Stellenbosch University (SU) has made several senior appointments this year. Besides two new vice-rectors, four appointments have been made in key positions.

Prof Hester Klopper has been appointed Vice-Rector: Strategic Initiatives and Internationalisation. She was an extraordinary professor at the North-West University and the University of the Western Cape, where she was the Dean of the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences.

Prof Nico Koopman, who started his career at SU in 2001 as Senior Lecturer and had been Dean of the Faculty of Theology since 2010, is currently the Vice-Rector: Social Impact, Transformation and Personnel. He had been acting in this position since June 2015.

Read more here about Profs Klopper and Koopman's appointments.

Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, known internationally for her work in the field of trauma and reconciliation, has held the position of research professor in transformation as of 1 February.

She obtained a BA degree in social work from the University of Fort Hare, after which she focused on psychology and obtained her doctorate in 2000 from the University of Cape Town. Her most recent position was that of senior research professor in Trauma, Forgiveness and Reconciliation Studies at the University of the Free State.

Gobodo-Madikizela was a member of the former Truth and Reconciliation Committee, after which she conducted research particularly on the elements that lead to healing when victims and transgressors enter into dialogue after mass trauma and violence. Thereafter, while she was a fellow at Harvard University, she wrote the award-winning book A human being died that night: A South African story of forgiveness.

Dr Phumzile Mmope is currently the new Senior Director: Corporate Communication. She  has gained extensive knowledge and experience over a period of 20 years in the printed media and corporate communication. She studied journalism at the Tshwane University of Technology and obtained her master's degree in communication studies (cum laude) in 2010 from North-West University. 

Mmope – who speaks four languages, English, isiZulu, Northern Sotho and Afrikaans – has worked in the higher education environment since 2000 and has years of executive management experience.

After a period at Unisa, she joined North-West University in Potchefstroom in 2008, initially as Executive Director: Corporate Affairs and since 2012 as Executive Director: Institutional Advancement.

In 2011 she published the book Engaging the workforce: The role of senior managers in internal communication and employee engagement. 

Mr Victor Mothobi is the new Senior Director: Human Resources. He has extensive experience in the field of higher education and speaks six languages, including Afrikaans and isiXhosa.

In 2007 he was appointed as the Executive Director: Human Development at North-West University. Among his responsibilities was diversity management, including the development of programmes for employment equity.

Before he joined North-West University in 2005, he worked in the personnel division of the former Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) (currently the University of Johannesburg). Since 1999 Mothobi has specialised in labour relations.

He obtained a diploma in personnel practice and a certificate in labour relations from Unisa, a BA degree in the humanities from RAU and an MBA from North-West University in 2014.

Dr Birgit Schreiber succeeded Dr Ludolph Botha as Senior Director: Student Affairs. She has a strong interest in student development and the creation of learning environments that promote student involvement.

From 1999 to 2007, she was involved with student-consultation services at the University of Cape Town. Since 2008 she was Director of the Centre for Student Support Services at the University of the Western Cape, where multi-disciplinary support is offered.

Schreiber obtained a BA degree majoring in Psychology and German from Rhodes University. Her postgraduate education culminated in 2012 in a doctorate from the University of the Western Cape titled An investigation into the scope, role and function of student development and support in higher education in South Africa.

Schreiber has been involved with various community development projects over the years, has published widely and has delivered numerous papers at national and international conferences.