Meet the JIAS Advisory Board

In 2020, a new Advisory Board (AB) was appointed to provide oversight and strategic guidance on the mandate and activities of JIAS. Led by the former President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr. Kgalema Motlanthe, members of the AB are drawn from various academic disciplines and sectors of society from South Africa and abroad. They include physicists, engineers, mathematicians, historians, novelists, poets, social scientists, and business and social entrepreneurs. The University of Johannesburg is immensely grateful that they have agreed to dedicate their precious time to provide their expertise, wisdom, leadership and vision to JIAS. The members of the AB are the following:

Mr Kgalema Motlanthe
Mr. Kgalema Motlanthe

Former President of the Republic of South Africa

Prof Letlhokwa Mpedi

 Vice-Chancellor and Principal, University of Johannesburg

Prof Saurabh Sinha
Prof Saurabh Sinha

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), University of Johannesburg

Prof Wale Adebanwi
Prof Wale Adebanwi

Director of the African Studies Centre, University of Oxford

Prof-Emmanuel-Akyeampong
Prof Emmanuel Akyeampong

Director of the Harvard University Center for African Studies

Chris Brink
Prof Chris Brink

Emeritus Vice-Chancellor, Newcastle University, UK

Ms Tsitsi Dangarembga
Ms Tsitsi Dangarembga

Novelist

Antjie Krog
Prof Antjie Krog

University of the Western Cape

Dr Joanna Newman
Dr Joanna Newman

Association of Commonwealth Universities

Prof Jong-Dae Park
Prof Jong-Dae Park

Yonsei University, South Korea

Dr Bongani Ngqulunga

Director of JIAS (ex officio member)

Prof Bettine Jansen van Vuuren

Senior Director: Strategic Initiatives
and Administration (ex officio member)

Meet the JIAS Professors

Chris Brink
Professor Chris Brink
Professor Julia Gallagher
Professor Julia Gallagher
Professor Vincent Maphai
Professor Vincent Maphai
Professor Sabelo Ndlovu-Gatsheni
Professor Sabelo Ndlovu-Gatsheni
Professor Farid Esack
Professor Fazil Moradi

Meet the JIAS Team

The day to day running of JIAS is overseen by the staff led by the director, Dr Bongani Ngqulunga. The staff members are the following:

Dr Bongani Ngqulunga

Director of JIAS

Ms Emelia Kamena

Manager: Facilities and Operations

Mrs Vanessa Miller

Manager: Marketing, Communications and Stakeholder Relations