Speakers

Dr Evelyn Chilemba is a nurse educator with more than 25 years of teaching experience in higher education. She holds leadership positions such as the Dean of Nursing at the University of Malawi, and the President of the CHI XI chapter in Sigma Theta; and serves as an external examiner for BSN, Masters and PhD nursing programmes at national and international level. Prof Chilemba actively participates in the professional regulatory framework of the Nurses and Midwifery Council. After analysing the educational processes of the BSN graduates at Kamuzu College of Nursing in a PhD thesis, she identified learning challenges in terms of a lack of diversity in use of learning styles and teaching styles. Prof Chilemba spearheaded the conduct of the internal and external evaluation exercises in collaboration with the World Health Organization for Kamuzu College in relation to the Bachelor of Science Degree in the nursing programme. The results portrayed a curriculum overload and lack of diversity in use of teaching strategies. She also spearheaded the development of an integrated BSN curriculum and curriculum development nationally and internationally. As an expert member of the panel for the strengthening of inter-professional education for HIV/AIDS, Prof Chilemba developed educational modules for teaching HIV/AIDS for pre-licensure and newly qualified nurses, doctors, clinicians and allied health care professionals. After analysing the causes of high failure rates in licensure examinations, she made recommendations for a paradigm shift in the teaching and learning processes in nursing and midwifery colleges. Prof Chilemba is the Principal Investigator for strengthening the teaching of HIV/AIDS projects for pre-licensure and newly qualified health care professionals and for a project titled: “Development of clinical learning indicators for undergraduate health care professionals”.HIV/AIDS for pre-licensure and newly qualified nurses, doctors, clinicians and allied health care professionals. After analysing the causes of high failure rates in licensure examinations, she made recommendations for a paradigm shift in the teaching and learning processes in nursing and midwifery colleges. Prof Chilemba is the Principal Investigator for strengthening the teaching of HIV/AIDS projects for pre-licensure and newly qualified health care professionals and for a project titled: “Development of clinical learning indicators for undergraduate health care professionals”.

Dr Kekana is currently the Head of Department of Radiography and Chair of the School of Healthcare Sciences at the University of Pretoria, Faculty of Health Sciences. She has a Bachelor’s degree and Honours in Diagnostic Radiography, a Diploma in Tertiary Education, B Admin, M Tech Education and PhD in Education. She has also completed the ICF train the trainer course and has been awarded a Women in Leadership as well as the Program for Academic Leadership certificates.

She has served at the HPCSA as the member and chairperson for the Radiography and Clinical Technology Board, member of Council and chairperson of the Human Rights, Ethics and Professional Practice committee.

She is a member of the Society of Radiographers of South Africa, Chairperson of the Gauteng Radiography Education and Training Committee, member of the Radiography Educationists (RED) Group, International Society of Radiographers and Radiologic Technologists (ISRRT).

She has numerous scientific publications and her presentations at the National and international conferences cover the topics in Education and clinical radiography practice, interprofessional education, community engagement and service to communities, telemedicine, international classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF).

She is now serving at SACOHSD as an additional member to the Executive Committee.

Ms Rutendo Ngara is an African Indigenous Knowledge Systems practitioner and transdisciplinary researcher whose professional interests have spanned from clinical engineering, healthcare technology management, socio‐economic development, mathematics, leadership and fashion design; to the interface between science, culture, cosmology, nature and paradigms of healing. She is a Co‐Founder of Ancient Wisdom Africa and Ancient Wisdom Foundation; founding member of the Assegaia Alliance – a global group of experts dedicated to the protection of the Earth’s Sacred Natural Sites; and Coordinator of the Earthrise Collective – an international convening weaving Ancient Wisdom, Activism and Alternatives. She has served on a number of boards and advisory committees, including the Credo Mutwa Foundation (Chairperson), the Indigenous Knowledge Systems for Heritage Animals Council, the South African Wushu Federation, the Gauteng Provincial Wushu Federation (President), and the People’s World Commission on Drought and Floods.  

Rutendo consults in Transdisciplinary Research, has worked in website management, research and development in the Clinical Engineering and Healthcare Technology Management arena, and has been involved in teaching and tutoring Mathematics, Sciences and English. She has served in research coordinator roles at the University of Cape Town and the University of South Africa. Rutendo further consults in teaching and workshop/retreat facilitation in areas such as leadership, indigenous cosmology, personal development, health and wellness. She holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering, an MSc in Medicine in Biomedical Engineering, holds a number of certificates, including English language teaching and a fashion designing diploma, and is pursuing a transdisciplinary doctorate.

Prof Fhumulani Mavis Mulaudzi is the South African Research Chair inthe Ubuntu Community Model in Nursing Project. She is a Professor of Nursing at the University of Pretoria with 41 years of professional experience. Prior to her appointment as SARChI, Prof Mulaudzi was the Head of Department of Nursing Science for ten years and the Chair of the School of Health Care Sciences at the University of Pretoria. She has served in many leadership positions. She is currently the first Deputy President of Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) and President of the Global Nurses and Midwives Rotary Club. Prof Mulaudzi is also chief editor of Curationis Journal.                                             

Prof Langutani Mary Masehela is an Associate Professor and nGAP coordinator at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in Centre for Higher Education Development Faculty (CHED) since 2022. She has been in the higher educational development space for over a decade. Prior to joining UCT, she served as head of Academic Development Unit at the University of Venda where she was responsible for driving academic development and support for both students and academic staff. She pioneered the institutional student mentoring programme which become the flagship for student support to date. Other support programmes that were under her watch included tutoring programme, new staff induction as well as curriculum development, among other educational development activities.

Her academic career started at the University of Venda as junior lecturer and lecturer in Linguistics and Media Studies. She later joined University of South Africa (UNISA) as a lecturer in the Department of English Studies and a little over five years later she re-joined the University of Venda as an educational development practitioner. A/Prof Masehela  holds a PhD in higher education studies and a Post Graduate Diploma in Higher Education Studies for Academic Developers from Rhodes University, Master of Applied Linguistics from Rand Afrikaanse University, today called University of Johannesburg, honours Degree from University of the Western Cape and a BA and Higher Education Diploma from the University of the North, currently called University of Limpopo. Langutani’s research interests include quality in higher education teaching, which was the focus of her PhD work; as well as mentoring for academic staff and students,. She is  published in educational development research work in accredited journals and peer reviewed book chapters. She has been involved in several externally funded research projects such as the Creating Post Graduate Collaborations, Higher Education Pathways, and currently the African Pathways and International, BRICS and Global South Mobility Programme.