Unisa appoints world-class scholar to lead CGS

In pursuit of academic excellence, Unisa appoints distinguished academics in various positions, including management roles, to assist the university towards its goal of reclaiming Africa's intellectual future and its place at the top tier of tertiary education institutions in the continent.

Prof Tennyson Mgutshin

Professor Tennyson Mgutshini has recently been appointed Executive Dean of the College of Graduate Studies (CGS). Mgutshini has a world-class track record that demonstrates his commitment to postgraduate excellence, educational management, capacity development and cutting-edge scholarship.

"Professor Tennyson Mgutshini is a well-accomplished Unisan with extensive experience in management, research, and postgraduate studies. He has been tasked with fulfilling great outcomes for the CGS during his tenure to maximise the college's contribution to the university's strategic focus areas," says Professor Thenjiwe Meyiwa, Vice Principal:  Research, Postgraduate Studies, Innovation, and Commercialisation.

He comes to the position with qualifications from some of the most prestigious international institutions. The universities where he obtained his PhD and MBA have produced significant numbers of world leaders and Nobel Prize recipients. He has held positions at various highly-ranked universities in North America, the United Kingdom and Africa. Combining his research expertise in public health with one of the most coveted qualifications in management and business administration, Mgutshini's tenure will ensure that a prolific scholar leads CGS with exceptional managerial skills.

His impressive postgraduate supervision numbers, academic publications, global scholarly networks, and third-stream income generation profile will also shape the college's identity in the higher education sector, which demands increasing flexibility and creativity to remain competitive. Throughout his distinguished career, change and project management in dynamic environments have become second nature. At the same time, his leadership style can best be described as a sophisticated combination of confident authenticity, strength and respect for difference.

Mgutshini is excited to lead the college and looks forward to positioning the CGS to gain momentum and enhance its international profile. He is a leader who possesses a nuanced understanding of what it takes to claim one's scholarly place on a world stage, and his portfolio consists of colleagues whose respect he has earned and who stand ready to collaborate with him in pursuit of his vision for the college.

#UnisaDistinguishedScholars

* By Hanli Wolhuter, Communication and Marketing Specialist, College of Graduate Studies