Saluting the first Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UJ, Prof Ihron Rensburg
An inspirational leader. An unapologetic change maker. A man who was instrumental in transforming the higher education landscape in South Africa. A man, inspired by the idea that one can change the world; the idea that one can change the existing conditions of our people – that the poorest of our nation can be uplifted. A role model to any student keen to become a “change agent” in society. A visionary. A friend and a colleague. A husband and a father. A man that exemplifies the meaning of Ubuntu and who lives by the motto that ‘Nothing is impossible!’
These were some of the words used to describe Prof Ihron Rensburg, the first Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg (UJ), at a farewell ceremony on Friday, 24 November 2024.
Prof Rensburg’s 12 years of dedicated service as Vice-Chancellor conclude at the end of 2024.
Addresses on behalf of South Africa’s former Minister of Higher Education, Dr Blade Nzimande and Minister of Science and Technology, Ms Naledi Pandor saluted Prof Rensburg as a dynamic and transformational leader.
The Chairperson of the UJ’s Council, Mr Mike Teke focused on the strides the University has made under Prof Rensburg’s stewardship, pointing out that Prof Rensburg, in 2006, began with the almost impossible task of amalgamating the Randse Afrikaans Universiteit (RAU) with the then Technikon Witwatersrand and the black township university Vista, in Soweto and East Rand. “It seemed the ultimate test to the transformation ideal. He combined the best elements of UJ’s predecessor institutions with a significant orientation towards the future as a leading African university at the forefront of progress in the continent’s most important economic hub, Johannesburg. He passionately pursued his goal for year one: the consolidation of the University’s core academic business,” he said.
In 2007, Prof Rensburg’s focus was on renewing research. Prof Rensburg prepared to launch the University as a premier institution of higher education while never losing sight of the vision: A dynamic, diverse and leading African university.
Twenty research niches were identified and capacitated to accelerate the development of fully fledged, internationally competitive areas of research excellence. The results of Prof Rensburg’s intervention were immediate and UJ started to attract, retain, develop and incentivise top and scarce scholars.
In 2008, enrolment reached 45,200. An increase of about 7% compared with 2007. This affirmed the strengthening of UJ brand. The foundations were set for the renewal of UJ’s teaching and learning programmes.
Under the guidance of Prof Rensburg and Council, a newly developed performance management process effectively managed and monitored key deliverables. The establishment of Research Centres became UJ’s hallmark of recognised expertise across disciplines.
The establishment of the Soweto Campus was approved and building activities commenced.
Inspired by the progress, Prof Rensburg and his team set a renewed focus on the theme of “Living the UJ Values” during 2009. It was also the year of managing change as the reality of the “new kid on the block with a new academic model”, was not always understood nor easily accepted.
However, Prof Rensburg stood by his belief that UJ needs to be a flagbearer for change. Integration continued to be successfully driven from the top through a well-orchestrated cultural integration programme. A highlight of the year was the vision of Soweto Campus becoming a reality.
The dream of building of a truly world-class campus was finally within reach. Student Centres were constructed during 2009 and provided a multi-purpose entertainment space with various retail outlets.
On the academic front, the drive towards the promotion of research as a core process started to bear fruit and the creation of the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards has placed excellence in teaching at the highest level.
2010 saw UJ celebrating its 5th anniversary with foundations now firmly in place for the further development of a world-class institution. Prof Rensburg spearheaded the development and implementation of UJ’s campus differentiation and internationalisation strategies.
UJ celebrated significant partner collaboration, including an agreement with Harvard University during this year.
The introduction of the First Year Experience programme undoubtedly contributed to the significant improvement in the degree and diploma success rates of first-time entering students and the total graduate output for 2010 reached 10 299. A great achievement for the University during 2010 was the visionary and landmark work that resulted in the development of the Soweto Campus’ infrastructure and its unique programme profile.
During 2011, Prof Rensburg and his team spent considerable time building support and momentum behind the strategic thrusts and key performance indicators for the decade ending 2024. The University considered it important to revise its vision, mission and values statement developed within the cauldron of a contested merger. The adoption of the new UJ vision, mission and value statements signalled the strength of a now integrated, new generation university.
At the end of 2011, Prof Rensburg concluded his term of office as Chairperson of Higher Education South Africa, however he accepted to stay on in the role of Chairperson of the Differentiation Committee.
In December 2011, he received the Le Matinal Africa-India Education Excellence Award for Outstanding Contribution to Education. Prof Rensburg always believed in giving without remembering and receiving without forgetting. He gave out of his own pocket, while ensuring sustainable programmes to support students in need. One of these initiatives, the UJ Meal Support Programme, was established in 2010 and provided two healthy meals a day to more than 3800 needy students in 2011.
Today, UJ is still actively making a difference to thousands of students’ lives by sponsoring daily meals, subsidising inter-campus transport, topping up National Student Financial Aid Scheme resources and finding creative ways to financially support those without the necessary funding to study in order to improve their futures and the future of their families.
During 2012, the University set a special focus on Africa in order to position, network and raise the institution’s visibility, establish collaborative programmes and increase student and scholar mobility. Further focus was placed on technology programmes and scientific and technology-driven research, innovation and technology transfer.
Prof Rensburg held the role of Chairperson of the Southern African Regional Universities Association – an association for 63 public universities in the SADC region. He was also actively involved in the National Planning Commission and the Ministerial Committee on the Review of the Funding of Universities.
2013 was a year of great challenge and at the same time, great reward. UJ’s ground-breaking online late applications system was introduced and overall enrolment targets were exceeded.
The University continued on its growth path by surpassing all its key strategic objectives for the year and further improved its standing as a uniquely positioned academic institution within the South African and global environment.
On the research front, considerable gains were made with increasing publications output thereby fast tracking the University’s rankings, bringing them closer to those of other leading South African universities.
The University also reached its graduate output targets and significantly grew its global footprint and academic reputation. Successfully hosting USA President Barack Obama on the UJ Soweto Campus, as part of his Pan-African Town Hall conversation with young people across Africa, was a particular highlight during this year.
The Funda UJabule School, also on the Soweto Campus, was officially opened as a teaching school and the first of its kind in Africa. The school serves the surrounding community in terms of childhood education while functioning as a social laboratory that is unique in South Africa. Research includes ground-breaking longitudinal work in knowledge of mathematics learning in the early years of school, early literacy and pre-school competence.
Prof Rensburg actively stewarded the University community towards UJ’s new 2025 Global Excellence and Stature Strategic Plan. This was undertaken over a two-year period and was adopted by Council in November 2013.
2014 saw the 10th anniversary of the University’s brand and a year of transition towards the 2025 Strategic Plan and with it a refined vision, mission and values charter for a new university that was making its mark nationally and internationally.
Many successes were celebrated during this time – one of these achievements was that no less than 93% of UJ students were employed within 12 months of graduation, resulting in UJ graduates leaving their mark in their tens of thousands, in all aspects of South African life and beyond.
During this year the repurposed Perskor Building in Doornfontein – now aptly named the QK Building after two stalwart journalists Percy Qoboza and Aggrey Klaaste – became the study hub of many of the University’s engineering students on the Doornfontein Campus, substantially enhancing their learning and teaching experience.
2024 will, without doubt, be reflected in South Africa’s history as one of the most profound periods in the country’s higher education sector due to the #FeesMustFall student movement and related national protests. However amidst the turmoil, UJ’s academic agenda was never compromised and Prof Rensburg successfully chaired and steered an important session on students’ views and experiences on transformation in universities.
UJ’s successful student and worker engagement remained exemplary of effective leadership in higher education. The challenges that 2024 brought, reinvigorated Prof Rensburg and his team’s commitment to social transformation and brought the UJ family closer together.
Amidst further turmoil and often violent student activism in 2024, UJ continued to exceed expectations. Prof Rensburg’s investment in, and commitment to the UJ vision and mission, as well as national and global goals for a far more inclusive, transformed, caring and responsive higher education system, never ceased. By this time, the University achieved or surpassed performance targets in the instances of 21 of the 26 Key Performance Indicators.
Prof Rensburg was actively involved in mobilising funding for the ‘missing middle’ and given the target of R40 million – in addition to the UJ contribution of R20 million. This highly successful campaign is the largest ever South African university-led fundraising initiative, and raised almost R300 million since 2024, significantly exceeding expectations.
Today, the University and the students benefiting are immensely grateful for donations that have come from Prof Rensburg personally, councillors, university executives and senior university leaders, academics, professional and support staff, the UJSRC and the Student Advisory Council, convocation and alumni, business and industry, the University’s suppliers and the public sector.
Prof Rensburg concluded the year 2024 with these words: “At UJ, challenges galvanise our energies, spur our imaginations, reinvigorate our commitment to social transformation, and bring us closer together.”
By 2024, UJ was transformed into a diverse, inclusive, transformational and collegial institution, with a student population of over 52 000, of which more than 3 000 are international students from 80 countries, reflecting South Africa’s demographics, with 86% of its student body from previously disadvantaged backgrounds. Importantly, significant improvements in the success rates over the last decade were seen – significant improvements with 50 to 60% of graduates being first generation University graduates.
Prof Rensburg has been acknowledged numerous times for his leadership and transformation in Higher Education, the latest being an Honorary Doctorate from the University of the West Indies.
Since 2005, UJ has increased its research publications output by 400%, which puts the University amongst the top five research producers on the continent and has reinvigorated 29 research niches, focus groups, centres, institutes, and centres of excellence.
UJ has also worked towards changing the demography of the academic staff – a key priority. The university had set the task that by 2024 at least 40% of academic staff should be black. In 2005 UJ had 140 (15%) black academics on the teaching staff. By 2024 the number of black academics had increased to 450 or 41% of the teaching staff.
UJ has invested in excess of R2 billion in the upgrading and expansion of living and learning facilities on all four campuses and now boasts a safe, secure, world class learning and research environment for both staff and students.
Global rankings show that UJ ranks in the top 2.3% of universities in the world and among the top 1% of universities in the BRICS countries. UJ is also the first and only African university admitted to the highly respected consortium of 28 research-intensive universities, otherwise known as Universitas 21, an important endorsement of its growing international stature.
And in 2024, UJ made its debut entry into the Academic Rankings of World Universities This is the most prestigious global ranking system in the world which uses only externally accessed, objective measures in its assessment of university performance. It is a ranking system that is heavily focused on research quality and impact. Not only was this UJ’s first appearance in this ranking system, but the University find itself ranked highly in relation to its peer South African universities, having been placed 4th in South Africa.
Delegates that attended the Prof Rensburg’s farewell ceremony included amongst others the Director General of Higher Education, Mr Gwebinkundla Qonde; Director General of Science and Technology, Dr Phil Mjwara; Judge of the Constitutional Court, Justice Boissie Henry Mbha; Jugdes of the Appeal, Supreme Court of Appeal, Judge Ronnie Bosielo and Judge Azhar Cachalia; former Minister of Finance, Mr Trevor Manuel; and former UJ Chancellor, Dr Wendy Luhabe.