The Leadership Growth Forum (LGF) will be hosting internationally renowned speaker, Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng for its 11th webinar.
In the highly anticipated eye-opening and vital webinar, Professor Phakeng will discuss various ways to manage and stay positive in the face of adversity based on lessons from her leadership journey.
The webinar is open to LGF members and will take place on 10 August 2023 from 6 pm to 7:30 pm.
The LGF is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to offer exposure to global thought leadership and a wide range of key leadership resources, to empower aspiring leaders to advance their careers and live up to their full potential.
Its ambition is to contribute towards a leadership pipeline that will be ready to make a difference in the country.
LGF’s Mncedzi Ngomane said the webinar aims to instill hope and positivity to help both aspiring leaders and people who are already in leadership positions to push through in the face of adversities.
“Unforeseen events can radically unsettle and disrupt the systems we depend on. They can change the way we work, connect, and communicate. In fast-moving and uncertain situations, it becomes difficult to lead and we might face questions we may not even have answers to.”
“Professor Phakeng will share practical tips about leading in the face of adversity and building a resilient mindset amongst other things based on her lessons from her leadership journey,” he said.
Ngomane encouraged those who want to be part of this captivating session to sign up for membership on their website, www.leadershipgrowthforum.org.
About Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng
Professor Phakeng assumed the position of Vice-Chancellor at the University of Cape Town on 1 July 2018, until she decided to step down in March 2023.
She holds a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in Mathematics Education from the University of the Witwatersrand and is globally recognized as a leading scholar in the field. She has been invited to deliver over 60 keynote/plenary talks at international conferences and as a visiting professor in universities around the world.
Her contributions to research and community engagement have garnered numerous accolades, including the Order of the Baobab (Silver) bestowed upon her by the President of South Africa in April 2016.
In addition, CEO magazine recognized her as the most influential female academic in Africa in August 2014, and Forbes included her in their inaugural list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Africa in 2020.
Moreover, Prof. Phakeng has been granted two honorary doctorates: a Doctor of Science (Hon. DSc) from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom in 2019 and a Doctor of Education (Hon. DEd) from the University of Ottawa in Canada in 2022.
Kgethi, as she is commonly known, was elected as a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) in November 2007. She was honored with an honorary membership in the Golden Key International Honour Society in May 2009 and the Association for Mathematics Education of South Africa (AMESA) in July 2009.
She was elected as a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) in 2018 and a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) in 2021.
Deputy Mother, as she is affectionately referred to by thousands of young people across the African continent, is an academic with a profound social conscience and philanthropic spirit in 2004, she founded the Adopt-a-learner Foundation, an initiative dedicated to providing financial and educational support to South African students from underprivileged areas, enabling them to pursue higher education qualifications.
Notably, when assuming her role as Vice-Chancellor in July 2018, Prof. Phakeng declined an inauguration ceremony held in her honor and instead directed the allocated funds toward alleviating the outstanding debts of students who had completed their studies between 2015 and 2017 but were unable to graduate due to financial constraints. Since then, she donated 20% of her monthly salary and 100% of proceeds from her public speaking engagements to scholarship funds administered by UCT. She established this Fund in her capacity to support financially disadvantaged students, particularly women, registered for postgraduate study at the University of Cape Town.
While she received a vote of confidence from the UCT Senate, with a remarkable 78% approval rating, to serve a second term as Vice-Chancellor, she has chosen to officially step down from her position in March 2023. During her tenure, the University of Cape Town achieved several notable successes under her leadership, including attaining the top ranking among African universities across all five major world university rankings for the first time in its history. Furthermore, she spearheaded record-breaking fundraising efforts, enabling UCT to secure unprecedented financial resources.