Prof Tawana Kupe

Responsible for all matters related to students and staff at the University, Professor Tawana Kupe manages human resources, transformation and student affairs at Wits. He is responsible for the University's financial affairs and that of all of Wits' subsidiaries. He assumed this senior executive position in January 2013. 

Prior to this, he served as the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities of Wits for six years, following on his role as Head of the Wits School of Literature and Language Studies, and Head of the Media Studies department. In his capacity as Dean, he conceptualised the Wits Arts an Literature Experience, a major annual arts festival that takes place at Wits annually.
 

He joined Wits from Rhodes University where he lectured between 1999 and 2001, and where he briefly acted as the head of the Department of Journalism and Media Studies. However, his academic career began in 1988 at the University of Zimbabwe, where he worked in various capacities.
 

Kupe holds a BA Honours degree and Masters degree in English from the University of Zimbabwe, as well as a PhD in Media Studies from the University of Oslo in Norway.
 

His background is in media studies, and he is a well-known newspaper and magazine columnist and commentator on issues related to the media. He has edited a book titled Broadcasting Policy and Practice in Africa and has written several book chapters and articles in refereed journals.
 

Kupe serves on several university committees and is a member of many external editorial boards, media organisations and panels.