On Monday, 02 August 2021, the Interim Board of the Faculty of Management, Commerce and Law, had a special Faculty Executive meeting to introduce the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Management Commerce and Law to the members. During the meeting, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, Prof Jan Crafford welcomed the members present and he extended his special word of welcome to the new Executive Dean. Prof Crafford said, “I’m very happy today to welcome Prof Modimowabarwa Kanyane to take his responsibility as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Management, Commerce and Law with effect from 01August 2021”.
Prof Crafford also paid tribute to the former Deans, Professors Armstrong Kadyamatimba and Lonias Ndlovu who contributed so immensely to the University. He added that the leadership will support the Executive Dean in order to have smooth transition.
In his response Prof Kanyane said, “While I was at the HSRC, my life was to eat research, sleep research and wake up research”.
Prof Modimowabarwa Kanyane is bringing his extensive experience in research, local government, and public administration in general in South Africa for more than twenty years with an added outstanding analytic skill adapted to 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR). Prof Kanyane is a recipient of the two Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) Senior Research Excellence Awards in 2015 and 2018 and has been with the HSRC for over a decade.
In his previous appointment at the University of Fort Hare, he led the designing of the Doctor of Public Administration programme which was accredited by the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) of the Council on Higher Education (CHE). The output has since grown through his involvement and leadership support informed by his experiences in graduate programme and supervision of master’s dissertations and PhD theses to successful completion. Prof Kanyane has already supervised 68 theses (61 Masters Dissertations and 7 PhD theses) to date.
He participated in over 100 local and international activities (presented papers and keynote addresses, chaired sessions and facilitated training/capacity building workshops, led research projects) mostly culminated into outstanding publications in peer reviewed and accredited journals.
To date, Prof Kanyane has produced over 100 research outputs which include peer reviewed articles in accredited journals, peer reviewed book chapters, books, peer reviewed policy briefs, non-peer reviewed material and clients research reports.
He currently provides mentorship support to the post graduate students in African universities under the auspices of the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) College of senior academic mentors.
Prof Kanyane is actively involved in BRICS activities as Chair of the Political and Economic Cluster of the BRICS Think Tank South Africa at the National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS).
He was identified and participated in the review of 77 BRICSologists essays for the 2020 BRICS International School in conjunction with the Contest for BRICS Young Leaders organised within the framework of the Russian BRICS Chairmanship to identify the most promising projects and papers to enhance practical cooperation among youth from BRICS countries and beyond. Authors of the best projects and papers were awarded prizes and invited to take part in the BRICS International School courses. Contest nominations focused on three thematic thrusts: “Towards a Brighter Future” – original research/article/project that can make a real contribution to the development of the BRICS, “BRICS in the Changing World Order” – original research/article/project devoted to the development of a new strategy for BRICS to promote its role in global governance and “Digital BRICS” – original research/article/project on BRICS cooperation in the digital era.
At the HSRC, he fundraised with colleagues over twenty million Rands and provided leadership of the funded cutting-edge research projects to successful completion among which are a study on State Owned Entities, Impact of the Constitutional Court and Supreme Court of Appeal on socio-economic transformation and the National Treasury study on governance and citizen engagement as well as BRICS, LGSETA and SALGA studies on Local Government, among others. Prof Kanyane was appointed by Dr Blade B Nzimande, MP, Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation to serve on the Council of the University of Mpumalanga as Ministerial Appointee (2020 –2024).
He is currently a volume editor of more than five manuscripts, and one published recently in 2021.
UNIVEN Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Dr Bernard Nthambeleni welcomes Prof Kanyane to UNIVEN. He urged the University Community to give Prof Kanyane the necessary support in his new role as the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Management, Commerce and Law.
When proposing a vote of thanks, Prof Armstrong Kadyamatimba indicated that the Faculty has been waiting for Prof Kanyane so long, but they are happy he is finally at UNIVEN.
Prof Armstrong Kadyamatimba, Prof Modimowabarwa Kanyane and Prof Jan Crafford
Issued by:
Department of Marketing, Branding & Communication
University of Venda
Tel: (015) 962 8525 /8710
Date: 02 August 2021
