The Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs (TM-School) is envisioned as a premier graduate school to advance public sector education in public and international affairs. The TMSchool seeks to be a magnet of excellence in education, experiential
learning, and research.

At the launch of the TM-School in September 2020, His Excellency Thabo Mbeki, Chancellor of Unisa, said that the purpose of education was to learn to question everything and that our aim in teaching should be to produce men and women who are both critical and creative. In this respect, he emphasised, "Our students should be encouraged to be thinkers and doers rather than accumulators of facts and receivers of knowledge. This must be so if they are to be instruments of change, working towards the realisation of a just and, consequently, a stable society".

The TM-School embraces transdisciplinary methodologies in the training of students.

The following are the focus areas of the TM-School:

• Citizenship studies
• International and Diplomacy Studies
• Peace and Conflict Studies
• Public Leadership Studies
• Security and Intelligence Studies
• Simulations and Futuristic Studies
• Study of Government Affairs
• Sustainable Livelihoods & Resources Management
• Urban and Rural Affairs

WHY THE TM-SCHOOL

The TM-School has, among others, the following objectives:

• To address the development challenges of societies
• To be at the forefront of the logic of invention and the logic of discovery
• To determine the role of the public sector in economic development
• To promote sound and ethical governance

PURPOSE OF THE QUALIFICATIONS

• To develop and train students in high-level transdisciplinary public and international affairs research.
• To educate and train researchers who can contribute to the development of knowledge at an advanced level.
• To prepare students to think critically, analyse and solve policy problems to become impactful leaders for the public good.
• To train students to analyse, create and implement policies to address the most pressing problems in society.
• To prepare students for advanced professional employment.