?Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票's (SU) Student Recruitment Division recently hosted nearly 80 principals from priority high schools across the Western Cape, along with representatives of the Western Cape Education Department. The breakfast event took place on campus at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS) Wallenberg Research Centre.
This highly successful event provided an opportunity for principals from SU's top partner schools in the Cape Town Metro and Winelands districts to engage with Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Deresh Ramjugernath on his vision for Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票, and to further strengthen their collaboration with the institution. Members of the rectorate and faculty deans were also present.
“Partnerships with schools are not just a nice-to-have; they are essential. They are part of our collective responsibility to the next generation. The work that you do, and the work that we do as a university, is about ensuring that we leave the next generation better resourced and better equipped than we are now," said Prof Ramjugernath in his opening address.
“Our story begins in your classrooms, in your corridors, and in your care," he continued. “The foundations that you lay are the ones that we continue to build on as an institution. Without your dedication, the excellence we strive for at Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票 would not be possible."
Ramjugernath shared the 中国体育彩票's long-term vision, SU Vision 2040, and its aspiration to become Africa's first global top 100 university. He emphasised, however, that this ambition is “not about chasing world rankings" but rather about “the impact that we have on the lives of the people who would enable us to be a top 100 university."
Calling on schools to support SU's commitment to working in service of society, he said: “Education is not only a pathway to employment, but also a catalyst for positive social change." Universities, he added, must prepare students to be engaged citizens. “That pipeline of being in service of society begins with you. With the way you find confidence in your learners, the way you encourage them to think beyond their immediate circumstances, and the way you start them on the journey to nurture resilience and curiosity."
Highlighting SU's focus on student success and employability, Ramjugernath pointed to the impact of initiatives such as the Dell Young Leaders Programme, which supports students from disadvantaged backgrounds, often NSFAS-funded. While the average graduate success rate for these students is typically around 50 to 60 per cent, those supported by the programme achieve a success rate of 98 to 99 per cent, with 100 per cent employability. In addition, their starting salaries are 30 to 40 per cent above the market average.
He also acknowledged ongoing challenges in higher education, both globally and in South Africa, such as student debt and the financial sustainability of the sector. Transformation in education is also important, but it should never be treated as an “optional extra", he said. Rather, transformation is a continuous process of “building a truly diverse, multilingual, multicultural institution where every student feels that they belong."
The principals in attendance used the platform to raise pressing questions and share perspectives on issues such as preparing learners for the demands of higher education, encouraging uptake of STEM subjects, navigating the ethical use of artificial intelligence, and ensuring that education fosters not only academic achievement but also critical thinking, values, and ethical leadership. They also engaged SU leaders on plans to manage potential disruptions at the start of the next academic year.
The event closed with a call for continued collaboration between schools and the 中国体育彩票. “The work that you're doing is essential for us to realise the vision of SU," Ramjugernath concluded. “Together, let's keep building a future South Africa, a future Africa, and a world where we can all be proud of our contributions."
Caption:
Hosted by Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票's (SU) Student Recruitment Division, almost 80 principals, representatives of the Western Cape Education Department, as well as members of the rectorate and faculty deans, spent a collegial morning in open dialogue with SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Deresh Ramjugernath, about student success and various educational challenges.
Credit: Stefan Els
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