Varsities, colleges asked to update data on foreign staff

Parliament writes to minister and sets deadline for May 21

- By Queenin Masuabi

Parliament's portfolio committee on higher education and training has requested that all 26 institutions of higher learning submit updated statistics on employment of foreign national academics.

This follows outrage over the Central University of Technology (CUT) revealing that it employs more foreign academics than South Africans during their meeting with the committee in April.

In a letter dated May 2, 2025, addressed to Minister of Higher Education and Training Nobuhle Nkabane, the committee requested that all universities make submissions on the matter by May 21.

The committee wants institutions to provide “detailed background about how many foreign nationals are employed at each university; when were they appointed in their current jobs; breakdown by faculty, department, and administration; country of origin of the foreign academics, including their qualifications”.