Her deep understanding of the sector, the contextual social-economic and cultural factors that impact on the strategic direction of institutions will serve Nelson Mandela University well as it seeks to substantially expand its international footprint, both on the African continent and further afield.

“This University already has all that is required for a rigorous marketing and profiling of the University at home, in the continent and abroad. I hope to be part of the team that will drive this University to new heights … as a ‘go to’ institution of choice for top students and star academics,” says Dr Mtyingizana .In her new role within the strategically re-named portfolio of Research, Innovation and Internationalisation, Sociologist Dr Mtyingizana-Buhlungu will also bring her “chalk board” teaching and research knowledge from the universities of Wits, Rhodes and Johannesburg to the fore. She is a senior researcher, having headed the research directorate of the Council of Higher Education (CHE) that provides advice to the Minister of Higher Education and Training, among other organisations.

During her time at the CHE, she served as a Research Manager, provided support to the Institutional Audits Committee of Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) and gained experience in various areas including institutional audits, quality assurance and programme accreditation. Likewise, her years at the DHET and through training received from DIRCO, imparted her with important knowledge in diplomacy and enabled her to become an astute negotiator when it comes to forging international partnership and concluding agreements. These are traits which Dr Mtyingizana- Buhlungu finds important in effectively fostering mutual understanding between people, institutions, organisations and nations. She has worked with large diverse teams, travelled extensively, developed engagement protocols and other systems in support of the transformation agenda in universities and now looks forward to contributing towards the re-imagining of Nelson Mandela University as a prestigious centre of capital human development in Africa.