About me
Rajani Naidoo was appointed as the inaugural Vice-President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Exeter in early 2024. She also holds a UNESCO Chair and is Visiting Professor at the University of Bath and at Nelson Mandela University in South Africa. She was previously Vice-President at the University of Bath and Director of the International Centre for Higher Education Management. In South Africa, she was an inaugural member of staff in an innovative higher education institution that was set up to develop a new model of university education for post-apartheid South Africa. She also spearheaded the Future Leaders Initiative, a doctoral program in partnership with the South African government, the British Council, and Nelson Mandela University to develop leadership in South African universitie. Rajani has a PhD in Sociology of Higher Education from the University of Cambridge, an MA in Education and international Development from the University of London and a BA (Law) from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal. Her interdisciplinary research examines the impact of global, national, and organizational forces particularly different forms of competition on universities in relation to education and research and the contribution of universities to the global good. She has been involved in multi-national research projects on the changing academic profession, international higher education partnerships, and the contribution of higher education to social justice. Rajani Naidoo is the chairperson of the education advisory committees for the British Council.
