'Witsies lead, inspire and are a the beacon of hope in society' — VC
- Zeblon Vilakazi
"As we cross the halfway mark of 2025, it gives me pleasure to reflect on the collective achievements of our academics, staff, students and alumni."
Newsletter from the Desk of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal
Dear Wits Colleagues and Students,
We have completed our July graduation season, where over 2 000 graduands walked across the stage of the Great Hall. We honoured two distinguished South Africans – Mavuso Msimang and Kaizer Motaung – both of whom have left incredible legacies that have undoubtedly advanced our country. Honorary doctorates were also bestowed on Jennifer Glennie, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey and Prof. David Dyzenhaus in the April cluster.
It was my pleasure to reopen the Wits Sterkfontein Caves which offer a unique lens into humanity’s ancient past – I encourage you to experience the site. The launch of the Mervyn King Centre for Corporate Governance and Sustainability at the Wits Business School was also important as it further embeds ethical leadership in business education.
For me, a physicist, it was quite a treat to participate in the South African Physics Institute conference which was opened by the Minister of Science and Innovation, just one of the numerous events hosted at Wits this quarter. We also launched a Chair in Digital Humanities, awarded to Professor Iginio Gagliardone (below) with the University of Edinburgh to foster inclusive, future-facing research. We also hosted principals, teachers, top students, parents and prospective students at Wits.
I was also pleased to hear that some of the grants from the National Institutes for Health may continue and that Treasury has allocated some funding to mitigate some of the US-funding cuts that acutely impacted on some of our research and the academics leading it. Council approved an emergency R22 million funding request to support postgraduates and researchers impacted by the funding cuts.
Earlier this year, I made a successful trip to the United States, where I engaged with alumni, potential donors and the Wits Fund Board. Wits also strengthened its Strategic Global Engagements with institutions such as Tsinghua University, UCL, the University of Southern California, CIVIS and the Canadian High Commission as well as with several embassies.
Finally, I would like to congratulate Prof. Andrew Forbes (left) who was awarded the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust's Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award for his work in quantum technologies, which could place South Africa at the heart of computational progress worldwide. There are numerous other achievements, including our formidable SAICA results, on the website. Please do read these stories and share your thoughts with me.
Academic Strategy and Growth
Our academic vision continues to unfold with focus and foresight.
Council ratified the 2026–2030 Enrolment Plan, a bold new strategy prioritising throughput, retention and a strategic undergraduate (60%) to postgraduate (40%) ratio. We aim for 50% enrolment in STEM fields while expanding our online offerings and micro-credentials. A pilot project is underway at Wits Plus Pty (Ltd) to explore stackable micro-credentials that can empower lifelong learners and diversify our academic footprint. Senate also approved new assessment frameworks focussed on AI’s influence on student learning, to ensure our academic integrity and adaptability going forward.
Research and Innovation
I was pleased to note that over 4 000 postgraduate students have enrolled in our Graduate Online Learning and Development (GOLD) Programme and that strategic efforts continue through the Wits Doctoral Academy and other postgraduate training initiatives.
There are numerous other research achievements to list and you can read more on the website.
People, Development and Culture
The findings of the Wits Institutional Cultures Survey were presented to the community this quarter, please take a moment to look at the findings and the dashboards.
The reorganisation of the Central HR Directorate is in progress; the Annual Performance Incentive is being rolled-out and the Gender Equity Office continues to implement recommendations from the Ministerial Task Team on Gender-Based Harm. The Adult Education and Training programme has also been reinstated to empower employees with essential skills.
Social Impact and Public Engagement
I have included below some of the ways in which Wits impacts for good.
- CBD Rejuvenation and Energy Innovation: Wits is collaborating with the Presidential Working Group on rejuvenating the Johannesburg CBD. We are also making inroads into fixing our City through working with the Braamfontein Improvement District, JoziMyJozi as well as City and Provincial departments. Work on the Traffic Calming Zone on Jorissen Street continues apace and while I acknowledge that it has been disruptive to traffic flow, especially during peak hours, it will go a long way towards making the access to and from the University on Jorissen Street much safer for staff and students.
- The unveiling of the Blue Heritage Plaque at the Wits Anglo American Digital Dome, together with the City of Johannesburg and the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation was successful.
- Wits is exploring the installation of a green hydrogen energy station in Braamfontein.
- Food Sovereignty Hub Launched: A major win for community engagement, this new hub supports food gardens and urban sustainability.
- Public Interest Law in Action: The Centre for Applied Legal Studies hosted the fifth Public Interest Law Moot Court Competition to advance social justice law.
- Youth-led Development: Occupational Therapy students created vertical gardens for the disabled through combining sustainability with healthcare training.
- Heart Health Awareness Drive: Working with the SA Heart Foundation and Anglo American, for the second year in a row, the School of Therapeutic Sciences will be doing health screening for taxi drivers, giving lab-based students real-world experience.
- Homelessness in Focus: The School of Social Work is part of a JoziMyJozi initiative to document the plight of the homeless in the CBD in an effort to better understand our City’s residents.
Looking Ahead
Thank you for contributing towards achieving the objectives of the Wits 2033 Strategic Framework.
Warm regards,
Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, FRS
Vice-Chancellor and Principal
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg