?Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票 (SU) honoured philanthropist and entrepreneur Wendy Ackerman and award-winning novelist and playwright Damon Galgut at its December graduation. Ackerman received the degree Doctor of Philosophy, honoris causa, and Galgut the degree Doctor of Literature, honoris causa, on Monday (9 December 2024) at two separate graduation ceremonies for the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
Ackerman was honoured for her consistent philanthropic support that has benefitted men, women, children and the arts for more than 40 years, while Galgut received recognition for his outstanding contributions to South Africa's literary and cultural scene.
In her acceptance speech, Ackerman expressed deep gratitude and fulfillment for receiving the honorary degree from SU, highlighting the significance of the institution in their family history. She shared a personal anecdote about her father attending SU 100 years ago and her two younger grandchildren graduating this year. These two occasions created a generational connection in her family, according to Ackerman.
As someone who has dedicated her life to helping others, Ackerman said she “fought for non-discrimination and getting rid of prejudice, accepting people for who they were, not for their race or their religion. I made education a goal."
More about Ackerman
Wendy Ackerman's philanthropy spans several decades. As one of the founders and honorary life president of Pick n Pay, her work to empower and promote women has been a hallmark of her efforts at this leading retailer. She was instrumental in having women recognised as senior, career-oriented employees in the 1970s – a move that some companies at the time regarded as too progressive.
Now devoting much of her time to her family's philanthropic endeavours and work for the underprivileged and vulnerable, she continues to fight for women's rights.
She is involved in several education initiatives, but her greatest passion is to support promising students, particularly in the field of music and medicine. She has run several bursary schemes since 1973, and her graduates have achieved outstanding success, some performing as part of the finest orchestras and at the most esteemed opera houses in the world. She is also a trustee of the Pick n Pay bursary fund, which assists the children of employees.
In addition, she is also deeply committed to preserving the environment and advocating for the wellbeing of animals.
Ackerman is a lifelong supporter of the arts in the Cape metropole and has put enormous effort into creating an endowment trust for the arts in Cape Town, specifically for the city's opera and philharmonic orchestra.
Damon Galgut
In his acceptance speech, Galgut said “it's a profound honour to have my words and my work recognised in this this way today. It's an honour that I never thought I would have. It's particularly meaningful to receive this in the presence of my father, because Stellenbosch was his alma mater and shaped his early adult years."
Reflecting on his choice to follow a career in the creative arts, Galgut said he was never driven by “conventional ambition, but by a blind, nameless passion to put the words down on the page because words are beautiful, because words stand in for the real world. If they're used well, they can evoke that real world imaginatively for other people."
More about Galgut
Damon Galgut's career as an award-winning novelist, short-story writer and playwright spans more than 40 years. His novels have garnered numerous nominations, accolades and prestigious awards. In 2021, Galgut became only the third South African writer to be honoured with the Booker Prize for his novel The Promise. The episodically structured novel covers four decades of South African history, highlighting unfulfilled promises on a personal and political level.
His work explores outsider identities, delving into the oppressive forces of sociocultural norms and systemic injustices that affect individuals across geographical locations and historical periods. Galgut's aesthetic innovation continues to captivate critics and readers alike, reflecting his enduring commitment to literature as a form of aesthetic disruption.
- Photo: Wendy Ackerman and Damon Galgut at the graduation ceremony. Photographer: Stefan Els
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