About me
Thandi Mgwebi is a seasoned leader in the academic and research landscape of South Africa. Currently serving as the Group Executive at the National Research Foundation (NRF), she holds responsibility for Global Partnerships and Business Development. Thandi’s career path has been marked by significant roles, including her tenure as Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation, and Internationalization at Nelson Mandela University (NMU) and as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) for Research and Innovation at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT).
Her leadership extends beyond administrative positions; Thandi has actively contributed to shaping higher education policies and strategies. She played a crucial role as a theme leader for the Council on Higher Education (CHE) during the 25-year Review of South Africa’s Higher Education landscape. Her involvement in initiatives like the South African Research Chairs Bilateral Initiative at the NRF reflects her commitment to advancing research and innovation.
Internationally, within university networks and science forums, Thandi has been an influential figure, participating in forums such as RUFORUM, and AAUN, SASUF. She is a member of the leadership council of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network. (SDSN). Thandi’s academic journey is distinguished by her qualifications, including a PhD in Medical Cell & Developmental Biology from the University of Cape Town. She further honed her management skills through programs at the University of Stellenbosch Business School (GSB) and the University of Melbourne, Australia, focusing on Management Development and Tertiary Education Management, respectively.
Her multidimensional career has seen her engage with diverse research environments, from the South African Medical Research Council to prestigious international institutions like the MRC Centre for Neurobiology at University College London (UCL) during her PhD work. Her postdoctoral research fellowship at the Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, UCT, added depth to her scientific acumen.
Thandi’s influence extends beyond academia, as evidenced by her co-chairperson role at the 2018 World Sustainability Forum in Cape Town and her participation in the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) regional conference in 2019. Through her leadership, strategic insights, and collaborative endeavours, she continues to make significant contributions to South Africa’s scientific and educational landscape on both national and global scales.