IN THE HOT SEAT – DRIES DU PLOOY

1. Please introduce yourself with a thumbnail sketch of your roles/responsibilities…
I am Dean of the Faculty of Theology at PUCHE and part of the Extended Management Committee of the university. I have to lead and manage this in such a way that the faculty is able to reach the maximum output with regard to research and teaching.

2. Is GST the only UK/European association of its kind?
Indeed it is, though we have similar situations in other parts of the world.

3. With almost five years of experience, what do you regard as being the achievements of this association with GST and how do you see this relationship developing in the future?
I am thankful to the Lord for what has been achieved! This kind of association was totally new to all of us, and we did not realise what a challenge it would be. It needed a combined effort from both sides. Initially, there were some difficulties to overcome, but the successes and advantages outweigh the problems that occur from time to time.

The agreement between GST and PUCHE has recently been adjusted to fit our mutual needs. I am convinced that the foundation has now been solidly laid and that something meaningful is in place. This will enable the two institutions to proceed with trust and faith. The presence of so much initiative, willingness, capacity, skills and confidence will enable us to tackle the task and calling ahead of us. After all, we live by the grace and love of God our Father, and are strengthened by Jesus Christ our Lord and by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.

4. GST students accessing the PUCHE website will see that it contains information regarding the re-organisation of university provision in the Northwest Province and the possible affect of this on the university and the faculty. What stage has been reached and to what extent might these changes affect the faculty, GST and its students?
I can confirm that all existing agreements will remain in place when the new institution officially starts on 1 January 2004. We are convinced that no student who is enrolled to this university will be affected in a negative way.

5. GST students value the fact that their degrees are accredited internationally. How does PUCHE achieve this recognition?
It is one of the oldest universities in South Africa and has a proud history. The university is respected across the globe, has a large number of agreements with other prominent universities abroad, co-operates with other international tertiary institutions in the different fields of sciences and many scholars participate on a regular basis in international seminars and projects. We are also regularly assessed and evaluated as an institution and as faculties by internationally respected scholars and scientists.

6. In the UK, theological colleges and departments of universities are being reduced in size and some are even being closed. There are many reasons for this; some to do with the trend towards secularisation, poor enrolment for courses, others purely financial. Is the Faculty of Theology at PUCHE affected by forces of this kind? How should PUCHE/GST meet this challenge?
We are thankful that the Faculty of Theology of our university is still growing in numbers and in capacity. In comparison with the rest of the university our academics perform excellently. Per capita we publish the most articles in accredited journals and deliver the most postgraduate students. We believe that the church will survive and will keep on proclaiming the Gospel until the end of time, according to God's promises. This means that training and teaching of theology will have to take place all over the world. One has to maintain the strong relationships with the church denominations. Furthermore, we must have an open eye and mind for opportunities and challenges that we may come across. There are needs and there is interest in good, solid Reformed theology worldwide.

7. How is the university/faculty approaching its aspiration towards the global market, of which the Rector spoke recently?
It is one of the important marks of a good institution that when the students have the assurance that the degrees they obtain are acknowledged and respected worldwide. We, therefore, regard it as non-negotiable that the standard of teaching and research should be above any doubt among the tertiary sector in the world. The university is active in planning its marketing and presence in the international world, and in this regard London in particular would make a good focal point.

8. Diversity of nationality is a characteristic of GST enrolment (see chart opposite). Is this reflected at PUCHE?
Yes indeed! South Africa is a multicultural country with great diversity in languages, cultures and histories. The time of apartheid is forever behind us. To accommodate students of different cultures we use for instance more than one language of instruction, and use modernised ways of interpretation for the benefit of students who find it difficult to follow the lectures in a certain language.

News in Brief

Students are reminded that it is now an obligatory requirement that all mini-dissertations, dissertations and theses be subject to a language read prior to final submission. The fee involved is currently £2 per thousand words or part thereof.

Can all Study-leaders, Supervisors and Promoters please note that they are now required to provide a quarterly report to the Dean on the status of each student under their tutelage. Forms for this purpose may be obtained from the Registrar’s office.

Now that the transitional academic requirements of our accrediting university are more stable, we propose to introduce a new A5 size prospectus in the near future.

There has been a change of personnel at PUCHE that greatly affects the operational liaison between the two bodies. Erina du Plooy moved to another faculty department at the beginning of the year to be replaced by Annelize Liebenberg. Our best wishes and gratitude go to Erina for her help and encouragement in the formative years of our relationship with PUCHE. We welcome Annelize’s expertise to this most demanding of roles.

It is a requirement of the University that students intending to submit for final examination must give six months notice prior to their proposed date of submission. Dates for students wishing to submit in 2003/04 are 30/09/03 and 31/03/04.

The doctoral thesis of Dr Daniel T Lioy entitled The Book of Revelation in Christological Focus, which was researched and written under the promotership of Dr Colin Warner, should be in print by the time this Newsletter is circulated. It is published in the USA by Peter Lang.

Another doctoral student from the USA, James Delmont, whose thesis is currently being examined, has had a play workshopped at the university in Nebraska. It should be going into local production early next year under the working title Miriam of Nazareth.

Our dear friend and colleague, Dr Rick L Walston, President of the Columbia Theological Seminary, has recently had a book published by Xulon Press; Unravelling the Mystery of the Motivational Gifts. Another book at the publishers and due for release shortly is The Speaking in Tongues Controversy.
Details of both are available via http://www.columbiaseminary.edu/books/tongues.html

The Finance Officer, Revd Robert G Winston, has asked to publish his gratitude on behalf of the School to all those who have made voluntary contributions to the work. Without the kindness of benefactors and donors, we would not be able to keep our fees at such a competitive rate. We must point out, however, that in view of our recent successful application to be awarded charitable status, anyone who wishes to make a future donation to Greenwich School of Theology and is a taxpayer can increase their giving by 28% courtesy of the government Gift Aid scheme. Details are available on request.

Mrs. Heleen Dreyer has been appointed as the new Registrar of Greenwich School of Theology

We are pleased to announce the addition of Dr Dan Lioy and Dr Stuart Rochester to the Panel of Recognised Language Readers, which also includes Peg Evans.

Our congratulations go to a current PhD student, Rt Hon John Adamu Longhor, who has recently become MP for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Also to the Very Reverend Dean Jacob Ayeebo who has been appointed to the Council of State in Ghana