Memorial Symposium: The contribution of Prof Lis Lange to higher education in South Africa: A critical appraisal

Stellenbosch University (SU) and Nelson Mandela University invite you to a Memorial Symposium in honour of Prof Lis Lange, who passed away on 8 October 2025.

The symposium offers an opportunity to reflect collectively on Lange’s exceptional contributions to higher education in South Africa. Throughout her distinguished career she held leadership positions at several science councils and served in senior management, senates and councils at various universities. Her influence on policy, practice and programming, extended beyond individual institutions to shape the higher education sector as a whole. 

With her untimely passing, we have lost a tireless activist, intellectual and academic leader. This symposium will bring together voices from across the sector to engage critically and constructively with the many dimensions of her work. Contributions will explore her impact on curriculum transformation, quality assurance, institutional research, and teaching and learning in higher education.

The papers presented will form part of a published collection that honours her legacy. In the spirit of Lange, the collection will be both celebratory and critical, extending the debate on higher education beyond the symposium.

The symposium will be opened by Prof Deresh Ramjugernath, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of SU and Prof Sibongile Muthwa, Vice-Chancellor of Nelson Mandela University.