Africa-Press – South-Africa. Professor Hester Klopper was officially inaugurated as the 15th vice-chancellor and principal of the University of the Free State (UFS) and is the first woman to lead the university in its 121-year history, in a ceremony at its Bloemfontein campus on Monday.
She was appointed to this position on February 1.
In her inaugural address, titled “Walking Together with Purpose: Unlocking Excellence to Lead Change”, Klopper outlined her vision to transform UFS into a research-led powerhouse that harnesses artificial intelligence while preserving human connection and African identity.
Klopper challenged the higher education sector to confront an uncomfortable reality about the pace of technological change vs educational transformation.
“Artificial intelligence capabilities are advancing exponentially, doubling in power every few months. However, our educational systems remain fundamentally unchanged from their industrial-era origins.
“We are preparing students for a world that is transforming faster than we can imagine, using methods designed for a world that no longer exists,” she said.
Klopper emphasised that it was essential for UFS to find its place and purpose in confronting the challenges faced by the higher education sector, and not merely emulate what other institutions were doing.
“The question before us is not whether we will adapt — it is whether we will step up and lead this transformation or be swept aside by it,” she said.
Klopper shared her vision of UFS as “a true entrepreneurial knowledge ecosystem, thriving on the creative synergy produced when our best academic minds work together across our three campuses, allowing us to be the very best we can be”.
She emphasised that preparing students for the world of work will focus on “their ability to think creatively, to empathise deeply, to ask the right questions, to challenge assumptions, and to work collaboratively with both humans and artificial intelligence”.
During her address, Klopper announced two significant new funding initiatives for UFS.
The first is the VC-ISRC Imbewu Legacy Fund, a dedicated student support fund that ensures that no deserving student is denied access to quality education due to financial constraints. Klopper invited support for the fund and expressed her appreciation to the Motsepe Foundation which contributed R1.3m, which was matched by the university, providing a springboard of R2.6m.
The other is the VC Talent Magnet Fund, an ambitious recruitment initiative to attract world-class academic talent to UFS, offering competitive packages and the opportunity to shape Africa’s educational future.
UFS said Klopper brings with her a wealth of experience, global recognition, an outstanding record of visionary leadership and academic distinction.
“Her career spans more than three decades and includes eight postgraduate qualifications — including an honorary doctorate from Oxford Brookes University in the UK — leadership roles on more than 30 national and international boards, and recognition such as being a Fellow of the Academy of Science of South Africa, a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, and the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland.”
Before joining UFS, Klopper was deputy vice-chancellor at Stellenbosch University for eight-and-a-half years, overseeing strategy, global and corporate affairs.
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