UWC Expert List
Connect with Leading Academic Voices
The UWC Expert List is a valuable resource designed to connect journalists, policymakers, and the public with trusted academic voices across a wide range of fields.
This platform reflects UWC’s commitment to public scholarship, knowledge sharing, and meaningful engagement with society. We encourage you to explore the Expert List and tap into the depth of expertise within our academic community.
To engage with any of the academics listed, please contact UWC spokesperson Gasant Abarder at gabarder@uwc.ac.za, who will assist with access and coordination.
* Please remember that staff require reasonable lead time to accommodate requests. Please consider this when you plan or submit your request.
Prof Robert Balfour
Rector and Vice-Chancellor
Department: Rectorate
Area(s) of expertise:
- Language Education and Policy:
Examining multilingual access and the development of inclusive language policies to promote equitable learning.
- Postcolonial Literature:
Analysing postcolonial identities, representations of capital, and critiques of oppression and exploitation.
- Rural Education:
Addressing the challenges and opportunities in rural education, focusing on improving access and quality for marginalised communities.
- Curriculum Development:
Advocating for decolonised curricula that integrate marginalised intellectual traditions, particularly those of Black South African scholars.
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Manie Regal
Executive Director: Finance and Operations
Department: FIOII
Area(s) of expertise:
- Finance
- Student Debt
- Infrastructure
- Operations
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Ms Saleha Suleman
Department: English for Educational Development
Area(s) of expertise:
- Decoloniality, privilege and bias and how it impacts research/healthcare
- The importance of science communication for the masses
- Public health matters (eg policy and health equity)
- Academic writing and advocacy
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Dr Gerard Filies
Department: Interprofessional Education Unit
Area(s) of expertise:
- Interprofessional Education
- Collaborative Practice
- Core Competency Development
- Interprofessional Identity
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Dr Luzaan Africa
Department: Interprofessional Education Unit
Area(s) of expertise:
- Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice
- Primary Health Care
- Health Professions Education
Preference: Print, Radio
Dr Mariette Fourie-Jardim
Department: IPEU
Area(s) of expertise:
- Educational Neuroscience & Cognitive Scaffolding (Cognition, Metacognition, Epistemic & Anomalous Cognition)
- Responsive and Epistemically Diverse Curriculum Design and Transformation in Higher Education
- Professional Development in Higher Education
- Pedagogical Value/Transformative Potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Higher Education
- Scholarship of Quality Assurance and Quality Enhancement (Quality as Impact) in Higher Education
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Prof Renier Coetzee
Department: IPEU
Area(s) of expertise:
- Educational Neuroscience & Cognitive Scaffolding (Cognition, Metacognition, Epistemic & Anomalous Cognition)
- Responsive and Epistemically Diverse Curriculum Design and Transformation in Higher Education
- Professional Development in Higher Education
- Pedagogical Value/Transformative Potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Higher Education
- Scholarship of Quality Assurance and Quality Enhancement (Quality as Impact) in Higher Education
Preference: Radio, Television
Mr Brendon D. Faroa
Department: Psychology
Area(s) of expertise:
- Critical Men's Studies
- Critical Social Psychology
- Tutoring and Student Success
Preference: Print, Radio
Dr Leigh Adams Tucker
Department: Psychology
Area(s) of expertise:
- Human-animal interaction
- Child development
- Motherhood
- Boyhood and masculinities
- Psychology career development
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Dr Makhaya Malema
Department: Sport, Recreation & Exercise Science
Area(s) of expertise:
- Leisure and Recreation
- Disability and Leisure
- Disability and Youth Development
- Leisure Education and Leadership Development
- Physical Activity and Health
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Mr Kyle Jackson
Department: Psychology
Area(s) of expertise:
- Fatherhood
- Masculinity
- High-risk pregnancy
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Dr Wagheda Cassiem
Department: Psychology
Area(s) of expertise:
- Fatherhood
- Masculinity
- High-risk pregnancy
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Prof Rina Swart
Department: Dietetics and Nutrition
Area(s) of expertise:
- Public Health Nutrition including food security, breastfeeding, ultra-processed food, and food consumption patterns
Preference: Print, Radio
Prof Talitha Crowley
Department: School of Nursing
Area(s) of expertise:
- HIV
- Primary Care
- Self-care
- Health Promotion
Preference: Print, Television
Prof Catherina Schenck
Department: CISCFS
Area(s) of expertise:
- Waste and societal related matters
Preference: Print, Television
Prof Barry Andrews
Department: Sport, Recreation & Exercise Science
Area(s) of expertise:
- High Performance Sport
- Sport for the Disabled
Preference: Print, Television
Dr James Campbell
Department: School of Natural Medicine
Area(s) of expertise:
- Phytotherapy (Herbal Medicine)
Preference: Print, Television
Mrs Eurinah Koeras (neè Harris)
Department: Sport, Recreation & Exercise Science
Area(s) of expertise:
- Researcher in male reproductive health and andrology, focusing on prostate cancer (PCa), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and hormonal signaling pathways (e.g., testosterone)
- Experienced cell biologist investigating natural therapeutics to improve men's health
- Associate lecturer and curriculum developer in reproductive physiology, systems-based physiology, exercise physiology, and human anatomy
- Active postgraduate supervisor and mentor
- Confident science communicator, experienced in national-level conferences and community engagement
Preference: Print, Television
Dr Sagwadi Mabunda
Department: Criminal Justice and Procedure
Area(s) of expertise:
- Cybercrime
- Anti-Money Laundering Law
- AI Ethics
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Prof Anthony Diala
Department: Private Law
Area(s) of expertise:
- African customary law
- Legal pluralism
- Post-colonialism
- Comparative Law
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Ms Cherith Sanger
Department: Criminal Justice and Procedure
Area(s) of expertise:
- Sex work and the law
- Sex work and police corruption
- Violence against women and the law
- Gender-based violence and the law
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Prof Windell Nortje
Department: Criminal Justice and Procedure
Area(s) of expertise:
- International Criminal Law
- Criminal Law
- Law of Criminal Procedure
- South African Police Service
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Prof Muneer Abduroaf
Department: Department of Private Law
Area(s) of expertise:
- Family Law
- Succession Law
- Islamic Law
- Constitutional Theory
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Dr Tinashe Kondo
Department: Mercantile Law
Area(s) of expertise:
- Competition Law
- Investment Law
- Transformation
Preference: Print, Television
Prof Angela van der Berg
Department: Global Environmental Law Centre
Area(s) of expertise:
- Climate Change Law
- Environmental Law
- Environmental /Climate Governance
- Environmental Human Rights
- Climate Litigation
- Climate Justice
- Local Government Law
- Sustainability
- Urban /Municipal Planning
- Constitutional Environmental Right
- Rights of Nature
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Prof John-Mark Iyi
Department: African Centre for Transnational Criminal Justice
Area(s) of expertise:
- International Law
- International Peace and Security
- United Nations, African Union, ECOWAS
- Terrorism & Insurgency
- International Criminal Justice
- Human Rights and Democratisation
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Prof Sue-Mari Viljoen
Department: Private Law
Area(s) of expertise:
- Land Law
- Housing Law
- Property Law
Preference: Print, Radio
Dr Kim-Leigh Loedolf
Department: Mercantile and Labour Law
Area(s) of expertise:
- Skilled Migrant Labour
- Immigration law
- Skilled Refugees
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Mr Mohamed Hoosain Sungay
Department: Department of Private Law
Area(s) of expertise:
- Muslim Personal Law (Marriage, Divorce and Succession)
- Women's Rights
- South African Family Law
- Muslim Family Law
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Prof David Holgate
Department: Mathematics / Faculty Office
Area(s) of expertise:
- Public Science
- Mathematics
- Science Education
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Professor and Director Timothy Dube
Department: Institute for Water Studies
Area(s) of expertise:
- Expertise in satellite remote sensing and spatial modeling, particularly for monitoring water resources and environmental interactions
- Specialized in Geographic Information Systems, Earth Observation, and geostatistics, with applications in water resources, agriculture, and ecosystem analysis
- Research focus on drought and flood modeling, land cover analysis, and ecosystem responses to climate and water cycle changes
- Extensive experience in cloud computing, big data analytics, and integration of remote sensing with GIS for environmental management
- Recognized for capacity development and academic leadership, with over 150 peer-reviewed publications and editorial roles in leading scientific journals on remote sensing and environmental science
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Prof Fanelwa Ngece-Ajayi
Department: Chemistry
Area(s) of expertise:
- Bio(sensor) development for the detection and of TB, HIV/Aids and Cancer drugs.
- Development of green and sustainable nanomaterials.
- Community Engagement from a Natural Scientists view.
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Prof Tertius Kohn
Department: Medical Biosciences
Area(s) of expertise:
- Sport and exercise science
- Skeletal muscle function and metabolism in humans and wild animals
- Wild animal health and exercise performance
- Diabetes and cardiovascular disease
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Professor Emeritus Leslie Petrik
Department: Chemistry
Area(s) of expertise:
- Water pollution
- Waste reuse
- Persistent contaminants
- Water purification
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Senior Prof Kailash Chandra Patidar
Department: Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
Area(s) of expertise:
- Numerical Analysis
- Computational Finance
- Mathematical Biology
Preference: Print
Prof Marla Trindade
Department: IMBM
Area(s) of expertise:
- Microbiology
- Biotechnology
- Genomics
- Biodiversity
- Marine biodiscovery
Preference: Print
Prof James Stephen Boatwright
Department: Biodiversity and Conservation Biology
Area(s) of expertise:
- Plant taxonomy and systematics
- Plant conservation
- Plant Population Genetics
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Prof Liana Maree
Department: Medical Bioscience
Area(s) of expertise:
- Reproductive Biology
- Spermatology
- Infertility
Preference: Print, Radio
Prof Ajay Kumar Mishra
Department: Chemistry
Area(s) of expertise:
- Nanotechnology
- Waste Water Research
- Advanced Functional Materials
- Photocatalysis
- Nanocomposites
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Prof Anusha Rajkaran
Department: Biodiversity and Conservation Biology
Area(s) of expertise:
- Estuarine ecology
- Mangrove ecology and health
- Microplastics in aquatic environments
- Aquatic systems
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Prof Nebo Jovanovic
Department: Earth Sciences
Area(s) of expertise:
- Management of agricultural water
- Water resources management
- Environmental management
- Environmental water modelling
Preference: Print
Prof Siva Kumar Pasupathi
Department: SAIAMC
Area(s) of expertise:
- Green hydrogen
- Fuel cell technology
- Electrocatalysts
Preference: Print, Radio
Prof Bryan Maritz
Department: Biodiversity and Conservation Biology
Area(s) of expertise:
- Snakes
- Biodiversity
- Reptiles
- Amphibians
- Conservation
Preference: Print, Radio
Prof Nancy Stiegler
Department: Statistics and Population Studies
Area(s) of expertise:
- Demography
- Census/data collection
- Population structure and dynamics
- Gender issues/violence against women
- Climate change and effects on populations
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Prof Gavin W. Maneveldt
Department: Biodiversity and Conservation Biology
Area(s) of expertise:
- Intertidal rocky shore ecology
- Seaweed uses and their importance
- Conserving plant diversity on public open spaces
Preference: Print
Prof Michelle Viljoen
Department: School of Pharmacy
Area(s) of expertise:
- Safe use of medicines
- How to report adverse events (possible side effects) of medicines in South Africa
- Antiretroviral (ARVs) use in South Africa
Preference: Print, Radio
Prof Mariam Parker
Department: School of Pharmacy
Area(s) of expertise:
- Health AI
- Health Literacy
- AI translation
- Experiential Learning in Pharmacy
- Language translation using AI
Preference: Print, Radio
Associate Prof Edward Elson
Department: Physics & Astronomy
Area(s) of expertise:
- Astrophysics
- Machine Learning
Preference: Print
Dr Uljana Hesse
Department: Biotechnology
Area(s) of expertise:
- Rooibos
- Plant genome research
- Bioinformatics
- DNA sequencing
Preference: Print, Radio
Prof Russell Bailie
Department: Earth Sciences
Area(s) of expertise:
- Igneous rocks
- Geochemistry
- Metamorphic rocks
- Tectonics
- Formation and history of the earth
Preference: Print, Radio
Dr Patrick O'Farrell
Department: Biodiversity and Conservation Biology
Area(s) of expertise:
- Land cover and land-use change assessment
- Nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptations
- Plural valuation of nature
- Indicators, data and models for biodiversity conservation
- Ecosystem service assessment
Preference: Print, Radio
Prof Derek Yu
Department: Economics
Area(s) of expertise:
- Labour Economics
- Development Economics
Preference: Print
Mr Ronald Arendse
Department: Accounting
Area(s) of expertise:
- Higher Education Project Management
- Educational Technology & Strategy
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Prof Fiona Anciano
Department: Political Studies and Politics and Urban Governance Research Group
Area(s) of expertise:
- Democracy/political systems
- The politics of informal settlements
- Urban governance
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Dr Mphumzi Makeleni
Department: Economics
Area(s) of expertise:
- Economic Development
- Economic Growth
- Insurance Development
- Developmental Finance
- Monetary Economics
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Dr Christina Culwick Fatti
Department: Political Studies
Area(s) of expertise:
- Just sustainability
- Environmental sustainability
- Climate Change
- Infrastructure transitions
- Urban Governance
Preference: Print, Radio
Dr Mubanga Mpundu
Department: Economics
Area(s) of expertise:
- Financial Economics
- Applied Macroeconomics
- Monetary Economics
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Dr Mmeli Dube
Department: Political Studies
Area(s) of expertise:
- Human Rights and Democracy
- Sanitation Governance in Informal Settlements
- Civil Society and Local Government
Preference: Print, Radio
Prof Nico Schutte
Department: IPS
Area(s) of expertise:
- Leadership
- Human Resources Management
- Change Management
- Talent Management
- Public Policy
Preference: Print, Television
Prof Johannes P S Sheefeni
Department: Economics
Area(s) of expertise:
- Applied Econometrics
- Macroeconomics
- Monetary Economics
- International Finance
- Banking and Finance
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Associate Prof Adefemi A. Obalade
Department: Finance
Area(s) of expertise:
- Financial market
- Corporate Finance
- Sustainable finance
Preference: Print
Mr Brendon Smith
Department: Accounting
Area(s) of expertise:
- Taxation
- Income Tax
- VAT
- Pension funding and deduction
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Dr Fazlyn Petersen
Department: Information Systems
Area(s) of expertise:
- AI
- ICT for Sustainable Community Development and Innovation
- Health Innovation
- Women in Tech and STEM Empowerment
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Ms Shireen Hendricks
Department: Accounting
Area(s) of expertise:
- Audit failures
- Internal control weaknesses
- Audit regulation
- Auditors and ESG reporting
Preference: Print, Radio
Prof Anesh Maniraj Singh
Department: Institutional Advancement
Area(s) of expertise:
- Marketing
- E-Commerce
- Leadership
Preference: Print, Radio
Prof Derek Yu
Department: Economics
Area(s) of expertise:
- Labour Economics
- Development Economics
Preference: Print
Mr Ronald Arendse
Department: Accounting
Area(s) of expertise:
- Higher Education Project Management: Leads special projects focused on student funding, staff development, tracking, and outreach in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at UWC.
- Educational Technology & Strategy: Former Teaching and Learning Specialist, supporting academic staff in integrating technology into teaching and contributing to institutional learning strategies. Teaching and learning strategies creating an inclusive and engaging environment for students who may be new to financial accounting or struggling with the material. Corporation of technology and e-learning tools transformed the way financial accounting is taught and learned in South Africa.
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Prof Fiona Anciano
Department: Political Studies and Politics and Urban Governance Research Group
Area(s) of expertise:
- Democracy/ political systems
- South Africa (and in global comparison)
- The politics of informal settlements, structures of governance
- Sanitation, electricity and water access and governance in informal settlements
- Urban governance
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Dr Mphumzi Makeleni
Department: Economics
Area(s) of expertise:
- Economic Development
- Economic Growth
- Insurance Development
- Developmental Finance
- Monetary Economics
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
Dr Christina Culwick Fatti
Department: Political Studies
Area(s) of expertise:
- Just sustainability
- Environmental sustainability
- Climate Change
- Infrastructure transitions
- Urban Governance
Preference: Print, Radio, Television
