Prof. Ruth Hoskins to keynote XXVII SCECSAL this April – Strengthening LIS for a Digital Future

Prof. Ruth Hoskins

Professor Ruth Hoskins, Dean of Teaching and Learning at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, will be one of the keynote speakers at the XXVII SCECSAL Conference, taking place from 27 April to 1 May 2026 at the Avani Victoria Falls Resort in Livingstone, Zambia.

Her keynote, titled “Strengthening LIS Human Capital in Africa for a Digital Future,” is scheduled for 30 April at 08:30. It will offer valuable perspectives into developing LIS skills and capacities across Africa and explore how the sector can leverage digital opportunities to develop a workforce ready for the challenges of the 21st century.

Prof. Hoskins holds a PhD in Library and Information Science and brings extensive expertise in academic libraries, ICTs in libraries, scholarly publishing, and information behaviour. She has published widely, including work on open access in South African university libraries and indigenous knowledge in open-access repositories.

Beyond research, she has a distinguished career in higher education and professional service, serving on editorial boards, reviewing for leading LIS journals, and contributing to national initiatives that enhance student success and transformative learning. Her commitment to teaching excellence has been recognized with a Certificate of Excellence in Teaching from her university.

Prof. Hoskins’s deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the LIS profession makes her an ideal speaker to address strategic development of LIS human capital for Africa’s digital future.

Join us at the XXVII SCECSAL Conference from 27 April to 1 May and be inspired by Prof. Hoskins’s vision for developing Library and Information Science (LIS) human capital to strengthen Africa’s libraries and information services for a digital future.

Register now: conference.scecsal.org

Learn more about Prof. Hoskins: UKZN profile