Picture: Professor Dipane Hlalele/Supplied
By MOSIMA MEHLAPE
18 March 2026- Sol Plaatje University (SPU) announced the appointment of Professor Dipane Hlalele as Dean of the Faculty of Education for a five-year term, starting 1 April 2026. This appointment follows a rigorous selection process, guided by university policy and aligned with SPU’s strategic priorities in academic leadership, research development and community engagement.
Hlalele brings extensive experience in higher education leadership, with a demonstrated track record in academic governance, curriculum development, postgraduate supervision and institutional management. He currently serves as Full Professor and Head of the Department of Education Studies at SPU.
A National Research Foundation (NRF) C2-rated researcher, Hlalele holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology of Education and has contributed significantly to the advancement of inclusive education, rural learning ecologies and socially responsive scholarship. His work reflects a sustained commitment to research that is both contextually relevant and nationally impactful.
Hlalele academic leadership experience spans senior roles including Assistant Dean, Programme Coordinator and Head of Department, where he has led strategic planning processes, strengthened teaching and learning programmes, supported staff development, and contributed to quality assurance and institutional governance.
Hlalele has supervised more than 60 postgraduate students to completion, including 38 doctoral candidates, and has contributed to building research capacity through funded projects and national and international collaborations. In his role as Dean, he will provide strategic, academic and administrative leadership to the Faculty of Education, with responsibility for advancing teaching and learning, strengthening research output, supporting postgraduate growth and enhancing community-engaged scholarship.
Hlalele’s leadership will contribute to the long-term sustainability and development of the faculty, in alignment with the University’s strategic objectives. This appointment strengthens SPU’s ongoing commitment to advancing a university that is academically rigorous, research-intensive and socially responsive.
It supports the University’s focus on developing contextually relevant knowledge, advancing postgraduate education, and deepening its contribution to the transformation of the higher education sector. Hlalele takes office at a time when the Faculty of Education continues to strengthen both its academic leadership and research trajectory.
Source: Sol Plaatje University
The Guardian 