The Covid-19 pandemic left nothing but devastation in its wake, and the higher-education sector was not spared. This is the conclusion drawn in a new book titled Higher Education in the Face of a Global Pandemic, co-edited by Prof Petronella Jonck from the North-West University (NWU) and Prof Emnet Tadesse Woldegiorgis from the University of Johannesburg (UJ).

Prof Jonck is a research professor at the Global Innovative Forefront Talent (GIFT) research niche area at the Mahikeng Campus. The book was launched on Tuesday, 30 May at UJ and the event was hosted by the Ali Mazrui Centre for Higher Education Studies (AMCHES).

The book emphasised the interface between the pre-Covid-19, Covid-19 and post-Covid-19 scenarios. In terms of the pre-Covid-19 scene the digital divide in Africa was highlighted, as was the historical legacy that had an impact on current events.

“With reference to the Covid-19 scenarios, various topics were covered. Examples are the documentation of the government’s lockdown measures, a case study evaluating readiness for alternative modalities, students’ perception of online teaching and learning and a possible link with preferred learning styles. Post-Covid-19 it was mentioned that digital literacy is pivotal, and two chapters reflected on this,” said Prof Jonck.

At the launch of the manuscript, she also presented a SWOT analysis of the higher-education landscape based on the findings reflected in the book.

Prof Thandi Lewis (associate professor, Ali Mazrui Centre for Higher Education Studies, UJ), Prof Petronella Jonck (associate research professor, GIFT, NWU), Prof Emnet Tadesse Woldegiorgis (director, Ali Mazrui Centre for Higher Education Studies, UJ) and Prof Mlamuli Hlatswayo (associate professor, Ali Mazrui Centre for Higher Education Studies, UJ).