Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Robert Balfour. Image: Jeffrey AbrahamsThe University of the Western Cape (UWC) has strengthened its position as a leading research-driven, historically disadvantaged institution (HDI), now holding 30 South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) Chairs - the highest number of SARChI Chairs among South Africa’s HDIs - following 15 new appointments awarded in 2026.
The SARChI celebration was hosted jointly by the Office of the Deputy Vide-Chancellor: Research & Innovation, and the Office of the Rector and Vice-Chancellor.
The milestone reflects more than institutional growth; it signals UWC’s expanding role in shaping South Africa’s research agenda and advancing African-led innovation across disciplines that respond to some of society’s most pressing challenges.
This achievement aligns strongly with UWC’s Institutional Operating Plan (IOP) 2026–2030, which positions research excellence, postgraduate development, innovation and international collaboration at the centre of the University’s academic project and its broader ambition to become a globally recognised, leading research university.
To recognise this achievement and celebrate the collective contribution of its research community, UWC recently hosted the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) Recognition Event, bringing together distinguished researchers, academic leaders and institutional partners.
Image: Jeffrey AbrahamsSupported by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and administered through the National Research Foundation (NRF), the SARChI programme remains one of South Africa’s flagship investments in research excellence. The initiative seeks to attract and retain leading researchers, expand postgraduate opportunities, strengthen institutional capacity and develop future generations of scientific leadership.
The recognition event acknowledged the contribution of UWC’s Tier 1 and Tier 2 SARChI Chairs, whose work continues to strengthen knowledge production, innovation and societal development across diverse fields.
Speaking at the event, UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Robert Balfour, reflected on the significance of the milestone and the role of research leadership in shaping the University’s future.
In his address, Prof Balfour reflected on the growing research excellence at the University of the Western Cape, commending the institution’s SARChI Chairs and researchers for helping position UWC as a leading South African university. He emphasised that the strength of the university “lies not only in academic growth and research output, but also in the culture, values, collaboration, and shared commitment that allow an academic community to thrive.”
Prof Balfour highlighted that academic work must extend beyond the university, stressing that research should transform society, advance hope and create meaningful change within communities. He further underscored the importance of scholarship producing wisdom, insight and opportunities for future generations, while thanking researchers and their families for the intellectual leadership and care they continue to invest in building the next generation.
Image: Jeffrey AbrahamsA key moment of the programme was the formal recognition of UWC’s SARChI Chair holders by Prof Nicolene Schutte, Director: Special Projects, Research and Innovation, who highlighted the strategic value of sustained investment in research capability.
Guests also heard remarks from Dr Nana Boaduo, Director: Research Chairs and Centres of Excellence at the National Research Foundation, who reaffirmed the significance of the SARChI programme in strengthening South Africa’s research system and developing future generations of scholars.
Dr Boaduo commended UWC for becoming the leading university in South Africa in hosting SARChI Chairs, describing the institution as a model that other universities could learn from. He reflected on how the SARChI programme was established to strengthen South Africa’s research capacity, foster excellence and position universities at the forefront of knowledge production, noting that UWC had not only embraced this vision, but elevated it.
Dr Nana highlighted the University’s contributions to knowledge creation, human capital development and social impact across diverse disciplines, including public health, bioinformatics, education and social sciences. He emphasised that the research produced at UWC addresses both global scientific questions and local societal challenges, while also influencing policy, strengthening healthcare systems and contributing to Africa’s broader research ecosystem. He further praised the chairs for mentoring the next generation of scholars and for conducting research that remains deeply connected to real-world challenges and community transformation.
Concluding his remarks, Dr Nana described the work of the chairs as inclusive, impactful and transformative, stressing that “the true value of research lies not only in discovery but in its ability to change lives, uplift communities and shape a better future”.
Image: Jeffrey AbrahamsThe programme concluded with a keynote reflection from Dr Chance Chagunda, South African Country Manager of the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative, who shared insights on leadership, collaboration and the transformative role of knowledge and innovation.
Dr Chagunda commended UWC’s SARChI Chairs for their contributions to scholarship, innovation and societal transformation, noting that their work strengthens South Africa’s global academic standing while addressing pressing societal challenges. He further explored the synergies between SARChI and the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (WPDI), describing how research and community-based interventions can work together to promote peace, empowerment, inclusion and sustainable development.
Reflecting on Africa Day, he also called for contextualised African solutions to African challenges, while acknowledging the continent’s ongoing struggles with poverty, inequality, unemployment, climate change, governance challenges and social instability. Concluding his remarks, Dr Chagunda said, “ … that the future of higher education is not only about producing knowledge, but in transforming lives through research that speaks to communities, informs policy, strengthens institutions and builds more just and inclusive societies.”
The expansion of UWC’s SARChI portfolio spans five faculties and reflects both established and emerging areas of national importance.
Within the Faculty of Natural Sciences, the newly appointed Chairs include:
- Prof Admire Dube in Nanomedicine and Infectious Diseases;
- Prof Christopher Arendse in Low-Dimensional Materials for Solar Energy Conversion;
- Prof Mervyn Meyer in Sustainable Nanotechnology;
- Associate Prof Louise Leenen in Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity;
- Prof Marshall Keyster in Plant Improvement for Regenerative and Sustainable Agriculture;
- Prof Nancy Stiegler in Big Data and Social Sciences, and,
- Prof Lindiwe Khotseng in Agricultural Waste Valorisation for Sustainable Energy Transition.
Additional appointments include:
- Prof Fiona Anciano in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, leading research in Democracy and Urban Governance;
- Prof Jennifer Chipps in the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, focusing on Digital Health;
- Prof Russell Kaschula in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, advancing research in Forensic Linguistics and Multilingualism;
- Prof Tamara Shefer focusing on Blue Humanities and Gender Justice; and,
- Prof Rajendra Chetty in the Faculty of Education, focusing on Decolonisation of Language Teacher Education.
Together, these appointments demonstrate the breadth of UWC’s research strengths and the University’s ability to respond directly to national and global challenges through knowledge creation, innovation and impact.
Yet, beyond the numbers and national recognition, the SARChI model continues to transform how research is conducted and who benefits from it. For academics appointed to Chairs, the programme creates a dedicated space to pursue deeper and more sustained research agendas.
Prof Mervyn Meyer, Chair in Sustainable Nanotechnology, reflected on how the appointment creates opportunities for greater focus and long-term research development.
“Once you get the Chair, your focus changes more towards research. With a lightened teaching load, you can direct more attention towards research,” he said.
Under the programme, Chair holders remain connected to teaching while placing greater emphasis on postgraduate supervision, innovation and research leadership. Funding supports research operations, postdoctoral fellowships, postgraduate development and broader institutional research capacity.
Meyer emphasised the broader impact of the programme on developing future research capacity.
“A key deliverable is the training of the next generation of scientists, including honours, master’s, PhD students and postdoctoral fellows.”
Student development remains central to the SARChI vision, with postgraduate students linked to Chairs gaining access to expanded opportunities and participation in internationally competitive research environments.
This impact is evident in the work of Professor Admire Dube, Chair in Nanomedicine and Infectious Diseases.
Prof Dube’s research focuses particularly on infectious diseases such as tuberculosis (TB), applying advanced nanomedicine approaches to improve treatment and therapeutic outcomes.
“We are the only Chair in the country looking at nanomedicines and infectious diseases. Students can only do this kind of work here.”
His work positions UWC within a distinctive global research space.
While much international nanomedicine research has traditionally focused on diseases such as cancer, Prof Dube’s work applies these technologies to infectious diseases that continue to disproportionately affect Africa and other regions of the Global South.
Prof Dube also reflected on the opportunities the Chair model creates for students and emerging researchers.
“Students receive funding and can pursue their goals while being part of something with real social impact. They receive highly skilled training in a collaborative environment, complete their degrees and can go into industry, continue in research or academia, or even start companies.”
His research environment includes postdoctoral fellows, research affiliates, doctoral candidates and master’s students working collaboratively across projects, with growing opportunities for translation and commercialisation.
Alongside these advances in health sciences, UWC’s new Chairs reflect the growing importance of digital innovation.
Associate Prof Louise Leenen, Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity, and Associate Prof in the Department of Computer Science within the Faculty of Natural Sciences, brings extensive expertise in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and cyber defence.
Her work focuses on developing intelligent and secure systems capable of operating within increasingly complex digital environments while supporting national development and digital resilience.
Her appointment reflects the growing importance of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, not simply as academic disciplines, but as fields shaping the future of economies, governance and society.
Reflecting on the broader significance of the appointments for the University’s research profile, Prof Dube noted: “It places UWC on that platform nationally. The kinds of contributions coming from this university, the research we do and the collaborators we attract, elevate the University and place it up there.”
