By Lwazi Nongauza

Final preparations are underway for Marshall Hendricks who is set to start a full time five year lecturing role at Leeds University.

The young electronic engineering genius specialist is the first young African person whose excellent hard work and rare electronics niche knowledge is being imported by the 115 year old iconic European leading university.

The Cape Town based Activator is expected to jet off to the leading British institution at the end of February. The young social change driver who experienced a minor setback will be assessed by a physio to check the extent of the injury. The checkup and the report will hopefully clear him to embark on his life changing experience.

Together with England based season academia expert Dr. Morris, Hendricks will be imparting his micro-electronics knowledge to thousands of UK based learners.

Hendricks joins a long list of Activators (like Isasiphenkosi Mdingi who is doing her doctorate, Gladys and Sesinyi who is doing medicine in Cuba) who have advanced their academic journey all over the world. In an exclusive interview with Activate Leadership, the delighted Activator revealed how the opportunity came about; his plan on leveraging on skills; and networks that will come with this opportunity.

How did you get this opportunity?

I hold a microelectronics qualification from University of Cape Town, possess people management skills and I have a teaching work background. Therefore I guess those well-documented credentials earned me this opportunity. Dr. Morris (who is also one of the lectures from Leeds University) and I met through one of the microelectronics community skills transfers. She was extremely impressed by my skills. She informed her fellow colleagues and I was later formally invited by Leeds university to join their lecturing team.

How will you use this opportunity to advance your social change driving mission?

I know very well that this is once in a lifetime golden opportunity with many positive prospects. So I have lined up a number of activities that allow me to impart my knowledge to students, learn as much as I can from everyone I meet, set up long lasting strategic relationships that will empower myself and the neglected members of society who have thrown their lives to harmful substances and violence.

What are you intending to do when you are done with lecturing at Leeds University?

Obviously to come back home to South Africa and try to impart my United Kingdom earned knowledge. I would also like to open an electronics focus foundation that will assist poor talented and deserving kids to make their electronics to become a reality. The foundation will empower these great minds with practical training, bursary and electronics industry entry work experience.

This dream off course depends on the social and political environment and whether it is conducive enough. There also needs to be willing, strategic people and institutions within and outside the South Africa who are happy to collaborate with me.