Johnathan Paoli
THE University of the Western Cape (UWC) has announced the appointment of its new vice-chancellor (VC) Robert Balfour who will officially assume the role in January 2025.
UWC’s spokesperson, Gasant Abarder said on Thursday that Balfour is currently the Deputy VC for Teaching and Learning at the North West University, and is expected to be the university’s 8th VC, replacing the outgoing Professor Tyrone Pretorius, whose term is ending in December 2024.
“With nearly 20 years of academic leadership, Professor Balfour is a driving force in the South African higher education landscape,” Abarder said.
Abarder said the council has no doubt that Balfour will further enhance the university’s trajectory as a leading higher education institution.
Balfour made his name as a language and education expert, who is frequently invited as a keynote speaker at higher education institutions across the country.
UWC Council Chairperson Xoliswa Daku said Balfour completed his schooling at Christian Brothers College in Pretoria and attended Rhodes University, where he completed his BA, BA Honours in English (1993), and a Higher Diploma in Education, a Master’s degree in English and Education at UKZN, which he completed with distinction.
Daku said Balfour was the recipient of a Commonwealth Trust Scholarship in 1997 and completed his doctoral in English at Corpus Christi College in Cambridge in 2000.
“His extensive expertise encompasses various domains, including applied linguistics, post-colonial literary criticism, and education. Professor Balfour’s contributions extend beyond academia, as he is also an accomplished painter and published author of poetry and short fiction in literary journals internationally,” Daku said.
The incoming Rector and VC is expected to take up his role in January next year.
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