Professor Mandla Makhanya is a vice chancellor of the University of South Africa and the treasurer of the ACDE. He also serves in the executive committee of the International Council for Distance Education (ICDE). Professor Makhanya has occupied a number of leadership roles at the University where he started as a junior lecturer in the Sociology department. He rose steadily through the academic ranks to becoming the dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences to being the executive Dean of the College of Human Sciences and a Pro Vice Chancellor of Unisa. Professor Makhanya holds a BA and a BA (Hons) (in Sociology), a Diploma in Tertiary Education, a Masters Degree in Industrial Sociology and a DPhil. In 2007 the University of Athabasca in Canada conferred upon him a PhD (Honoris Causa) in recognition of his outstanding leadership at Unisa and his contribution as a distinguished scholar in distance education. Prof Makhanya has published widely in distance education. Besides his academic expertise and his passionate involvement in Unisa’s academic life, Professor Makhanya shares his knowledge with the South African and international community.
He is a deputy Chairperson of the South African National Commission for UNESCO as well as a Chairperson of the Culture Sector of the South African National Commission for UNESCO. He has also been a member of the National Committee of the Memory of the World (MoW). He served in various leadership roles in the South African Sociological Association and eventually became its Deputy President in 1998, for a period of two years. During this time he also served as an editorial committee member of their journal Society in Transition. He continues to be a member of the South African Sociological Association (SASA), as well as the International Association of Sociology (ISA).
Professor Makhanya continues to supervise postgraduate students. He is also an external examiner for some universities. He continues to publish scholarly work which helps him to have a finger on the pulse of the world of intellectuals.
