University of Cape Town (UCT) vice-chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng is in a new dual role to advance international learning and leadership.

Phakeng has joined the University of Bristol in the UK as the first Illustrious visiting professor to supercharge African scholarship, inspire learning and strengthen relationships on the global stage.

Phakeng said being appointed as the first Illustrious visiting professor at the University of Bristol was a great honour.

“This is not only for me on a personal level but also for African scholarship. It’s an opportunity to share from the work I have done in multilingual mathematics classrooms in the country,” she said.

She said she believed that on a much wider scale the appointment would also strengthen the relationship between two great institutions of higher learning.

“The landscape of education around the world, and more specifically the landscape of leadership in higher education, has changed a great deal in recent years and will change even more in the near future. I hope this new relationship will offer opportunities for me to share with my colleagues in Bristol from my own leadership journey. And I am excited to learn from them in turn,” she said.

The year-long appointment will feature a series of public lectures open to all online, and Phakeng will be officially welcomed by Prof Hugh Brady, Bristol’s vice-chancellor and president, and Prof Judith Squires, provost and deputy vice-chancellor next month.

Brady said the University of Bristol was delighted and honoured to welcome Phakeng as their first Bristol illustrious visiting professor.

“She has established herself as an inspirational figure in maths education and university leadership in SA. I have already had the great pleasure of working closely with Prof Phakeng on our important Bristol-UCT Strategic Partnership and as members of the Worldwide Universities Network. It will be exciting to have our entire community benefit from her expertise, energy and vision over the year ahead,” Brady said.

The Bristol Illustrious Visiting Professorship Scheme is a new initiative building on the University of Bristol’s proud legacy of uniting and collaborating with leading scholars from across the world.