Jonathan David Jansen is the former rector of the

University of the Free State The University of the Free State (; Sotho language, Sesotho: ''Yunivesithi ya Freistata'') is a multi-campus public university in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State (province), Free State and the judicial capital of South Africa. It wa ...

. He was appointed as the first

coloured Coloureds () are multiracial people in South Africa, Namibia and, to a smaller extent, Zimbabwe and Zambia. Their ancestry descends from the interracial mixing that occurred between Europeans, Africans and Asians. Interracial mixing in South ...

rector and vice-chancellor of the university in early 2009. He is a noted and frequent contributor to public discussions in South Africa on the issues of transformation and peaceful reconciliation, particularly in higher education. Jansen was born on 29 September 1956 in Montagu in the Western Cape region of South Africa, but grew up on the

Cape Flats The Cape Flats () is an expansive, low-lying, flat area situated to the southeast of the central business district of Cape Town. The Cape Flats is also the name of an administrative region of the City of Cape Town, which lies within the larger geo ...

in the neighbourhoods of Retreat and Steenberg. He attended primary school at Sullivan Primary School, and then went to Steenberg High School. He describes himself as an average student at high school – more interested in soccer, swimming at

Muizenberg Muizenberg ( , Dutch for 'mice mountain') is a beach-side town in the Western Cape, South Africa. It is situated where the shore of the Cape Peninsula curves round to the east on the False Bay coast. It is considered to be the main surfing spo ...

and cycling with his friends. However his Latin teacher motivated him to excel in his studies and study further. Jansen completed his B.Sc. (Botany and Zoology) in 1979 at the

University of the Western Cape The University of the Western Cape (UWC; ) is a Public university, public research university in Bellville, South Africa, Bellville, near Cape Town, South Africa. The university was established in 1959 by the Politics of South Africa, South ...

. In 1982 he received a teaching diploma and in 1984 a B.Ed. (Comparative Education) from the

University of South Africa The University of South Africa (UNISA) is the largest university system in South Africa by enrollment. It attracts a third of all higher education students in South Africa. Through various colleges and affiliates, UNISA has over 400,000 student ...

. He obtained an M.Sc. from

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

in 1987 and a Ph.D. ( Political Science ) from

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

in 1991.

Jonathan Jansen is Extraordinary Professor of Education at

Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch University (SU) (, ) is a public research university situated in Stellenbosch, a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Stellenbosch is the oldest university in South Africa and the oldest extant university in Sub-Sahara ...

. He is currently the President of the Academy of Science of South Africa and a Knight-Hennessey Fellow at

. He was awarded the Division B Lifetime Achievement Award by the

American Educational Research Association The American Educational Research Association (AERA, pronounced "A-E-R-A") is a professional organization representing education researchers in the United States and around the world. AERA's mission is to advance knowledge about education and ...

in 2025. He is a member of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jansen, Jonathan Living people 1956 births People associated with the University of the Free State Cornell University alumni Stanford University alumni Cape Coloureds