Prof Sarah Howie
Director: Centre for Capacity Development in Africa
Sarah Howie is the Director at the Centre for Capacity Development in Africa and has an appointment as Professor in the Centre for Higher and Adult Education in the Department of Curriculum Studies, Faculty of Education. She served as the co-Chair of the UNESCO Chair of Intercultural Competencies awarded to Stellenbosch University (2022-2024). She has considerable international research experience including serving as national coordinator of numerous international studies in education and serving on international committees to design and implement international education research. She has worked for over 20 years in capacity development of master’s and doctoral students and research internationally. She studied at Stellenbosch, University of Cape Town, Witwatersrand (Masters) and her PhD at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. Her field of expertise lies in large-scale international education assessment research as well as research methodology.
Dr Natalie Kowalik
Programme Manager: African Doctoral Academy
Natalie Kowalik is the Programme Manager for the African Doctoral Academy. She holds a PhD in Social Sciences, Communication Studies from the University of Antwerp, Belgium. She received an MPhil degree in Intercultural Communication from Stellenbosch University, South Africa. She has been involved in postgraduate development and postdoctoral fellowship programmes at various South African universities and has worked with several African partner institutions. She is also a member of the Visual and Digital Cultures Research Center (ViDi) at the University of Antwerp, Belgium, the Transcultural Production Studies Network, the European Network for Cinema and Media Studies (NECS), the European Communication Research, Education Association (ECREA), the IAMCR Public Service Media Polices Work Group, and the Postgraduate Forum for Southern Africa (PGFSA).
Mr Edgar Rinquest
Centre Finance Administrator
Edgar Rinquest joined the Centre in the spring of 2022. Although fairly new to Stellenbosch University International, he has been contributing to the University since 2016. Born and raised in the picturesque town of Stellenbosch, Edgar completed all his schooling and tertiary education in this beautiful setting. In 2012, he earned his BCom degree in Financial Accounting from Stellenbosch University and after a few years away, he returned as an employee to his alma mater.
Mr Francois Viljoen
Online Learning Designer and Coordinator
Francois Viljoen is the Online Learning Designer at Stellenbosch University International (SUI) African Doctoral Academy. He is responsible for designing online course offerings and providing high-quality course delivery for webinars and other short courses. Francois also contributes a broad technical skill set to his role at SUI. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Business Information Technology from the University of Greenwich and a PGCE in Further Education and Training from the University of South Africa. Francois joined the SUI African Doctoral Academy in 2024.
Mr Luther Chipembere
Intern: African Doctoral Academy
Luther Chipembere is currently preparing for his PhD in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Stellenbosch University. His research focuses on international trade, policy, and research and development as they relate to food systems. More specifically, his work aims to develop new knowledge, skills, perspectives, and ways of thinking necessary to address food security challenges and promote sustainable food systems. He has been involved in several high-level research projects, including the development of the Western Cape government’s Africa Agriculture Strategy. Luther is also a member of the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA). He started as the ADA Intern in July 2023.
