Vice-Principal: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Education

UP Professional and Support

UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA

VICE-PRINCIPAL: RESEARCH, INNOVATION AND POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION

PEROMNES POST LEVEL 1

The University of Pretoria is one of South Africa’s top impact-driven, research-intensive universities, dedicated to producing high-quality, impactful research that addresses complex contemporary issues. It is one of the most significant producers of research and makes a major contribution to postgraduate and postdoctoral fellowship training, as well as nurturing and supporting researchers at different stages of their research careers. It is home to the largest number of National Research Foundation (NRF)-rated researchers. The University has developed the infrastructure and a number of research platforms, including the Future Africa Platform, which support multi-, inter- and transdisciplinary research across the institution. The University is continuously expanding impactful research partnerships and collaborations worldwide.

The University’s nine faculties and business school offer a wide range of internationally recognised undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. It offers quality education to a cohort of approximately 56 000 students from across the diversity of the South African population and awards approximately 14% of all degrees conferred annually by public universities in South Africa.

The University of Pretoria is committed to equality, employment equity and diversity. In pursuit of excellence and diversity, the University of Pretoria invites applications for the position of Professor and Vice-Principal: Research, Innovation, and Postgraduate Education.

JOB PURPOSE

The Vice-Principal: Research, Innovation & Postgraduate Education (The Vice-Principal) provides visionary leadership and strategic oversight across critical areas to shape and elevate the University of Pretoria (UP) into a leading, impact-driven, research-intensive university. The Vice-Principal works across and beyond the University to build new partnerships and generate collaborative opportunities that will increase research impact and support the development of the next generation of outstanding young researchers, in line with the strategic goals and objectives of the University of Pretoria.

The Vice-Principal provides strategic leadership in advancing the University’s research, innovation, and postgraduate education agenda, in alignment with national priorities and Thrive UP2038. This role is also responsible for promoting research excellence and innovation by strengthening research capacity, increasing high-impact outputs, fostering inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration, facilitate the commercialisation of research, drive postgraduate success through the development of high-quality Master’s and Doctoral programmes, improved supervision, and enhanced student support systems to increase enrolment and throughput.

The Vice-Principal also provides leadership in strengthening internationalisation and strategic partnerships by building global academic and research networks that enhance the University's international profile and competitiveness.

It is the prerogative of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal to determine the portfolios of the members of the Executive, and the University reserves the right to change the portfolio responsibilities of Vice-Principals from time to time in line with new strategic priorities and operational requirements.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The responsibilities of the Vice-Principal: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Education, amongst others, are to:

Strategic Leadership and Management

• Lead and drive excellence across research, innovation, postgraduate education, and global partnerships, and ensure alignment with the institutional strategic vision, contributing to national higher education priorities and the university’s global positioning.
• Lead the development of integrated, forward-looking strategic plans that align UP’s research, innovation, and postgraduate efforts with the institution’s overarching goals and the broader higher education landscape.
• Develop and implement the University’s research strategy, driving high-impact, interdisciplinary research across all faculties and disciplines, aligned with UP’s vision to be a research leader.
• Develop and champion the university’s long-term research and innovation strategy, ensuring that it aligns with national development priorities, global trends, and UP’s overall mission to be a leading impact-driven, research-intensive institution.
• Lead the strategic development of high-quality, globally competitive postgraduate programs that align with research priorities and meet the needs of students, employers, and global standards.
• Lead UP’s internationalisation strategy, ensuring the development and strengthening of strategic academic partnerships with world-leading universities and research institutions.

Strategic Leadership for Research and Innovation

• Foster a research culture that prioritises excellence, impact, and relevance, encouraging cutting-edge research that addresses both local and global challenges, especially in the areas of science, technology, health, and sustainable development.
• Position UP as a hub for innovation by supporting entrepreneurial endeavours, facilitating technology transfer, and promoting partnerships with industry, government, and the private sector.
• Develop a compelling research vision for UP that aligns with national priorities and global trends in higher education, science, and technology. This vision must inspire Faculty, students, and external stakeholders to engage in research that is both innovative and impactful.
• Position UP as a leader in specific research niches where it can make significant contributions to the global knowledge economy.
• Oversee the development of robust technology transfer mechanisms to facilitate the commercialisation of UP’s intellectual property (IP), patents, and inventions into market-ready products or services.
• Support the development and implementation of a strategy around business start-ups and the commercialisation of IP.

Strategic Leadership for Postgraduate Education* Lead the strategic direction of UP’s postgraduate education, ensuring that the postgraduate programs are globally competitive, flexible, and aligned with the needs of the research and professional world.

• Develop and promote competitive research fellowships, postdoctoral programs, and scholarships to attract top researchers from across the globe to UP.
• Implement structured mentorship programs to guide and support early-career researchers and postgraduate students, creating a research talent pipeline that ensures UP’s long-term research excellence.
• Implement programs aimed at developing postgraduate research students into future leaders in academia, industry, and government. This includes research skills development, mentoring, and capacity-building initiatives for PhD students and postdoctoral fellows.

Strategic Leadership of Internationalisation and Strategic Partnerships

• Lead UP’s internationalisation strategy, ensuring the development and strengthening of strategic academic partnerships with world-leading universities and research institutions.
• Position UP as a global player in the research ecosystem by establishing strategic international partnerships with top-tier universities, research institutions, and industry leaders.
• Strengthen UP’s role in global research networks such as the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), the World Universities Network (WUN), and other international consortia that promote research collaboration.
• Establish joint research programs with leading international universities that allow UP researchers to engage in international exchange programs, contributing to global knowledge transfer and bringing new perspectives to UP’s rese