Issue 1
May 2012
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Meet UWC's Chancellor, the eternal student
The University of the Western Cape (UWC) inaugurated its new Chancellor, The Most Reverend Dr Thabo Cecil Makgoba, on 28 February 2012. Archbishop Makgoba takes the reins from Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, who stepped down after having served the university for over 25 years. st
Dr Makgoba delivered an inaugural speech on Moral Leadership and the Task of Education for the 21 Century. He explained how his life had always been bound to education one way or the other, explaining how he moved from one academic institution to the next for most of his life, as “something of a perpetual student at heart”. “Despite this long connection with studying and teaching, the privilege of becoming the Chancellor of UWC prompted me to revisit two key questions,” said Makgoba. “First, what actually is the task of education? And what, in light of our answer, is the true vocation of a university within South Africa, in the unfolding years of the twenty-first century?” “The simplistic response,” he noted, “might be that the role of a university is to pursue and disseminate learning” (as outlined in UWC’s Institutional Operating Plan). But there's more to it than that: “What we need is beyond mere knowledge – understanding, perhaps. But the word which resonates best for me is ‘wisdom’.” The Chancellor acknowledged UWC’s transformation since it started out as a so-called ‘bush college’ over half a century ago. “The radical changes UWC has experienced over the decades mirror those of our nation. Indeed, this place has produced leaders who have been at the forefront in driving the best of these changes.” “Today,” he continued, “I am proud that we are one of the most diverse universities in South Africa – and this without compromising standards of excellence or quality of education.” He urged the university to keep up the good work, providing moral leadership for the country, the continent and the world.
UWC's new Chancellor, The Most Reverend Dr Thabo Cecil Makgoba, in fashionable formal wear.
Forever Young: Archbishop Makgoba is the youngest person ever to have been elected Archbishop of Cape Town. That may be one of the reasons he believes so strongly in the potential of the University’s young students.
Fuelling the future: PetroSA-UWC's new fuel research centre
South Africa’s first academic facility offering research on improving the quality of diesel was officially opened at UWC on 15 May by the Minister of Energy, Ms Dipuo Peters. The PetroSA Synthetic Fuels Innovation Centre (PFSIC) houses a pilot plant size reactor for the study of the conversion of olefins to distillate, which has proved to be an essential part of the intricate Gas-ToLiquids (GTL) process. PetroSA, South Africa’s National Oil Company and a world leader in the development of GTL technology, has provided funding to the value of R36 million to establish and operate the PSFIC at UWC's South African Institute for Advanced Materials Chemistry (SAIAMC), for an initial five-year period. The PSFIC team totals 27 staff members, including PhD-level researchers, technicians, research assistants and students. The SAIAMC has been designated by the Department of Science and Technology as a hub for the development of the Hydrogen Economy, and has a track record of world-class research and development to support the energy sector.
Vice-Chancellor Brian O’Connell and Minister of Energy Dipuo Peters declare the PSFIC open for business.