South Africa: Stellenbosch lose rector Brink to UK varsity

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Maties lose rector Brink to UK varsity

By Aziz hartley and Aneez Salie

In a shock statement on Tuesday night, Stellenbosch University said it was
to "lose" its rector and vice-chancellor Chris Brink "to a British
university". Newcastle University on Tuesday confirmed Brink's appointment
as vice-chancellor from mid-2007. Stellenbosch, once the cradle of the
Afrikaner intellectual and ruling elite, has been racked by a bitter
dispute about whether Afrikaans should remain the sole language of
instruction.

'My mission has been accomplished'

Brink has opposed a more conservative faction intent on reversing a policy
that both English and Afrikaans be used. The policy is being revised. On
Tuesday night Brink denied the divisive and heated language issue had
influenced his decision to leave. "The language debate will not end. It
was here when I arrived at Stellenbosch. There were flare-ups this year
and the issue is not a problem that has to be solved, but rather a
situation that has to managed.

"My term expires at the end of this year and while I know I would have
been given another term, I feel that Stellenbosch is at an academic peak
and relations are very good. I feel my mission has been accomplished." He
said his family would not emigrate but would return to their Stellenbosch
home. His main opponent in the language debate, academic Herman Giliomee
said:  "It is a great pity this country is losing him. He built the
reputation of Stellenbosch as a research university. "While he was
controversial in terms of the language policy - and only he can answer if
that debate played a role in his decision to leave - it is a major
promotion to be appointed vice-chancellor of a university of such
stature."


http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=105&art_id=vn20060705024541584C953903
This article was originally published on page 1 of The Cape Times on July
05, 2006