The HELTASA Team
Get to know the individuals driving change in higher education.
The HELTASA board is the guiding force behind the association’s strategic direction and operational decisions. Comprised of elected members representing diverse expertise and backgrounds within higher education, the board ensures transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in its governance processes. With a shared commitment to promoting excellence in teaching and learning, the board collaborates closely with stakeholders to advance HELTASA’s mission and objectives. Through effective leadership and stewardship, the board plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of higher education in Southern Africa.
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HELTASA Teams
HELTASA Advisory Board
Coordinating Council
Rieta Ganas
I am an academic and educational developer based at the Centre for Learning, Teaching and Development (CLTD) at the University of the Witwatersrand. I am involved in the conceptualisation, facilitation and co-ordination of professional learning programmes, courses and workshops for the academic staff in relation to learning and teaching, curriculum development, leadership and personal development. With a range of positions in educational leadership and management, I always foster people enhancement through a stronger sense of an authentic self. I currently serve as the Deputy Chair of the Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA), a steering committee member of the New Academics Transitioning into Higher Education (NATHEP) and as a member on the National Co-ordinating Committee (NCC) for the Enhancing Framework. My scholarship interests lies in the field of academic development.
Prof Subethra Pather
Prof Subethra (Su) Pather is currently the Teaching & Learning specialist in the office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). She plays an important role in enhancing UWC’s student success initiatives. Prof Pather is UWC’s Siyaphumelela Lead for the Student Success project. She is Deputy President of HELTASA and forms part of the co-ordinating council working collaboratively with scholarly project managers to enhance teaching and learning in higher education. Prof Pather is manager of UWC FYE and Tutor Enhancement Programme at institutional level. Her research interests are located within the higher education field with particular focus on first year student transition, support, retention and success. Her extensive academic publications and academic presentations are located in this field. She is also involved in several national and international networks in first-year experience to advance student success in South Africa and her research agenda.
Dr Greig Krull
Dr Greig Krull is a Senior Lecturer and Academic Director for Digital Learning in the Commerce, Law and Management (CLM) Faculty at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he provides support to academics around blended and online learning and teaching. He holds a PhD in Technology-Enhanced Learning. His research interests lie in open and flexible learning in higher education, particularly in the areas of mobile learning and professional learning. He is a member of the Executive Committees of the Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA) and the National Association of Distance Education and Open Learning in South Africa (NADEOSA).
Prof Kasturi Behari-Leak (PhD)
As interim Director of Academic and Professional Staff Development in the Centre for Higher Education Development at UCT, I am passionate about working with academics at all stages of their trajectories to support, enhance, deepen and transform the way teaching and learning are conceptualised and practised in HE. My work in this area focuses on the exploring the interplay between structure (national, institutional, departmental and disciplinary) and culture and how this influences academics’ critical agency in the interest of change. I am President of the Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA) and have been duly elected as the President-elect for ICED (2020-2021) and President of ICED (2021-2023). I am project leader of a national academic staff development collaborative project (UCDG), NATHEP. I was co- chair of the Curriculum Change Working Group at UCT, commissioned to facilitate discursive engagements on curriculum change and decolonisation across the university. I am on the advisory committee for GHEAR, a sub-committee of the World Universities Network. I am part of several national and international research consortia, focused on HE. I have published in the area of higher education studies and decolonising pedagogies/ decolonising the curriculum.
Dr Britta Zawada
Bio coming soon.
Mr Shiba Diketane
Bio coming soon.
Mahlubi “Chief” Mabizela
Bio coming soon.
Robert Pardo Silva
I´m an educator, a practitioner, and in that role, I have worked in companies and educational institutions, including two years working for a foundation as the Principal of a school located in one Chile´s most socially disadvantaged areas. Currently, I´m the Director of the Learning Center at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez and I also direct its Certificate (Diploma) in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. I´m really passionate about learning and educational development. I was for four years Director of the Chilean Network of Learning Centres, the first of its kind in Latin America, and in 2021 I became Vice-president of the International Consortium for Academic Development. I´ve got a degree in Linguistics from Universidad de Chile, a degree in Education from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, a professional degree in Psychopedagogy from Educares Institute, and a Master’s Degree in Cognitive Psychology and Learning from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.
Mary Kiguru
Mary Kiguru is a systemic change designer and a learning development expert. Mary designs and facilitates programs for Faculty/Academic Development through the Association for Faculty Enrichment in Learning and Teaching (AFELT, www.afelt.org). She is founder member of AFELT and serves as the Organization’s Secretary General and founder member driving the implementation of the Council’s vision in transforming Faculty Development across East Africa. Mary Kiguru is also the Country for Education for All Children – an Education-to-Employment Launchpad program, where provides strategic leadership for the organization in developing strategies to empower youth for the world of work. In her portfolio, she has designed the Education-to-Employment Bridge program that equips the scholars with requisite skills for the world of work.
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