Agriculture and Science

Dr. Joseph Ntabeni Jere is a Lecturer in the field of Information Systems and Technology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). He holds a PhD and a Master’s degree in Information Systems and Technology from UKZN, and a Bachelor of Science Honours in Computing from the University of Greenwich in the United Kingdom. He also holds a graduate diploma (GDip), a higher diploma (HDip) and a diploma (Dip) in Management of Information Systems with the Institute for the Management of Information Systems (IMIS) UK and is a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) with Cisco Systems. With over 17 years of experience in higher education, Dr. Jere has developed extensive expertise in teaching and academic development. His lecturing portfolio covers a wide range of lecturing from postgraduate to undergraduate level and has played a pivotal role in student foundational support (university access programmes). He has been instrumental in developing curricula and online learning strategies.

Dr. Jere’s research explores the broader intersection of technology adoption and social development, with interests in the application of emerging technologies across academia, agriculture, the health sector, and business to address real-world challenges. He has a growing publication record in accredited journals and has presented his work at international and national conferences.

A dedicated educator, Dr. Jere’s teaching philosophy is grounded in the principle of leveraging student diversity as a critical pedagogical resource. This approach has been honed through his extensive experience supporting students from quintile 1-3 schools and diverse backgrounds. He is also an active research supervisor, having successfully guided Master’s and Honours students to completion. As a foundation programme coordinator he has successfully developed student support interventions such as the foundation mentorship programme and the implementation of the ethical use of AI in the foundation programme.

Committed to community engagement, Dr. Jere has led knowledge-sharing workshops on blended learning for academic staff and outreach initiatives at local high schools. He is a full member of the Institute for the Management of Information Systems (IMIS) and a Golden Key International Honour Society member.