Professor Gqola appointed as the new Dean of Research
The University of Fort Hare Vice Chancellor, Prof Sakhela Buhlungu in a circular sent out to university community announced the appointment of Professor Phumla Dineo Gqola as a new Dean of Research, effective, 01 January 2018. The University has now six female deans of a total of eight. Professor Gqola “joins us from WITS university where she has been working as a literary scholar for the last ten years, said Buhlungu.
She earned her academic qualifications at various institutions in South Africa and abroad. Armed with BA and BA Honors from the University of Cape Town, an MA (Cum Laude) from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom and an MA from UCT and DPHIL from the Ludwig-Maxmilians-University in Munchen, Germany.
Prof Gqola’s illustrious career spans full time academic and research positions at several South African universities and other institutions, she started off as a junior lecturer and rose to the rank of senior lecturer at the University of Free State before she joined Human Science Research Council as a Chief Research Specialist. She then joined Meraka institute at the council for Scientific and industrial research.
She in 2007 Wits department of African literature as an associate Professor and later earned promotion to full professor and served a term as Head of Department for one term. Gqola is a prolific scholar whose body of work includes books, over forty journal articles, book chapters, conference proceedings and other forms of scholarly production. Her Scholarly work has been acknowledged in numerous ways including awards, prizes and invitation to give keynote addresses.
Dean of research is appointed for a contract of five years. “I have no doubt the Prof Gqola will make a huge contribution towards making the Govan Mbeki Research and Development Centre a catalyst for further boosting our research productivity, thereby making ours a university of choice for students and staff” ,Buhlungu said.