Dear UP community,

The University of Pretoria (UP) Council had its final meeting for 2022 on 24 November in the Council Chamber at the Hatfield Campus. The ship, as the administration building where the meeting took place is known, provided a perfect backdrop for the University’s current position.

Overall, UP is in a good position and is relatively stable despite the weak economy, declining government funding and increasing student debt. Like a stable ship in choppy waters, the University continues to steam ahead as it grows in stature locally, on the continent and globally.

This is clearly evident in the number and quality of engagements, partnerships and collaborations the University was involved in this year. These are important initiatives for any tertiary institution. Not do such engagements increase the University’s visibility, they also give it access to much-needed offshore resources, grants and intellectual resources. It is pleasing to see the progress we have made as an institution and how we continue to grow, as reflected in our rise in university rankings, which were released throughout the year.

Reflecting on the meeting, I realised how well the UP community has performed in 2022. It’s been a good year for the University. Our academics led the charge and continue to make an impact. Recently, four academics were awarded co-funded Chairs under the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI), bringing the total of Chairs awarded to the University to 20. Several of our scientists were inaugurated as fellows of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf).

I would also like to congratulate all our academics who were recognised for their excellence during this year’s Academic Achievers’ Awards. I was fortunate enough to attend the awards evening and was impressed with the quality of our scientists.

Our students continue to excel on both the sports field and in the classroom while making an impact in the communities they live in.  

According to the mid-year performance report submitted to the Department of Higher Education and Training, we are on track to meet most of the enrolment performance targets we set with the Department. This is encouraging and testament to the hard work done by the people involved.

A combined regulation for honorary degrees, the chancellor’s medal and the policy on the medal, prize and certificate of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal was also approved. A copy will be published on the UP website soon.

I want to thank all the UP staff and students for making 2022 such a success. Our achievements would not have been possible without your hard work and passion.

Please enjoy your summer break and come back safely next year.

Kind regards,

Kuseni Dlamini

Chairperson