Nazeema Mohamed
My academic life, professional trajectory and political activism have all focused on resisting inequality and achieving social justice. My life’s goals have focused on striving towards a values and ethics base that is respectful of human dignity and affirms our humanity. As with many South Africans, the foundation of my activism against injustice was forged and developed in response to the inhumanity and brutality of the apartheid regime.
I currently serve as the Executive Director of Inyathelo: The South African Institute for Advancement. My organization works with non-profit organizations, universities and philanthropy. We provide training and support for growing sustainable organizations. I have a wealth of experience in the area of social justice in higher education and university transformation. I have introduced my understanding of these areas and, in particular, issues related to diversity and inclusion, ethics and integrity as integral components of our work on organizational culture and governance at Inyathelo. Prior to joining Inyathelo, I served as Director of Policy Development and Support in the Department of Education, the Coordinator of the American Council on Higher Education’s strategic planning support initiative for Historically Black Universities, Transformation Manager at the University of Cape Town and Transformation Director at the University of the Witwatersrand, and Program Officer for the Social Justice and Universities Program Area of the Ford Foundation’s Southern Africa Office. I am a trained life coach and diversity and inclusion facilitator and I have received training in popular education methodology. While I have worked extensively with university communities, I have also facilitated workshops in non-profit organizations and corporate South Africa. I was appointed by Nelson Mandela as a National Youth Commissioner in the first democratic government of South Africa. Over the course of my career, I have served on several ministerial committees in higher education. I am currently a member of Council at the University of Cape Town. I also serve on the Board of South Africa History Online. I have a Masters degree in Higher Education Management from the University of London. My degree focused on policy development, gender equity and gender based violence in higher education.
