In Conversation with Prof Barney Pityana: The Plight of Academia and STI in the Post-democratic Era

Prof Pityana talks about what Freedom Day means to him and shares his
thoughts on Steve Biko, former President Nelson Mandela and other
stalwarts of the struggle that inspired him to take up issues related to social
justice. He gives his views on Fees must Fall and the decolonisation of
education debate and to what extent these take us back to the issues of
the struggle days (70s and 80s) and how we should contextualise these
issues in contemporary times. Also under discussion are lessons learnt
from history as academicians trying to build the next generation of
scientists and what should be done to fix the problems. In the context of
Freedom Day, Prof Pityana also sheds some light on the top three things
he would prioritise for change in our country