Dr Marlene le Roux, Chief Executive Offiver of Artscape, will be the speaker at the annual Russel Botman Memorial Lecture. The lecture, held in honour of the late Prof Russel Botman, former Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University (SU), is hosted by the Faculty of Theology in collaboration with the SU division for Development and Alumni Relations, the curatoria of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa, the Dutch Reformed Church and the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology.

• The event is to take place on Thursday 18 October 2018 at 19:00 in the Adam Small (HB Thom) Theatre at 15 Victoria Street, Stellenbosch. Light refreshments will be serbed from 18:30. 

This year the lecture will focus on Prof  Botman's love and appreciation for the Arts, and the title of Dr Le Roux's lecture is “From Brutality to Hope". The Stellenbosch Libertas Choir will give a performance and the names of the recipients of the Russel Botman Bursary Fund will also be announced.

Russel Botman joined Stellenbosch University in 2000 as Professor in the Department of Practical Theology and Missiology. He was also the founder of the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology. In 2002 he was appointed Vice-Rector: Teaching and in 2007 he became Stellenbosch University's first black Rector and Vice-Chancellor. Under his visionary leadership, the HOPE Project was launched in 2010, emphasising social relevance, equal opportunities and academic and research excellence. Vision 2030, adopted in 2013, is part of his legacy: that Stellenbosch University becomes an innovative, inclusive and future oriented institution.

Botman unexpectedly passed away on 28 June 2014.

• ​Liaise with Helette van der Westhuizen at tel 021 808 9560 or via e-mail at hvdwest@sun.ac.za for more information or to RSVP.