Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg (UJ), is one of two distinguished graduates honoured with the 2020 Golden Eagle Award by the St John’s College on Saturday, 26 September 2020.

The Golden Eagle Award was introduced in 2004 by the Old Johannian Association, in partnership with the College, to recognise and celebrate the extraordinary impact that Old Johannians have made in South Africa and internationally. The award recognises and celebrates the valued, lasting contributions of Old Johannians who have made a difference in their community, industry, arena of life or field of study.

Prof Marwala who is a renowned academic thought-leader in the fields of mechanical engineering, artificial intelligence and computer science shared the honour with fellow Old Johannian, Professor Jerome Loveland who is currently the Head of Paediatric Surgery at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital.

After graduating from the post-matric programme at St John’s Sixth Form in 1990, Prof Marwala studied Mechanical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University in the USA, obtained his Master’s in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Pretoria, and completed his PhD in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Cambridge.

Prof Marwala has received numerous awards and honours, including being awarded the prestigious Order of Mapungubwe, South Africa’s highest honour for achievements in an international arena which have served South Africa’s interests. Prof Marwala has tirelessly developed research and human capacity in the field of Artificial Intelligence, and has led scholarship in understanding and leveraging the importance of the fourth industrial revolution for our continent.