Dr Liile Lekena-Bayaga, Acting Senior Director: Institutional Planning and Research, has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Association for Institutional Research (AIR), a global association for professionals engaged in strategic planning, institutional research, decision support, statutory reporting, and institutional effectiveness and efficiency. Dr Lekena-Bayaga said the organisation “holds a strategic relevance for our sector”. A “pleased” Dr Lekena-Bayaga said this appointment follows her four-year leadership within the Southern African chapter (SAAIR), where she served first as Deputy President and subsequently as President. Dr Lekena-Bayaga said she was approached and encouraged to consider standing for election at the AIR Forum held last year. “After nomination and a rigorous process, I am humbled to have been elected, making me the first person from Africa, working on the continent, to serve on this global board,” said Dr Lekena-Bayaga.
Dr Lekena-Bayaga said the appointment does not only carry great personal and professional significance but also positions MUT as a visible and active participant in the global higher education community. “The appointment speaks directly to our internationalisation ambitions and affirms the value of our institutional voice on the world stage,” she said.
Dr Lekena-Bayaga said she would use this opportunity to open more doors for collaboration, benchmarking, and visibility for MUT and the broader Southern African region. The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nokuthula Sibiya, was one of the executive members who congratulated Dr Lekena-Bayaga.