New Tukkies head seeks high degree of success
What excited me about this job is that we have all of the right fundamentals in place … In my experience, when people know more, even if they don’t agree, they work better Tawana Kupe New vice-chancellor of the University of Pretoria
● Tawana Kupe has always dreamt of becoming a university professor.
But this week the vice-principal of Wits University soared to even greater heights when he was appointed vice-chancellor of the University of Pretoria.
The 54-year-old academic, who was among six shortlisted candidates, will assume office in January after the resignation of Professor Cheryl de la Rey, who is moving to New Zealand to become vice-chancellor of the University of Canterbury.
As vice-principal of Wits, Kupe was responsible for the daily running of the university and the co-ordination of operations across all executive portfolios.
He joined Wits in 2002 and served as executive dean of the faculty of humanities for six years from 2007.
He described his appointment to the University of Pretoria as a “humbling and an exciting opportunity” that came with huge responsibilities.
One of his urgent priorities at Tukkies will be to continue the work of racial transformation of the academic staff, which was started by De la Rey.
Transformation momentum
Black academics comprise 25% of the academic staff and more than half of the students are black.
“Last year, [the university] put in a lot of structures to drive transformation and deepen it, and I want to keep that momentum going,” Kupe said.
“What excited me about this job is that we have all of the right fundamentals in place.”
Sweeping changes have taken place at the formerly Afrikaans-medium university during De la Rey’s 10-year tenure.
From next year, English will be the medium of instruction in all first-year classes, much to the anger of AfriForum Youth and Solidarity, which lost a high court challenge to the university’s language policy in 2016.
One of SA’s top five
Kupe praised De la Rey for making the University of Pretoria one of the top five universities in the country, along with Wits, the University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University and the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Nearly 65% of academics at the university have doctorates, and Kupe is determined to increase the number.
He singled out Sithembile Mbete, a lecturer in the department of political science who graduated earlier this year with a PhD, saying she was a “young and articulate commentator”.
“You not only have demographic transformation but people who have the highest qualification.”
He is also planning to increase the number of articles published in international journals by academics and researchers and bring in more foreign academics and students.
“These are some of the things that make you not only an excellent institution locally but also an excellent institution that is able to compete in the global space.”
Plans to double the 15 A-rated and 98 Brated researchers over the next five years are on the cards.
Kupe is determined to increase the number of students at the institution, from 53,000 now to 75,000 by 2025.
Better pass rate needed
He conceded that the success rate of students “was not quite what it should be” but said programmes were in place to improve this. He is also very eager to make sure that the number of black medical students at UP was not in the minority.
“Where there’s an overrepresentation of any demographic, it will need special measures to ensure that it is reflective of South African society.”
Regular communication with staff and students is high on his agenda. “In my experience, when people know more, even if they don’t agree, they work better.”
Futhi Mtoba, chair of the university’s council, said: “We believe that Professor Kupe comes ... with considerable experience at executive level and is the best candidate to lead the university into the future.”