Professor Busisiwe Nkonki-Mandleni is the Director of Community Engagement and Development at Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) in KwaZulu-Natal, where she leads the design and implementation of innovative initiatives that strengthen university-community partnerships and enhance the social relevance of learning, teaching and research. With a PhD in Environmental Management and 25 years of experience in higher education, she has made significant leadership contributions to advancing community engagement, sustainable development, and socially

responsive scholarship.

 

She currently serves as the Acting Chairperson of Community Engagement South Africa (CESA), where she coordinates strategic leadership on diverse forms of community engagement across the higher education sector. Professor Nkonki-Mandleni’s career spans higher education, basic education, and public service, including some experience with the Provincial Department of Agriculture. Her early research with the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) contributed to agricultural development and sustainable planning in the Amatola Basin, Eastern Cape. She has since built an extensive climate change research portfolio and currently leads a major South Africa–Canada initiative on climate adaptation and mitigation, focusing on climate literacy, food justice, traditional ecological knowledge, and young children’s environmental agency.

 

A dedicated scholar, Professor Nkonki-Mandleni has published in accredited international journals, presented her work locally and globally, supervised and examined postgraduate students across several South African universities, and reviewed scholarly publications for national and international journals. Recognized for her collaborative leadership and strategic stakeholder engagement, she is dedicated to advancing higher education as a socially responsive force that serves communities, champions epistemic, social, and environmental justice, and fosters inclusive knowledge systems.