Prof (P) Prince Ngobeni
Campus Principal: Qwaqwa Campus


Prof Prince Ngobeni has been appointed as the Principal of the Qwaqwa Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS), effective 1 February 2024.

Prof Ngobeni's academic journey began with a National Diploma in Analytical Chemistry from the then Technikon North-West (1989), followed by a National Higher Diploma in Chemistry from the then Technikon Pretoria (1992), while working at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for nine years. He then joined Technikon North-West as a Chemistry lecturer in 1995, completing his MTech degree at Technikon Pretoria in 1998 and his DTech in Chemistry at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). 

In April 2003 – July 2003 he worked in ITALY (Stazione Sperimentale per I Combustibilli:  via Galileo Galilei, 1 20097 San Donato Milanese, MI) : TO validate analytical methods for the analysis of trace metals in diesel fuels using ET AAS (SIMAA 6000) and ICP MS (ELAN 9000).

He was awarded the title of Associate Professor at TUT in 2004. Furthering his education, he completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education Management from the University of Bath, England.

His career at TUT saw him progress from Lecturer (1995) to Head of the Department of Chemistry (2003), Associate Dean of the Faculty of Science (2010), and finally, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science (2015-2023). From 2018 to 2020, he also served as Interim Campus Rector of TUT’s Pretoria Campus, which houses the faculties of Arts and Design, Engineering and Built Environment, Management Science, and Science, as well as the university's main offices.

Prof Ngobeni has a distinguished record of research and publication in peer-reviewed journals, starting in 1994, and has been the recipient of numerous National Research Foundation (NRF) grants since 1996. In 2005, he established a bilateral research agreement with the University of Antwerp (Belgium). He has served TUT in various governance and management roles.

Prof Ngobeni is and has been a member of several professional bodies, including Mattek at the CSIR, the South African Chemical Institute (SACI), the Society for Atomic Spectroscopy, and the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP). He has secured research funding for individual projects and international partnerships, initiated chemistry practical sessions for local schools, and participated in the Technology Station in Chemicals project, supporting SMEs in the chemical sector. His publications cover a range of chemistry-related and managerial topics, and he is a frequent presenter at local and international conferences.