Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane has assured newly installed UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor Professor Robert Balfour that he has her full support.
Balfour was inaugurated on Saturday.
The Chairperson of the UWC Council, Xoliswa Mpongshe, UWC SRC President McIntosh Khasembe, and the board of Universities South Africa (USAF), Prof Francis Petersen, also conveyed messages of support. Guests at the inauguration included former Minister of International Relations Dr Naledi Pandor and Cape Town Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews.
Nkabane reflected on the rich social and academic history in the DNA of UWC.
“UWC holds a special place in the hearts and the minds of many South Africans having played a prominent role in the history of the country particularly in the struggle against apartheid,” Nkabane said.
In his speech, Balfour outlined his vision to ensure continued accountability and transparency at UWC.
“We need to commit to a modernisation of how we run the organisation so that we reduce manual paper-based work, leverage technology to improve process efficiencies, and draw on the power of data analytics to make responsible and evidence-based decisions,” he said.
In her tribute, Dr Nkabane responded to Prof Balfour and said: “I have noted a number of issues that you have raised…some of them speak to how best we can re-engineer our post education and training system in South Africa because you spoke about the sustainability of our higher education institutions.”
Balfour emphasised that his inauguration and the beginning of his journey at UWC be approached with modesty. For this reason, the event was understated and supported by partners and stakeholders without putting further pressure on the university budget.
“I have made it clear in my preliminary observations to Council that improving the conditions of our students and the delivering on accommodation for our students is important, in the context where demand for university-controlled rooms far exceeds supply, and requires a high degree of collaboration with private providers, but also transparency and accountability to students themselves,” he said.
Cape Times