Honorary doctorate for Tuks vice-chancellor Kupe
UNIVERSITY of Pretoria vice-chancellor and principal Professor Tawana Kupe said he had accepted an honorary doctorate from Michigan State University “on behalf of universities and the people of Africa”. The award was presented during the university’s Fall 2019 Advanced Degree Commencement Ceremony last week.
President of Michigan State University Samuel Stanley Jr told the ceremony that Kupe exemplified what it meant to be a globally-engaged citizen, serving local needs with a focus on the most pressing challenges they faced across the world.
“You are a champion of the University of Pretoria’s new Future Africa Campus, where scholars from across the world will come to leverage the benefits of trans-disciplinary research to address the grand challenges that face Africa and the world, a goal of Michigan State University as well.”
He said he was pleased to award Kupe the honorary degree of Doctorate of Humanities from Michigan State University for his dedication to developing well-informed and skilled professionals for a global society.
Michigan State University and the University of Pretoria have a history of partnership, including faculty and student exchanges.
Kupe was recently elected the chairperson for Africa in the Australia-Africa Universities Network, which focuses on the engagement of Australian universities in sub-Saharan Africa, to enable the provision of specific expertise across areas of priority for Australia and Africa.
The Africa wing comprises 12 universities: UP (South Africa); Makerere University (Uganda); University of Cape Town; Tshwane University of Technology; University of Ghana; University of Mauritius; University of Malawi; University of Zambia; University of Nairobi (Kenya); University of Botswana; Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia); and University of Ibadan (Nigeria). There are also 12-member universities in Australia. Stanley said
Kupe was a leader in providing quality education to more than 53 000 students. Kupe was hooded by Interim
Provost Teresa Sullivan.
While the world faced complex, interrelated challenges which include the climate emergency, political instability, persistent poverty, and the burden of disease, Kupe said new knowledge could be applied to tackle these seemingly intractable challenges.
“We can take advantage of the opportunities provided by rapid technological change to create a better and more sustainable world. Scientific breakthroughs and innovation are making a major difference, enabling progress in many areas of life,” he said.
Within universities there were restrictive boundaries and borders in the organisation of knowledge in distinct disciplines, he said. He added there was a need to break down those boundaries through multi-, inter and trans-disciplinary approaches to knowledge creation.
Kupe stressed that both universities would expand their partnership and collaboration which would transform Africa and the world.