Director at Large
Hester Klopper, PhD, MBA, M CUR, BA CUR, RPN, RN, RM
Professor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Strategy, Global and Corporate Affairs at Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch, Western Cape
South Africa
Educational Biography
BA Cur (Nursing Science with a specialty in Nursing Education and Community Health Nursing)
M Cur (Masters's degree in Nursing Education)
Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Management
PhD (Nursing Education)
MBA
RN, RM, RPsyN.
Professional Biography
Dr. Hester Klopper is the Deputy-Vice Chancellor: Strategy, Global and Corporate Affairs at Stellenbosch University, ZA. Prior to this position she was the CEO of FUNDISA (Forum of University Nursing Deans of South Africa) (2013-2016) and Past President of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (now known as Sigma) from 2013-2015 and was the first person outside of North America to be elected to this position. In addition, Hester is a Professor of Global Health in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. As DVC (VP) she is responsible for four divisions, i.e. Strategic Initiatives inclusive of the oversight of the university's strategic fund; SU-International responsible for the management and support of all international activities; Information Governance that includes Data and Analytics, Institutional Research and Planning, Business Intelligence, and Protection of Private Information; and Corporate Communication and Marketing (institutional communication, marketing, branding, student recruitment).
Her expertise and research focus includes strategy, leadership development, systems theory, organisational excellence, and agility. Hester has been the research supervisor of 35+ PhD students and 45+ master's students; she has published 85+ peer-reviewed publications and several books or chapters. She has been the keynote speaker at more than 150 international events/conferences. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Nursing of South Africa (FANSA), a Member of the South African Academy for Science and Arts, an inductee into the Sigma International Hall of Fame for Research Excellence, and the FUNDISA Hall of Fame, and a member of the Institute of Directors of South Africa (IODSA). Hester was the 1st South African to be inducted as a Fellow into the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) and is also a Fellow of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf). In 2016, she was recognised by Oxford Brookes University (UK) with an Honorary Doctorate in recognition of her contribution to nursing education and research globally. In 2020, the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland awarded the Fellowship Ad Eundem in the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery.