Zamokuhle Wiseman Magubane

Zamokuhle Wiseman Magubane is a PhD student and lecturer in South African Higher Education in the field of Curriculum Studies and Geography Education. His research interests are re-imagining decolonial and transformed higher education in the Global South, theorizing social justice, student movements, re-centring African Intellectual epistemologies and Ubuntu pedagogy. He holds a Masters degree (Cum- Laude) in Education. He was a visiting student researcher at Teachers College, Columbia University for 2023, the student beneficiary of the 2021-2025 Andrew W. Mellon Early Career Fellows Research Fellowship from his former supervisors cost Centre, the 2019-2022 National Research Foundation scholarship recipient, the 2022 youth recipient of the Umvoti municipal external study assistantship. He has advanced his work on transformation through 1 published research output, 7 teaching modules, has given 1 invited seminar/public lecture and 8 national and international conference presentations across the South African, US, British and Mauritius higher education institutions.

• South African Education Research Association (SAERA)
• Dates of service: 2022-present
• Activities: We conduct research about issues framing education in South Africa and internationally. Various South African universities set up conferences each year and colleagues from various universities collaboratively discuss, theorize and bring forward solutions to higher education.

• University Service and Position held in Committees/Projects: Higher Education Transformation Cohort Dates of Involvement: Committee member (2021-Present).
• Nature of Involvement: I am part of a Higher Education Transformation Cohort committee that sets up PhD/Masters cohort meetings.

• University Service and Position held in Projects: Civic Engagement though Teacher Development
• Dates/Period of Involvement: 02 June 2025 – 11 June 2025
• Name of organization/group: University of KwaZulu-Natal and University of Massachusetts Amherst Fulbright specialist programme
• Nature of Involvement: I was part of the programme organizing committee and moreover engaged in discussions on community, social justice, service teacher development.
• University Service and Position held in Projects: Racial Justice Fellowship Programme
• Dates/Period of Involvement: 01 April 2023- 31 December 2023
• Name of organization/group: Teachers College, Columbia University New York and University of KwaZulu, Natal, School of Education.
• Nature of Involvement: I was part of 24 PhD and Masters student fellows who were involved in a racial justice exchange programme where we discussed issues of race and racism in South Africa and the United States of America. We exchanged as students where American students visited South Africa and South African Students visited America.
• University Service and Position held in Projects: Expanding Academic Literacy Project
• Dates/Period of Involvement: 1 April 2022- 30 November 2022 Name of organization/group: University of KwaZulu-Natal, School of Education
• Nature of Involvement: I was part of a group of 9 PhD students who gave academic mentoring advise through the expanding academic literacy programme to first year students on their academic literacy conventions.
• University Service and Position held in Projects: Keep it Cool Climate Change Education Project
• Dates/Period of Involvement: 2021-2022
• Name of organization/group: University of KwaZulu-Natal, School of Education
• Nature of Involvement: I was a volunteer for a Climate Change Education project hosted by UKZN, the Department of Environmental Affairs, CASME and the Department Higher Education.

• Period: 2024
• Funder: Dr Thabile Aretha Zondi
• Title of Grant: UKZN College bursary through the cost-centre of Dr Thabile Aretha Zondi Amount: R10 000.00
• Your Role: PhD studies registration and finalization for submission to the UKZN research higher degrees office
• Period: 2023
• Funder: U.S Department of state funding allocated to Teachers College, Columbia University and the University of KwaZulu-Natal, School of Education.
• Title of Grant: 2023 United States- South Africa Racial Justice Fellowship
• Amount: N/A
• Your Role: Visiting scholar at Teachers College, Columbia University. Guest teaching, researching and conference attendance
• Period: 2022-2023
• Funder: National Research Foundation
• Title of Grant: IDOG NRF Postgraduate Scholarships Amount: R170 430.00pa
• Your Role: PhD Scholarship to pursue and complete my PhD studies
• Period: 2022
• Funder: Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Title of Grant: Through the cost centre and or Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Early Career Scholars Fellowship Award of Prof Mlamuli Nkosingiphile Hlatshwayo
• Amount: R15 000. 00
• Your Role: Research related expenses and Conference presentation at SAERA
• Period: 2022
• Funder: Prof Mlamuli Nkosingiphile Hlatshwayo Title of Grant: UKZN College bursary through the cost centre of Prof Mlamuli Nkosingiphile Hlatshwayo
• Amount: R8 682. 85
• Your Role: To clear historical debt, pay for PhD tuition fees and pay for Higher Education conference expenses
• Period: 2022
• Funder: Umvoti Municipality
• Title of Grant: Umvoti external financial study assistance
• Amount: R5000.00
• Your Role: To assist in PhD academic registration processes
• Period: 2019
• Funder: National Research Foundation Title of Grant: NRF General Scholarships Amount: R28 000.00 Your Role: To conduct Master's thesis research.

• Magubane, ZW. (2025). On the postdoc polycrisis: postdocs realities of navigating the complex neoliberal publish or perish work culture in a South African university. 12th Annual SAERA Conference: Education in a time of Polycrisis: Pathways of hope, creativity and affirmative ethics. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 3-6 November 2025.
• Magubane, ZW. (2024). “Shedding light on the forgotten voices: Black student leaders’ contributions to university transformation and decolonisation in South Africa”. SANORD Annual Scientific Conference. Social and Epistemic Justice: Imagining Sustainable Futures through Agency. University of Western Cape, Cape Town, 4-6 December 2024.
• Magubane, ZW. (2024). Black early career academics and the publish or perish discourse in neoliberal universities. Annual Postdoctoral Research Fellows Conference. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 26 September 2024. (Best decoloniality/post-coloniality/ Southern Scholarship paper).
• Magubane, ZW., Majozi, N., Mokoena, TD., Alexander, I., Mbatha, A., Zondi, TA., & Hlatshwayo, MN. (2023). In defense of the cohort model as a social capital network in postgraduate supervision. 1st National Humanities Higher Degree Conference. North West University, Vanderjilpark, 23-27 October 2023.
• Magubane, ZW. (2022). Theorising Black academics struggles for transformation during the Covid-19 pandemic: a scoping review. 9th SAERA CONFERENCE. Education in Transition: Challenges and opportunities. University of Western Cape, Cape Town, 26-28 October 2022.
• Magubane, ZW. Hlatshwayo, MN, and Zondi, TA. (2021). We are not considered! Geography Student teachers’ voices on Indigenizing the Climatology module in a South African Higher Education Institution. 8th FOCUS CONFERENCE. Mangosuthu University of Technology, Durban, 17-19 November 2021
• Magubane, ZW. Hlatshwayo, MN. And Zondi, TA. (2021). Geography Student Teachers’ understanding of indigenizing the Climatology module in a South African Higher Education Institution. Online Early Career Researchers Symposium. University of Westminster, London, 28 April 2021.
• Magubane, ZW. (2021). Decolonising the (un)conferencing model: The case of HELTASA. Online Helatsa dialogue/workshop on Un-conferencing, 6-10 December 2021.
• Magubane, ZW. Zondi. TA (2021). Geography Student Teacher’s perceptions of Education for Sustainable Development in a South African Higher Education Institution. EEASA’s 2021 Online Conference. Rethinking Education for Sustainability in an Era of Uncertainty: Opportunities and Challenges. Moka-Mauritius, 21-24 June 2021.
• Mngomezulu, H., Mbatha, S., Molefe, L., & Magubane, ZW. (2025). Redefining professional teacher development programs: insights from high school teachers in Umkhanyakude district, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. African Perspectives of Research in Teaching and Learning Journal, 1(9),111-123. https://doi.org/10.70875/v9i1article9.
• Magubane ZW., Mngomezulu, H., Mokoena TD., & Mkhize, T. (2025). Bolstering success in the PhD journey through an empowering peer learning network of support. (Book Chapter Under Peer Review with HSRC).
• Magubane, ZW. (2025). Black early career academics and the publish or perish discourse in neoliberal universities. (Under Peer Review with Education as Change Journal).
• Magubane, ZW. (2025). Postdocs navigating the complex neoliberal publish or perish work culture in a South African university. (Under Peer Review with Education as Change Journal).
• Magubane, ZW & Molefe, N. (2022). In search of efficient and effective postgraduate student-supervisor relations: a student perspective. UKZNIndaba. https://ndabaonline.ukzn.ac.za/UkzndabaStory/Vol10Issue8/In%20Search%20of%20efficient%20and%20effective%20Postgraduate%20StudentSupervisor%20Relations%20A%20Student%20Perspective/
• Molefe, N & Magubane, ZW. (2022). Exploring the “How” and they “Why” of student-supervisor relationships. Postgraduate student’s reflections on lived experiences. UKZNIndaba. https://ndabaonline.ukzn.ac.za/UkzndabaStory/Vol10Issue12/Exploring%20the%20How%20and%20Why%20of%20Student%20Supervisor%20Relationships%20Postgraduate%20Students%20Reflect%20on%20lived%20experiences/

• Reflections from a Doctoral student on the struggles for transformation in the South African university.
• Institution: Teachers College, Colombia University. George Clement Centre for Black Education
• Date Completed and Duration: 2023-10-02

• Mlamuli Nkosingiphile, Hlatshwayo, Professor, Mhlatshwayo@uj.ac.za, +27 11 599 7256, University of Johannesburg, Former PhD and Masters Supervisor, South Africa, Associate Professor Ali Mazrui Centre for Higher Education Studies
• Cedric Bheki, Mpungose, Professor, Mpungcb@unisa.ac.za, +27 12 429 3133, University of South Africa, Academic, personal and research advisor, South Africa, Professor, Curriculum and Instructional Studies
• Thabile Aretha, Zondi, Dr, Zondit2@ukzn.ac.za, +27 31 260 1379, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Phd Research Supervisor, South Africa, Senior Lecturer, Geography Education