Stuart J. Saunders

Stuart John Saunders (28 August 1931 – 12 February 2021) was a South African academic and vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town from 1981 to 1996.

He founded the University of Cape Town Trust in the UK, and both founded and chaired the Tertiary Education Network until 2007. After retiring in 1996, he worked as a senior adviser to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation of New York, and continued to work in the liver clinic at Groote Schuur Hospital. He also served for nine years on the Council of Higher Education and served on the board of the Claude Leon Foundation.

Awards He was awarded the Order of the Baobab (silver) by President Thabo Mbeki in 2002. He also received honorary degrees from the universities of Aberdeen, Sheffield, Rhodes, Princeton and Toronto.

Publications His publications include: Vice-Chancellor on a Tightrope - A Personal Account of Climactic Years in South Africa (David Philip Publishers, Cape Town, 2000)