Rethinking Higher Education in Post-Apartheid South Africa Transformative Trajectories within a Decolonial Paradigm

1. Higher Education Transformation in South Africa: Towards a Conceptual and Contextual Map for the 21st Century
Emnet Tadesse Woldegiorgis, Logan Govender, Dennis Zami Atibuni

2. The Decolonial Turn in South African Higher Education: Academic Leadership in Times of Crisis
Shireen Motala, Otilia Chiramba, Yusuf Sayed

3. Dismantling Neo-Colonialism at the (South) Afrikan University
Njabulo Mkhize, Naiefa Rashied

4. Towards a Holistic Approach to Social Justice in Higher Education: Equity, Equality, Quality, and Relevance Across the Pre-, Intra-, and Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Phases
Otilia Chiramba, Emnet Tadesse Woldegiorgis

5. Whose Revolution? The Paradox Between the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Decolonisation in Higher Education in Africa
Joseph Pardon Hungwe

6. The Role of Student “Must Fall” Movements in Transforming Higher Education
Alois S. Baleni

7. Modelling Curriculum Change for South Africa’s Future: The Value of the Undefinable
Kirti Menon and Gloria Castrillón

8. “Leading in the Glass Cages”: Critical Perspectives of Leadership for Academic Performance Management in Higher Education
Sadi Seyama

9. COVID-19 and the Digital Poverty Penalty in Higher Education in Southern Africa
Simon Vurayai

10. Critical Reflections on Big Tech Corporations, Algorithms and the Transformation of Decision-making in the Post-pandemic University
Mukovhe Masutha

11. The Student Domain and Epistemic Access in South African Higher Education: Michael Cross’s Legacy for Students with Disabilities
Sibonokuhle Ndlovu

12. Higher Education Transformation in South Africa: Reflecting on Michael Cross’s Intellectual Legacy
Logan Govender, Emnet Tadesse Woldegiorgis

13. Pathways to Transformative Higher Education in South Africa
Emnet Tadesse Woldegiorgis, Logan Govender, Dennis Zami Atibuni

Biography

Emnet Tadesse Woldegiorgis is a Professor and Director at the Ali Mazrui Centre for Higher Education Studies (AMCHES), University of Johannesburg. He holds a PhD from the University of Bayreuth, Germany, where he also worked as a researcher between 2015 and 2019. Emnet holds a joint Master’s Degree in Higher Education Studies from Oslo University (Norway), Tampere University (Finland), and Aveiro University (Portugal). He is a distinguished NRF-rated researcher with a portfolio of over 30 peer-reviewed academic publications, primarily focusing on higher education research. Emnet has received advanced-level research training in higher education from the Centre for Institutional Cooperation (ICIS) at Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, as well as specialised training in Leadership and Management of Higher Education Institutions from Maastricht School of Management. Prior to pursuing his PhD, Emnet served in various roles, including Head of Quality Assurance Office, Department Head and team leader. He has been researching higher education in Africa for the past 15 years, and during this time he has published several peer-reviewed academic works on theories of regionalisation, internationalisation, academic mobility, the economics of higher education, partnership models, decolonisation debates and harmonisation strategies in higher education.

Logan Govender is a Research Associate at the Ali Mazrui Centre for Higher Education Studies (AMCHES), University of Johannesburg. He has diverse research interests, with a focus on education policy analysis, higher education transformation, teacher professionalism and unionism.

Dennis Zami Atibuni is a Research Associate at Ali Mazrui Centre for Higher Education Studies (AMCHES) at University of Johannesburg, South Africa following his postdoctoral research fellowship (PDRF) under the mentorship of Professor Michael Cross (RIP) and Professor Emnet Tadesse Woldergiorgis at the same centre. An Associate Professor at the Department of Education, Faculty of Science and Education, Busitema University, Uganda, he has served as the chairperson of Faculty Higher Degrees Committee, Head of Education Department, Departmental Examinations Coordinator, Faculty Quality Assurance Focal Point, Faculty Representative on the Busitema University Ceremonies Committee, School Practice coordinator, member of Faculty Welfare Committee, and member of Academics and Disciplinary Committee. His research interests include student (research) engagement; educational assessment; pre-service and in-service teacher education; student and staff mentorship; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and psychological determinants of effective academic leadership at higher educational institutions. He has authored and co-authored several refereed articles, book chapters, and a book volume in addition to serving as a reviewer and board member for different international journals. He has undertaken several continuous professional development courses including Higher Education Leadership under Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA); Working with Literature under African Doctoral Academy (ADA); and Gender Mainstreaming under FAWEU, among others. Outside academia he serves as a mentor, counsellor, and catechist of vulnerable learners, and facilitator of FAWEU programmes.