**New Stellenbosch rector Deresh Ramjugernath says he wants to focus on sustainability**
Sustainability—financial, social and environmental—is one of the biggest challenges facing Stellenbosch University in South Africa, the university’s new rector and vice-chancellor has said.
In a statement on 1 April marking the start of his tenure, Deresh Ramjugernath noted that universities are under financial strain, with growing student debt and challenges with National Student Financial Aid Scheme payouts “destabilising” university funding.
Ramjugernath said he wants to dispel the notion that a university degree is the only path to success, as universities in South Africa continue to struggle to accommodate the vast number of students who apply for study.
“At the same time, universities must do more to equip graduates with not just technical knowledge but also skills, competencies and attributes for employability,” he said.
**Future-proofing**
Ramjugernath said he wants to leverage emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital transformation and hybrid learning to future-proof the university, saying “it is the single biggest opportunity to improve higher education”.
Having previously overseen student affairs at the university, Ramjugernath said he has gained some insight into the lives of the students he will now be leading. “We want to create an academic environment where every student, regardless of their socioeconomic background, has the resources, mentorship and opportunities needed to thrive,” he said.
In recent years, the university—which was founded in 1918—has been rocked by racial tensions, with reports from 2022 showing that Black students and staff felt “unwelcome”. As recently as November 2024, the university council ordered an investigation into alleged changes to an independent report that identified racism at the university’s oldest men’s residence.
[View this article on Research Professional](https://www.researchprofessional.com/0/rr/article/1414710)