 Prof Anthony Melck, Prof Barney Pityana & Prof Marinus Wiechers  Prof Baijnath, Prof Kleynhans & Prof Maré at the academic memorial |
Unisa pays tribute to Prof Theo van Wijk
At an academic memorial held on Thursday 26 March 2009, the Unisa community paid tribute to the late Prof Theo van Wijk (Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Unisa from 1972 to 1988) who passed away on 15 March 2009 at the age of 92. It was fitting to pay tribute to this remarkable man in the very building named after him and in the Senate Hall where he conducted meetings, and guided discussions and decisions.
Prof Anthony Melck (former Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Unisa), in his tribute, compared Prof van Wijk to a conductor of an orchestra, with Unisa as the orchestra. With a combination of great expertise, wisdom and respect for people, Prof van Wijk enabled the university to play a harmonious melody. He always stood by his "musicians" in word and deed, and taught them to play with a common objective in mind. According to Prof Melck, Prof van Wijk was a man of quiet humility and humanity who treated everyone as equals.
In his tribute to the Prof van Wijk, Prof Barney Pityana said that "Unisa essentially stands as a monument to the late Theo van Wijk whose footsteps are clearly embedded in the institution. He had a deep commitment to the university and was quietly supportive of the direction the university has chosen to take." Prof van Wijk's heart, according to Prof Pityana, was for the university to be responsive to the needs of society and to be a university that values institutional autonomy and academic freedom.
Although this memorial was a sombre occasion, it was also a time to celebrate the life of Prof Theo van Wijk. In the words of Prof Anthony Melck to Prof van Wijk's family: "Thank you for sharing him with us. It was a privilege." |
