Umesh Ramnarain is a Distinguished Professor of Science Education, and Director of the Centre for Advanced Learning Technologies in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (CALTSTEAM) research centre at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. His main research interest is on inquiry-based science education, with a particular focus on its uptake in South African classrooms, where the unequal funding policies of the previous Apartheid education system have resulted in learning contexts that are complex and diverse. His research is highly impactful and has been published in high-ranking journals within his discipline such as Journal of Research in Science Teaching; Science and Education; International Journal of Science Education; Research in Science Education; Studies in Science Education and so on. He is associate editor of the Q1 journal, Research in Science Education, and has served on the editorial board of Journal of Research in Science Teaching. He has in excess of 100 peer reviewed journal article publications. He is currently a B-rated researcher by the National Research Foundation (NRF). He is recognized among the top 50 Education Scientists in Africa by AD Scientific Index. He is amongst the Top 2% of global scientists in the Stanford/Elsevier list of 2025. He is the recipient of the NRF’s prestigious Champion of Research Capacity Development and Transformation Award. He is a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf).
