27th Annual Conference
26-29 August 2025
Protea Hotel Stellenbosch & Conference Centre
Sven Botha is a Lecturer in the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Pretoria. He has worked and published on gender, counter-terrorism, diplomacy, foreign policy, Africa-Nordic relations, and early-career development. Sven is also the Director of the Professors Without Borders Think Tank.
Ms Ziyanda Sam joined the Division for Global Engagement in the Study Abroad and International Student Services section at the University of Johannesburg in January 2017 in the capacity of Secretary to the Director.
Dr. JY Zhou is the Executive Director of the Center for Global Engagement at James Madison University. She is responsible for developing campus-wide comprehensive internationalization and leading the CGE to be instrumental in preparing our students to be educated and responsible global citizens through being the agents of change and collaboration in both local and
Dr. Sacha Joseph-Mathews is the Inaugural Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer of Stanislaus State where she serves as a member of the CSU’s cabinet, with strategic responsibility for promoting and enabling inclusive excellence for all students, faculty, and staff.
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Lebethe Malefo joined the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in 2012 in the capacity of Director: Study Abroad and International Student Services. He joined UJ from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Wits), where he had been Acting Head, Deputy Head and Manager of International Partnerships and Collaborations in the Wits International Office (WIO). He has
Shantelle Sass joined the Rand Afrikaans University’s (RAU) Division for International Relations in 2002 where she was responsible for international students’ application enquiries, immigration, and registration.
Gyles Hawkins joined Studyportals two years ago as a student recruitment consultant, and now leads the team that work with universities throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Derrik Karst is Senior Vice President of Partnerships at Studyportals, an online platform empowering over 55 million international students each year. He advises universities on strategies and insights to grow, diversify, and enrich international student recruitment.
Damaris works as a consultant for the data analytics team at Studyportals, supporting partners within the EMEA region with all things data related. Prior to this, she worked in the student accommodation and pathway sectors. She holds a Masters degree in research and innovation in higher education, specializing in continuous improvement in student engagement.
