The launch of the Centre for the Advancement of Rural and Inclusive Education and Research (CARIER) at SPU on Wednesday, 17 September 2025 at SPU’s Great Hall was not simply ceremonial. It was a symbolic moment that repositioned the meaning of rurality in education and issued a bold call for transformation. As the first research centre in the Faculty of Education, CARIER signals SPU’s determination to shape the future of learning in the Northern Cape and surrounding regions, with an impact that will resonate nationally and globally.
In her welcome address, Dean of the Faculty of Education, Prof Boitumelo Diale, declared that it gave her great and deep honour to welcome everyone to the launch of a Centre that will bring hope to communities. She placed a strong emphasis on rural contexts, rejecting the notion that rural means inferior and instead celebrating rural as unique, valuable and deserving of excellence. She described CARIER as “a beacon of light that will illuminate the educational landscape of the Northern Cape and beyond.” She affirmed that quality education is not a privilege for the few, but a right that belongs to all, committing the Faculty to knowledge rooted in cultural sensitivity, language diversity and equity.
Guests were entertained by the !XunKhwesa School Choir, who performed through song and dance in combined indigenous languages.
In a powerful keynote address, Prof Anthony Brown from UNISA’s School of Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Studies connected his personal history of apartheid-era exclusion to the persistent challenges faced by rural and indigenous learners. He reminded guests that the Northern Cape presents a unique laboratory for inclusive education and called for a radical rethinking of urban-centric models. He urged the new Centre to act as a site of “pedagogical rebellion” that dismantles hierarchies, roots curricula in local realities and proves that diversity is a source of strength. His words reframed CARIER not as a passive institution but as an active force for transformation.
Dr Kevin Teise, the Centre’s Acting Director, gave an overview of CARIER’s mission: to redefine rural and inclusive education research by placing lived experiences at the centre of impactful scholarship. He emphasised that the Centre avoids oversimplified representations and instead tackles context-specific challenges in meaningful ways.
In his message of support, Mr Sandile Beuzana, Chief Director of School Management, Administration and Support for the Northern Cape Department of Education, drew on Nelson Mandela’s words that “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” He affirmed that CARIER sharpens this weapon, reminding all that “every child counts.” He stressed that inclusive classrooms enrich entire school environments and called for research outputs to move beyond lecture rooms into communities. His words positioned government as a committed partner in the Centre’s journey.
Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Debra Meyer acknowledged the launch of CARIER as a pioneering research centre at SPU, being the first in the Faculty of Education, and joining the ranks of others such as the Arid Region Water Research Centre and the Centre for Creative Writing and African Languages. She outlined clear criteria for CARIER’s success: quality publications, postgraduate achievements, external fundraising, and positioning SPU as a hub of excellence in rural and inclusive education. Importantly, she emphasised that CARIER’s research must go beyond academic outputs to influence policy change and directly benefit communities. She reflected on the symbolism of the acronym “CARIER,” highlighting its role in carrying the challenges of communities while preparing learners as carriers of the future.
Following her remarks, the plaque was revealed to guests by Prof Meyer, Prof Diale and Dr Teise. The unveiling stood as a symbolic stamp of official recognition, marking CARIER’s existence as the first research centre in the Faculty of Education and affirming its place among SPU’s pioneering centres.
Prof Jesmael Mataga, Acting Director for Research, delivered the closing remarks and reflected on the purpose of research at universities. Quoting Epictetus, he reminded the audience that “only the educated are free,” underscoring that education is the path to freedom and transformation. He emphasised that SPU must continue to be a hub of knowledge production where new ideas are generated, innovation is fostered and research contributes meaningfully to society.
The launch of CARIER was a powerful reminder of SPU’s vision of being a university critically engaged in learning, research and development, while advancing democratic practice and social justice in society. CARIER now carries the responsibility of ensuring that research not only generates knowledge but transforms lives, dismantles inequalities and builds a society where justice, dignity and opportunity are shared by all. In doing so, it embodies SPU’s promise of changing lives and enabling brighter futures.
