celebrated 50 years of independence, an opportunity presented itself to us to review, re-calibrate and shift course towards leading this University towards being:

“The University of Choice in Africa.”