Research Groups

Professor Arthur Mutambara is the Director and Full Professor of the Institute for the Future of Knowledge (IFK) at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). He is a world-renowned roboticist, academic, author, Pan-Africanist and technology strategist. Professor Mutambara is also the Director of IFK’s Decentralised Artificial Intelligence and Control Systems (DAICS) Research Group and drives the African Agency in Public Health (AAPH) initiative within the Future of Health (FoH) Research Group. He is the Former Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. Mutambara was one of the three Principals who created and led the Government of National Unity (GNU) from 2009 to 2013. The other two were Prime Minister Tsvangirai and President Mugabe. He is the author of a new trilogy (three books): In Search of the Elusive Zimbabwean Dream: An Autobiography of Thought Leadership. Mutambara has also published two Electrical Engineering books used extensively in the United States, Europe and Asia. He has worked as a Research Scientist at NASA, a Visiting Professor at MIT, and a Managing Consultant with McKinsey & Company, all in the United States. At UJ, Mutambara has taught Control Systems in both the Mechanical Engineering and Electrical & Electronic Engineering Departments, where he has received outstanding reviews from both students and peers. He has conducted Engineering seminars and public lectures across the continent and globally. Prof Mutambara is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), a Professional Engineer, a Fellow of the Zimbabwe Institute of Engineers (ZIE), a Fellow of the Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences (ZAS), a Senior Member of IEEE and a WEF Young Global Leader. Professor Mutambara holds a PhD in Robotics and Mechatronics (1995) and an MSc in Computer Engineering (1992), both from the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Electrical Engineering (1990) from the University of Zimbabwe.

Neil Pearce is Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Director of the Centre for Global Non-communicable Disease, at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, in the UK. During 2000-2010 he was Director of the Centre for Public Health Research in the Research School of Public Health on the Massey University Wellington Campus. He continues to work in a broad range of epidemiological NCD research areas, including epidemiological methods, respiratory disease, neurological disease, cancer, diabetes, indigenous health, and occupational and environmental health research.

Dr Ross Harvey is a Director of Research and Programmes at Good Governance Africa (GGA). He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Cape Town. From 2010 to 2011, Ross lectured political economy at UCT. The following year he worked as a parliamentary researcher. In mid-2013, he became a senior researcher at the South African Institute of International Affairs, where he worked until 2019, joining GGA in 2020.

Nancy Cartwright is a Professor of Philosophy at Durham University and a Distinguished Professor at the University of California in the United States (US). At Durham, she is also co-Director of the Centre for Humanities engaging Science and Society. Her research interests include philosophy and the history of science (especially physics and economics). Professor Cartwright has worked extensively in modelling, causal inference, causal powers, and objectivity, evidence, especially for evidence-based policy (EBP) and the philosophy of social technology. For the project 'Knowledge for Use' (K4U), her current work investigates how to use scientific research results for better policies. She has worked with others on projects in education, child protection and international development.

Anthony Kaziboni is Head of Research at the Institute for the Future of Knowledge. He holds a doctorate in Sociology from the University Johannesburg, South Africa. He researches hydropolitics, migration and social inequalities. He is the Regional Representative for South Africa for the International Sociological Association's (ISA) Clinical Sociology Research Group. In 2018 he received the prestigious Outstanding Early Career Award in Clinical Sociology by the ISA's Clinical Sociology Research Committee in Toronto, Canada. He has [co]authored publications in accredited journal and books as well as newspaper articles.

Dr Oluwaseun Tella is the Head of the Future of Diplomacy at the University of Johannesburg’s Institute for the Future of Knowledge in South Africa. He holds a doctorate in Political Science from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He has authored a book entitled Africa’s Soft Power: Philosophies, Political Values, Foreign Policies and Cultural Exports (Routledge, 2021); edited three books entitled Nigeria-South Africa Relations and Regional Hegemonic Competence (Springer, 2019), From Ivory Towers to Ebony Towers: Transforming Humanities Curricula in South Africa, Africa and African-American Studies (Jacana, 2020), and A Sleeping Giant? Nigeria’s Domestic and International Politics in the Twenty-First Century (Springer, 2021); and published over 30 mostly single-authored book chapters and journal articles in Politikon, Social Dynamics, Journal of Asian and African Studies, Journal of Black Studies and elsewhere. His research interests include soft power, international relations, peace and conflict studies, African politics and knowledge production in Africa. Email: otella@uj.ac.za.