Eight months into her historic appointment as the University of the Free State’s first woman Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Hester C. Klopper has already begun to reshape one of South Africa’s most significant higher education institutions. Her appointment as the 15th leader of this 121-year-old university not merely marks a milestone in gender representation, but it also signals a fundamental shift towards what she calls ‘heart-centred leadership’ in an age of exponential technological change.
Leading with heart in the digital age
What distinguishes Prof Klopper’s approach is her unwavering conviction that the future of leadership lies in cultivating the ‘tried and tested, age-old, irreplaceable capacity to lead with heart’. This philosophy, refined through years of academic leadership, has proven increasingly relevant as universities worldwide grapple with artificial intelligence’s transformative impact on education.
“Leading with heart means creating psychological safety,” she explains. “Environments where students dare to ask questions that challenge conventional wisdom, where researchers feel empowered to pursue seemingly impossible discoveries, and where staff members are encouraged to innovate without fear of failure.” This approach recognises that while large language models now pass medical board examinations, the human elements of creativity, empathy, and critical thinking remain irreplaceable.
Her leadership philosophy emerged from acute awareness of higher education’s current paradox: while artificial intelligence capabilities advance exponentially – doubling in power every few months – educational systems remain fundamentally unchanged from their industrial-era origins. “We are preparing students for a world that is transforming faster than we can imagine,” Prof Klopper observes, “using methods designed for a world that no longer exists.”
Building on solid foundations
Through extensive stakeholder consultations – 29 workshops across all campuses – Prof Klopper’s leadership team identified ten critical themes that require strategic attention, from institutional differentiation and AI policies to financial sustainability and bureaucratic efficiency. The comprehensive mid-term review of the UFS Strategic Plan 2023-2028 revealed an institution with robust foundations, positioned for decisive action.
“Through my many engagements with our staff, students, and stakeholders, I have come to the encouraging realisation that we are building upon a foundation of excellence,” she noted in her June inauguration address. This foundation includes the university’s globally recognised Student Support for Student Success initiatives, which have become part of the institutional DNA, and its proud identity as a residential university located on three unique campuses, enabling holistic student experiences.
The UFS’ existing strengths extend to its multi-campus structure, with facilities strategically positioned across the Free State province. This geographical advantage, combined with established infrastructure and academic expertise, provides a unique platform for innovation and community engagement that Prof Klopper is leveraging to maximum effect.
Strategic innovation and academic excellence
Prof Klopper focused on the strategic enhancement of existing strengths while introducing groundbreaking new initiatives. Most notably, exciting developments in the programme portfolio include the university’s first full four-year engineering degree and a new veterinary science programme, making the UFS only the second South African university to address the country’s dire need for veterinary scientists.
From 2026, the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences will present the Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, alongside new PhD and MSc degrees in Ecological and Nature-based Engineering Sciences – the first postgraduate qualifications of their kind on the African continent. The development of a professionally accredited Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc) degree and state-of-the-art veterinary teaching hospital on the South Campus is at an advanced planning and development stage.
In 2024, the UFS established a start-up incubator. The UFS Incubator supports student start-ups through ideation, training, and networking. The incubator will also support the commercialisation of the university’s research by preparing UFS spin-offs to enter the business world.
Systemic sustainability and legacy building
Prof Klopper’s vision includes a firm focus on systemic sustainability through strategic investment in both infrastructure and people. The VC-ISRC Imbewu Legacy Fund initiative demonstrates this, ensuring that no deserving student is denied access due to financial constraints. The Imbewu Legacy Fund exemplifies Prof Klopper’s collaborative leadership style. Students themselves have taken the initiative to support the fund – as has Prof Klopper herself – recognising that ‘talent exists everywhere, but opportunity does not’. This student-led involvement reflects the psychological safety and empowerment culture she has fostered, where all community members feel invested in collective success.
Digital transformation and institutional agility
Addressing bureaucratic inefficiencies identified in the strategic review, Prof Klopper has prioritised digital transformation initiatives designed to eliminate administrative delays, while creating seamless experiences for students and staff. “The era of siloed departments working in isolation has passed,” she declares, advocating for integrated approaches that harness artificial intelligence to streamline processes and eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks.
Collaborative innovation and global integration
Central to Prof Klopper’s vision is breaking down artificial barriers between disciplines, institutions, and sectors. Her commitment to collaborative innovation recognises that the most groundbreaking discoveries emerge at intersections – between different disciplines, different perspectives, and different ways of knowing.
The Free State Futures Forum, a biennial think tank launching in 2026, will bring together thought leaders from across the continent to shape future directions. This initiative positions the UFS at the centre of continental dialogue while maintaining its commitment to ‘responsible societal futures’ – using knowledge and resources to build a more just, sustainable, and humane society.
Walking forward with purpose
As the UFS approaches the second half of Prof Klopper’s first year, the institution stands poised for significant transformation, guided by her conviction that “the future is not something that happens to us – it is something we create together”.
Her historic appointment as the first woman Vice-Chancellor represents a fundamental shift towards leadership that values collaboration, empathy, and holistic human development alongside technological advancement. In an age where artificial intelligence threatens to diminish human agency, Prof Klopper’s heart-centred approach offers a compelling alternative – one that harnesses technology’s transformative power while amplifying human potential.
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