Professor Johann Engelbrecht, of the Department of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, has been invited to serve on the International Advisory Board of the Journal of Research on Mathematics Education (JRME). Recognised as one of the most prestigious journals in the field globally, this invitation is a significant honour for Professor Engelbrecht and the Department.

Professor Engelbrecht’s distinguished academic career spans decades. He taught mathematics in the Department of Mathematics before becoming Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, and later serving as acting Vice-Principal of the University until his retirement in 2013.

Throughout his career, he has been deeply involved in advancing mathematics and mathematics education, both locally and internationally. In 2004, he founded the South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) and served as its Executive Director until recently. He was also a founding member of the international Delta movement – a southern hemisphere collaboration dedicated to undergraduate mathematics education. His contributions have earned him numerous accolades, including the Claude Harris Leon Award for “Championship in Mathematics Teaching” (1998) and the South African Mathematical Society Award for the Advancement of Mathematics (2005).

A prolific researcher, Professor Engelbrecht has delivered keynote addresses worldwide, published extensively in leading international journals, and collaborated on projects across continents. He represented South Africa on the International Programme Committee for ICME 2012 in Seoul and participated in a blended learning survey at ICME 2016 in Hamburg.

His research interests include secondary and undergraduate mathematics education, assessment, blended learning, school-to-university transition, and the mathematical requirements of engineering students. More recently, his focus has shifted to the role of technology and artificial intelligence in transforming mathematics education. He has edited multiple special issues of high-ranking journals, as well as the Springer publication Social Media in the Changing Mathematics Classroom. He is currently the lead editor of the forthcoming Springer volume Generative Artificial Intelligence in the Changing Mathematics Classroom.