By The Division of Communication and Advancement
Dr Ashley Westaway, a prominent South African education and community development champion, has been nominated to the Rhodes University Council.
His extensive qualifications include a Master of Arts with distinction in History from Rhodes University, a Doctorate in Literature and Philosophy from Fort Hare University, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with distinction from Rhodes University, obtained in 2023.
Significant contributions to local education initiatives mark Dr Westaway's professional career. His tenure at the Border Rural Committee was characterised by incisive strategic management and enhanced organisational sustainability. In 2010, he was recognised globally through the award of an Ashoka Fellowship, allowing him to innovate in the field of integrated rural development in the former Ciskei.
Since December 2011, Dr Westaway has been the General Manager of GADRA Education, where he has made a profound impact. Under his leadership, GADRA Education has been revitalised with notable achievements, including developing the GADRA Matric School into Rhodes University’s largest feeder school. He also played a crucial role in securing the University’s appointment to manage its public school intervention programme and restoring GADRA’s financial stability.
Di Hornby, Director of Community Engagement at Rhodes University (RUCE), praised Dr Westaway’s thoughtful approach to crafting interventions. “He generates useful data that informs programmes, ensuring meaningful impact,” she said. “His deep personal investment in his work is evident in his emotional connection to the success of young people who have benefited from GADRA's programmes.”
In addition to his work at GADRA, Dr Westaway has served in various advisory roles, including positions on the Eastern Cape Development Tribunal and the Betterment Task Team. Since 2015, he has been a Research Associate in the Faculty of Education at Rhodes University, contributing significantly to the Pathways to Education, spearheaded by Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor Professor Sizwe Mabizela upon his inauguration. The initiative addresses unequal access to quality education in Makhanda.
GADRA Education, under Dr Westaway’s leadership, also partnered with RUCE in an initiative that saw Rhodes University become the first South African university to win a top place for the prestigious 2021 MacJannet Prize for Global Citizenship for its Nine-Tenths Matric Mentoring Programme. The prize, launched in 2009, recognises exemplary university student civic engagement programmes worldwide.
Dr Westaway’s career is decorated with accolades from prestigious organisations such as the South African NGO Coalition, Impumelelo, and the United Nations Development Programme.
He is married to Professor Lise Westaway, and the couple has a daughter, Anelisa Mfenyana, who is herself one of the success stories of the GADRA Matric School.
Dr Westaway’s extensive academic background, strategic leadership and unwavering commitment to improving education and rural communities underscore his significant contributions to the field. Through his work with GADRA Education and Rhodes University, Dr Westaway continues to shape the future of education and development in the region.