Curriculum Vitae:
Minister of Education, Prof Kader Asmal, MP
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Personal
Date of birth: October 8, 1934, Stanger, Natal
Marital status: Married to Louise Parkinson,
Children: Two sons
Academic Qualifications
Qualified as a school teacher at the Springfield Teachers' Training College, Durban.
BA degree, University of South Africa
LL. B and LL. M, London School of Economics, London University
MA, Dublin
Law scholar at the London School of Economics (1960)
Barrister of Lincoln's Inn, London, and King's Inn, Dublin
Career
Law teacher, Trinity College, Dublin, for 27 years, specialising in human rights, labour and international law
Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Trinity College (1980-1986)
Professor of Human Rights, University of the Western Cape (1990-1994)
Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry in the South African Government (1994 - 16 June 1999)
Current Position
Minister of Education in the South African Government (since 17 June 1999)
Membership/Positions/Other Activities
A founder of the British Anti-Apartheid Movement in London
Founder of the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement (1963) and chairperson (until 1991)
Vice-President of the International Defence and Aid Fund for Southern Africa (1968-1982)
President of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (1976-1990)
Member of the Constitutional Committee of the ANC since its establishment in 1986
Elected to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ANC (July 1991)
Appointed to the ANC's National Commission for the Emancipation of Women (1992)
Delegate to Working Group 1 of the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (Codesa) (1992)
Member of the negotiating team of the ANC at the Multiparty Negotiating Forum (1993)
A vice-president of the African Association of International Law
Member of the Board of Sponsors of the South African Institute for Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation of Offenders
A trustee of the Street Law Project
Member of the Board of Control, Centre for Applied Legal Studies, University of the Witwatersrand
Member of various South African and international associations, including vice-chairperson of the Independent World Commission on the Oceans
Appointed as member of Council of the University of the North (1992). Subsequently elected chairperson. Resigned 1995, but remained a member of the University Foundation
Rapporteur of various United Nations and non-government conferences on South Africa (since 1974)
Participated in a number of international commissions of enquiry on human rights issues
Awards/Decorations/Bursaries
Unesco Prize for the teaching and development of human rights (1985)
Publications
Has written two books, co-edited another, written nine chapters in books and over 150 articles on legal and political aspects of apartheid, labour law, Ireland and decolonisation
(Source: Ministry of Water Affairs and Forestry, 4 September 1996)