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The City of Tshwane Mayor, Dr Gwen Ramokgopa, addressing the guests
The University’s Chancellor, Judge Bernard receiving a gift from Ms Patricia Lawrence, Director: Unisa Foundation & Alumni Relations
Mr Brian Molefe, CEO of PIC, addressing guests after receiving an award
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The Chancellor’s Dinner was celebrated again this year on the evening of 23 October 2008 and sparkled with many illustrious guests including the keynote speaker of the evening, Her Worship the Executive Mayor, Dr Gwen Ramokgopa. Guests, who are friends, alumni and stakeholders of the university, attended the annual function in order to celebrate with the university its highlights and achievements thus far.
Unisa’s Chancellor, Judge Bernard M Ngoepe, Judge President of the Transvaal Provincial Division of the High Court of South Africa, hosts an annual dinner for Chancellor's Club members and friends to encourage pledges and donations towards the overall mission of the university and those of the club.
The club supports the strategic objectives of the university by encouraging intellectual discourse on issues affecting the socioeconomic development of our society and the many initiatives embarked upon to promote a learning society in our country.
The theme of the evening was "En route to 2015". As the Chancellor noted in his speech, 2015 marks an important milestone for the university as it aims to have in place the infrastructure it so desperately requires to be effective in its vision to be the African university in the service of humanity.
The Mayor of the City of Tshwane, Dr Gwen Ramokgopa, addressed the guests on the achievements of the city as well the partnership that prevails between the city and the university. She touched on the importance of higher education in the country and on the benefits of the city’s partnership with the university in terms of the city’s own development plans and the value an institution such as Unisa adds to it.
At the dinner, Mr Brian Molefe, an alumnus of Unisa and the CEO of the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), was honoured with the university’s Outstanding Alumnus Calabash award for his outstanding contribution to the corporate world of South Africa.
Prof RH Nengwekhulu of Unisa was also honoured with the university’s Outstanding Educator’s Calabash award for his outstanding contribution to the field of education in South Africa.
The Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Prof N Barney Pityana, elaborated on how important it is for all stakeholders to participate in helping the university to realise its vision. |
