It is a new chapter for the University of Pretoria (UP) as Professor Francis Petersen takes the helm as the 14th Vice-Chancellor. A 200-strong UP symphony orchestra, youth choir and cultural ensemble graced the stage at the recent inauguration ceremony of Petersen.

“I am honoured to stand before you today as the 14th Vice-Chancellor in the 117-year history of the University of Pretoria,” Petersen said. He joined the university in October last year, after serving as the Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State.

In paying tribute to the former Vice-Chancellors, the Chancellor and chairs of council, Petersen said an inauguration is a moment of meaningful reflection, a time to consider the institution’s past, to take stock of the present, and to envision the future.

“Universities are dynamic because they are engaged with their context in time and space – and are responsive to it – with knowledge as the driving force. Knowledge is the single most powerful force for understanding life – and it should impact our everyday lives in an equally powerful way,” Petersen said.

UP’s Chancellor, Justice Sisi Khampepe, led the inauguration while the Chairperson of council, Ben Kruger, highlighted Petersen’s academic and professional career. He noted that Petersen holds a Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD in engineering and has served in several leadership roles. These include his current position as Chairperson of Universities South Africa (USAf), the umbrella body representing all 26 public universities in South Africa.

At a time when higher education and the pursuit of knowledge are faced with significant challenges, Petersen’s message was one of hope, purpose and possibility. “We are living in a time with great divisions within societies. We are contending with geopolitical instability, a rise in nationalism, disinformation, climate change, threats toward democracy, and soaring mental health challenges.”

Petersen added that more than ever, universities have a crucial role to play as engines of the economy, catalysts of social mobility, the preservation of democracy and the pursuit of truth and independent thought. Higher education, he explained, needs to actively and courageously “embrace its civic and democratic purpose to exercise tolerance; to listen; to engage with strongly divergent views; and to do so in a respectful manner.

“In so doing, we expand the space for debate and freedom of inquiry; we aim to build understanding, even if we cannot reach agreement.” But, he said, at the same time, universities need to effectively respond to the pressing global challenges society faces.

“UP’s standing as a global leader among the top 1.9% of universities worldwide is one of the core pillars on which I see the vision for the future university being built.”

He added that innovative research and strong partnerships are essential to achieve this. Petersen has committed to strategically leading the university in expanding its partnerships and raising UP’s research profile locally and globally to position it as the global intellectual meeting point in Africa, for Africa and the world.

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Professor Francis Petersen inaugurated as the 14th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Pretoria