Welcome to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Blog
Recent Blog Post
-
Signs of the Times
For months I’ve been distracted, entertained, and puzzled by the signs that I see posted in public. And because I’ve talked about some of the odd signs that I’ve seen, friends have also sent me pictures of even more odd signs. I have too many pictures to post here, but below is a very small…
Latest Blog Posts
-
Robben Island
I struggle to find the words to describe Robben Island. If it doesn’t sound familiar, Robben Island is in Table Bay, a few miles off Cape Town, South Africa. It has a centuries-long history as a penal colony, and from the mid-1840s to the 1930s it also housed what was known as a leper colony.…
-
South Africans in Six Descriptors
Having arrived home from South Africa on April 11, I have taken some time to try to process our experiences in Johannesburg and Cape Town. One of the most difficult, distressing, and uplifting museums that we visited in Johannesburg was the Apartheid Museum. When you enter you are given a ticket that randomly classifies you…
-
Soweto
Soweto. What can I tell you about Soweto? Soweto refers to the Southwestern Townships in Johannesburg, and it’s made up of 34 separate townships where approximately 4 million people live. Soweto is a symbol of racism and apartheid and the post-apartheid world of South Africa. Soweto is where Mandela and Tutu lived. Soweto is where…