The National School of Government (NSG) and the University of Johannesburg (UJ) are pleased to announce the signing of a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), formalising a strategic collaboration designed to facilitate the secondment of academic personnel from UJ to the NSG during their sabbatical leave.
The MoU allows UJ scholars to engage in education and research aligned with the NSG’s Education, Training, and Development (ETD) initiatives during their sabbatical periods. This partnership represents a significant stride towards fostering knowledge exchange and resource support and is expected to greatly enhance the NSG’s efforts to strengthen state capacity.
The Minister for Public Service and Administration, Ms Noxolo Kiviet, has celebrated this agreement as a forward-thinking partnership dedicated to advancing the professionalisation of public service. She commended the academics’ anticipated contributions to education, training, and development programmes at the NSG. The Minister emphasised, “The government’s paramount objective is to build an ethical, capable developmental state, and this partnership will significantly contribute to the realisation of that goal.”
Professor Letlhokwa George Mpedi, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UJ expressed his enthusiasm as he made the following statement:
“I am thrilled to announce the secondment of our esteemed academic personnel to the distinguished National School of Government during their sabbatical periods. This opportunity will not only enhance their own research and teaching expertise but also contribute to the advancement of public administration and governance practices in our nation. We firmly believe that this collaboration will pave the way for increased innovation, knowledge-sharing, and a higher standard of academic excellence in the field. Our commitment to nurturing partnerships with institutions like the NSG underscores our dedication to creating a positive societal impact and shaping the future leaders of the public service.”
The Principal of the NSG, Prof Busani Ngcaweni, welcomed the agreement and said the NSG looks forward to the benefit that the public sector will derive from this development. “Academics will be able to share their expertise and gain practical experience of how the public service works, through being stationed in a government department for a period. Government departments will also gain a lot from the expertise and research capacity of the academic personnel.”
This collaborative accord represents a noteworthy achievement in the progression of education, training, and development within the public sector. The anticipated exchange of expertise and resources between the NSG and UJ is poised to play a pivotal role in advancing the government’s goals of bolstering state capacity.
