Leveraging Generative AI & Cybersecurity to create and sustain a culture of excellence in the Higher Education
Panel Discussion: Moderator: Prof Wai Sze Leung (UJ)
Panelists: Prof Erika Maaas (UNAM), Sello Sethusha (DHET), Andiswa Mrasi (CPUT), Chris Ejike (VUT)
Introduced by Tebogo Makhambeni (EXCO)
Prof Wai Sze Leung (UJ)
Wai Sze (Grace) Leung is the Senior Director of the Postgraduate School at the University of Johannesburg. A Computer Scientist, Grace's research focuses on the application of Artificial Intelligence in the domains of cybersecurity and education. She is a member of the IFIP WG 11.8 which focuses on Information Security Education.
Prof Erika Maaas (UNAM)
Prof. Erika Maass, Registrar at the University of Namibia has more than 40 years of experience in Higher Education, of which 20 years have been in senior university administration as a Dean, Academic Director and university Registrar, a position she holds since 2021. She holds a PhD in Plant Physiology from the University of Stellenbosch - this provided an excellent basis for her development as a field biologist in the area of reproductive plant biology with a special interest in parasitic plants. During her academic career she progressed from an inexperienced Lecturer tasked to establish and develop the Department of Botany, to an Associate Professor with a total of 12 Scopus indexed documents and an h-Index of 10, and a seasoned administrator.
Throughout her career Prof. Maass served several terms on internal and external governing bodies such as the University of Namibia Council, the Namibia Qualifications Authority Council and the National Council on Higher Education in Namibia through which she developed a thorough understanding and in-depth working knowledge of the higher education sector and university administration. She has been instrumental in the transformation of all undergraduate curricula at the University of Namibia to prepare students for the world of work in an ever-changing society. She has a keen interest in the use of technology to support learning and teaching.
Andiswa Mrasi (CPUT)
Andiswa Mrasi is a distinguished scholar and senior manager specializing in strategic initiatives, partnerships, and internationalization within higher education. As the Manager: Strategic Initiatives and Projects in the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), she plays a pivotal role in fostering global collaborations, securing third-stream income, and driving impactful stakeholder engagements.
With over a decade of experience in strategic partnerships—both locally and internationally—Mrasi has successfully led initiatives that enhance institutional visibility and promote innovation in higher education. Her expertise spans project management, fundraising, strategy implementation, and monitoring, with a strong emphasis on ethical leadership and sustainable development.
Mrasi’s extensive background in internationalisation, higher education processes, and international student exchanges positions her as a thought leader in leveraging emerging technologies to drive institutional excellence. She holds a master’s degree in Retail Business Management and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Marketing focusing on strategic partnerships as a growth strategy for retail businesses. Mrasi has supervised masters degree student to completion, published academic papers in international academic journals, and most recently co-authored a chapter in the book title Public Sector Communication in the Digital Age.
As a panelist at this conference, Andiswa will bring her insights into how Generative AI and cybersecurity can be harnessed to cultivate a resilient and forward-thinking culture in higher education. Her ability to bridge academia and industry, coupled with her experience in digital transformation strategies, makes her a valuable contributor to discussions on shaping the future of education in an AI-driven world.
Chris Ejike (VUT)
Chris is a seasoned professional in the field of ICT and a Thought leader with over 10 years hands-on experience. He is currently serving as a System Analyst at Vaal University of Technology, where he specializes in IT security and governance. Chris is also Fractional CISO on demand, he provides expert guidance and support to organizations seeking to bolster their cybersecurity posture.
Chris holds the esteemed Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) designation, which he obtained in April 2024. He is also a PhD candidate, with a research focus on IoT and energy management systems.
He is also an author, and researcher, who has published on cybersecurity-related topics and is the creator of the D.R.E.A.M.S Framework. As an Edutainer, Chris generously volunteers his time and expertise to educate and entertain students on cybersecurity topics, promoting awareness, offering career guidance, and sharing best practices in the field, all as a way of giving back to the community.
Sello Sethusha (DHET)
Adapt IT - Management Presentation
Luxolo Rubushe, Managing Director: Adapt IT Education
Introduced by Pravie Govender (EXCO)
Luxolo Rubushe
Mr Luxolo Rubushe, is the MD of Adapt IT - Education Business, a role he has held for almost a decade. Mr Rubushe has a career spanning 25 years, 18 of which have been at executive leadership positions in the private as well as public sector, including Board representation and participation.
He spent 10 years with Accenture as Senior Manager in ERP, Process and Strategy consulting roles. He was headhunted by Coega Development Corporation (CDC) where he served as an executive responsible for strategy and commercialisation of Coega core competencies and capabilities.
Prior to being headhunted by Adapt IT, Mr Rubushe was the Chief Operations Officer (COO) of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
Adapt IT, is a proudly South African Level 1 B-BBEE company, and has 965 employees with over 10 000 Customers across 55 countries worldwide. It was acquired by Volaris in 2022. Volaris Group is a buy-and-hold acquirer of software businesses, and is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under Constellation Software. Their focus is on the long-term success of their companies and the leaders who choose to join the Group.
Adapt IT - Education business has been a loyal partner to higher education institutions in Africa for 38 years through is purpose built ITS Integrator ERP solution, enabling departmental reporting and compliance to the majority of South Africa’s 26 universities and 50 TVET colleges. Adapt IT Education, through its intentional execution of its Pan-African growth strategy, also serves universities and colleges in ESwatini, Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, Rwanda, Nairobi, Uganda, Ghana, as well as Ireland, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.
The certified partnership with Moodle Learning Management System (LMS) enables Adapt IT to provide a 360 degree view of the student journey.
Mr Rubushe, a commerce graduate, project management specialist and organisational transformation authority, is passionate about creating a better future and legacy for the African child.
Incorporating Generative AI to Improve Administrative Systems in Higher Education
Dr. Maggy Beukes-Amiss & Tuyoleni Hamata
Introduced by Karen Cupido (EXCO)
Dr. Maggy Beukes-Amiss
Dr Maggy Beukes-Amiss is a senior lecturer within the University of Namibia with close to nineteen (19) years of teaching/academic and research experience within the Department of Information and Communication Studies in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FHSS) where she fulfilled various teaching and leadership roles since 1995. For the past nine (9) years, since 2015, she has been the Director of the Centre for Open, Distance and eLearning (CODeL), now restyled into the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT) at the University of Namibia. She holds a PhD in Computer-integrated Education (CiE) from the University of Pretoria, South Africa and other technical qualifications in the field of ICT and eLearning. She has vast experience in the areas of ICT, ODL and eLearning. She oversees the entire strategic direction/vision and activities in the Centre and plays an active role with her various management team members and staff in the implementation of Learning and Teaching, Academic and eLearning policies, strategic platforms, tools etc.
Tuyoleni Hamata
Building a Resilient Cybersecurity Framework to Protect and Sustain Academic Integrity in Higher Education
Prof. Arnesh Telukdarie - UJ
Introduced by Tshililo Ramovha (EXCO)
Venue:Plenary - Assembly 1,2
Prof. Arnesh Telukdarie - UJ
Professor Arnesh Telukdarie is a Professor of Digital Business at the Johannesburg Business School, University of Johannesburg. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University and as a Visiting Scholar at London South Bank University, amongst others. His research interest focuses on modelling and optimisation of businesses, this includes large corporates, and Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs). He has various projects internal to UJ and externally focusing on a variety of areas from business, mining, water, health, childhood development, petrochemical, manufacturing, waste and recycling.
