Prof Tinyiko Maluleke Appointed TUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal.

Professor Maluleke an extremely experienced senior leader with two decades of executive management experience within the higher education sector and joins TUT from the University of Pretoria, where he currently holds the position of Senior Research Fellow and Deputy Director at the Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship. Prof Maluleke holds a doctoral degree from the University of South Africa and is a full professor. As an influential voice for research and higher education at a national and international level, Professor Maluleke appears regularly in the national media and has strong networks in government and major research and funding organisations.

I am delighted to congratulate Professor Maluleke on his appointment. This was a rigorous and highly competitive selection process, and the standard was exceptionally high. Professor Maluleke has an impressive track-record of leadership in higher education. He brings a combination of clear strategic vision, a collegiate leadership style, intellectual credibility, a depth and breadth of academic understanding, and genuine global influence to TUT. These are qualities that the Selection Committee viewed as invaluable to lead the University in its aspiration to becoming one of the top global universities. Under Prof Lourens van Staden’s leadership, the research, education, civic mission, and influence of the University have been transformed, and we are now firmly established as an innovative and pioneering institution of higher learning both in South Africa and globally. The transformation can also be witnessed by the recent launch of the Institute for the Future of Work (IFOW), an ideation hub for global public-private collaboration and invention, designed to respond to the requirements of the rapidly-changing world of work brought about by the 4IR. Prof van Staden’s legacy provides a truly remarkable platform on which to build, one which allows us to establish the Tshwane University of Technology as one of the world’s leading universities. In Professor Maluleke we believe we have found the right person to lead the whole University community in achieving these ambitions.

Tilson Manyoni, Tshwane University of Technology’s Chairperson of the Council

Prof Maluleke is a prominent and internationally-recognised researcher in his field, specialising in religion and politics, as well as black and African theologies. Effective from January 2018, the South African National Research Foundation has awarded him a B1 rating as a researcher – that is, an internationally acclaimed researcher in his field. Prof Maluleke is also an elected member of the Academy of Science for South Africa.

Over the years, Prof Maluleke has served with distinction at a range of institutions of higher learning. Prior to his position as Senior Research Fellow and Deputy Director at the Centre for Advanced Scholarship, he was the Advisor to the Vice-Chancellor at the University of Pretoria. He also served at the University of Johannesburg where he held the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Internationalisation, Advancement & Student Affairs; at Unisa where he held the positions of Deputy Registrar; Executive Director: Research; Deputy Executive Dean: College of Human Sciences, and Dean: Faculty of Theology. As part of his service to the broader society and as an advocate for science in society, Prof Maluleke is a member of the board of a student-funding NGO called “Get Me to Graduation” and a member of the board of the National Research Foundation of South Africa, as well as the MTN Foundation. He has also served as judge in the MTN National Annual Radio Awards in the years 2013 and 2014. Prof Maluleke is a regular contributor of opinion pieces on various social and political issues in the mainstream media.

His most recent research and teaching fellowships include:

• A senior research fellowship at the University of Johannes Gutenberg, Mainz, Germany (2015)
• The Everding Distinguished Lectureship at the Iliff School of Theology, Denver, USA ( 2017)
• Writing Fellowship at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, USA (2018).
• Erasmus+ International Teaching Mobility, University of Vienna, Austria (2018)

Commenting on his appointment, Professor Maluleke said: “I am thrilled to be taking on this exciting role at a crucial time for the University. Although the backdrop for universities is challenging, the Tshwane University of Technology is very well positioned to take up the role of one of the top universities in the world. It has been led exceptionally well and has real academic strength, outstanding facilities and opportunities for students, state-of-the-art research facilities, and strong partnerships. My ambition is for TUT to be known as the most innovative, vibrant and exciting place to work or study in South Africa.” 

TUT