Thabo Msibi

Thabo Msibi is associate professor in curriculum studies in the School of Education at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where he is also the Dean and Head of School. He holds a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and a Bachelor of Education Honours degree from the same university, which he obtained summa cum laude. He completed his Masters in Education at Teachers College: Columbia University (USA). He obtained his Ph.D. in Education from the University of Cambridge (UK). He holds the following scholarships: ABE Bailey travel scholarship, Fulbright Scholarship, NRF Prestigious scholarship, Bill Gates Cambridge Scholarship and Commonwealth split-site scholarship, which he declined. 

Professor Msibi has published research in South African and international journals and books, and is author of the book Hidden sexualities of South African Teachers: Black male educators and same-sex desire.  He sits on the editorial boards of Gender and Education, oneducation Journal for Research and Debate as well as the Journal of Gender and Language, all of which are international journals. In South Africa, he is on the editorial boards of Perspectives in Education, Alternation Journal, Transformation in Higher Education Journal as well as the International Journal of Critical Diversity Studies. He has presented papers and taught by invitation in multiple international and South African universities. Professor Msibi currently sits in three NGO Boards in South Africa. He has been listed by the Mail and Guardian as one of South Africa’s top 200 young people, by Destiny Man magazine as one of the top 40 South African men under the age of 40 and by Africa Youth Awards as one of the 100 Most Influential Young Africans on the continent. He also has been awarded the DVC’s award for Community Service as well as the Distinguished Teacher’s Award by the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Professor Msibi has also served in national committees, including his appointment by the Minister of Basic Education, Ms Angie Motsekga, as a member of a Ministerial Committee that reviewed discrimination in South African textbooks. In 2018, he was awarded a Distinguished Alumni Early Careers Award by Teachers College: Columbia University. He has recently been awarded the prestigious P-rating by the South African Research Foundation. This is a rating assigned to researchers (normally under 35 years of age) who are likely to become future international leaders in their respective fields, on the basis of exceptional potential demonstrated in research performance and output during doctoral and/or early post-doctoral careers.