CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Prof. Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela, the associate chancellor and vice provost for Global Affairs & Strategies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, became the first U.S. scholar appointed to the Management Policy Council at Kyushu University, one of Illinois’ strategic partners.
Mabokela is also the first South African scholar in this role, the first non-Japanese female member on the Council, and she is the only member based outside of Japan, as other international members reside and work at Japanese institutions.
Kyushu University, located in Fukuoka, Japan, has been one of the most important partners for Illinois in carbon-neutral energy research.
Since 2010, Illinois and Kyushu have been closely collaborating in fields of energy and environmental research. This effort has been led by the https://i2cner.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank">International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I2CNER), based at Kyushu University, alongside a https://i2cner.illinois.edu/" target="_blank">satellite institute established at the Illinois campus in 2012.
Prof. Natalie Konomi, the vice president for International Affairs & Diversity at Kyushu, said Mabokela’s appointment is notable because she will bring valuable international expertise to this newly established body.
“Given her distinguished background and leadership in international higher education, we are confident that Professor Mabokela’s insights will contribute significantly to Kyushu University’s strategic vision and global engagement,” Konomi said.
More on Kyushu’s Management Policy Council
Konomi said as of October 1, 2024, amendments to the National University Corporation Act (in Japan) require specified national university corporations in Japan to establish a Management Policy Council to enhance governance and operational oversight.
She said while Kyushu has not been designated as a specified national university corporation, the law also stipulates that national university corporations other than those designated may establish a Management Policy Council.
These non-designated universities, which are referred to as quasi-specified national university corporations, can only establish a Council with the approval of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in Japan under special circumstances aimed at strengthening their governance and oversight.
“Recognizing the importance of enhancing its management framework, Kyushu University has proactively established a Management Policy Council to reinforce its governance system, build trust with stakeholders, and further contribute to societal advancements,” Konomi said. “This initiative is also a necessary step toward obtaining accreditation as a University for International Research Excellence, a key government initiative supporting world-class research universities.”
Konomi also said the Management Policy Council plays a significant role in Kyushu University’s governance structure by assuming part of the university president’s decision-making authority and overseeing university operations.
More on Prof. Mabokela
Mabokela received her bachelor’s in economics from Ohio Wesleyan University, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.
She received a master’s in labor and industrial relations and a Ph.D. in educational policy studies, both from Illinois. Prior to her current appointment, she served as the Assistant Dean for International Studies and Professor of Higher Education at Michigan State University.
Among her various honors, Mabokela is a recipient of an Honorary Doctorate in Education, honoris causa, from the University of Pretoria, a former Fulbright New Century Scholar, as well as a Fulbright International Education Administrators program participant in France.
Mabokela's research seeks to understand experiences of marginalized populations and aims to inform and influence institutional policies that affect these groups within institutions of higher education.
Her research centers or has centered on the examination of three interrelated themes:
- Organizational change and organizational culture in higher education
- Gender in higher education
- Higher education in transitional societies.
She has devoted a significant part of her career over the past two decades studying these education issues in South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania, Ghana, Egypt, and Pakistan among others.
Over the course of her career, she has secured more than $27 million in external funding to support various education and research initiatives.
She is also the author, co-author, editor or co-editor of seven books and has published extensively in national and international academic journals including the Comparative Education Review, American Educational Research Journal, the Africa Education Review, and The Review of Higher Education, Comparative Education, Higher Education, among others.