Dear colleague

As I start what will no doubt be an exciting journey at the University of Pretoria, I wanted to take a moment to say hello. It is an honour and privilege to take over the reins at this proud institution at such a key moment in South African and global history.

The changes taking place in the higher education sector present great opportunities for UP to continue to innovate as we find new ways to make education more accessible to young people thirsty for education. As you will know, UP is the largest contact university in South Africa, is one of the top producers of PhDs in the country, and is regarded as a national, continental and international leader in research. Our research makes a decisive difference to South Africa and Africa's futures, and I know we will continue to grow that impact.

Under my predecessor, Professor Cheryl de la Rey, great strides were made in positioning UP as an institution that is a welcoming home to some of the greatest minds from Cape Town to Pretoria to Addis Ababa and beyond. I know that Professor De la Rey’s sterling work was made easier by the individual contributions made by each of you, and I look forward to working with you in the same spirit of mutual support as we pool the considerable knowledge held across our campuses in our efforts to boost the reputation of this great institution.

I trust I can count on your support as we continue to create a diverse and inclusive UP community, producing well-educated, well-trained graduates who make a contribution to economic and social development and help create the society envisaged in our Constitution.

In the weeks and months ahead, I will spend time at each of our faculties and campuses, and I hope to meet as many of my colleagues as possible during these sessions. I would very much like to hear your ideas on how we can move ahead on our shared goals of maintaining UP’s position as one of the top universities in the world, while continuing to expand our national and international reach.

Until we meet, please feel free to share your thoughts with me via [email protected]

Here’s to a prosperous and exciting journey for all of us!
 

Professor Tawana Kupe, Vice-Chancellor and Principal