# Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela says South African universities must serve society, encourage independent thinking and prepare students for the future. Speaking at a national webinar yesterday, he identified funding, student debt and governance as key challenges. He called for sustainable university funding, wider access to education, and better preparation for a world shaped by artificial intelligence. Manamela also stressed the need to strengthen African knowledge and protect academic freedom. He said government, universities, students and society must work together to decide what needs to change in higher education.
Manamela calls for universities to put people first