Dr. Anette Mienie

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation, and Engagements (RIE), MUT

The institutional architect of MUT’s research culture, celebrating a 25-year legacy of building research excellence from the ground up and driving the integration of science, law, and societal innovation.

Dr. Mienie has been a foundational leader at Mangosuthu University of Technology. She holds the senior executive position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation, and Engagements (RIE), where she oversees the strategic trajectory of the university's academic contributions and community impact. The SoE Conference is privileged to host her during this significant period of her distinguished career at MUT.

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The Foundational Legacy: 25 Years of Research Excellence

Dr. Mienie is the founder of MUT's Research Office, an institution she built from the ground up at a time when academic research was nascent at the university. Her leadership is credited with fostering a supportive environment that encouraged and supported academics to pursue higher qualifications and greatly expand the institution's scholarly output.

Dr. Mienie recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Research Office, a testament to her long-term, transformative commitment to building a robust research ecosystem at MUT.

Under her visionary leadership, several key programs were launched to promote academic rigor and diversity:

Established the Research Excellence Awards to recognize and reward scholarly achievement.
Launched focused initiatives to support women in research.
Spearheaded the establishment of the Technology Transfer Office to bridge the gap between academic ideas and industry application.

Strategic Vision: Integrating Science, Innovation, and Law

Dr. Mienie's academic pursuit of an LLB in Intellectual Property Law is a direct reflection of her strategic goal to integrate scientific advancement with the practical needs of societal innovation.

Her work in the RIE portfolio actively promotes a vision where:

Academic research is translated into commercially viable and socially impactful intellectual property (IP).
Science is seamlessly linked with innovation for tangible community benefit.
The institution’s engagements create measurable, positive outcomes for the KwaZulu-Natal province and the broader South African community.

A Significant Conference Moment

Dr. Mienie's address at the SoE Conference is set to be a significant moment. Having co-hosted the joint Research and Community Engagement Awards in October 2025—which she noted was her last as an MUT employee—her keynote is a unique opportunity for her to share her ultimate reflections on the journey of institutionalizing engagement and innovation.

Attendees will gain final, candid insights from a leader who has played a foundational role in shaping MUT’s identity as a University of Technology and Engaged Scholarship.