Excellent Leadership
Excellent Leadership Outstanding Academic Leadership
Hanlie Wessels MeMber of CounCil
Dr r N N ii ta ta L L aw aw t to oN N -- M M ii s sr ra a U Uw wC C r re eg g ii s st tr ra ar r D
Remote working during a pandemic can pose challenges HANLIE Wessels is a Member of Council on UWC’s board. She is that remote working and distributed teams were the norm. This leading the AdHoc committee to determine the feasiis similar to some part of the lockdown work situation, bility of the establishment of the Infrastructure which we all needed to get used to during the Governance Committee for the UWC Counpandemic. “The challenges I faced when cil. Wessels boasts an impressive CV working remotely were usually about and has over a decade of experience people and teams. How to keep the in Executive Leadership. connection, pacing your own work “I am curious and love learnhours and safeguarding your ing and my career therefore health and emotional wellbeing stretches across almost all at the same time.” possible functions in differWessels was faced with a dient organisations and multimension of challenges and ple industries. The various uncertainties when her husroles reflect my enjoyment band started a new job in at working in diverse enviNorth Africa last year durronments and learning from ing the pandemic. She had different perspectives. The to figure out things such as best result comes from such how travel works, packing environments.” one’s own food for travel, Wessels learnt that it is imwaiting for the Covid-19 test portant to embrace a disrupresults in the host country, tion such as the Covid-19 panand potential isolation in a govdemic, even if it requires some ernment facility. time to get used to. “This present“Since having children and being ed an opportunity to discover how a working mom, I have accepted that the new normal can reward us with work-life is never going to be perfectly e.g. less commuting time, a quick hug balanced, and the balance on one day will on your way to grab coffee before the next never be the same as the next. However, if I meeting, and perhaps a reality check listen to, and stay in touch with those for those in your personal life of what around me who I care about, and with “Since having children and being a your workday demands from you.” myself, I can tweak and adjust to ensure working mom, I have accepted that that the relative balance is attainable.” Her international experience ensured
work-life is never going to be in a perfect balance, and the balance on one day will never be the same as the next.”
Gender inequalities in society deepened by pandemic Although she she fulfills fulfills the the vital vital role role of of Registrar Registrar At the the same same time, time, there there were were opportunities opportunities ifif you you Although At at uWC, Dr Nita lawton-Misra is actually a only knew where to look. “the pandemic and at uWC, Dr Nita lawton-Misra is actually a only knew where to look. “the pandemic and psychologist by by training, training, with with a a particuparticuensuing lockdown lockdown provided provided many many opoppsychologist ensuing lar interest in the field of disability. her portunities – to think and function diflar interest in the field of disability. her portunities – to think and function difprevious experience in the Regisferently, to embrace change, to be previous experience in the Regisferently, to embrace change, to be trar’s office of another university agile, to appreciate things that trar’s office of another university agile, to appreciate things that II provided her her with with an an opportunity opportunity often took took for for granted, granted, to to reasreasprovided often to participate in all functions sess my priorities, to apprecito participate in all functions sess my priorities, to appreciand responsibilities responsibilities in in the the ate family, family, friends friends and and neighneighand ate Registrar’s domain. domain. “I “I instantinstantbours, and and to to realise realise that that Registrar’s bours, ly understood the need for one’s health matters above ly understood the need for one’s health matters above accountability, integrity integrity and and everything else.” else.” accountability, everything transparency during this her greatest professional transparency during this her greatest professional time, as governance bechallenge was setting time, as governance bechallenge was setting came my core responsibilboundaries – she found came my core responsibilboundaries – she found ity. My other key focus area that she was expected to ity. My other key focus area that she was expected to was academic academic administraadministrabe available available 24 24 hours hours a a day day was be tion, which which involves involves the the full full with no no clear clear distinction distinction bebetion, with life-cycle of a student at unitween work and personal life-cycle of a student at unitween work and personal versity.” spaces. “After “After a a while, while, it it bebeversity.” spaces. Reflecting back on the last yearcame less a case of ‘working Reflecting back on the last yearcame less a case of ‘working and-a-half, she she says says that that “the “the from home’ home’ and and more more a a case case of of and-a-half, from pandemic has deepened gender ‘living at work’,’’ she notes with a pandemic has deepened gender ‘living at work’,’’ she notes with a inequalities, and the academic life of laugh. inequalities, and the academic life of laugh. female academics academics has has changed changed in in terms terms But her her practices practices of of daily daily yoga yoga and and medmedfemale But of academic productivity. itation, not to mention the occasional Netfof academic productivity. itation, not to mention the occasional Netf“time and and again, again, we we hear hear from from female female academacademlix binge binge got got her her through through the the worst worst of of the the isolaisola“time lix ics that that the the pandemic pandemic forced forced women women to to play play different different tion. “Although “Although the the working working hours hours became became somewhat somewhat ics tion. roles and assume greater domestic blurred and boundaries seemed roles and assume greater domestic blurred and boundaries seemed “Although the the working working hours hours became became responsibilities, particularly particularly in in patripatrito have have disappeared, disappeared, the the time time II set set “Although responsibilities, to archal households. aside for reflection and relaxation somewhat blurred and boundaries archal households. aside for reflection and relaxation somewhat blurred and boundaries “Child-caring, caring caring for for elderly elderly gave me me the the strength strength and and fortitude fortitude “Child-caring, gave seemed to have disappeared, the time seemed to have disappeared, the time parents and other family members, to persevere.” parents and other family members, persevere.” set aside aside for for reflection reflection and and relaxation relaxation gave gave to domestic chores chores and and homeschoolhomeschool- II set In the the future, future, she she plans plans to to fulfil fulfil a a domestic In ing were added to their regular long-held goal of training in palliame the strength and fortitude to persevere.” ing were added to their regular goal of training in palliame the strength and fortitude to persevere.” long-held professional roles. roles. Many Many women women tive care/counselling, care/counselling, and and working working professional tive found it it increasingly increasingly difficult difficult to to balance balance their their personal personal and and propro- in in that that field field on on a a voluntary voluntary basis basis as as a a way way of of giving giving back back to to the the found fessional responsibilities.” community and expanding her skill set. fessional responsibilities.” community and expanding her skill set.
