Acting Head of Department
Prof Yusef Waghid, HDE (UWC), BEd (UWC), MEd (UWC), DEd (UWC), PhD (SU), DPhil (SU) (Distinguished Professor)
FOCUS AREAS
Philosophy of Education; African Philosophy of Education; Democratic Citizenship Education; and Moral Education
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
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Yusef Waghid, a leading African philosopher of education, holds three doctorates in education, policy, and philosophy from the University of the Western Cape and Stellenbosch University in South Africa respectively. As a tenured professor since 2002 and distinguished professor (commenced in 2014) at Stellenbosch University he has been a prolific author with 412 publications to date of which 53 are academic books and edited collections and, 86 invited contributions to books. He promoted 35 PhD candidates to completion, examined 58 doctorates and, received the Association for the Development of Education in Africa's prestigious Education Research in Africa Award: Outstanding Mentor of Education Researchers (2015).
His most notable scholarly contributions in the field of African philosophy of higher education feature in significant international scholarly books which include, inter alia, Towards an Ubuntu University: African Higher Education Reimagined (Palgrave-MacMillan, 2022, with Zayd Waghid, Judith Terblanche, Faiq Waghid, Lester Shawa, Joseph Hungwe, Thokozani Mathebula & Foreword by Carlos Alberto Torres); Education, Crisis, and Philosophy: Ubuntu within Higher Education (Routledge, 2022); Democratic Education as Inclusion (Lexington, 2022, with Nuraan Davids); Higher Teaching and Learning for Alternative Futures (Palgrave-MacMillan, 2021, with Zayd Waghid, Judith Terblanche & Faiq Waghid); Academic Activism in Higher Education: A Living Philosophy for Social Justice (Springer, 2021, with Nuraan Davids); Towards a Philosophy of Caring in Higher Education: Pedagogy and Nuances of Care (Palgrave-MacMillan, 2019); Education for Decoloniality and Decolonisation in Africa (Palgrave-MacMillan, 2019, with Chikumbutso Herbert Manthalu); Rupturing African Philosophy of Teaching and Learning (Palgrave-MacMillan, 2018, with Faiq Waghid & Zayd Waghid); and African Philosophy of Education Reconsidered: On Being Human (Routledge, 2014). In recognition of his high quality scholarly works that also appear in many leading edcuation journals, the National Research Foundation in South Africa rated him as an internationally acclaimed scholar who provides exemplary leadership in advancing philosophy of higher education in Africa (B-1).
He pioneered Africa's novel MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) on Teaching for Change, selected by the Sustainable Development Goals Academy of the United Nations: Class Central as a free online international course to learn about the United Nation's sustainable development goals (2016-2020). He was honoured with the editorships of two prominent academic journals, namely Citizenship, Teaching and Learning (since 2018), and South African Journal of Higher Education (since 2005). Between 2020 to 2021, he collaborated with renowned international scholars on a leading UNESCO pioneered research project, Education for Flourishing and Flourishing in Education initiated by the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development. His advancement of higher education in Africa is also acknowledged by the Council of Higher Education in South Africa of which he has been a board member since 2019.
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Tel: +27 21 808 3948
Fax: +27 21 808 2283
Curriculum Vitae
Prof Nuraan Davids, BA (Hons), HDE, MPhil (UCT), PhD (SU)
FOCUS AREAS
Philosophy of education; democratic citizenship education; Islamic philosophy of education; educational leadership & management
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Nuraan Davids is Professor of Philosophy of Education. She is an NRF rated researcher, whose research interests include democratic citizenship education; Islamic philosophy of education; and philosophy of higher education. She was a fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University (2020 -2021). She is a Co-Editor of the Routledge series, World Issues in the Philosophy and Theory of Higher Education. She is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Education in Muslim Societies; Associate Editor of the South African Journal of Higher Education, and an Editorial Board Member of Ethics and Education. She is the recipient of a number of research and teaching awards, which includes the NRF Research Excellence Award for Female Emerging Researcher (2015); the Stellenbosch University Distinguished Teacher Award (2017); the CHE/HELTASA National Excellence in Teaching and Learning Commendation (2017); Stellenbosch University Research Excellence Award (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020); Stellenbosch University Media Thought Leader Award (2018, 2019); and Stellenbosch University Chancellor's Award: Research (2020). Recent books (with Y. Waghid) include: Academic Activism in higher education: A living philosophy for social justice (Springer, 2021); Teaching, friendship & humanity (Springer, 2020); Teachers Matter: Educational Philosophy and Authentic Learning (Rowman & Littlefield – Lexington Series, 2020); Democratic education as inclusion (Rowman & Littlefield – Lexington Series, 2022).
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Tel: +27 21 808 2877
Curriculum Vitae
Prof Aslam Fataar, BA (UWC), HDE (UWC), BAHons (UWC), MEd (UWC), MPhil (UWC), PhD (UWC) (Distinguished Professor)
FOCUS AREAS
Sociology of Education
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Aslam Fataar is a professor in the Department of Education Policy Studies at Stellenbosch University and currently a Research & Development Professor attached to the university's Transformation Office. He is a member of Stellenbosch University's Council and of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf). His latest books are:
- Hlatswayo, M, Blackie, M, Adendorf, H, Maluleke, P. Fataar, A. (eds) 20212 (forthcoming) Decoloniality and Curriculum Knowledge Building. Routledge, London.
- Fataar, A and Costandius, E. (eds) 2021. Evoking Transformation: Visual Redress at Stellenbosch University. African Sun Media Press, Stellenbosch University.
- Burger, A, and Fataar, A. 2020. Educational leadership and the production of learning spaces. African Sun Media Press, Stellenbosch.
- Fataar, A. 2019. Searching for Islamic Ethical Agency in Post-Apartheid Cape Town: An Anthology. Africa Sun Media Press, Stellenbosch.
- Fataar, A. 2018. The educational practices and pathways of students across power-marginalised regions (editor). Africa Sun Media Press, Stellenbosch.
- Fataar, A. 2015. Engaging student subjectivities across the postapartheid city. Africa Sun Media Press, Stellenbosch.
- Fataar, A. 2012 (ed). Debating Thesis Supervision. African Sun Media Press, Stellenbosch.
- Fataar, A. 2011. Educational policy development in South Africa's democratic transition: 1994-1997. African Sun Media Press, Stellenbosch.
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Tel: +27 21 808 2281
Curriculum Vitae

Dr Jennifer Feldman BEdHons (SU), PhD (SU)
FOCUS AREAS
Sociology of Education
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Dr Jennifer Feldman is currently a lecturer in Education Policy Studies. The focus of her research, which is situated in the sociology of education, is on social justice and teaching and learning, teacher development, education policy, public-private partnerships and technology in education. Her National Research Foundation research project (2021-2023) titled: Changing sociologies of education in the context of technological innovation and disruption, considers, from a sociological point of view, how digitalisation and datafication of education in both schools and higher education institutions is both innovating and disrupting education, particularly given the recent pandemic conditions.
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Curriculum Vitae
Dr Jerome Joorst, HDE (Bellville College of Education), BEd Hons(UWC), MEd (UWC), PhD (SU)
FOCUS AREAS
Sociology of Education, Rural Youth Agency Educational Governance, Management & Leadership, Education Law
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Dr Joorst is a lecturer in the Department of Education Policy Studies in the Education Faculty of Stellenbosch University. He has 18 years of teaching experience in rural high and primary schools as well as field experience as a Whole School Evaluator in the Western Cape Education Department. His current teaching modules include Perspectives in Education Systems for fourth year B.Ed. students, Educational Governance, Management and Leadership for P.G.C.E students as well as Introduction to Research Methods for online B.Ed. Honours students. Dr Joorst also supervises Master's students in the area of Sociology of Education and Educational Leadership and Management. His research interest is on rural teachers and learners' positionality in the education system. Dr Joorst is also a senior mentor in the SciMathUS-program of Stellenbosch University where he facilitates disadvantaged students' entry into university. His recent publications include:
2017: Die navigasiepraktyke van leerders uit arm, landelike gebiede. Litnet Akademies (Opvoedkunde)
2015: How do young people do their schooling in impoverished circumstances? South African Review of Education.
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Tel: +27 21 808 2398
Curriculum Vitae
Dr Elzahn Rinquest BEd (SU), BEdHons (SU), MEd (SU), PhD (SU)
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Dr Elzahn Rinquest obtained her BEd (2007), BEdHons (2013), MEd (2016) and PhD (2021) degrees from Stellenbosch University. As a lecturer in the Department of Education Policy Studies, she teaches Sociology of Education and Education Policy and Management.
Her doctorate research study was conducted under the supervision of Professor Aslam Fataar and explored the pedagogical place-making practices of teachers at a special needs school in Cape Town.
Dr Rinquest received an NRF Thuthuka research grant (2022 – 2024) to conduct further research in the Sociology of Inclusive Education. The research project aims to understand the subjectivities and practices of school principals who are 'leading inclusion' at selected public schools in the Western Cape province.
Twelve years of experience as a teacher and later manager at various public mainstream and special needs schools informs her current research interests and community service efforts. These entail exploring sociological aspects related to inclusive education, diversity, social justice, and teacher well-being.
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Tel: +21 808 2263
Curriculum Vitae

Dr Precious Simba
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Dr. Simba is a lecturer in the department of education policy studies at Stellenbosch University. Her background is in after-school programmes, having founded a girls' education initiative in Bulawayo in 2011. Her doctoral research was a feminist critique of Ubuntu as a philosophy of education centred on education policy in Zimbabwe. Her research interests are ubuntu as a philosophy of education, education policy, feminist theory, intersectionality, and democratic citizenship education. She has an MA from University of Sussex's Institute of Development Studies (IDS) where her studies focused on gender and development with a special interest in education. Dr Simba is a Mandela scholar (2013/14), a Sol Plaatjie scholar (2018/2020) and an Andrew W. Mellon Ubuntu Dialogues fellow (2020).
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0626-3704
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Mrs Simone Alexander (Departmental secretary)
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Tel: +27 21 808 2419
Mr Marco Beukes (Assistant)
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Tel: +27 21 808 2261