The University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) leadership in research and higher education has been further recognised with the appointment of two of its scholars to senior leadership positions in the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf). Professor Shireen Motala has been appointed Vice-President of the Academy, while UJ Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi has been appointed as a full member of the ASSAf Council for the remainder of the 2024–2028 Council term.
The appointments follow nominations by the ASSAf Council and were endorsed by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Blade Nzimande, in accordance with the ASSAf Regulations. Prof Motala succeeds the late Prof Roseanne Diab as Vice-President following her untimely passing, while Prof Mpedi assumes the Council position vacated by Professor Motala.
Established by an Act of Parliament, ASSAf is South Africa’s official national academy of science. The Academy recognises scholarly excellence, promotes scientific thinking in the service of society, and provides independent, evidence-based scientific advice to government and society on issues of national importance.
Prof Motala is one of South Africa’s foremost higher education scholars and holds the NRF/DSTI/DHET South African Research Chair (SARChI) in Teaching and Learning at UJ (Tier1). An NRF-rated researcher, she has made significant contributions to higher education policy, teaching and learning, education financing, decolonisation and curriculum reform, and issues of access and equity. Her distinguished leadership includes serving as Chairperson of the Education Policy Consortium, Chairperson of the UNESCO South African Commission and inaugural President of the South African Education Research Association, and on the executive of the Council of Higher Education for two terms. Her research and collaborations have helped shape higher education policy while strengthening academic partnerships across Africa and internationally.
Prof Mpedi is an internationally respected scholar in labour law, social security law and artificial intelligence and the law. Before assuming the role of Vice-Chancellor and Principal, he served as UJ’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Law. His academic career includes research appointments in South Africa and Germany, as well as executive leadership programmes at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School and Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Prof Mpedi said the appointments reflected the important contribution universities make to advancing scientific excellence and evidence-informed policymaking.
“Prof Motala’s appointment as Vice-President of the Academy of Science of South Africa is richly deserved and reflects her distinguished contribution to higher education, research and public policy over many years. I am honoured by the opportunity to serve on the ASSAf Council and contribute to the Academy’s mission of advancing scientific excellence through independent, evidence-based advice. Together, these appointments reflect the vital role universities play in generating knowledge, informing public policy and driving innovation that improves lives. Our responsibility extends beyond advancing scholarship to ensuring that research delivers meaningful solutions to the challenges facing South Africa, the continent and the world.”
Prof Motala said she was honoured to serve the Academy at a time when scientific collaboration and evidence-based leadership were increasingly vital to addressing society’s most pressing challenges.
“I am deeply honoured by the confidence placed in me to serve as Vice-President of ASSAf. The Academy plays a pivotal role in advancing scientific excellence and ensuring that rigorous, evidence-based knowledge informs public policy and serves the public good. I look forward to working with colleagues across disciplines to strengthen scholarship, nurture the next generation of researchers and ensure that science knowledge continues to contribute meaningfully to South Africa’s development and Africa’s progress.”
