PhD Conference 2017
for doctoral scholars in the RU Education Faculty, CHERTL and ELRC
18 - 20 October 2017
Deadline for Abstracts 15 September
Keynote Speakers
We are very fortunate to have some excellent scholars joining us for keynotes and panel discussions. The conference will be opened with a panel presentation with Dr Justin Lupele (Zambia), Dr Langutani Mary Masehela (SA) and Dr John Nyambe (Nambia). These are three of our distinguished PhD alumni whom we have asked to share reflections on how their PhD work has ‘lived on’ after the PhD, with emphasis relevant to the conference theme. On Day 2, our keynote speaker will be Professor Gina Wisker from the University of Brighton. On the final day of the conference we will welcome another panel of newer researchers from Rhodes University to reflect on how research might be a force for change in the world of praxis.
John Nyambe is currently the Director for the Centre for Professional Development, Teaching and Learning Improvement (CPDTLI) at the University of Namibia. Before then, he served as the Director for the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Unit at the same institution. Previously, he also served as Deputy Director for Professional Development and Research at the National Institute for Educational Development (NIED). Other roles that he has played in the Namibian education system include: Rector of a college of education, vice-rector, lecturer and high school teacher. He holds a PhD degree in education with research interest in teacher education, academic development and professional development for educators in general
Gina Wisker is Head of the Centre for Learning and Teaching and Professor of Higher Education and Contemporary Literature at the University of Brighton; as well as visiting research professor, University of Johannesburg. She has worked in Educational Development since the 1980s, initially at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, where she coordinated women’s studies and taught English. Gina was the researcher for the ESRC/CNAA ‘Enquiry into the role of the External Examiner’, CHES, London University. She is editor of the SEDA journal Innovations in Education and Teaching International, past chair of the Heads of Education Development Group, and SEDA Scholarship and Research committee. Gina researches and publishes in learning and teaching specialising in postgraduate student learning and supervisory practices, and in women's, Gothic and postcolonial writing.
Langutani Mary Masehela is a senior academic developer in the Academic Development Unit of the Centre for Higher Education Teaching and Learning at the University of Venda. She is the institutional coordinator of the mentoring and tutoring programme and serves on the University of Venda Institutional Forum and the Registrar’s Academic Committee. Langutani holds a PhD degree in Higher Education Studies from Rhodes University. Her MA in Applied Linguistics from the University of Johannesburg paved the way to her new career path of academic development. Aside from mentoring and tutoring, her research interests are quality assurance in teaching and learning in higher education, first year experience, access and success. Langutani serves in the HELTASA executive committee, and represents HELTASA in the National Teaching Awards. Langutani is an emerging researcher in an international research project funded by the British Economic and
Social Research Centre (ESRC) and the SouthAfrican National Research Foundation (NRF). The project is called ‘Higher Education pathways to personal and public good’. She is currently also in her final year of the postgraduate diploma in higher education (for academic developers) with Rhodes University.
Justin Lupele is an expert in Education for Sustainable Development, with over 28 years of experience in this field. He graduated with a PhD in Environmental Education from Rhodes University in 2007. Since graduation, he has managed a number of international development projects, including the SADC Regional Environmental Education Programme and three USAID-funded education projects where he served as chief-of-party. Two of these focused on strengthening education systems and improving the quality of education. The third focused on water, sanitation and hygiene as a means to improve education quality in Zambia. Dr Lupele draws on his doctoral scholarly work on relational philosophy, ontology and social learning theory to motivate and support his colleagues and multi-stakeholders to transform society. He is an accomplished researcher and publisher whose works have shaped his project management and leadership skills. He co-
founded Beehives Associates, a knowledge and practice based consulting organization in education, environment, agriculture, health and developmental work.