Prof. Nhlanhla Thwala Takes Over as New Executive Steering Committee Chair of the Africa Health Collaborative 

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Spotlight

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Rwanda

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Network Learning & Development

The Africa Health Collaborative (the Health Collaborative) is pleased to announce that Prof. Nhlanhla Thwala, Provost and Vice Chancellor of African Leadership University (ALU) and African Leadership College of Higher Education, has been appointed the new Chair of the Executive Steering Committee (ESC). 

Prof. Thwala succeeds Prof. Ellis Owusu-Dabo, former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, whose leadership focused on fostering South-South collaborations and embedding research within the Health Collaborative. 

Prof. Thwala brings a wealth of experience in academia and leadership to his new role. His vision for the Health Collaborative will build on the priorities set by the Executive Steering Committee (ESC), focusing on empowering young people and strengthening the organization’s commitment to research and evidence-based decision-making.  

As chair of the ESC, Prof. Thwala will ensure the Health Collaborative continues to focus on: 

• Fostering South-South collaborations: Continue the work of building partnerships across the African continent to address shared health challenges and learn from different approaches. 

• Strengthen Research: Launch the call for proposals developed this year, to develop the evidence –base for policies and interventions. 

• Center and Empower Young People: Position and empower young people as crucial partners of the Health Collaborative. Support the next generation of African health leaders through initiatives like hackathons and venture funding. 

• Engage Policymakers: Engage policymakers, particularly within the African Union and other spheres of government, to align health and education policies. 

Scenes from the Handing-over Ceremony

• Read more about Prof. Thwala’s vision for the Africa Health Collaborative here. 

Profile of Prof. Nhlanhla Thwala 

Prof. Nhlanhla Thwala has a distinguished 34-year career in academia and leadership. He began his career as a high school teacher in Eswatini in 1986 and holds an MA in Linguistics from Syracuse University and a PhD in Formal Linguistics from UCLA. His academic journey includes serving as a Visiting Scholar at Indiana University and holding senior positions at Wits University, where he was the founding Head of the School of Literature, Language, and Media. 

Prof. Thwala has also served as Managing Director of CTI Education Group and Academic Director at Pearson Institute. He currently holds the position of Provost and Vice Chancellor at the African Leadership University (Rwanda) and the African Leadership College of Higher Education (Mauritius). His extensive leadership experience continues to shape higher education across Africa. He represents ALU on the Africa Health Collaborative’s Executive Steering Committee as a Member and Chair designate.