The installation of Dr Vincent Maphai as Chancellor of the Central University of Technology (CUT) is seen as a move to set solid foundations for the future of the institution as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.
In what is seen as a significant boost for the Central University of Technology (CUT), Dr Vincent Maphai has been inaugurated as Chancellor.
In his new role as the Chancellor of the tertiary education provider, Dr Maphai will act as the ceremonial head of the university and will preside over ceremonies, including graduations.
The inauguration of Dr Maphai, following in the footsteps of his esteemed predecessors in the role, including Mosiuoa Patrick ‘Terror’ Lekota (1997 to 2009), Dr Boet Troskie (2010 to 2015) and Madam Justice Mahube Molemela (2016 to 2023), is a significant milestone for the university as it marks its 20th anniversary since its establishment as a University of Technology.
CUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof. Pamela Dube is delighted with Dr Maphai’s arrival for such an important role, especially considering the current challenges universities face.
The purpose of the Central University of Technology (CUT)
- Creating new generations of intellectuals;
- Addressing inequality through social mobility;
- Producing new knowledge about humanity and the universe;
- Applying knowledge and solving problems;
- Seeing the city or community as a site of engagement and bringing research and innovation to bear on improving the quality of life in the city, region, province, and country;
- Building competitive local and national economies;
- Shaping and contributing to nation-building projects;
- Addressing deep socio-economic inequalities; and
- Addressing the national social justice agenda through research and teaching.
CUT executive, academics, and partners who formed part of the procession at the chancellors’ inauguratio
“The Central University of Technology has caught a giant who is poised to help the institution make giant leaps into the future,” Prof. Dube, who is the first woman to hold the position of Vice-Chancellor and Principal at CUT and the first female Vice-Chancellor in the Free State, says with pride.
“Universities in South Africa and beyond are grappling with a myriad of challenges. These include governance-related difficulties, adapting to the digital age, securing funding, staying relevant in a competitive environment, and fostering industry partnerships for student placements and integrated learning opportunities. Dr Maphai’s extensive experience in academia, research, and development, as well as his leadership roles in government commissions, position him well to help CUT navigate these challenges.
“Dr Maphai’s appointment as our Chancellor is a pivotal moment in the life of our institution. We are truly privileged to have a person of Dr Maphai’s calibre, experience, and gravitas as our steward in this phase of our existence as a university. His leadership will shape the future of CUT.”
The giant is required to make giant leaps
Dr Maphai brings a wealth of experience from academia, research and development, industry, business, and entrepreneurship. His diverse background instills confidence in his ability to lead CUT to new heights.
He holds a PhD from the University of Natal and a master’s from Belgium’s oldest university, the University of Leuven, among other degrees. His service in the academic environment spans over two decades, serving on councils of various universities in South Africa and as an academic professor domestically and abroad.
He was Chairman of the Presidential Review Commission, a body set up by then-president Nelson Mandela to investigate government restructuring and service delivery.
Having previously served as a Commissioner of the South African National Planning Commission, Dr Maphai is well-versed in our nation’s critical development issues and the role that higher education can play in uplifting the nation.
The CUT Council, Prof. Dube says, could not have hoped for someone better.
“As the Chancellor, Dr Maphai’s role is multifaceted. He is to be a steward, an ambassador, and the ceremonial head of the university, representing CUT in various capacities.
“In Dr Maphai, we have found a sage from whom we can seek counsel. We are at the stage where we need to forge partnerships with industry to do skills transfer and provide opportunities for our students to gain workplace experience. It is quite comforting to know that in Dr Maphai, we have an ambassador to point us in the right direction for these meaningful partnerships.”
Mobilising investment is another challenge CUT needs to solve creatively.
“And we are looking forward to following his torch as he illuminates our paths and giving us direction in this regard,” Prof. Dube, who previously held the executive leadership role of Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Student Development and Support at the University of Western Cape (UWC), adds.
An institution’s success is mainly dependent on the calibre of its leadership. Dr Maphai’s illustrious career, punctuated by extraordinary achievements, can only give CUT hope for the institution’s future.
Prof. Dube has pledged her and her team’s support and commitment to work collaboratively under Dr Maphai’s stewardship to take CUT to the next level.
“Myself, as Vice-Chancellor, and my leadership collective understand and appreciate the responsibility placed on our shoulders and reiterate our commitment to make this a university of choice for both students and faculty,” she says.
Dr Maphai is ready for the challenge of leading CUT into the future. He envisions a university that excels in teaching and research, plays a significant role in society, and produces future leaders.
At his inauguration ceremony in April 2024, Dr Maphai clearly showed how important a holistic approach is to running a university. Failure in one aspect is detrimental to the whole cause.
“The primary function of a university is teaching and research. The second function is to play an important role in society, and the third function that we sometimes forget is that society expects a university to produce leadership. That task is not always taken seriously,” Dr Maphai said at the time.
“We should not, however, succeed in everything except teaching and research because if we do that, we are not a university, regardless of our pretences. We must remember that academic staff and students are the custodians of the institution’s quality of outcome.”
As a result, Dr Maphai has called on all current and future lecturers at the university to heed the call to build students up and give them the best possible platform to achieve their goals.
“You must remember, even in our old age, outside of our immediate family, our teachers are the people we always remember. We remember every good teacher and every bad teacher. They can make or unmake students with a single turn of phrase. If a teacher tells a student that they are a ‘moron’ or a ‘lost cause’, that student will instantly become a moron or a lost cause. That is the power of teachers,” he stated.
“So, the quality of the teachers we are trying to attract to CUT should be based solely on their ability and commitment to building students, not destroying them. We must make sure that no student leaves our campus with bitter memories of our own avoidable causing.”
Dr Maphai, the current Chairman of the Sibanye Stillwater Board, concluded that a culture of excellence is required to ensure university success.
This means that everyone at CUT must be held to a higher standard and held accountable, which will, in turn, create a winning atmosphere and culture. Everyone’s contribution is crucial to collective success.
“If you believe in excellence, you will have the right people for the job. There is no room for a sense of entitlement. I like to use (Springbok coach) Rassie Erasmus as an example. He raised the team’s standards and proved that we can achieve by working together,” he says.
“At CUT, we must create a university that is one, with institutional core values that override our prejudices.”
Dr Maphai’s inauguration occurred at the same time as CUT’s graduation ceremonies, where 4 043 graduates took to the stage to collect their degrees, diplomas, and certificates. Five PhD degrees were conferred in April at CUT’s Welkom campus graduation.
Celebrating 20 years of CUT: A bright future awaits
Like a human being, an institution’s life manifests in phases. From the formative phase to youth, adulthood, and old age, these phases are marked by significant milestones that shape the trajectory of such a life.
CUT has passed the formative and youthful phases and is maturing into adulthood.
This is the phase of big decisions with huge implications for the future. Who the university fraternises, flirts or cohabitates with matters and will shape who they become.
”It is clear from the foundation we have built, the projects we have incubated, and the strides we have made, that we are an institution on the cusp of greatness,” Prof. Dube, who is a graduate of the University of Siegen in Germany and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), explains.
“We are not the institution we were twenty years ago. This university now has critical human capital, good infrastructure, and a large student intake to accelerate its growth and multiply its graduate and research outputs. The foundation we have built over the last 20 years can make us achieve sevenfold of what we achieved in the last 20 years.”
At the age 20, CUT, Prof. Dube believes, is oozing with hope and is idealistic about the future.
“We are young, yet vibrant and agile. We are confident about the future, humble about our achievements, and honest about our challenges. We have the advantage of age and must use every opportunity at our disposal optimally to maximise our potential.
“Walking our journey with a leader of Dr Maphai’s stature, we are confident that we will make giant leaps into the future,” she concludes.
We wish you all the best as you write this next chapter in the incredible book that is CUT.
The Central University of Technology (CUT) at a glance
The Free State Province’s Central University of Technology (CUT), formerly Technikon Free State, is an intellectual home to approximately 22 000 students and over 1 600 staff. The university has two campuses—one in Bloemfontein, the judicial capital of South Africa, and one in Welkom, in the heart of the Free State goldfields.
The two campuses offer students very diverse learning opportunities from within four faculties:
- Engineering, Built Environment, Information Technology;
- Management Sciences;
- Humanities; and
- Health and Environmental Sciences.
”We are growing our own timber of academic and research staff. To date, an additional 134 of our academic staff have PhDs. CUT has 23 NRF-rated researchers out of 234 across Universities of Technology,” Prof. Dube explains. CUT is home to the prestigious DST-NRF Research Chair Initiative in Medical Product Development through Additive Manufacturing, led by Prof. Deon J. de Beer, one of their esteemed C1-rated researchers. In 2023, the university was recognised by the Times Higher Education’s prestigious rankings and placed 41 in their Sub-Saharan Africa rankings. This is a significant achievement in the institution’s history. The new Research Centre, launching later this year, reflects CUT’s resolve to embark on a multidisciplinary journey to promote human-centred approaches to the societal impact of technological innovations. The newly established CUT Hub of the Artificial Intelligence Institute of South Africa (AIISA), the third that the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies is supporting after the establishment of the first and second ones at the University of Johannesburg and the Tshwane University of Technology, respectively, underscores the dedication of high-level partnerships to work together in this area. ”The 4th Industrial Revolution we are currently witnessing demands for us to position ourselves strategically if we are to be key players and not spectators of this revolution,” Prof. Dube states. ”The work to rethink a curriculum that produces graduates who are technopreneurs is already underway. We strive to produce graduates who can operate drones and think at the same time.”
CUT is currently at the forefront of research and innovation, making the university a leading South African university applying additive manufacturing (AM) to design and produce customised medical implants. The university also commands respect with its technology transfer research, including:
- Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing (CRPM);
- Product Development Technology Station (PDTS);
- Centre for Applied Food Security and Biotechnology (CAFSaB);
- Unit for Lean Construction and Sustainability (ULCS); and
- Unit for Drug Discovery.
CUT’s vision is to be ”a leading African University of Technology, shaping the future through innovation.” It remains committed to the core values of Ubuntu, integrity, diversity, innovation, excellence, and the institution’s transformation agenda.
