Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University

[EduCativ]

SMU was established when the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr. Blade Nzimande, in terms of section 20 of the Higher Education Act 1997 (Act 101 of 1997) promulgated the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) in the SA Government Gazette no: 37658 of 16 May 2014.
The promulgation followed the announcement made in 2011, by Minister Nzimande, when he announced his intention to separate the Medunsa Campus from the University of Limpopo. The minister's intention was based on the task team's findings and recommendations established and led by Prof Malegapuru Makgoba, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal (UKZN), and Dr. Max Price, the Vice-Chancellor of University of Cape Town (UCT).
Provide high-quality, primary healthcare-oriented health sciences research, education, and services. Deploy educational approaches that include evidence-based methods for curriculum development and delivery that are rooted in the community. Promote interdisciplinary research, education, and skills training that recognizes holistic health care provider's cross-disciplinary nature. Produce a cadre of health professionals with the transformative leadership capacity to identify, analyze, and address the individual's health needs, the family, the community, and the population. Create an environment that supports innovation and harnesses the power of new technologies to address the community's health needs. To be the benchmark institution providing holistic health sciences education that meets the individual's health needs, the family, the community, and the population.
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) is committed to embracing community engagement to discharge its social responsibility role as required by the Council on Higher Education (HEQC 2004: Criteria7). In so doing, SMU community engagement aims to create an enabling institutional environment and direction for community engagement promoting activities and initiatives undertaken by staff and students related to community engagement.
SMU views community needs and those of the population as central to its core business as an academic enterprise. In pursuit of creating an enabling institutional environment and direction for community engagement, the context of Community Engagement within SMU aims to be collaborative, inclusive, and sustainable.
The SMU philosophy for community engagement is crafted around its motto "Knowledge for Quality Health Services." It is stated as follows: "Social accountability and responsiveness for mutual benefit and impact through interprofessional education, scholarship and practice."

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