Ahmed Essop

Ahmed Essop is an independent consultant and Research Associate in the Ali Mazrui Centre for Higher Education Studies, University of Johannesburg. He has over 20 years experience in higher education policy and planning and has been involved in the key policy initiatives linked to the transformation of the higher education system in South Africa, having served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Council on Higher Education (CHE) between 2010 and 2015 and and as Chief Director for Higher Education Planning in the former Department of Education between 1997 and 2005. Prior to that he was at the Centre for Education Policy Development (CEPD), which co-ordinated the development of the education and training policy of the African National Congress in the early 1990s.

Essop holds an honours degree in Sociology frrm the University of Essex and a Masters in International Development Education from Stanford University.