UNIVEN Leads Dialogue on Innovation and Excellence at the 32nd SAAIR Annual Conference 2025

From 27 to 31 October 2025, the University of Venda (UNIVEN) proudly hosted the 32nd Annual Conference of the Southern African Association for Institutional Research (SAAIR) at the Kalahari Waterfront in Thohoyandou, Limpopo. The five-day event, which began with a pre-conference workshop at 2Ten Hotel in Sibasa, brought together more than 148 delegates from across Africa and beyond under the theme “Towards Excellence: Enhancing Funding Pathways and Student Outcomes through Human-Centric AI, Impactful Research, and Operational Intelligence.” This year’s conference featured a dynamic programme of six plenary sessions, 36 parallel sessions, and three panel discussions with 64 presenters from 25 South African public universities, four international universities, ten private institutions, and three government entities.

Opening the conference, SAAIR President Ms Elizabeth Booi celebrated the milestone partnership between SAAIR and UNIVEN, emphasising the importance of moving from compliance to strategic foresight and using data as a moral compass for equitable and efficient resource allocation.

In his welcoming address, UNIVEN Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Bernard Nthambeleni, encouraged delegates to pursue creativity, collaboration, and ethical innovation in navigating the evolving higher education landscape. He reaffirmed UNIVEN’s commitment to transformative education and its role as a catalyst for social change, sustainability, and inclusive development.

The conference featured thought-provoking keynote addresses that explored the intersection of technology, funding, and institutional transformation. Prof Riel Miller urged delegates to embrace “futures literacy”—the ability to navigate uncertainty and reimagine solutions beyond traditional models. Dr Emily Mabote underscored the importance of robust data governance and digital assurance in strengthening institutional intelligence, while Prof Thandi Lewin called for a sustainable, data-driven approach to funding higher education. Other highlights included Dr Eric Atchison’s insights on leveraging operational intelligence to enhance student success and Prof Moeketsi Mosia’s advocacy for causal models to improve mathematics education outcomes.

Throughout the week, delegates engaged in panel discussions, networking sessions, and community outreach activities that reflected UNIVEN’s spirit of inclusivity and transformation. The conference gala dinner, addressed by University Registrar Dr Joel Baloyi, celebrated institutional research as a powerful tool for addressing global challenges and driving evidence-based decision-making.

As part of the 32nd SAAIR Annual Conference, delegates enjoyed an enriching community outreach excursion championed by Dr Takalani Dzaga, Director for Marketing, Branding and Communication at the University of Venda, to the vibrant Tshakhuma Market on 30 October 2025. Dr Dzaga has played a key role in cultivating a strong and respectful relationship between the university and the Tshakhuma Royal Council and the community, leading efforts that bring the institution closer to the people it serves. He shared his excitement about the collaboration, saying, “It’s incredibly rewarding to see the university and the community walking side by side, shaping progress together.”

Welcomed warmly by the community, they savoured an array of fresh fruits, crisp vegetables, and deliciously prepared traditional dishes — a feast that felt like tasting the fruit of Eden.

During the visit, Chief Neluvhalani delivered Mazwiwa Nga Musanda, highlighting the strong relationship between Tshakhuma and the University of Venda. He shared a brief history of the local cave, known for its capacity to accommodate large gatherings, and expressed gratitude to the women who tirelessly run the market. Chief Neluvhalani urged for more community engagement, research and innovation to support the development of the market and invited the university to invest in the area for greater growth opportunities, reinforcing the spirit of collaboration and progress.

The University of Venda extends its heartfelt appreciation to Dr Sannah Patience Mativandlela, Chairperson of the 32nd SAAIR Annual Conference 2025, and her local organising team, for her exceptional leadership and dedication in steering this prestigious event to success. Her vision and commitment ensured that the conference provided a platform for meaningful dialogue, collaboration, and knowledge sharing among institutional researchers and higher education leaders.
The 32nd SAAIR Annual Conference closed with remarks from Ashton Maherry, Vice-President of SAAIR, who extended heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in making the event a success. He acknowledged the University of Venda task team, presenters, panellists, workshop facilitators, keynote speakers, volunteers, and sponsors for their dedication and hard work. Maherry noted the collaborative effort that brought the conference together and announced that the 33rd Annual Conference will be hosted by Walter Sisulu University in the Eastern Cape in 2026. He officially declared the 2025 SAAIR conference closed.


Prof Riel Miller’s keynote address, “The Trouble with Solutionism: futures literacy and the value of ‘not-knowing’,” challenges conventional approaches to problem-solving and encourages embracing uncertainty. Miller argues that the complexity of the world demands a new kind of literacy – futures literacy – which enables individuals and societies to navigate uncertainty and create new possibilities. As Miller notes, “not knowing is the origin of learning” and “the future is imaginary,” yet we can still imagine and shape it. Cultivating this skill, we can move beyond predictable solutions and instead foster a deeper understanding of the future and its potentialities. Miller advocates for “walking on two legs” – balancing planning with anticipation for emergence, allowing us to be more open to transformation and better equipped to navigate the complexities of the future. According to Miller, futures literacy involves “making the invisible visible” and understanding the anticipatory assumptions that shape our decisions.

Dr Emily Mabote, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Digital Transformation at Tshwane University of Technology, delivered a keynote speech on “Combined Assurance in the Digital Era: Leveraging Technology and Data Governance for Effective Strategic Oversight”. She highlighted that “combined assurance is no longer about compliance, but about enabling strategic intelligence that can inform decision-making”. Dr Mabote noted that “assurance insights are only as strong as the integrity of the underlying data”, underscoring the need for robust data governance. She also stressed the importance of leveraging technology, such as data analytics and artificial intelligence, to enhance combined assurance processes and provide real-time oversight of risk and compliance metrics. Dr Mabote believes that institutions can strengthen strategic governance and ultimately achieve their strategic objectives by integrating technology, data governance, and combined assurance. As she put it, “impact and insight alone is no longer sufficient, we need to now talk impact”.
Prof Thandi Lewin, Associate Professor at the University of Johannesburg, delivered a keynote address on “Funding the Future: Advancing Sustainability and Stability for Higher Education Systems”. she highlighted that South Africa’s higher education system is facing a significant funding crisis, with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) budget being insufficient to meet demand, resulting in a projected shortfall of R11 billion. Lewin noted that the funding available for universities cannot adequately support all students in need and that the current student funding policy is driving the funding of the higher education system rather than supporting policy goals. She also pointed out that university subsidies have grown at a rate below inflation, while student funding has increased, leading to a narrowing gap between the two. Lewin emphasised the need for data-informed decision-making, collaboration, and a more sustainable funding model to ensure the long-term stability of the higher education system. She concluded by urging stakeholders to work together to build national knowledge and advocate for the importance of higher education.

Delivering the keynote address titled “Excellence in Action: Leveraging Operational Intelligence and Research to Enhance Student and Institutional Outcomes,” Dr Eric Atchison, Vice President for Strategic Research at the Arkansas State University System (USA), captivated delegates with his insightful exploration of data-driven innovation in higher education. He acknowledged that universities worldwide face “a state of change” and urged institutions to pursue excellence through adaptability, collaboration, and ethical data use. Drawing on his experience managing seven universities and colleges, Dr Atchison unpacked the complexities of funding models, performance metrics, and student success strategies—emphasising that “the battle of higher education is not necessarily educating; it’s providing access first.” He shared practical frameworks for institutional transformation, including aim statements and driver diagrams, demonstrating how clear goals and operational intelligence can improve student outcomes and financial sustainability. With a blend of technical acumen and human insight, Dr Atchison reminded delegates that data should not only measure progress but “drive change that is meaningful, inclusive, and human-centred,” concluding with a call for scholars and practitioners to act as “change agents” shaping the future of global higher education.
Prof Moeketsi Mosia discussed the crisis in mathematics education, citing the low performance of students in the subject. He highlighted the limitations of current models, including machine learning and predictive analytics, in informing interventions and improving student outcomes. Mosia proposed the development of causal models that can identify the underlying causes of student struggles and provide real-time predictions and interventions. He noted that mathematical knowledge is structured, and models should capture this structure to better support student learning. This approach could lead to more effective solutions to address the challenges in mathematics education.