When global leaders in higher education, research and policy meet for the THE World Academic Summit 2026 to examine how universities can redefine their role in a rapidly evolving world, University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Professor Majozi will be among headliners of a session themed “Purpose and public value: How can higher education and research keep pace with a modern world?”

Professor Majozi will lead the panel discussion alongside Professor Joan Guàrdia Olmos, rector of the University of Barcelona and Professor Dag Rune Olsen, rector of UiT The Arctic University of Norway. Their panel discussion will explore ways in which universities can and should meaningfully contribute to both local and global communities, including in contexts where institutions operate under financial, social and political constraints.

 A leading scholar and seasoned academic administrator, Majozi joined UCT as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) for Research and Internationalisation in January 2026, bringing with him a wealth of experience in the higher education sector. Majozi is a chemical engineer by profession and has held senior roles at the University of Pretoria, the University of the Witwatersrand – where he was the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment – and the Engineering Council of South Africa. He has also served as Chair of the Board of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); and currently serves as President and Chairperson of the Academy of Science of South Africa. He also held full professorship in the School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering at Wits, where from 2013 to 2022 he was the holder of the prestigious National Research Foundation – Department of Science and Technology (NRF–DST) Chair in Sustainable Process Engineering.

Majozi’s research focuses on batch chemical process integration, particularly water minimisation in industrial systems, and he has pioneered key techniques for reducing wastewater in batch plants. He holds a National Research Foundation (NRF) B1 rating and has received multiple honours, including several National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) awards, the NRF President’s Award and the Order of Mapungubwe (Bronze).

His research contributions are extensive and widely recognised. Among his most significant achievements is the development of a continuous-time framework for the synthesis of batch plants, a novel technique for near zero-effluent batch chemical facilities, and a process integration technique for integrated water and membrane network systems. He has also advanced predictive models for reverse osmosis and electrodialysis membranes. These innovations are not only of academic importance but have been adopted by industry, bridging the gap between research and practical application.

Professor Majozi’s academic journey began with a BSc Chemical Engineering degree in 1994 followed by an MScEng (Chemical) in 1998 at the University of Natal (now University of KwaZulu-Natal). In 1999, he was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship to pursue doctoral studies in the United Kingdom, where he completed his PhD in process integration at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST). His career path has taken him through several academic institutions, including the University of Pretoria, where he was appointed associate professor in 2004 and later promoted to full professor in 2008. He also held an associate professorship in computer science at the University of Pannonia in Hungary from 2005 to 2009.

Professor Majozi has published more than 300 scientific works, including several influential books such as Batch Chemical Process Integration (Springer, 2010) and titles published by CRC Press/Taylor and Francis on synthesis, design, resource optimisation and water management. His work has consistently pushed the boundaries of sustainable engineering and inspired the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Beyond his scholarship, he has played significant leadership roles nationally and internationally. He served as chairperson of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research between 2015 and 2022, was vice-president of the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), and deputy chairperson of the Council for the Built Environment. He currently serves as the president and chairperson of the Academy of Science of South Africa. Internationally, he was the only African representative on the Royal Society/DFID Programme selection panel from 2012 to 2017.

Professor Majozi is also a Fellow of the Water Institute of Southern Africa, the Institute of Chemical Engineers (United Kingdom), the African Academy of Sciences, and the South African Academy of Engineers. He is both a registered professional engineer with ECSA and a Chartered Engineer with the UK Engineering Council.

His numerous awards attest to his significant contributions to science and society. These include the Zdenek Burianec Memorial Award (Italy, 2005), three National Science and Technology Forum Awards (2006, 2011, 2016), two National Research Foundation President’s Awards (2007, 2008), the South African Institute of Chemical Engineers Bill Neal-May Gold Medal (2010), the S2A3 British Association Silver Medal (2008) and the AU-TWAS Award in Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation (2012). In 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa awarded him the National Order of Mapungubwe (Bronze), South Africa’s highest honour for achievements of international significance.

Focus of his session at the THE World Academic Summit

• What should be the role of universities in democracy and where civic trust is fragile?
• How can local versus global impact be reconciled, and should all institutions aim for both?
• What is the role of lifelong learning in the future of higher education, and in solving the employability issue in unequal labour markets?
• How do we ensure a fair transfer of knowledge and enable civil society to access research findings?
• How can faculties and universities help to balance technological advancement with ecological, ethical and social imperatives? 

Professor Majozi's abridged CV.

See a detailed THE World Academic Summit programme.