Smart Universities: A Concept Overview of Adaption Challenges for  Historically Black Universities in South Africa

Authors

Victor H. Mlambo University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Hlanganani Mnguni University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Zubane Sphephelo Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs, Centurion, South Africa,

Higher education, Competitiveness, Development, Technology, Smart campus

Universities today are experimenting with AI and big data to improve how students live

and learn on campus; however, from a South African perspective, the question is: can historically

black universities adapt to this ever-changing higher education environment? This paper employed

a qualitative research method to answer these questions, and secondary data was sourced from

engaging current literature. The paper found that infrastructure challenges, a lack of skills and

development and limited resources were major factors hindering historically black universities

from adopting the concept of a smart university; historically black universities offered minimal no

tech-focused courses, which reduced them to acclimatize themselves with the elements of the 4IR.

The implications have been that historically black universities will struggle to catch up to

previously white universities in transitioning their campuses from the traditional model of higher

education to the concept of a smart campus