Dr Thandi Lewin

University of Johannesburg

Thandi Lewin is a CGHE Deputy Director and an Associate Professor at the Ali Mazrui Centre for Higher Education Studies, in the Faculty of Education at the University of Johannesburg. She has come into academia relatively late, following a career as a civil servant.

Dr Lewin spent most of the last 20 years in government, first in the Department of Education and later in the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) in South Africa. She had responsibility for equity in education (mostly working in schooling), higher education policy development, and developing a National Plan for Post-School Education and Training. Most recently she worked in the university education branch of the DHET, as a chief director, responsible for university governance and management support.

Dr Lewin is currently working towards publishing her analysis and reflections of the student funding situation in South Africa over the past six years (since the implementation of a new student funding policy). Her research interests are higher education policy, gender in higher education, academic careers, leadership, management and governance in higher education, funding of higher education and the history of higher education policy.