Durban University of Technology (DUT) has officially launched the ENVISION2030 Living Values Framework, which is anchored in five core values: transparency, honesty, integrity, respect and accountability. These values are further supported by the principles of fairness, professionalism, commitment, compassion and excellence.
DUT Communications team member Simangele Zuma recently engaged in a conversation with Dr Thobeka Shozi-Nxumalo, Interim Director: Special Projects in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, to explore the ENVISION2030 Living Values Framework and how it relates to her role at DUT.
Q: Kindly tell us about your role at DUT?
A: “I currently serve as the Interim Director: Special Projects in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal. I provide strategic support to the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Thandwa Mthembu. I also track strategic decisions and actions to ensure appropriate follow-through, coordinate matters that cut across different portfolios and stakeholders, support sensitive or urgent institutional interventions, and help translate strategic priorities into clear projects and actions that can be monitored through to implementation. For me, the role is ultimately about making strategy move from intention, to action, and hopefully, to impact.”
Q: How long have you been part of the DUT family?
A: “I first joined DUT in 2015 and I was with the University until 2022. I then had an opportunity to explore life outside DUT before returning in January 2026. The time away gave me different experiences and perspectives, which have allowed me to see and appreciate DUT differently. Returning has made me appreciate the opportunities DUT has given me over the years, the people I have encountered along the way, and the different versions of myself that this institution has allowed me to become.”
Q: Of the ENVISION2030 Living Values and Principles, which ones do you most identify with and why?
A: “If I had to choose one, it would be compassion. However, for me, you cannot speak about compassion without also speaking about accountability. The two are inseparable. Compassion is foundational because it asks us to recognise the humanity of the person in front of us. Accountability, on the other hand, reminds us that while we must respect the individual, we also have a responsibility to the University and to the standards we have collectively committed ourselves to. Sometimes the most compassionate thing we can do is to be honest, to have the difficult conversation and to hold ourselves and one another accountable, but to do so without losing our humanity.”
Q: What are your views on the DUT tagline, Creative, Distinctive, Impactful?
A: “To me, the tagline speaks to both who we are becoming and the direction we have deliberately chosen as an institution. Being Creative challenges us to think differently, question the status quo, find relevant solutions and continuously innovate. Being Distinctive reminds us that our strength lies in understanding and building on our own identity rather than trying to imitate others. And being Impactful is ultimately the test of what we do. We can be extremely busy as an institution, but activity alone does not necessarily translate into impact. The question is whether what we do makes a meaningful difference to our students, our communities and society. Collectively, I think these three words tell a beautiful story: think differently, know who you are, and make what you do matter.”
Q: How do you plan to keep abreast of the ENVISION2030 Living Values Framework?
A: “For me, keeping abreast of the Living Values Framework is not simply about remembering what the values are. It is about being mindful of what I say, what I do, the decisions I make and whether any of these may inadvertently undermine those values. The DUT Living Values should not simply be understood; they should be practised. Our everyday conversations, decisions and interactions eventually become our culture. In that sense, culture is being created even when we are not consciously trying to create it.”
Q: In your opinion, how does the ENVISION2030 Living Values Framework benefit DUT?
A: “For me, the real value of the Living Values Framework is that it asks us to move beyond simply knowing our values to living them, particularly when it is difficult to do so. Values are easy to embrace when there is agreement; their real test comes in moments of pressure, disagreement and difficult decision-making. If we embed the Framework into how we lead, make decisions, hold one another accountable and engage across different levels of the University, it can gradually shape the kind of institutional culture we want to become known for.”
Q: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
A: “I enjoy spending quality time with my family and reading. I also enjoy hiking and generally being outdoors. Perhaps that comes from growing up in a rural area, where being close to nature was simply part of everyday life. There is something about being outdoors that allows me to slow down, reflect and reconnect. I find that some of my clearest thoughts come when there is less noise around me.”
Q: How do you plan to make a positive impact at DUT?
A: “I believe impact begins with how we show up every day. For me, it is about doing my work with purpose, being willing to ask difficult questions when necessary, and leaving every space I occupy a little better than I found it. I want to contribute to a DUT where we do not only speak about our values and ambitions, but where people can recognise them in how we work, how we treat one another and in the decisions we make. I may not be able to change everything, but I can always take responsibility for the difference I make within my own sphere of influence.”
Q: What is your daily motivation?
A: “My daily motivation is quite simple: to be useful and to make whatever is entrusted to me count. I try not to measure a day only by how much I have done, but by whether something moved forward because I was there. In higher education, even work that may appear administrative or routine can eventually affect someone’s opportunity, experience or future. That keeps the work meaningful for me. I am also motivated by the belief that wherever we are placed, we have a responsibility to leave something better than we found it.”
Q: What are your future goals at DUT?
A: “I want to continue growing, but not simply for the sake of progression. I want my growth to increase my capacity to contribute meaningfully to the University. I would like my journey at DUT to be associated with work that moved the University forward, strengthened its culture and created value that remained long after the project, position or moment had passed. For me, growth becomes meaningful when the institution grows because we grew within it.”
Q: If you were granted one wish, what would it be?
A: “If I were granted one wish for the workplace, it would be for us to never lose our humanity in the pursuit of performance. Excellence matters, but behind every title, deadline and responsibility is a human being carrying a life we may know very little about. I would wish for workplaces where high standards and humanity coexist; where we can hold one another accountable without diminishing one another, disagree without disrespect, and succeed without losing sight of people. I am particularly grateful that, in my own workspace, I get to witness this every day, the possibility of pursuing excellence while still making room for kindness, respect and humanity.”
