media releases - Dr Catherine Odora Hoppers, an internationally recognized academ

Dr Catherine Odora Hoppers, an internationally recognized academic and consultant has taken up her position as head of the NRF South African Research Chair in Development Education at the University of South Africa. Dr Hoppers was appointed from 1 January and was awaiting her visa.

Among her vast experience, Dr Hoppers has been involved in international and regional development; South Africa’s transformation and the African Renaissance; peace and development; higher education in southern Africa; adult education; further education and training and gender and social policy.

Her lengthy CV includes:

Advisory and consultancy experience on international development policy, gender and social policy, Adult and basic education; and higher education for SIDA, NORAD, World Bank, EU-ACP, UNESCO, NEDA, UNICEF, OAU, Governments of South Africa and Uganda.
Expertise in peace and disarmament, peace research, human rights and conflict Resolution for the UN Department of Disarmament Affairs, the International Peace Research Association, International Peace Academy/OAU, Hague Appeal for Peace, SIDA, NORAD)
Policy Analysis, Research and Dialogue at the Southern African Regional Institute for Policy Studies, Harare – Zimbabwe, the Center for Education Policy Development and the Human Sciences Research Council – South Africa.
Regional Expert on Indigenous Knowledge Systems; development issues; and community intellectual property rights for the World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO (Geneva), the OAU, ECA (Addis Ababa); International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organization (IFRRO).

Dr Hoppers, who was born in Uganda but is a Swedish citizen, cites as her principal areas of interest:

1. Building capacity for trans-disciplinary basic and applied research in support of Africa’s development.
2. Providing support to policy formulation and implementation for sustainable development and human security in Africa and internationally.
3. Promoting the social and economic justice agenda including the rights of local communities.
4. Promoting dialogue across cultures and epistemologies by developing protocols for respectful cultural exchange, strengthening the enfranchisement of Africans, and promoting endogenous research.

She has a PhD in social sciences from Stockholm University and has held several teaching and lecturing posts.

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