The University of the Witwatersrand has announced that the leadership of the university will be taken over by Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, who will become the institution’s fifteenth Vice-Chancellor on 1 January 2021, taking over from Professor Adam Habib.
Habib is leaving Wits at the end of the year to lead the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.
In a statement released yesterday, Isaac Shongwe, chairperson of the Wits Council, said: “Professor Zeblon Vilakazi is the epitome of a world-class researcher who is globally recognised for his scientific work, and for his contribution towards developing higher education in Africa. He is a truly talented individual who is an inspiring exemplar for all Africans.”
Vilakazi is the current vice-principal and deputy vice-chancellor for Research and Postgraduate Studies at Wits. Under his leadership, Wits’ research output has more than doubled, with the university increasingly producing more research with impact. He is widely published (325 papers) and highly cited with an h-index of 70.
He was instrumental in establishing South Africa’s first experimental high-energy physics research group at CERN, focusing on the development of the high-level trigger for the CERN-ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). He also served as a visiting scientist at the Atomic Energy Commission and Alternative Energy in Saclay, France.
He also chairs South Africa’s National Quantum Computing Working Committee which seeks to develop a framework for quantum computing and quantum technology-driven research and innovation in South Africa. He is also instrumental in ensuring that Wits and other African universities have access to quantum computing networks.
“It is an honour for me to have been appointed to this prestigious position,” Vilakazi is quoted as saying in the statement.
“I am committed to working with my esteemed colleagues, fellow academics and smart, savvy students to create new knowledge, and to develop the high level skills required to move South Africa, and our economy forward. We also need to continue to develop the originators, innovators and critical thinkers who can help us solve the problems of the 21st Century.”
Brief biography of Professor Zeblon Vilakazi
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.