Shikha Vyas-Doorgapersad

Shikha Vyas-Doorgapersad
Professor, Department of public management and Governance
University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Biography

SHIKHA VYAS-DOORGAPERSAD is appointed as a Full Professor, Department of Public Management and Governance at University of Johannesburg, South Africa. Her previous lecturing experience includes International College for Girls (India); University of Zululand, and North-West University (South Africa). She holds degrees of M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Rajasthan (India). Her research interests are in Public Policy, Gender Issues, and in Municipal Governance. She has developed a focus area in research exploring gender aspects in public management. Under this focus area, she publish articles exploring gender-gaps (linking to gender equality and women empowerment) in public policies. She has also started publishing articles incorporating Indian-based spiritual practices. Through her writings, she demands that employee wellness policies and practices within organisations need to incorporate gender-based spiritual wellness (yoga, meditation) as male and female employees experience different forms of stress at workplace. The impact of spiritual wellness must be measured from gendered perspective for improved productivity. She has presented 61 research papers at international conferences in India, South Africa, Namibia, Abu Dhabi, Mauritius, Brazil, Indonesia, Uganda, Botswana, Canada and Japan, and virtually in Greece, Montenegro, and Italy. She has authored two books (University Book House, Jain Prakhan Mandir [Publishers in India]), Editor of three books (Taylor and Francis, Routledge [Publishers in New York]); contributed nine chapters in international books, have published more than fifty articles in national and international accredited journals. She serves as Editor-in-Chief, Guest Editor, Associate Editor, Editorial Board Member and reviewer to South African and international journals. She is a member of the International Scientific Committee to various global conferences. She has supervised eighteen Master dissertations, promoted three doctorates, and supervising five international doctorates from Zimbabwe and Uganda. She has examined thirteen Doctorates and thirty-eight Master dissertations/mini-dissertations from various Universities in South Africa and Uganda. She is an assessor to promotion committees at various Universities in Ghana. She serves as External Moderator/Examiner for MA and Ph.D. for several universities in South Africa. She is also a facilitator of short-courses aimed to train municipal employees. She was awarded Certificate of Appreciation by the Central Admission Committee, University of Rajasthan, India; recipient of Institutional Teaching Excellence Award (ITEA) 2009 at the North-West University (Vaal Triangle Campus [VTC]; recipient of Institutional Research Excellence Award for the years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 at the North-West University [VTC]; awarded as one of the top 20% performers for the years 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 at the North-West University (Vice-Chancellor Awards). She is a member of Global Excellence in Stature (GES) initiative of the UJ signing MoAs with Public Management Departments/Universities in Africa and abroad. She has visited Uganda and Ghana for such collaborative purposes and have 14 MoAs signed with departments/units/universities within Africa, Asia, and North America. In order to achieve the objectives of such MoAs, she is involved in conducting comparative research and co-author research findings with the academics from Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda (Africa), and Texas in America. She is active in social media whereby her interview on the state of the City Address by the Mayor Parks Tau, City of Johannesburg, was broadcasted on the 7th of May 2015. Her two books in India were released by Professor K.L. Kamal, Vice-Chancellor, University of Rajasthan, India; and Mr. Rajendra Bhanawat, Director, Directorate of Literacy and Continuing Education, Government of Rajasthan. In South Africa, her books were released by Prof Linda Du Plessis, Vice-Rector, Vaal Triangle Campus, North-West University; Mr Joseph Wambia who has over 30 years of experience in international development and finance, including 26 years at the World Bank; Prof Benon Basheka who is a Vice-Chancellor at Uganda Technology and Management University (UTAMU). This book launch DVD can be downloaded from: http://youtu.be/Co5i-kYmWPg. The latest book is planned to be launched in November 2017 and will be released by Dr Sydney Mufamadi, Former Minister of Provincial and Local Government, South Africa. She was inaugurated as a Professor on the 10th of November 2015 and the video of her Professorial Lecture can be downloaded from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90CWDtDdGQE. In order to fulfil the aims of the community engagement portfolio, Prof Shikha Vyas-Doorgapersad started a home-based community service project called Heal Humanity: a Love, Care and Share (LovCaSh) Initiative in 2012. The reason of its establishment was that the well-being of our community has been overlooked. People in various circumstances, are in desperate need of help from others. Inconsideration of priority needs, LovCaSh Initiative is extending a helping hand to desperate people to provide basic essentials, such as food, health, and happiness, through: love humanity unconditionally; care of human beings with kindliness; and share our joy with the less privileged. Since its inception, LovCaSh has assisted various organisations with food, clothes, basic toiletries, stationary, reading books, beds, carpets, etc. The organisations approached so far are: Masakane Day Care (an aftercare for disadvantaged children); St Mary’s Children’s Home (an orphanage); Alberton SPCA; Kowa Pienaar Tehuis (a home for senior citizens with 62 disabled and frail residents); Stepping Stone Hospice; and Broken Wings (an organisation for adult with disabilities). LovCaSh is now a registered organisation as NPC 2015/050171/08.