Dr. Palesa Sekhejane is currently the Executive Head (interim) of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), leading an Africa Focus research division – Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA). Dr Sekhejane continues to be the Director for Strategic Partnerships with a special focus on African relations for delivering on continental strategies.
She is the current Chairperson of the Science for Africa Foundation’s Africa Fellowship Program for POSSIBLE-AFRICA (Preparing Outstanding Social Science Investigators to Benefit Ives and Environments in Africa). Previously a Research Specialist at Africa Institute of South Africa within HSRC conducting research in health sciences, innovation, biomedical technology developments, and policy-relevant thematic areas in various African countries.
Dr. Palesa Sekhejane holds a health sciences Doctoral degree in Biomedical Technology, and specialized in Biophotonics, with advanced training from the University of Illinois (USA). Dr. Sekhejane serves on the research ethics committee with a special focus on biomedical-oriented studies. Additionally, she is the chairperson of Gauteng’s Technical Committee War Room on Crime and Law Enforcement. Recently appointed to UNESCO’s natural sciences committee, and She is a research associate at the University of Johannesburg in the Applied Sciences Research Unit, Faculty of Sciences. She’s Former member of ECOSOCC.