By Menziwa Msibi

Representatives from the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Education and Human Rights in Diversity (Edu-HRight) research unit, recently embarked on a visit to the University of Crete in Greece to strengthen the two institutions’ longstanding research partnership.

Prof Charl Wolhuter, Prof Ewelina Niemczyk and Prof Johan Botha also participated in the TASTstrategy Conference on Education, aimed at addressing the prevalent issue of skills mismatch between education and employment.

Prof Wolhuter delivered a captivating keynote address titled "Education Skills Mismatch: Perspectives from Comparative and International Education Paradigms". His insightful presentation shed light on the various perspectives surrounding this critical issue.

In addition to Prof Wolhuter's keynote address, Prof Niemczyk presented an enlightening paper co-authored with her MEd student, Mariska Basson. The paper focused on optimising the quality of higher education in an ever-changing world, with a specific emphasis on the South African context. This research contribution sparked meaningful discussions and generated valuable insights among the conference attendees.

The visit to the University of Crete also provided an excellent opportunity to establish a sustainable research agenda. Prof Konstantino Karras and his esteemed research team collaborated with the NWU Edu-HRight research unit, setting the foundation for future collaborative projects.

Prof Niemczyk says the visit to the University of Crete marked an important milestone in the ongoing collaboration between Edu-HRight and the University of Crete.

“Through our participation in the conference and fruitful interactions with our counterparts, we have further solidified the bonds of our partnership, fostering a shared commitment to addressing the challenges facing education and nurturing the pursuit of high-quality research,” she adds.

Dr Andreas Vasilopoulos and Prof Ewelina Niemczyk.