Gender and Language Awareness weeks - Speaker Biographies

Gender and Language Awareness weeks 

Speaker biographies

Monday, 28 September (14:00 – 16:00)

Lecture: Exploring critical terminology – Gender, law and language
 

Host: Adv René Koraan — senior lecturer and NWU director for professional development and community engagement

Adv René Koraan is a senior lecturer and director for professional development and community engagement of the Faculty of Law at the NWU.

She has an LLB and LLM in Labour Law from the former University of Potchefstroom. Adv Koraan was a prosecutor for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) before becoming an academic. She was also admitted as an advocate by the Pretoria High Court. She teaches criminal law and her research interests include criminal law, juvenile justice and legal education.

Dr Allison Geduld – expert in jurisprudence and ethics

Dr Allison Geduld is a senior lecturer at the NWU where she lectures jurisprudence and ethics.

An alumna of the university, Dr Geduld completed her LLB, BA Honours (Latin), LLM (cum laude) and LLD at the campus in Potchefstroom.

Besides jurisprudence, her other research interests include socio-economic rights and legal education.

Mr Benito Trollip – researcher in digital language

Mr Benito Trollip is a researcher in Afrikaans at the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR).

Mr Trollip is currently busy with his PhD in Afrikaans morphology. His research focus is primarily on the ways meaning is generated using specific words or word-like components.

He completed his LLB at the NWU with a mini-dissertation about the rights of the mala fide possessor in South Africa.

His general and professional interests are many and wide. They range from how justice plays or could play a role in legal systems to the ways that a wide variety of speakers use Afrikaans.

Ms Nonhlanhla Perpetual Ngcobo — researcher on the constitutional law aspects of the informal economy

Ms Nonhlanhla Ngcobo is an LLM master’s student and researcher for the South African Research Chair in Cities, Law and Environmental Sustainability (CLES).

Her research focuses on the constitutional law aspects of the informal economy as it forms part of local economic development in South Africa. This research traverses different disciplines, such as urban law and urban development studies.

Ms Ngcobo is part of the Township Economic Development Task Team, a research-intensive project of CLES and the South African Cities Network (SACN). The project investigates the extent to which the current municipal legal framework enables or impedes the development of township economy.

She has given presentations on informality in the development and local environmental protection and the growth of South Africa’s informal economy. In 2019, she was awarded second place for best presentation at the Environmental Law Association’s National Student Conference.

Tuesday, 29 September (11:00 — 13:00)

Panel session: Practical experiences with gender based violence (GBV) in South Africa
 

Host: Prof Stephen de la Harpe — executive dean of the Faculty of Law at the NWU

 Prof Stephen de la Harpe is the executive dean of the Faculty of Law at the NWU.

His qualifications are BA, BCom, LLM, LLD and PGDip in dispute resolution. The topic of his LLD thesis was Public Procurement: A Comparative Analysis.

Prof De la Harpe’s fields of specialisation include public procurement, law of contract, private international law, alternative dispute resolution and commercial law.

He is the author of several academic publications and has presented papers at national as well as international conferences.

Prof De la Harpe has supervised a number of master’s-degree and doctoral students on a wide variety of topics.

Ms Tshadi Leshomo — Senior Magistrate in Potchefstroom

Ms Tshadi Leshomo is a senior Magistrate and the presiding officer in the Children’s Court and Equality Court at the Potchefstroom Magistrate Court.

She completed her BProc and LLB degrees at the former University of the North.

Ms Leshomo is the provincial coordinator and head of programmes for the International Association of Woman Judges.

She has served as provincial secretary of the Judicial Officers Association of South Africa, acting regional Magistrate in the Mmbatho Regional Court and judicial head at Wolmaransstad, among others.

Adv Ilse Bezuidenhout — Senior State Advocate

Adv Ilse Bezuidenhout is senior state advocate working with sexual offences, offences against children, domestic violence and child maintenance and maintenance matters.

She completed her degrees at the University of the Free State and started her career as a candidate attorney in Bloemfontein.

Adv Bezuidenhout joined the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in 1988 as a public prosecutor.

She served as control prosecutor and regional control prosecutor in Bloemfontein and was appointed as a magistrate in 1997 in Mahikeng.

She resigned in 2000 to live in the outdoors with her husband. She joined the NPA again in 2002 and was appointed as a senior prosecutor specialising in maintenance matters.

Adv Bezuidenhout was appointed in 2013 as senior state advocate and provincial manager for the Sexual Offences and Community Affairs Unit (SOCA) of the NPA. The mandate of the unit includes dealing with sexual offences, maintenance, domestic violence and trafficking in persons. All these sections involve issues relating to both women and children.

Ms Alrie Nel — Attorney from Legal Aid SA

Ms Alrie Nel is an attorney from Legal Aid South Africa. She is an alumna of the North-West University where she obtained an LLB degree at its campus in Potchefstroom.

She already started doing paralegal work at Lichtenburg Office of Legal Aid SA during her last year of studies.

She finalised her articles in 2012. Ms Nel is permanently working for Legal Aid SA and is currently the High Court Unit Civil practitioner at the Mahikeng Office.

Ms Shanaé Theunissen — NWU Clinical Psychologist

Ms Shanaé Theunissen is a lecturer at the NWU’s campus in Vanderbijlpark and clinical psychologist at a private practice.

She obtained both her undergraduate and Hons degrees at North West University. These studies where followed by a Registered Counselling Practicum at the Ingryp Student Counselling centre of the NWU.

Ms Theunissen completed a masters degree in clinical psychology at the Nelson Mandela University. She focused her research on the prevalence of secondary traumatic stress in family members of sexual assault survivors. 

During this degree, her practicum consisted of rotations between Livingstone Hospital, The Nelson Mandela University Community Clinic, and Elizabeth Donkin Psychiatric Hospital where she worked with a variety of patients with different presenting problems.

She is currently completing her PhD in psychology focused on developing a strength-based therapeutic intervention for female survivors who have experienced sexual assault in adulthood.

Tuesday 29 September (14:00 —16:00)

Panel session: Practical experiences with Gender Based Violence in South Africa

 

Host: Ms Gabrielle Burns — lecturer in the NWU’s Faculty of Law

Ms Gabrielle Burns is a lecturer in the Faculty of Law at the NWU. She was also admitted as an attorney and notary public by the High Court of South Africa.

Ms Burns has an LLB (cum laude) from the University of Pretoria, as well as an LLM in Human Rights Advocacy and Litigation (cum laude) from the University of the Witwatersrand.

She is currently completing her PhD in Public Law.

Ms Burns practised as an attorney in a constitutional law and administrative law litigation team and clerked for Justice Sisi Khampepe at the Constitutional Court before becoming an academic.

She is passionate about human rights issues, particularly the rights to equality and administrative justice.

Ms Boipelo Kgwadi — NWU student in business management

Boipelo Kgwadi is currently pursuing a masters degree in business management at the NWU’s campus in Mahikeng.

Boipelo obtained her first degree in logistics management in 2019 where she graduated as the only cum laude student in that course.

She has served in student leadership roles throughout her university career. These include being residence deputy chairperson and chairperson and deputy secretary of the residence council.

She was also a supplemental instruction facilitator in Adult Degree Completion (ADC) programs. Boipelo emerged as peer mentor and the first female secretary general of the SCC. She served at the same time as the art and culture and international officer of the SCC and on the education faculty board.

Kamogelo Lebone Bakai — NWU student in law

Kamogelo Lebone Bakai, is a final year LLB student at the North-West University’s campus in Potchefstroom.

He also graduated cum laude with a BA Law degree.

Kamogelo is planning to pursue a masters degree next year.

He is specifically interest in working in the corporate finance world when completing his studies.

Bhongolethu Masiza — NWU student in psychology

Bhongolethu Masiza is an honours degree student at the North-West University.

She is aspires to be a forensic psychologist in the future.

Wednesday, 30 September (11:00 — 12:30)

Lecture: Intersectionality

 

Host: Dr Brewsters Soyapi — senior lecturer at the NWU’s Faculty of Law

 Dr Brewsters Soyapi is a researcher and senior lecturer at the North-West University.

He is educated in matters involving international trade and international environmental law.

Dr Soyapi’s research currently focuses on environmental constitutionalism within Africa.

He broadly explores rights-based environmental protection, the place of international environmental law principles in African courts and African judicial environmentalism. 

Prof Amanda Gouws – specialist in South African politics

Prof Amanda Gouws lectures in political science at the Stellenbosch University. She was a commissioner for the South African Commission for Gender Equality from 2012-2014. Prof Gouws is currently a distinguished professor, holding a NRF Research Chair in Gender Politics.

Her research focuses on women and citizenship, the national gender machinery and women’s representation. She has published widely in these areas. 

Prof Gouws holds a PhD from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign in the USA. 

She is the editor of (Un)Thinking Citizenship: Feminist Debates in Contemporary South Africa. In 2007 she was the Edith Keeger Wolf Distinguished Visiting Professor at Northwestern University in the USA.

Prof Gouws received the Wilma Rule Award for the best paper at the International Political Science Association Conference in Madrid, Spain in 2012. Her paper was in the category Gender and Politics with the title “Multiculturalism in South Africa: Dislodging the Binary between Universal Human Rights and Culture/Tradition”.

Her edited book with Daiva Stasiulis, Gender and Multiculturalism: North/South Perspectives appeared in 2014.

Zunaid Danster —  NWU student activist

Zunaid Danster, a second-year law student, is the chairperson of Campus Pride, a student society that works with LGBTQIA+ students and staff members at the North-West University.

He works diligently to grow the membership and raise awareness of the society among the student population. Zunaid co-operates with SRC-leaders to create greater awareness of the diversity and strength of student activities on campus.  

He was part of the march in the first ever silent protest on campus with students and student leaders that recognised the needs of students to be served. 

Zunaid has graduated with his first degree in BA psychology and sociology. He is currently a second year law student. He is fully invested in understanding the fundamental functioning of the law as the foundation of society.

Wednesday, 30 September – 14:00 – 16:00

Dance session: Exploring the interconnections between dance, gender, language and self
 

Simone Momplé – Instructing dance in psychology

Simone Momplé holds a masters degree in psychology and dance. She enrolled at the University of the Western Cape in WC to pursue a Masters’ degree in psychology and dance. In 2017,

She produces her own dance concept videos for social media, such as my mini-series – ‘God’s Plan’ on You Tube. In 2017 she also started working on my documentary film entitled ‘GODANCE’ about her journey to Dance Psychology.

Simone started her company, GODANCE™ in 2016. GODANCE™’s motto is about ‘being YOU in a world of them’. It’s a unique movement that identifies the person behind the dancer. The belief behind GODANCE™ is that everyone can dance and dance is for everyone.

Simone completed her first degree in BA Tourism at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in 2006. She then worked as part of the cabin crew for Qatar Airways in 2007.

Simone then studied a basic course in counselling in 2012 at the University of South Africa (UNISA).

She says counselling peaked her interest into the study of human behaviour, which led to her applying for an undergraduate degree in Psychology (non-degree purposes), through UNISA in 2013.

Simone completed her honours degree in psychology in 2014. She led two youth development programmes in 2016, one through her church (Youth Alpha) and two, working with young girls (Princess Ministries).

Her passion lies with youth development, dance and psychology. Simone’s goal is to use these as tools for freedom of expression within communities, with a specific focus on prevention.

Thursday, 1 October 2020 (11:00 – 13:00)

Panel session: Troubling the past - Pre-colonial Africa and the language issue
 

Host and presenter: Prof Bernard Mbenga – expert in African History

Prof Bernard Mbenga is an NRF-rated scholar and professor of History at the North-West University. He started at the NWU’s campus in Mahikeng in September 1987, briefly retired in 2017 and was reappointed until December 2021.

He holds a master’s degree from the Centre for Southern African Studies of the University of York in England, and a doctorate from the University of South Africa on the history of the Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela people of the Pilanesberg region.

Prof Mbenga is co-author of several books on the history of South Africa, including the history of the North West Province, among others.

Presenter: Prof Kwesi Kwaa Prah — founder of the Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society

Emeritus Professor Kwesi Kwaa Prah is the founder and former director of the Cape Town-based Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society (CASAS).

Prof Kwaa Prah was educated at the universities of Leiden and Amsterdam. He has worked extensively across Africa, Europe and Asia, researching and teaching sociology and anthropology.

He has also been a Nuffield fellow and associate at the Centre for African Studies in Darwin College, Cambridge University, and served as professorial research fellow at the Namibia Economic Policy Research Unit.

Prof Kwaa Prah has written many books including Beyond the Color Line (1998), African Languages for the Mass Education of Africans (1995) and Capitein:  A Critical Study of an 18th Century African (1992), The Bantustan Brain Gain (1989) and Mother Tongue for Scientific and Technological Development in Africa (2000).

Presenter: Prof Sinfree Makoni —expert in African linguistics

Prof Sinfree Makoni of Penn State University is a respected linguist who has held a number of professional appointments at various universities in South Africa.

He holds a BA (hons) degree in English with Linguistics from the University of Ghana and is currently an extraordinary professor at the NWU and an Andrew Carnegie Diaspora Fellow at Laikipia University in Kenya.

Prof Makoni currently teaches in the Department of Applied Linguistics and in the Program in Africa Studies at Penn State University.

He has published extensively on decolonial integrational linguistics, colonial linguistics and language policy and planning.

His most recent books include Innovations and Challenges to Applied Linguistics from the Global South (with Alastair Pennycook), Language Planning and Policy: Ideologies, Ethnicities, and Semiotic Spaces of Power (co-edited with Adbelhay and Christine Severo), Language in Africa. Selected Papers volume one and African Applied Linguistics Selected Papers volume two.

Presenter: Prof Diana Jeater — revered interrogator of everyday forms of power

Prof Diana Jeater focuses her research on everyday forms of power. In this regard, she investigates gender, sexuality, religion, law, language and belief in Zimbabwe.

Prof Jeater is from the University of Liverpool. She is an editor of the Journal of Southern African Studies and Emeritus Professor of African History at the University of the West of England Bristol.

She has published two monographs, Marriage, Perversion and Power: The Construction of Moral Discourse in Southern Rhodesia and Law, Language and Science: the Invention of ‘the Native Mind’ in Southern Rhodesia, which are considered to be ground-breaking books on Zimbabwean history.

Prof Jeater has published on history, anthropology, asylum law and digital humanities.

Her interest lies in teaching research skill and decolonising the academy. She works on combining these interests in various projects.

Her current research explores the material consequences of spirit beliefs of war, peace and reconciliation.

Thursday, 1 October 2020 (14:00-16:00)

Panel session: Troubling the past - Colonial and apartheid South Africa and the language issue

Host and presenter: Prof Robert Balfour — Expert in language in education policy

Prof Bernard Mbenga is an NRF-rated scholar and professor of History at the North-West University. He started at the NWU’s campus in Mahikeng in September 1987, briefly retired in 2017 and was reappointed until December 2021.

He holds a master’s degree from the Centre for Southern African Studies of the University of York in England, and a doctorate from the University of South Africa on the history of the Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela people of the Pilanesberg region.

Prof Mbenga is co-author of several books on the history of South Africa, including the history of the North West Province, among others.

He has published in the Journal of Southern Africa Studies, African Historical Review and the South African Historical Journal. He is a past member of the editorial board of the prestigious Journal of African History (2002 – 2007), published by Cambridge University Press, England.

Presenter: Dr Mariana Kriel - Linguist specialising in research on Afrikaner nationalism

Dr Mariana Kriel is a lecturer in linguistics at the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth.

She holds a PhD with a focus on Afrikaans and Afrikaner nationalism from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

In addition to the history of Afrikaner nationalism, her current research focuses on theories of nationalism as they relate to language, modernity and coloniality.

Dr Kriel is also interested in the various genres of critique of language rights from a decolonial perspective.

Most recently, she submitted an article on the genesis of Boer nationalism to Nations and Nationalism (accepted for publication) and a chapter on the history of Afrikaans to the volume Creolization and pidginization in contexts of postcolonial diversity: Language, culture and identity.

 

Presenters: Carol Manyaapelo and Benjamin Truter – the voice of students

Two students of the North-West University are part of the panel discussion on colonial and apartheid South Africa and the language issue.

Carol Manyaapelo is a political sciences student at the NWU and the outgoing academic officer of the Student Representative Council (SRC).

Carol’s fellow SRC member, Benjamin Truter, is the outgoing fundraising officer and an LLB student.

Carol and Benjamin will take part in what promises to be an interesting discussion that centres around language and will be hosted by Prof Robert Balfour, deputy-vice chancellor of the NWU.

Presenter: Dr Chris Holdridge — researcher on settler colonialism

Dr Chris Holdridge, a senior lecturer in history at NWU’s campus in Mahikeng is a researcher on settler colonialism in the British Empire, specifically in South Africa and Australia in the 19th century.

His investigates the intersections between colonial governmentality, crime and punishment, violence and mobility in global and local spaces within the British Empire.

Dr Holdridge is currently working on two projects: the first is a book entitled Settler Protest and the Ends of Britain’s Convict Empire, 1838-1868; the second book is on prisoners of war during the South African War of 1899 to 1902.

The latter work was funded by the National Research Foundation through a postdoctoral fellowship (2016-2018).

Dr Holdridge completed his doctorate at the University of Sydney in Australia and his first degrees at the University of Cape Town, where he was a Mandela Rhodes scholar.

Friday, 2 October 2020 (11:00 – 13:00)

Panel session: Re-imagining the future —Intellectualisation of African languages in South Africa: a focus on the media and higher education
 

Presenter and host: Prof Pamela Maseko — expert on language policy in education

 Prof Pamela Maseko, executive dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the NWU, focuses on the effects of language policy on education in African multilingual contexts.

Her scholarship has recently extended to socio-historical linguistics, where she is using historical literary data produced over a 150-year period to investigate socio-cultural practices of the Eastern Cape Nguni pre-colonial society.

Prof Maseko is known for her rich insight and depth of expertise in language issues in South African higher education.

She is currently co-editing a literature series published at the University of KwaZulu-Natal Press. This series is dedicated to republishing newspaper writings of little-known but highly authoritative Cape Nguni writers of the early 19th and 20th centuries.

Prof Maseko has worked at Rhodes University and the universities of Cape Town and the Western Cape.

She has also held fellowships at the University of London‘s School of Oriental and African Studies and the Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study.

Presenter: Sheriff Ramphele — final-year student in law and politics

Sheriff Ramphele is completing his BA studies in law and political sciences at the NWU’s campus in Vanderbijlpark.

He was the chairperson of the NWU VTC Law Students’ Council for the 2018/19 term.

Sheriff is now serving as Campus Student Representative Council (CSRC) chairperson of societies

His background is well suited to this: Sheriff was Ubuntu Public Speaking Ambassador for the year 2018 and a semi-finalist in the 2019 Juta cross-campus criminal law and criminal procedure mock trials.

Sheriff was also one of a small number of students who completed the Juta electronic product training in 2019.

Presenter: Prof Abiodun Salawu – expert on journalism

 Prof Abiodun Salawu, director of the Indigenous Language Media in Africa (ILMA) research entity at the NWU and an NRF-rated researcher, is an expert in the field of journalism, communication and media studies.

He has taught and researched journalism for over two decades in Nigeria and South Africa.

Prior to joining the academy, Prof Salawu was a journalist at a number of print media organisations in Nigeria. He has scores of scholarly publications in academic journals to his credit and has edited or co-edited eight books and authored one.

Prof Salawu is co-vice chair of the journalism section of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR).

He is a member of the College of Senior Academic Mentors of the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (Codesria) and serves on the editorial and advisory boards of a number of journals.

Presenter: Prof Russell Kaschula — Multidisciplinary researcher in linguistics and literary issues

 Prof Russell Kaschula of Rhodes University does research encompassing a variety of fields. These include matters pertaining to applied language studies, sociolinguistics, education, second language acquisition, multilingualism and forensic linguistics. He also has a special interest in intercultural studies and literature.

Prof Kaschula has taught at five South African universities and at an institution in the United States of America.

He is a creative writer and has published a number of award-winning novels. He has held leadership positions at a number of institutions, including the University of Cape Town and Rhodes University, where he is currently professor of African Language Studies.

Prof Kaschula was previously head of the School of Languages and Literatures, administering six different language sections. He presently holds the seconded position of NRF SARChI Chair: Intellectualisation of African Languages, Multilingualism and Education.

He was awarded the vice-chancellor’s Distinguished Senior Teaching Medal in 2008 and the Distinguished Senior Research Medal at Rhodes University in 2017.

Prof Kaschula received the Mellon Global South Senior Fellow, American University in Cairo, Egypt in 2019.

Presenter: Prof Lynn Mario Menezes de Souza — specialist in language and educational policy and politics

Prof Lynn Mario T. Menezes de Souza is a professor of language education at the University of São Paulo, Brazil.

Over and above his interest in language education, he also does research in language and educational policy and politics, as well as literacy and interculturality.

One of his recent publications is Global Languages and Critical Intercultural Awareness: The South Answers Back.

Presenter: Prof Langa Khumalo — director for digital language resources

 Prof Langa Khumalo is the director of the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR) at the North-West University.

SADiLaR is a research infrastructure funded by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) as part of the South African Research Infrastructure Roadmap.

Prof Khumalo was previously director of Language Planning and Development at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

He holds a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Oslo (Norway) and an MPhil in Linguistics from Cambridge University (UK). 

Prof Khumalo is a Fellow of the Cambridge Commonwealth Society (FCCS) and a Language Champion in the Oxford Global Languages (OGL) programme for Oxford University Press. 

He has been an invited speaker at various (international) conferences and colloquia.

Friday, 2 October 2020 (14:00-16:00)

Panel session: Re-imagining the future —Multilingual pedagogies


Host: Prof Rosemary Wildsmith-Cromarty — applied linguist and researcher

Prof Rosemary Wildsmith-Cromarty is an applied linguist who is currently coordinating research on multilingual pedagogies at the North-West University.

She held the research chair for early childhood development and education from 2015 to 2018.

Prof Wildsmith-Cromarty also worked for the University of KwaZulu-Natal as professor of applied linguistics, where she also headed the School of Language, Literature & Linguistics from 2004 to 2011.

She has served on provincial and national language bodies for isiZulu and English respectively, and is on the editorial board for Language Teaching: Surveys and Studies.

Prof Wildsmith-Cromarty was co-editor of the journal Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies from 2009 to 2012. Her publications focus on multilingualism, language and literacy acquisition, language teaching, language policy and onomastics.

Dr Alyssa Cavazos – specialist in teaching writing

 Dr Alyssa G. Cavazos is an associate professor of rhetoric, composition and literacy studies in the Department of writing and Language Studies and director for the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

She teaches undergraduate and graduate coursework in writing studies.

Dr Cavazos’ interests include language differences in the teaching of writing, translingual writing across communities, professional development in higher education and border rhetorics.

She was awarded the University of Texas System 2017 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award and the 2017 UTRGV Excellence Award in Teaching.

Dr Cavazos is committed to designing linguistically inclusive pedagogies that can contribute to students’ academic success across disciplines in higher education.

Prof Andrea Parmegiani – researching language inequality

 Prof Andrea Parmegiani’s research explores language inequality in South Africa and the United States of America. His focus is on academic literacy in higher education.

He is an associate professor of English at Bronx Community College of the City University of New York and extraordinary professor in the faculties of Humanities and Education Sciences at the NWU.

Seeking to increase success rates among Hispanic students at Bronx Community College, Prof Parmegiani created a link between English and Spanish academic literacy courses. 

His recently published book Using ESL Students’ First Language to Promote College Success is based on a case study of this link.

Dr Dolly Dlavane — language expert in the teaching of literature and reading literacy

Dr Dolly Dlavane is the subject head of African Languages in the NWU’s Faculty of Education. She also serves on the Pan South African Language Board.

Dr Dlavane received European Union funding to pursue her PhD in Reading Literacy in the Content Areas, which she completed in 2019.

Her research interests are the teaching of literature and reading literacy.

She completed her first degree from the University of the North, majoring in Setswana, and continued with her honours and master’s degrees in Setswana at Unisa and the former Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education.

Dr Leigh Garrison-Fletcher – specialist in second language acquisition

Dr Leigh Garrison-Fletcher is an associate professor of English as a second language and linguistics in the Department of Education and Language Acquisition at LaGuardia Community College at the City University of New York.

Prof Garrison-Fletcher’s research interests include the role of students’ home languages in second language learning, the acquisition of second language literacy and the assessment of multilingual students.

Her work also addresses best pedagogical practices for multilingual students​.

Dr Lucy McNair - professor of writing and literature

Dr Lucy McNair, associate professor of English at LaGuardia Community College at the City University of New York, teaches writing and literature from a plurilingual perspective.

She also co-leads a faculty seminar on Language across the Curriculum.

Dr McNair holds a PhD in Comparative Literature and a master’s degree in Modern Languages.

Her literary translations and scholarship focus on francophone North Africa and its diaspora and include Amazigh literature and film.

Dr McNair co-curates the New York Forum of Amazigh Film, an annual showcase of North African indigenous cinema, at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center in Queens, New York.

Prof Mbulungeni Madiba-expert in multilingual education

Prof Mbulungeni Madiba is the dean of the Faculty of Education at Stellenbosch University. As an established researcher with a C rating from the National Research Foundation, his main research interests are language planning and policy, with a special focus on multilingual education.

He has also served as the director of the Multilingual Education Project in the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED) at the University of Cape Town.

Prof Madiba has been deputy dean and acting dean of the CHED a number of times, chaired UCT’s Senate Language Committee and served on the UCT Council.

His has 30 years of teaching experience and a wealth of expertise in leadership and management.  

A full professor of Multilingual Education, Prof Madiba holds a DLitt et Phil (Linguistics) degree from Unisa. He has received research fellowships and study awards from a number of higher education institutions abroad, including the universities of Cologne, London (Oppenheimer fellow), Birmingham and Harvard (Mandela fellow).

Dr Kotie Kaiser — senior lecturer in language education

Dr Kotie Kaiser is a senior lecturer at the School for Language Education in the Faculty of Education at the North-West University.

She has an MA and a PhD in applied linguistics and has taught English as a foreign language in Taiwan and mathematics in England. 

Dr Kaiser teaches English to education students and her research interests include teaching English across the curriculum, multilingual pedagogies, curriculum development and English for Specific Purposes. 

She is the co-author of a textbook titled "Lesson planning and preparation:  The art of teaching language across the curriculum in multilingual contexts".

Dr Maryna Reyneke — NWU’s director of the School for Language Education

Dr Maryna Reyneke is the director of the School for Language Education and the director of the BEd Programme in the Faculty of Education at the North-West University.

She has an MA in applied linguistics and a PhD in education. Dr Reyneke has 37 years of experience in teaching and teacher training.

Her research interests include assessment, teaching English across the curriculum, multilingual pedagogies and work-integrated learning.

 

She is the author and co-author of several research articles and book chapters. Dr Reyneke is the co-author of a textbook titled "Lesson planning and preparation: The art of teaching language across the curriculum in multilingual contexts".  

NWU team of Accounting Sciences takes part in multilingual pedagogies panel discussion

 Prof Nico van der Merwe – associate professor in Accounting Sciences

Prof Nico van der Merwe is an associate professor in the School of Accounting Sciences at the Potchefstroom Campus of the NWU.

He is also the programme leader for chartered accountancy.

Prof van der Merwe is a chartered accountant CA(SA) and also has a master’s degree in management accountancy and a PhD in accountancy.

He is the author or co-author of a number of articles and books and a reviewer for various accredited journals.

Prof van der Merwe achieved the fifth position in South Africa in the IRBA Public Practice Exam and was named winner in the academic category of SAICA’s “top 35 under 35” competition.

Mr Joel Seshabela – lecturer in Accounting Sciences

Mr Joel Seshabela is senior lecturer in the School of Accounting Sciences. He currently serves as the subject head for financial management at the NWU’s campus in Vanderbijlpark, where he lectures financial management and management accounting to honours and third-year students.

He did his education in the townships, attending at Lekoa Shandu Secondary School.

Mr Seshabela currently holds an honours degree in chartered accountancy and a qualified chartered accountant.

He is also a mentor to University of Cape Town students taking the second SAICA board exam, the APA, and assists candidates doing Endunamoo board courses to improve their technical and professional skills.

Ms Makgabiso Molisalife — lecturer in financial accounting

Ms Makgabiso Molisalife, a qualified chartered accountant, is a senior lecturer at the NWU.

She lectures second-year financial accounting in the chartered accountancy programme and financial accounting in the financial accountancy honours programme.

Ms Molisalife is also the subject chair for financial accounting on the NWU’s campus in Mahikeng.

After completing her SAICA training at PricewaterhouseCoopers, she joined the Auditor-General of South Africa as an assistant manager before joining the university.

She is very passionate about academic development and uses her spare time to assist high school learners with tertiary and NSFAS applications.