UWC announces appointment of new vice-chancellor

CAPE TOWN - The University of the Western Cape (UWC) has announced the appointment of its new vice-chancellor (VC).

Professor Robert Balfour will officially take up the role in January 2025.

Balfour is currently the Deputy VC for Teaching and Learning at the North West University.

He will be UWC's eighth vice-chancellor, 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," said the university’s spokesperson, Gasant Abarder.

"The council has no doubt that Professor Balfour will further enhance UWC’s trajectory as a leading higher education institution."

Balfour has made his name as a language and education expert, who is frequently invited as a keynote speaker at higher education institutions across the country.