The Quiet Shift
At the Optentia Research Unit within North-West University, something has been changing — not through big announcements or sweeping reforms, but through something more grounded: short courses designed to change how people learn, support each other, and grow.
It started with a simple observation. Many students and staff had access to resources, but access alone rarely translated into meaningful development. Skills were uneven. Mentorship was inconsistent. People were often left to figure things out on their own. So, the team began building something practical.
They developed a set of short learning programmes that could fit into real academic lives. Not abstract theory alone, but tools people could actually use. Courses like Academic Mentoring provided structure to what is often left vague (see video 1, video 2, and video 3).
Others, like Being a Successful Academic Mentee, flipped the usual perspective and focused on the learner’s role in making mentorship work (see NWU news article).
Over time, the list grew. Mentoring for University Support Services and Building Your Path to Professional Development brought in staff who are often overlooked in development conversations (see video and NWU news article).
The Short Learning Programme (SLP) in Research Design helped researchers sharpen their thinking at a stage where many struggle quietly (see video 1 and video 2). In 2020, researchers at North-West University (NWU) developed an Online SLP in Research Design in response to a changing postgraduate landscape. By 2026, it had become clear that the programme required revision. Developments in research practice, digital learning technologies, and postgraduate training needs necessitated updating both the content and the structure of the SLP. The aim of the Online SLP in Research Design is to build researchers’ capabilities. These capabilities consist of three interrelated components: values, enablement, and efficacy. Through the SLP, we aim to develop postgraduate students and researchers who value the application of scientific methods, who are enabled to develop sound research competencies, and who build confidence in applying these competencies in their own work.
What stands out is who these courses reached. Not just students. Not just academics. Hundreds of participants across the university and beyond, including other institutions. That spread wasn’t forced. It happened because the courses addressed gaps that people already felt.
There’s also a practical layer that holds everything together. The team introduced a digital platform via the Glide app, serving as a central learning space. Participants don’t just attend a session and move on. They track their progress, revisit material, and stay connected in mentorship relationships. It’s simple, but it changes how learning continues after the course ends.
At the same time, new ideas are taking shape.
One of them, Mentoring for Graduate Success, is being developed with the NWU Career Office. The idea is straightforward: train alumni to mentor current undergraduate students across faculties. It builds a bridge that usually exists informally, if at all.
Another, Qhubekela Phambili Trainer Development, looks beyond the university. It focuses on equipping trainers who work with unemployed South Africans. Here, the goal is not just academic development, but broader social impact.
Taken together, these short courses are doing something that isn’t always easy to measure. They are helping create a culture where learning is shared, where mentorship is intentional, and where development is seen as ongoing rather than one-off.
And that’s the shift. Not just offering resources, but helping people actually use them.
