The National University of Lesotho (NUL) and Lerotholi Polytechnic (LP), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), recently hosted a University–Industry Strategic Networking Event aimed at strengthening partnerships between academia and industry.
Held on 27 March, 2006 in Maseru, the event sought to identify opportunities for collaboration and co-creation between higher education institutions and industry, reinforce partnerships aligned with innovation and market demands, and raise awareness of the UNIICO-CREATE Project and its broader objectives.
The significance of the event was underscored by the presence of key institutional leaders, including Professor Sola Fajana, Vice-Chancellor of NUL; Professor Sepiriti Tlali, Rector of LP; and Mrs. Sekhotseng Adam Molapo, Chief Executive Officer (Tertiary) at the Ministry of Education and Training.
This engagement represents an important milestone for Lesotho’s higher education sector. By opening their platforms to external stakeholders, the country’s leading institutions, together with the Ministry, demonstrated a strong commitment to inclusivity and relevance in education. The event provided a platform for industry, government, and civil society to contribute meaningfully to the development of responsive curricula, as well as institutional systems, policies, and processes that better reflect real-world demands.
In his opening remarks, NUL Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Olusola Fajana expressed his profound interest in the networking programme and duly thanked the sponsors, partners and stakeholders. He declared his unwavering support to programmes aimed at building the development of the Basotho nation and the region through transformation of universities into entrepreneurial universities.
“UNIICO-CREATE brings a paradigm shift from talking about entrepreneurial universities to actually creating them. We can only do that by engaging in curriculum co-design with the industry, staff exchanges, real projects in our classrooms, and policies. At NUL, this means our 2024-2029 Strategic Plan is well aligned to make education relevant, visible and connected to jobs and driving innovation,” said Prof. Fajana.
He emphasized the importance of research and innovation in university education as well as the integration of new technologies into the learning process to provide a more humane education.
“I applaud all the stakeholders who work on modernizing or transforming educational programmes in our institutions to improve skills and employability prospects of graduates in our country and beyond”, he added.
Participants drawn from academia, industry, government, and civil society expressed strong support for sustained collaboration, recognizing its critical role in advancing national development through innovative and entrepreneurial higher education institutions. Their active engagement highlighted a shared commitment to strengthening university–industry partnerships and enhancing the higher education landscape in Lesotho.
This networking event forms part of the University–Industry Co-Creation (UNIICO-CREATE) Project, an initiative aimed at advancing entrepreneurial universities across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union and coordinated by the Technology Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA).
