Meet Wits Vice-Chancellor Zeblon Vilakazi - from his PhD, nuclear physics, CERN - to discipline

Prof Zeblon Vilakazi is a nuclear physicist who was employed at CERN, focal point of Europe's nuclear sector and one of the world's most respected centres for scientific research. He also speaks nine languages, including French, German and Russian. In this podcast we neet this much-referenced researcher and academic leader who last January returned to Wits University (where he received a PhD in 1998) to succeed Adam Habib as vice chancellor. Vilakazi is passionate about the role brainpower can and, he believes, will play in developing Africa; unpacks how Wits is replicating the partnership-with-business models pioneered by Oxford University and MIT - and shares how his university is one of only a baker's dozen sites worldwide linking-in to IBM's Quantum Computer project. Fascinating and uplifting. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews.

[@ayeshasalie1187]

Important point about the breakdown of discipline, it's important for us to get this back..it affects all aspects of our lives.

[@DokoloCity]

Prof Zeb... brillaint African. The other day he was walking on campus at lightning speed and some of the students couldn't recognize him and those we did were asking what is the rush!

[@mamsinenzinane8626]

Thank you it is profound

[@farrel13sw]

Wonderful chat. Met him numerous times as a student as a physics student. He is a legend.

[@stefangriesel3562]

Go Zeblon! Wonderful chat. Wise man.

[@top-gnews8333]

U see what would have happened if apartheid government trained all blacks with the same education 🤔 this country would complete toe to toe with Americans, 90 % of anc leaders are not educated, education can bring patience and honesty as well as better thinking

[@JC-qn8io]

Dream on clown. Africa has been trained for centuries. U cannot even handle SOEs given to you for freeee

[@Pelsrobman]

As an ex-Witsie, I was almost ashamed in the past few years to call myself that. Habib really screwed up and allowed students to run the university more concerned with writing opinion pieces than running the university. Prof Vilikazi gave me some hope again that the university is on a good track. Go Prof, go Wits!

[@mamsinenzinane8626]

Technological portfolio on education portfolio of Honourable Kraus Section of 1996. It is upgrading or raising the standard on technological aspect. Dunn A & Dunn k are adding in their section of 1978. Actually royal education as well as quality of education on early childhood education from crèche, primarily, secondary as well as tertiary level. Absorption of digestive process has an enormous value to scholars or academics.

[@kopanomofokeng6562]

Brilliant man!

[@figgettit]

omg bringing up jordan peterson to an academic alec hogg GO HOME.

[@figgettit]

Alec Hogg lit cuts off his guests on every single answer.

[@figgettit]

Cradle of Mankind moment. Ugh does this man read

[@figgettit]

ugh alec hogg you're from the past bruh

[@donsolomon8501]

Seems to be a trend of opinion in senior management moving away from " bean counters" type skills

[@pamelaleibowitz3019]

No university accepts students with a 30%pass mark. That is blantely untrue..

[@christinefinniss6263]

No. Not Jordan Petersen. 😳👎

[@deanbarrett8076]

Jordan is the highest calibre, I agree

[@Jitesh_Dayal]

Does Wits take 30 percenters?

[@rickmorty7284]

That's impossible......the government doesn't allow 30 percenters to go to varsity, unless it's with those bridging programs that UJ does, which nsfas refuses to fund. Getting into Wits with less than 4 distinctions is very difficult.

[@figgettit]

calling a VC a CEO. what a hack.

[@tshegofatsotleane5527]

This guy is very arrogant

[@brucethackwell6686]

Proof is in the pudding and so far its a disaster!

[@rickmorty7284]

No, it's not. Wits's admin is not very good, but academically they're doing very well. The admin is being failed by unions.

[@figgettit]

@@rickmorty7284 the admin is fine, wits does not have deep endowments it relies on industry partnerships in the sciences.

[@JC-qn8io]

Wits is going down the drain. Even their security ignored us when we asked them for directions. The lady, if you can call her that at reception, treated me and my daughter like scum. Shame on you WITS. Once a great university now a disgrace

[@peterntuli7074]

Find God

[@rickmorty7284]

Wits is a brilliant academic institution, but they really need to work on their administration and services.

[@JC-qn8io]

@@peterntuli7074 find a personality

[@figgettit]

you're uneducated