This professor is going all the way from Manenberg to Harvard University in the USA after scoring a coveted scholarship.
Dr Marvin Jansen, the Head of the Clinical Skills Centre at the University of Cape Town (UCT) has been awarded the prestigious Harvard South Africa Fellowship for 2025.
Dr Jansen uses TikTok under the username Dr Marvin Jansen (PhD) to reach a wider audience and particularly high-school learners, to share educational content.
With his friend Kevin Martin, he has also co-founded an in-person mathematics tutoring program called SilverStream Tutoring in Heideveld.
Prior to joining UCT, Dr Jansen worked as an Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedic in both the public and private sectors.
It was during his time as a paramedic lecturer that he discovered and developed a passion for education in healthcare.
He founded and leads the African Simulation Network, an initiative aimed at advancing healthcare simulation across the African continent.
Dr Marvin says: “My work currently revolves around healthcare simulation, a powerful tool for training future healthcare professionals.
“I hold a PhD in Health Sciences Education, and my passion is twofold: first, to help healthcare professionals become more effective educators, and second, to explore how healthcare simulation can enhance the training of healthcare students.
“My belief in the transformative power of education is what brought me into this field.
“I am deeply committed to helping people become the best versions of themselves, and I see education, both formal and informal, as a key vehicle for achieving this.”
The husband and father of two, whom he refers to as a constant source of joy and inspiration, is the eldest of two children raised in Manenberg by Maureen and Allan Jansen.
He adds: “While Manenberg, like many areas in the Cape Flats, faces significant social challenges, it is also a community defined by resilience.
“My family played a critical role in instilling values of perseverance and determination in me.”
Established in 1979 by Harvard University President Derek Bok, the Harvard South Africa Fellowship Program (HSAFP) provides educational opportunities to South Africans who had been denied access to higher education as a result of and during apartheid.
The program offers mid-career professionals from South Africa the chance to study at Harvard University, typically for a year, with the goal of equipping them with skills to contribute to South Africa’s development across various sectors, including public service, business, academia, and civil society.
Dr Jansen was selected to attend the prestigious General Management Program at Harvard Business School.
This program focuses on enhancing strategic thinking, leadership skills, and overall business management abilities.
Dr Marvin says: “Being selected for this fellowship is both an incredible honour and a humbling recognition of my professional journey.
“It offers me a platform to grow, not just as a leader, but as someone committed to making a meaningful impact both in South Africa and beyond.”
shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za