Emeritus Professor Wim de Villiers, who recently stepped down as Rector and Vice Chancellor at Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票 (SU), will be continuing his journey with the institution in a new capacity as Fundraising and Strategic Projects Lead for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) and Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI).
“I am delighted to be joining my alma mater in this new role that will help advance the faculty in its mission to improve healthcare across Africa and beyond," says De Villiers, who obtained his medical degree from the FMHS in 1983. He subsequently specialised in gastroenterology and built an illustrious career in medicine and healthcare leadership in the United States and South Africa before becoming Rector and Vice Chancellor at SU in 2015.
“I'm excited to join the dynamic teams at FMHS and CERI to support fundraising and other strategic initiatives that will advance and ensure sustainability of their educational and scientific activities. Throughout my career, I have gained valuable experience and established important connections that I can leverage in this new position," says De Villiers, whose focus on fundraising helped SU raise over R3 billion during his tenure as Rector and Vice Chancellor.
FMHS Dean, Prof Elmi Muller, expressed enthusiasm about De Villiers' new role at the faculty. “His vast experience and knowledge will be invaluable to us, and I look forward to collaborating with Prof De Villiers on many projects within our faculty," says Muller.
The role will involve managing targeted fundraising initiatives and developing strategic partnerships with both local and international stakeholders to ensure sustainability and global growth of FMHS and CERI projects.
CERI Director, Prof Tulio de Oliveira comments: “We have managed to create one of the most impactful programmes on epidemic response in the world at SU. As we expand our programme in the time of reduced global health funding, we decided to call in the expertise of Prof de Villers, who is an excellent fundraiser, academic leader and medical professional to help advance our goal."
