Cape Town - When Professor Brian O’Connell became rector and vice-chancellor of the University of the Western Cape (UWC) 13 years ago, the institution was facing two “mega challenges”. The university was “bankrupt” and owed the bank R140 million and plans were afoot to merge it with Peninsula Technikon.
O’Connell, who will be retiring from the institution in just under a month, said it was “fortunate” to get these challenges.
“Because if you succeed in those two mega challenges your path is open.”
He said he told staff that the university was going to work through the bankruptcy but sacrifices would have to be made.
“I wrote a letter, which was given to staff and students. I told them we must take great care of how we proceed with trying to save our name and our history and that our success will depend as much on our behaviour as on the quality of our argument.
“I also said let’s speak to the government and say to them it would to be wrong message to send to the people of South Africa that those who were great in the Struggle are rewarded by losing their names and history. They couldn’t argue with that.”
The government paid the full debt and at the same time the university was able to save its name and history.
“Without that moment there would be no UWC like it is today.”
He said that what has since happened at the institution “is like a fairy tale”.
“We are now in the top 100 universities in Brics, according to the latest rankings and we have to fourth largest number of national research chairs.”
O’Connell, a former head of education in the province, said the tragedy of being unable to build a knowledge culture in South Africa put the nation in grave danger.
“Our culture is not putting out the message that education matters. We’ve not given them (children) a sense of why knowledge matters. We think we can survive and flourish in this modern world without being a top education system. We’re crazy. It starts with the leaders of the state telling us what knowledge this culture amplifies.”
He said children haven’t been given a reason for schooling from the highest authorities in the country, their communities and their households. “The messages are not there and until that message comes down from the top we are going to struggle.”
Asked what he would be doing during his retirement he said: “I’m going to spend the rest of my life pulling people together at schools and in communities to take ownership, to commit and develop the competences and knowledge necessary.”
But until then his schedule until his final day at the university, December 23, is full.
“I’m fully occupied with the challenges of next year and I still have a full of slate of meetings.”
Professor Tyrone Pretorius will take over the reins from O’Connell.
Cape Argus