Transformation, Diversity & Belonging in Education

Cymbeline Harilal is an instructional designer at the Independent Institute of Education. She completed her Masters in Education (ICT) in 2024 (to be conferred). Cymbeline's areas of research are technological education as a means to eradicate unemployment in South Africa. Cymbeline is a South African registered educator approaching the PhD phase in STEM as her goal to be achieved by 2027.

My name is Alvira Prakash and I am a Full Time Lecturer for Education at Varsity College Pretoria. I am currently in the process of submitting my Masters dissertation in Life Sciences Education, where I explored teaching on online platforms in a university and school context. In the past I have obtained a B.Ed. Honours in Life Sciences Education, a PGCE and a BSc in Human Genetics. My goal is to strengthen my research skills and publish articles in the field of Education. I also hope to enroll for a PhD in the near future.

Currently a Head of Programme for the IIE, Lesego joined the hospitality industry having been inspired by one's relationship of and experimentation with food. Lesego has followed her passion into the foodservice industry at large; she further engages with the general management within hospitality industry segments and matters related to both education and teaching and learning. With over 10+ years of industry and academic experience, Lesego completed her Masters in Consumer Science and will further her PhD Studies, in the Consumer Science (Hospitality Management) with particular focus towards sustainability related topics. A journey from being a “display” chef, a cost controller, food and beverage management and product development, Lesego changed her direction to becoming more hands-on in the training space of the industry and is now fully committed to the education and development within the Commerce space at the IIE. Lesego strongly believes that those who wish to grow within this industry need to be aware

Candice Wepener is the Head of Humanities at the IIE’s Varsity College Pretoria Campus. Her research passions are situated within the broad fields of social inclusion, community psychology, and design psychology. Candice has explored various schools of thought in the field of psychology by studying her honours in psychology at North West University and is completing her second masters in psychology at the University of Pretoria.

I am a Novice researcher entering the field of academic research and publishing.

I have over four decades of experience across all phases of education. Holding a Ph.D. in Multicultural Education from Stellenbosch University and a master's degree in psychology, my expertise lies in fostering inclusive and culturally responsive pedagogies. I am passionate about addressing educational equity issues, particularly in the context of post-apartheid South Africa. My seminal work, encapsulated in the book "Currere from Apartheid to Inclusion: Building Culturally Responsive Pedagogies in Post-Apartheid South Africa," offers invaluable insights into transforming education systems to better serve diverse student populations. Passionate about finding innovative solutions to the educational challenges facing South Africa, my research focuses on implementing out-of-the-box approaches to promote access, equity, and excellence in education. I am a strong advocator for inclusive education and empowering educators to create transformative learning environments that honor the cultural identities and experien

I am a novice researcher who is awaiting confirmation of Masters completion and now looking to develop the right skill set for publish worthy journal articles. I have an undergraduate and extensive lecturing experience in the Commerce faculty whilst a passion for education led to an interest in teaching and learning and postgraduate studies in education (PGDHE) and education management (awaiting master's in educational management). I am interested in the value of education in the development of the graduate attributes and the subsequent value of these in the graduate's ability to contribute meaningfully to both the economy and society.

Marchant is interested in the relationships within society and his research interests incorporate this value. He achieved his undergraduate degree through the Tshwane University of Technology, and his post-graduate degrees through UNISA, University of KwaZulu-Natal, and is currently diversifying his fields of inquiry through Stellenbosch University, while dabbling in Coding and Robotics short-courses.

Simangele Mkhize is a full-time lecturer at the IIE Varsity College, Pretoria campus, School of Humanities. She is a PhD candidate at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She completed her, master’s degree in Criminology and Forensic Studies and a Bachelor of Social Work degree at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She has published five research articles and one book chapter. She is a Golden Key member and has been recognized with the best mentor certificate. Her research interests include cybercrimes, social media and crime, victimisation of vulnerable groups, gender-based violence, anti-LGBTQI+ offenses, and the South African criminal justice system.