UJ welcomes new vice-chancellor
Prof Letlhokwa Mpedi was inaugurated as the vice-chancellor and principal of UJ.
After his recent inauguration, Professor Letlhokwa George Mpedi is the newly appointed vice-chancellor and principal of the University of Johannesburg (UJ).
Held at the university’s Auckland Park Kingsway campus’ Sanlam auditorium, the ceremony was attended by UJ’s executive leadership and student representative council (SRC) members, as well as its stakeholders, including alumni and donors, vice-chancellors of other universities and representatives of government and business.
Mpedi becomes the third vice-chancellor to take up the reins of UJ in the 18 years that the institution has been in existence. It was formed following the merger between the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU), the Technikon Witwatersrand (TWR) and the Soweto and East Rand campuses of Vista University.
Until his appointment, Mpedi was the deputy vice-chancellor: academic (UJ), a position he was appointed to in 2021. Prior to that, he was the executive dean of the Faculty of Law.
In his address, Mpedi shared his vision to further position the university for the future. “As a public university at the southern end of Africa, UJ does not exist in a vacuum. It exists in and is buffeted by an environment that is marred by these social, economic and political challenges of increasing extent and complexity. There are issues in our local and national environments, such as corruption and ineptitude, that need to be addressed head-on, but equally, we are not immune from the wicked challenges of our time. Universities have a mandate that extends beyond their own walls – we have a responsibility to society to provide answers.”
In closing, he reminded everyone in attendance of the value of approaching education through the gaze of societal impact. “Of course, doing this in isolation is not an option. I extend this invitation to the whole UJ community, including the council, senate, alumni, staff, students, unions, institutions, and allies of the university, to ensure that our strategy is impactful, and people-centred.”
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