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Johnathan Paoli
Former Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Western Cape, Brian O’Connell passed away at the age of 77 after an illustrious academic career.
Current UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Tyrone Pretorius, confirmed the academic’s passing on Sunday evening.
“Professor O’Connell will be remembered in different ways by individuals he touched, but I have no doubt they will all remember his humility – from picking up litter on campus when he was the Rector, to setting an example for the campus community, or the simple gesture of remembering staff member’s names – even, at times, their families. He was warm, affable and always dignified in immensely pressurised and challenging situations,” Pretorius said.
Pretorius described O’Donnell as humble and warm and said his legacy included passionate conviction, intellectual clarity and engaged leadership.
He praised the former VC for providing leadership to the university, while it was facing the aftermath of staff retrenchments, financial vulnerability, significant loss of academic leadership, evolving enrolment trends and campus community despondency.
Former Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Brian O’Connell, who served from 2001 to 2014. He became Rector at one of the most challenging times in the history of UWC #IAmUWC
Photo Credit: UWC Media
O’Connell led the university through a moment of crisis in which a possible merger threatened the university’s identity, following a report by the government’s National Working Group (NWG) on the restructuring of the higher education landscape, which recommended a merger between UWC and the erstwhile Peninsula Technikon, said Pretorius.
The former rector and vice-chancellor spearheaded efforts opposing the merger and advocated for the institution’s autonomy and recapitalisation, which included the establishment of the Life Sciences Building and other infrastructure projects such as additional student accommodation.
O’Connell was rector and vice-chancellor from 2001 until 2014, he pushed for improving the university’s academic standing and building a distinctive research profile.
Pretorius confirmed that the university flag will be flown at half-mast throughout the week in honour and remembrance of the former rector.
O’Connell is survived by his wife Judith, and children Amanda-Leigh and Bryan.
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