The Edge
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News for alumni of the University of the Witwatersrand: January 2019
Wits news
- Dr Judy Dlamini has been installed as the new Chancellor of the University. She takes the reins from the former Deputy Chief Justice, Dikgang Moseneke. Dr Dlamini is a Wits alumna and the first woman to serve as Wits Chancellor. Read more.
- Outgoing Chancellor Justice Moseneke received an honorary doctorate in Law. Read more.
- In 2018, Wits graduated a record 9 100 students.
- The University received 70 349 applications for first-time, first-year studies in 2019 (for 5 200 places) and 24 829 applications for postgraduate studies.
- Postgraduate enrolments now comprise 37% of the student body.
- Progress is being made with the strategy of providing a variety of digital learning options. (Find out more about postgraduate online offerings and free online courses.)
- The Wits Graduate Exit Survey revealed that a high number of the University’s graduates secure employment with relative ease.
- Read more about how Wits is preparing for the future world of work.
- Vice-Chancellor Professor Adam Habib noted at the end of 2018 that Wits’ research output had increased by about two thirds over the last five years.
- Wits was placed 83rd globally in the 2019 Times Higher Education ranking for Pre-clinical, Clinical & Health subjects.
Alumni events
- Sunnyside residence turns 90 in 2019! Contact Refilwe Mabula for information about anniversary events: refilwe.mabula@wits.ac.za.
- Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan was the guest speaker at a capacity-crowd Founders’ Tea on the Library Lawns in November 2018. Read about it here, watch the video and see the photos.
- Alumni in Australia attended successful reunions in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Gold Coast in September 2018. They also organised a picnic in Perth’s Botanic Garden in November. Photos of the reunions are on the alumni Flickr page and there are Facebook groups for alumni in Queensland, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
- Alumni in London got together at The Grange St Paul’s Hotel in October 2018 to catch up on Wits news and make new connections. See photos and check out Wits UK’s Facebook group.
- The Health Graduates Association held its annual Alumni Week in September 2018. See photos of the gala dinner at the Wits Club. Health sciences graduates can also keep in touch through our LinkedIn group.
- Health Sciences Dean Professor Martin Veller and Wits USA representative Nooshin Erfani updated medical alumni on Wits developments at a reunion in Newport, Rhode Island in September 2018.
- The Wits Fund, Inc invited alumni to meet the Chairman of the Board, alumnus Stanley Bergman (CEO of Henry Schein, Inc), in Austin, Texas in April 2018.
- The Mechanical Engineering Class of 1968 met for their 50th graduation anniversary in October 2018.
- Witsies in Israel are welcome to contact Les Glassman for information about alumni events in 2019: lesglassman@gmail.com, tel +972525522438 or PO Box 16105, Bayit Vegan, Jerusalem 9116002. Over the past year, Wits alumni in Israel have been treated to a variety of talks, several of them presented jointly with Telfed and World Mizrachi. These included a presentation by Rabbi Natan Gamedze (BA 1985, MA 1988), a Prince of the Swazi royal family and convert to Judaism, and Israel’s ambassador to Swaziland and other African countries, Arye Oded. Other talks were “United Nation” by David Kramer, “Developing the World’s Greatest Leaders” by Allen Berkowitz and “Creation of Tel Aviv Food” by Debrah Marcus.
- The highlight of 2018 for Witsies in Israel was “Mandela’s Boss: The Sidelsky-Mandela Connection”. The guest speaker, Rabbi Dov Sidelsky, spoke about the relationship between his father, Lazar Sidelsky (BA 1933, LLB 1936), and Lazar’s law clerk Nelson Mandela (LLD honoris causa 1991), who was to become President of South Africa. Rabbi Sidelsky shared the story of when Mandela visited Lazar in hospital and Lazar sat up in bed and said: “You’re the best medicine I could have wished for.”
- Wits’ alumni representative in Israel, Les Glassman (BSc 1979, BDS 1984), interviewed the acclaimed virologist Professor Barry Schoub (MBBCh 1967, DSc Med 1992) about his career and achievements. See video.
- For help with arranging a class reunion, contact Purvi Purohit: purvi.purohit@wits.ac.za (+27 11 717 1093).
- To be sure of getting an invitation to our alumni networking events and reunions in your area, please give us your physical/postal address as well as your email address.
Curios.ty
The latest issue of Wits’ research magazine explores the theme of food.
Keep fit
The Wits Parkrun starts and ends next to Alumni House and Olives & Plates on West Campus. Here’s a video of the first run, overseen by legendary runner and Wits alumnus Bruce Fordyce with a little help from Wits mascot Kudos Kudu: https://youtu.be/c6G7IEioGWw.
The annual Varsity Kudus road race kicked off January as usual. The club turns 40 in 2019. Most of the founding members (all Wits alumni) are still in the club.
The traditional 5km Night Run/Walk will be on 31 January, starting at Alumni House.
Remember, alumni can also join the Wits Fitness and Wellness Centre and use other campus sports facilities by arrangement.
Please support your Wits teams and clubs too!
