Prof Ylva Rodny-Gumede is the Executive Director: Advancement at the University of the Free State, in charge of institutional advancement, communication and marketing, and student recruitment.
Prof Rodny-Gumede holds a PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London, and two master’s degrees – one in Politics from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and another in Journalism from Cardiff University in the United Kingdom. She also completed an Executive Leadership Programme at the Johannesburg Business School.

She is an accomplished leader and academic with a multi-disciplinary background and extensive experience in higher education, strategic communication, institutional advancement, cross-sector collaboration, global engagement, public diplomacy, and strategic communication.

Prof Rodny-Gumede has also consulted for prominent multilateral organisations and held senior research and advisory roles with, among others, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNESCO, and the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education. She previously served as Head of the Division for Global Engagement at the University of Johannesburg, where she also held several academic positions, including that of Full Professor in the School of Communication.

Prof Rodny-Gumede has held several public governance and leadership roles and previously served as a trustee of the board of Brand South Africa. She currently serves on the International Council of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR).

She is an NRF C2-rated researcher and has published extensively on journalism, strategic communication, and transformation in higher education. She is a respected public intellectual, contributing regularly to both local and international media.