Prof José Frantz: Championing Transformational Leadership and Research Capacity in Higher Education

Prof José Frantz currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), where she plays a pivotal leadership role in advancing the university’s research agenda and fostering innovation ecosystems. Her career trajectory exemplifies the qualities celebrated at the Women Leaders in Higher Education Summit — resilience, vision, and a deep commitment to capacity development, particularly among emerging scholars.

With a doctorate in physiotherapy from UWC and a strong academic foundation in health professions education, Prof Frantz has consistently demonstrated the power of women’s leadership to drive transformation in higher education. As a former Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at UWC, she broke ground not only in institutional leadership but also in reshaping research and teaching cultures to become more inclusive, collaborative, and socially responsive.

Her leadership philosophy is deeply rooted in mentorship and capacity building. Over the years, she has supervised 44 Master’s and 19 PhD candidates, contributing meaningfully to the growth of the next generation of academics and researchers. She has also authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and has been an invited speaker and presenter at prestigious conferences across Africa, Europe, North America, and Australia — further amplifying the voice and impact of African women in academia on the global stage.

Prof Frantz’s journey includes participation in international leadership programmes, such as the Oxford University Leadership Programme and the FAIMER Institute in Philadelphia, both of which have helped shape her global perspective and leadership acumen. She is also a past faculty member of the South African Regional FAIMER Institute (SAFRI), where she has helped mentor fellow academics in medical education and research leadership.

A recipient of numerous accolades, she was awarded the South African Association of Health Educationalists (SAAHE) Distinguished Educator Award in 2017 and was recognized as the NRF’s Champion of Research Capacity Development and Transformation in Higher Education in 2016. These awards underscore her commitment to transforming higher education through innovative teaching practices, inclusive research development, and strategic leadership.

Her ability to cultivate international partnerships is evident in her role as principal investigator in a North-South-South collaboration between Norway, Sudan, Tanzania, and South Africa, as well as her leadership in early- and mid-career capacity development programmes in collaboration with institutions such as the University of Missouri.

Prof Frantz’s work exemplifies the summit’s vision of women leaders who are not only occupying spaces of authority but are reshaping those spaces to reflect equity, innovation, and transformative impact. Her passion for developing human capital, especially among emerging scholars, continues to serve as a model of intentional, inclusive, and visionary leadership.