Professor Ylva Rodny-Gumede is the Executive Director: Advancement and Stakeholder Relations at the University of the Free State (UFS), where she provides strategic leadership for stakeholder relations management, fundraising and alumni relations, communication, marketing and brand, and student recruitment. She is also a full Professor in the UFS Business School.
She holds a PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), 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, United Kingdom. She has also completed an Executive Leadership Programme at the Johannesburg Business School.
An accomplished academic and leader, Professor Rodny-Gumede brings a multidisciplinary background and extensive experience in higher education leadership, institutional advancement, strategic communication, global engagement, public diplomacy, and cross-sector collaboration. Her work is distinguished by a strong focus on institutional transformation, strategic positioning, and building meaningful partnerships across sectors and international contexts.
She has consulted for prominent multilateral organisations and held senior research and advisory positions with institutions including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNESCO, and the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education. Before joining the UFS in her current capacity, she served as Head of the Division for Global Engagement at the University of Johannesburg, where she also held various academic positions, including Professor in the School of Communication.
Professor Rodny-Gumede has contributed to public governance and institutional leadership through several roles, including her previous service as a trustee of the Brand South Africa board. She currently serves on the International Council of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR), contributing to international dialogue and collaboration in the field of media and communication research.
An NRF C2-rated researcher, Professor Rodny-Gumede has published extensively on journalism, strategic communication, and transformation in higher education. In addition to her academic contributions, she is a respected public intellectual who regularly contributes to local and international media, engaging with contemporary debates on communication, higher education, and societal transformation.