Zerish Zethu Nkosi is a professor at Unisa and the executive dean of the college of human sciences, where she is responsible for the strategic leadership of the institute. She is passionate about teaching and learning, and has focused much of her time and energy on mentoring young academics and providing students with support. She believes helping others has helped her get her to where she is today.
She has a string of degrees and diplomas in the nursing field, which is quite an accomplishment for someone who grew up in KwaMashu township, north of Durban, and she says that this demonstrates that one can rise against all odds.
Among her many achievements, she initiated a Charitable Housing Association disability group, which benefits tenants and increases the capacity of recipient charities to carry out their own charitable activities and increase their effectiveness.
She also began an Honours Grow Your Own Timber project, which involves funding and academic support. Her mentorship project has produced four professors and three chairs of the department.
Zerish has made a notable difference in the nursing profession by empowering others to do well in their studies and the profession as a whole, having graduated more than 20 PhD students and 30 master’s students.
The name of the organisation at which you work
Unisa
Your educational background, listing your qualifications and institutions, if any:
- Doctoral Degree, University of KwaZulu-Natal
- Higher Education Management Certificate, University of
- Witwatersrand
- Diploma in Nursing Administration, Unisa
- Master’s degree in nursing, University of KwaZulu-Natal
- B CUR, (Bachelor of Nursing Science), Unisa
- Diploma in Psychiatric Nursing, Iris Marwick College
- Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery, King Edward College of Nursing
Your greatest achievement
Being the first graduate at home to reach doctoral level is Zerish’s greatest achievement. She is also proud of having mentored young academics and supported vulnerable people.