“For those who are prepared to lead sustainable development, the opportunities are boundless … good for the planet, good for the people and good for business.” Ban-Ki-Moon, Davos, 24 January 2014.

Global Leadership Institute (Sustainable Futures) is established to:

  • Create an international forum for engagement about sustainable futures and the contextual imperatives of economic development, social transformation and environmental stewardship.
  • Drive the dialogue about sustainable futures that will culminate in a flagship annual World Summit where the Nelson Mandela Prize will be presented to Laureates for Global Leadership.
  • Provide executive and general education programmes focused on leadership and management for sustainable futures. Short-learning certificate and diploma level programmes, as well as Masters and Doctoral degrees will be developed, drawing upon the expertise of thought leaders nationally and across the world.
  • Catalyse the key discussions about sustainable futures through colloquia, seminars and conferences locally, regionally, nationally and globally.
  • Develop the global digital archive for scholarly papers, reports, theses, policies, bulletins and events as a sustainable futures repository for the world.

The GLI will function as a university-wide enterprise based at the environmentally pristine George Campus in the Southern Cape. The academy, innovation and entrepreneurship will be key drivers for the success of the GLI, which is directed at establishing the university as a world-class knowledge catalyst for the green economy and a more sustainable future.

South Africa is currently ranked among the worst performers internationally in the sustainable development stakes (Standard Chartered Index, 2013). Water conservation, renewable energy, food security, biodiversity and health matters amongst others, continue to challenge and confound policy makers, educationists, researchers and practitioners, with a catastrophic impact on our global citizenry.

The GLI will serve as a cohesive portal to address these vexing challenges of time.  The three apex priorities of the Nelson Mandela University namely:

  1. Size and Shape
  2. Institutional Culture and
  3. Sustainability, underpins the very critical scholarship that is directed at producing high quality leaders for sustainable futures. The GLI will function as a Centre of Excellence that provides an international space for global dialogue, education, research and service.

Within the South African higher education landscape, Nelson Mandela University is cited as the leader in Environmental and Ecological Science research in South Africa (NRF, 2011).

This is amplified by the leadership of the Nelson Mandela University in some pioneering and innovative enterprises for sustainable futures, which amongst others, includes the:

  • Earth Stewardship Institute supporting partnerships for sustainability, and monitoring of ecosystems to understand human impacts as well as promoting sustainable management of earth’s resources and the development of a Garden Route Biosphere Reserve.
  • Innoventon Institute algae-to-energy initiative, which is paving the way towards cleaner coal, whilst also producing bio-fuel of a similar quality to jet fuel.
  • eNtsa Technology Station partnership between Nelson Mandela University and the Technology Innovation Agency for the development and incubation of electric vehicle technologies.
  • Partnership with Oldenburg University to develop solar-powered scooters and bicycles to reduce emissions, decrease noise pollution and improve parking management.  Moreover, further research is aimed at producing affordable solar water geysers from renewable materials.
  • Research Unit that develops the capacity for the sustainable management of ecological, social and economic systems through user-inspired research, training and policy-related work.
  • Centre for Energy Research that promotes empowerment of previously disadvantaged groups and drives public awareness and understanding of all forms of energy, energy efficiency, and the importance of energy.
  • Coastal and Marine Science Institute that studies the sustainability of coastal and marine environments that should be maintained in an ecologically sound condition for our current and future generations.
  • Business School that produces holistic leaders and contributes to sustainable development through education.

 

Core competencies

Global Leadership Institute (Sustainable Futures) will be established to:

  • Create an international forum for engagement about sustainable futures and the contextual imperatives of economic development, social transformation and environmental stewardship.
  • Drive the dialogue about sustainable futures that will culminate in a flagship annual World Summit where the Nelson Mandela Prize will be presented to Laureates for Global Leadership.
  • Provide executive and general education programmes focused on leadership and management for sustainable futures. Short-learning certificate and diploma level programmes, as well as Masters and Doctoral degrees will be developed, drawing upon the expertise of thought leaders nationally and across the world.
  • Catalyse the key discussions about sustainable futures through colloquia, seminars and conferences locally, regionally, nationally and globally.
  • Develop the global digital archive for scholarly papers, reports, theses, policies, bulletins and events as a sustainable futures repository for the world.