UJ lecturer Dr Suraiya Naicker lives up to the University’s motto

UJ’s motto: ‘Rethink, Reinvent’ best describes Dr Suraiya’s academic and professional career. “I had a wonderful and established career as a Deputy Principal at Germiston South Primary School. I then left my comfort zone upon the offer of the New Generation Scholarship to reinvent myself as an academic, which I have successfully done.”

The Doctor’s academic career started off with her obtaining a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Natal and a Higher Diploma in Education from UNISA.

In 2008, she completed her Bachelor in Education (B.Ed) honours degree Cum Laude at UJ. She then received a New Generations Scholarship from the University. A year later, Dr Suraiya enrolled for her Master’s degree in Education (M.Ed) Cum Laude and received the Vice-Chancellor’s (VC) medal in 2011 as the top M.Ed student. In 2014, she completed her PhD at UJ.

Suraiya has three research publications based on her M.Ed which consists of: Two journal articles and one chapter in an international book titled Multidimensional Perspectives on Principal Leadership Effectiveness. At present, Dr Suraiya has one article in press, based on her PhD thesis: “A case study of an educational leadership development intervention programme for public school principals and district officials in a school district in Gauteng.” The aim of the research was to explore a system-wide leadership change venture and its potential for the initiation of education change.​