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UCT Council chair re-elected
19 September 2012
Council’s role will be to create an enabling environment that will take the university to new heights in academic excellence and governance, Archbishop Ndungane told the university community shortly after his re-election as Chair of Council on 28 July. He spoke to the university’s Monday Paper.
Monday Paper: What have been the challenges and joys of your first term as chair of UCT Council?
Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane: UCT is a complex entity with many facets to its life, and one of the greatest challenges on my appointment as chair has been gaining an overall understanding of the workings of the university. This has necessitated the reading of a vast amount of documentation which, given busy schedules, has been taxing at times. Undoubtedly, one of the highlights of my tenure as chair of Council has been working with so many gifted people; not only those who sit on the Council, but also those who act in a support capacity within the university. Having this support base has made my time as chair a great deal easier, and for this I am grateful.
MP: What has made you decide to stay on for another term?
NN: To be frank, there was some considerable arm-twisting before this decision was taken. I agonised a lot about whether to go on for a second term as there are competing demands on my time; and having served a first term, I was more acutely aware of how demanding being the Chair of Council is. In the end there were a number of reasons that I accepted the second term. In the first instance, the place that the University found itself at the time required continuity in the position of chair. This – coupled with my passion for education, and the commitment of the university to provide future leadership of calibre and integrity – prevailed.
MP: Is this second term one of consolidation, or are you starting on fresh new projects?
NN: I suppose it’s a little of both. I believe that we, as a Council, have achieved much in the last four years, and so there is a need to continue to build on those early achievements. However, we do live in a world of constant change and challenges, and we will look to embrace these changes as part of my next term. The university is committed to excellence and this is reflected in our being the only university in Africa that is ranked in the top 200 universities globally. What we would like to see is UCT achieving greater heights in terms of its core business – that is, research, teaching and learning. Our objective is to constantly improve our global ranking, as the long-term benefit for both the institution and for South Africa at large will bode well as we look to the next generation of leadership for this nation. Our role as Council is to create the enabling environment that will see the University of Cape Town achieve new heights in academic excellence and governance.
MP: Is there anything on the UCT horizon that you are particularly looking forward to – projects that are going to be worthy, or of note?
NN: We do not believe that we as a university have all the answers, and will actively interact with universities from around the globe to tap into best-practice models and enhance the effectiveness of UCT. We are committed to enhancing the reputation of the university as an academic research facility, and believe that we need to be broadly collaborative in order to reach these goals. In order to achieve these targets we will need investment, both from government and from a broad cross-section of donors, but we believe that building on the excellence of the university will have long-term benefits; not only for this country, but for academic advancement on a global stage.
MP: What challenges lie ahead for the university?
NN: The question of transformation in South Africa is also a key responsibility at this institution. We are a part of Africa and we need to be deliberate in making a contribution to the development of Africa as a whole. Africa's star is rising, and we would want this university to play a leading role in the development of graduates who leave the university and engage as future leaders within this continent.
MP: What are your early thoughts on the make-up of this new Council?
NN: I am impressed by the diversity of experience available on the Council and the commitment of the Council members to creating an environment within UCT which will allow a flourishing of academic excellence, transparency and good governance. Collectively, we support the Vice-Chancellor and his academic team in achieving UCT’s strategic objectives in terms of excellence in research, teaching and learning. However, our role as Council does go beyond this support role, to one of looking for new ways in which the university can make an impact; not only academically, but socially, and by becoming a globally recognised think tank for higher education.
