Prof Hester C. Klopper

Professor Hester C. Klopper
Vice-Chancellor and Principal, University of the Free State

Prof Klopper's career spans three decades at the forefront of higher education, beginning in nursing science and midwifery before rising through the ranks of the academy as a researcher, executive, and global thought leader. She holds a PhD in Health Sciences, has supervised more than 35 PhD and 45 master's students, and has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications alongside over 20 textbooks. She has delivered keynote addresses at over 150 international conferences.

Her institutional leadership is equally distinguished. As CEO of FUNDISA, she elevated nursing and health sciences on the national stage. As Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Strategy, Global and Corporate Affairs at Stellenbosch University, she led the development of Vision 2040, shaping one of South Africa's most ambitious institutional strategies.

Prof Klopper's global standing is without parallel among her peers. She was the first person outside North America elected President of Sigma International, the first South African inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, and a recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from Oxford Brookes University. In 2026, she received the Forbes Woman Africa Academic Excellence Award.

In 2025, Prof Klopper made history as the 15th Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the Free State, and the first woman to hold this position in the institution's 121-year history. Her inaugural address, "Walking Together with Purpose: Unlocking Excellence to Lead Change," set out a bold vision for higher education in the age of artificial intelligence, anchored in five strategic pillars and major new investments in research and talent.