22 November 2011
DUT leads Higher Education
Professor Ahmed Bawa, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Durban University of Technology has been named as the new Chairperson of HESA (Higher Education South Africa). HESA is the leadership body that represents the 23 public universities. Led by the Vice-Chancellors of various universities, HESA acts to support and advance the higher education sector in South Africa.
Professor Bawa’s strategic vision as a scientist and educationist is focused on partnerships and collaborative efforts in academia and across sectors, geared towards expanding the Durban University of Technology’s scope beyond South Africa’s borders.
He is a distinguished world-class academic whose expertise has served the private, corporate and government sector, locally and internationally. Professor Bawa holds a PhD in Theoretical Physics from the University of Durham. He also works in the area of Science and Society and Higher Education studies.
The Vice- Chancellor and Principal of the Central University of Technology in the Free State Professor Thandwa Mthembu said, “Professor Ahmed Bawa is a seasoned university leader and researcher in South Africa. He comes with an enviable set of rare skills that can only help the whole university sector in research and innovation, diversifying our income and support base and internationalizing our system. In addition, he is a perfect gentleman with a unifying demeanor that should really make HESA speak with a unified voice.”
“Vice-Chancellor Bawa is a wonderful person whom I have known for many years, I have a deep admiration for him. He is a thoughtful leader who has a deep understanding of how university systems function globally and it augers well for the organisation,” said Professor Loyiso Nongxa, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Wits University.
Professor Bawa said, “I am very excited to have been elected as chair of HESA. We have a very diverse and differentiated higher education system. One of my challenges will be to understand how best HESA can construct a single system that works best for South Africa.”
Professor Bawa’s term as Chairperson of HESA runs from 01 January 2012 to 31 December 2013. Professor I Rensburg, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Johannesburg previously served as the Chair of HESA.
