About IACE

Our Vision, Mission and Values

Our Vision

A future filled with hope through better thinking and learning.

Our Mission

We provide easy access to useful and theoretically sound information; enabling developing countries and marginal groups to develop their cognitive skills.

Our Values

Community: We strive to put knowledge in the context of relationships. We value the developmental power of healthy relationships in communities as the optimal context for learning, development and success.
Citizenship: We value the different roles each individual must fulfil to create a thriving society. We, therefore, strive to enable individuals to lead with stature, to serve society with their particular knowledge and skills, to relate to others in society on an authentic human level, and to uphold spiritual, moral and ethical standards accurately.
Individuation: We value the uniqueness of each person and strive to foster a distinct process of growth for each through mediated learning experiences.
Potential: We value the potential of each individual to grow and develop. We believe that with the right kind of instruction and support, the human brain can improve and develop, irrespective of a person’s age, background, hereditary or physiological challenges.
Hope: In everything we do we strive to give hope and to unlock the possibility of a thriving future.

Our Story

In 1994 the International Association for Cognitive Education in Southern Africa (IACESA) was established with 100 founding members at its inaugural conference at the University of the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg, South Africa). The establishment of IACESA came as a result of a need to consolidate different theoretical approaches focusing on cognitive education that emerged in South Africa during that period. At the same time, it also became essential to deploy important information about the development of cognitive education to a growing number of users. What was at stake was that the field of cognitive education could have developed in an uncoordinated way, compromising its potentially positive impact on post-apartheid South Africa. For 25 years IACESA became the collective voice of scholars and practitioners that influenced educational reform in the democratic transformation of South Africa.

The following individuals served as Presidents of IACESA during this time:

Merven Skuy
1994-1996
Jenny Pretorius
1996-2000
Charl Cilliers
2001-2002
Lillian Lomofsky
2002-2004

Anita Worrall
2004-2006
Lena Green
2006-2009
Anita Worrall
2009-2011
Elsefie Wranz
2011-2013

Estelle Brettenny
2013-2015
Mary Grosser
2015-2017
Magda Kloppers
2017-2019

During 2018 the Executive Board of IACESA went through a process of self-reflection and ultimately decided that a new approach is needed to advance cognitive education in ways that are more relevant to the 21st Century. Also, an opportunity was identified to expand the traditional reach of IACESA beyond the region of Southern Africa. This process of strategic repositioning resulted in the founding of a new Non-Profit Organisation in 2019, namely: the Institute for the Advancement of Cognitive Education (IACE). Thus, IACE continues with IACESA’s mandate to advance cognitive education, but in ways that are more relevant to the demands of the 4th Industrial Revolution and the 21st century.

Management Committee

IACE advisory board members provide expert input in different functional areas and assist IACE strategically to advance cognitive education optimally.

Dr. WP Wahl

Chairperson

Dr WP Wahl developed a scholarly interest in cognitive education during his post-graduate studies in Theology and Higher Education Studies…

In 2011 he obtained an interdisciplinary PhD, focusing on the application of Feuerstein’s Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) in the field of religious education. Dr Wahl is currently the Director: Student Life at the University of the Free State (UFS) – South Africa – and in this capacity, he leads an innovative research project evaluating the ways in which the theory and applied systems of MLE can enhance the developmental ecology of higher education students; especially students hailing from disadvantaged backgrounds. Through this research project, he has established both national and international partnerships within the field of cognitive education. In 2018 he gave guest lectures on Feuerstein’s MLE at the Università degli Studi di Firenze in Florence, Italy. Dr Wahl is well experienced in collaborating on an international level through joint projects. He is the current Vice President: Africa for the International Association of Cognitive Education and Psychology (IACEP) and has served as an executive board member of the International Association for Cognitive Education in Southern Africa (IACESA) since 2017. Research publications and conference presentations (both nationally and internationally) substantiate Dr Wahl’s scholarly contribution. He currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal for Student Affairs in Africa (JSAA), and supervises post-graduate students at the UFS’ Faculty of Education.

Prof. Richard Nichol

Psychology/Psychiatry

Prof Richard Nichol is currently serving as a Principal Specialist and the head of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, at the Department of Psychiatry, University of the Free State (UFS)…

a position he occupied since December 2004. Additionally, Prof Nichol received the academic appointment as Associate Professor in May 2009 at the UFS, and in this regard, he has participated in more than 20 different research projects (apart from numerous international clinical pharmaceutical trails) and has published and presented academic papers both nationally and internationally. Prof Nichol’s academic and professional responsibilities include, amongst others, the following: Committee member of the South African Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (SACAPAP) during the period 2001-2009, as well as from January 2011-July 2011. In this capacity, Prof Nichol served as chairman of the organising committee for the 17th biannual SACAPAP conference (international conference) in 2009.

Furthermore, Prof Nichol was the chairman of the Free State branch of the Society of Psychiatrics in South Africa. Between 2008 and 2010 he also convened the special interest group in child and adolescent psychiatry for the same society. Prof Nichol has served on numerous occasions as an examiner for the Colleges of Medicine in South Africa in the fields of child psychiatry, psychiatry and neuropsychiatry. He is also serving on the board of the Colleges of Medicine in South Africa (Psychiatry section. Prof Nichol is a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Clinical Practice Network (GCPN) since 2014.

Prof Nichol will provide expert advice to IACE regarding the cognitive development of children and adolescents.

Bronwyn Muteebezi

Occupational Therapy

Bronwyn Muteebezi obtained her Bachelor of Occupational Therapy in 2010 from the University of the Free State, South Africa. She has been working in a community-based…

practice for the past eight years. In this regard, she has led the department focusing on community-based rehabilitation. A substantial part of her work is in the area of paediatrics, involving issues of cerebral palsy, intellectual impairment and autism. She has a strong family-based approach to create an environment at home that is conducive to development and growth.

Bronwyn Muteebezi will provide advice to IACE in the area of Occupational Therapy with a specific focus on the cognitive development of children and individuals coming from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Malerato Lesia

Education

Malerato Lesia obtained the degree Bachelor of Arts (Economics) in 2002, a PGCE (Mathematics and Economics) in 2011…

and a PGDip in Mathematical Education in 2018. She is currently studying towards a Masters degree in Mathematical Education at the University of the Free State, South Africa. Since 2012 she has been serving as an educator at the Albert Moroka Secondary School in Thaba ‘Nchu. Malerato Lesia received the award for the Best Educator: Economics in the Motheo District in 2013, as well as Best Educator: Economics in the Thaba ‘Nchu sector in 2013 and 2017. Additionally, students under her supervision won the South African Reserve Bank Monitory Policy Committee Challenge in 2015 and 2017. Malerato Lesia will provide advice to IACE on the application and advancement of cognitive skills in the educational sector.

Cornelis van Heyningen

Creative thinking; spirituality

Cornelis van Heyningen is the founder of Creare Training Centre; an NPO that provides skills training in different domains…

e.g. music, drama, dance, arts, multimedia, and spiritual development. Creare presents classes to approximately 450 students on a weekly basis and has developed a strong national and international footprint over the past 25 years. Cornelis van Heyningen is the creator and director of three multi-disciplinary theatre productions involving music, drama, dance, art and multimedia. The different casts of these productions had toured nationally performing in schools, community halls and the Sand du Plessis provincial theatre. Cornelis van Heyningen has also produced three CD albums. He will advise IACE on matters of creative thinking and spirituality, as well as giving input regarding the organisational aspects of an NPO functioning in the sphere of education and training.

Dr. Marilize Pretorius

Language development/therapy

Dr Marilize Pretorius is an applied linguist with a PhD from the University of Antwerp in Belgium…

As an applied linguist, she seeks to design solutions to everyday language problems responsibly. More specifically, her research interests lie in the design and teaching of language and (intercultural) communication curricula. Although currently situated in Belgium, Dr Pretorius remains a research associate at the University of the Free State and seeks to engage with the challenges arising from the complexities of South Africa’s multilingual and multicultural context. Having taught academic literacy in South Africa for a number of years, she is particularly interested in finding possible solutions to some of the challenges that many first-year students face at university given their relatively low levels of academic literacy. Her position is that while remedial tracks at a university are essential and necessary, a complementary solution would be to provide educators in primary and secondary education with additional resources and support to facilitate the development of learners’ language skills and academic literacy. Since language is the vehicle for education in all subject areas, the type of educator support Dr Pretorius envisages is not only relevant for language teachers, but also for content teachers. Dr Pretorius will advise IACE in this regard.