BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE – The Leadership Growth Forum (LGF) will BE hosting internationally renowned speaker, Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng for its 11th webinar.
In the highly anticipated eye-opening and vital webinar, Professor Phakeng will discuss various ways to manage and stay positive in the face of adversity based on lessons from her leadership journey.
The webinar is open to the LGF members and will take place on 10 August 2023 from 6 pm to 7:30 pm.
The LGF is a not-for-profit organisation that seeks to offer exposure to global thought leadership and a wide range of key leadership resources, to empower aspiring leaders to advance their careers and live up to their full potential.
Its ambition is to contribute towards a leadership pipeline that will be ready to make a difference in the country (Eswatini).
LGF’s Mncedzi Ngomane said the webinar aims to instil hope and positivity to help both aspiring leaders and people who are already in leadership positions to push through in the face of adversities.
“Unforeseen events can radically unsettle and disrupt the systems we depend on. They can change the way we work, connect, and communicate. In fast-moving and uncertain situations, it becomes difficult to lead and we might face questions we may not even have answers to. Professor Phakeng will share practical tips about leading in the face of adversity and building a resilient mindset amongst other things based on her lessons from her leadership journey,” he said.
Ngomane encouraged those who want to be part of this captivating session to sign up for membership on their website, www.leadership growth forum.org
Professor Phakeng assumed the position of Vice-Chancellor at the University of Cape Town on 1 July 2018, until he decided to step down in March 2023. She previously served as Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Internationalisation since January 2017.
Prior to this role, she held the position of Vice Principal forResearch and Innovation at the University of South Africa (UNISA) for a period of five years, following a three-year tenure as Executive Dean of the College of Science, Engineering, and Technology within the same institution.
She holds a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in Mathematics Education from the University of the Witwatersrand and is globally recognized as a leading scholar in the field. She has been invited to deliver over 60 keynote/plenary talks at international conferences and as a visiting professor in universities around the world.
Her contributions to research and community engagement have garnered numerous accolades, including the Order of the Baobab (Silver) bestowed upon her by the President of South Africa in April 2016. In addition, CEO magazine recognized her as the most influential female academic in Africa in August 2014, and Forbes included her in their inaugural list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Africa in 2020.
Moreover, Prof. Phakeng has been granted two honorary doctorates: a Doctor of Science (Hon. DSc) from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom in 2019 and a Doctor of Education (Hon. DEd) from the University of Ottawa in Canada in 2022. Her exceptional contributions to education were further acknowledged in September 2022 when she became the inaugural recipient of the Africa Education Medal, presented by T4 Education and HP.
Deputy Mother, as she is affectionately referred to by thousands of young people across the African continent, is an academic with a profound social conscience and philanthropic spirit in 2004, she founded the Adopt-a-learner Foundation, an initiative dedicated to providing financial and educational support to South African students from underprivileged areas, enabling them to pursue higher education qualifications.
Notably, when assuming her role as Vice-Chancellor in July 2018, Prof. Phakeng declined an inauguration ceremony held in her honor and instead directed the allocated funds toward alleviating the outstanding debts of students who had completed their studies between 2015 and 2017 but were unable to graduate due to financial constraints. Since then, she donated 20% of her monthly salary and 100% of proceeds from her public speaking engagements to scholarship funds administered by UCT. She established this Fund in her capacity to support financially disadvantaged students, particularly women, registered for postgraduate study at the University of Cape Town.
