Dr Charles Mphande

Dr Charles Mphande is an educator, communication for development specialist and applied linguist.

He lectures in International Community Development with interests in discourse in development and other settings; network analysis, especially among emerging communities in Australia; knowledge democracy movements and the growing space for social economy and its promise to the Global South. Further, Charles is interested in learning and teaching in such interdisciplinary human sciences areas as community development. He brings to the International Development Course, not only his academic expertise and experience but also the benefits of his years of experience in international development practice with communities, grassroots organisations and multilateral bodies in international development.

From 2006 to 2007 Charles was the English Language/ESOL and Communication consultant in the Language Across the Curriculum Grant for the Electronic & Electrical Engineering Faculty at Victoria University, involved with the newly introduced problem-based learning (PBL) program. Charles developed the content and ran the orientation and clinical workshops for staff aimed at helping staff handle students’ academic communication and English-language needs in the problem-based learning context. While the orientation workshops dealt with theoretical bases of (English language) self-/participant–directed learning, the clinical workshops involved hands-on discourse analysis of students’ reports and reflective journals to single out student (English language) learning progress or/and problems, as well as their general progress in learning how to learn experience, to avert possible learner attrition.

Dr Mphande has years of experience working with civil society organisations overseas in long-term development and social mobilisation, especially for girls' education, and health. Further, he has hands-on overseas experience doing commissioned evaluations of national development programs funded by World Bank. While he was engaged in evaluation of programs in general, he was particularly called upon to evaluate the information education and communication (IEC) functions.

Charles is an academic editor of The Asian English for Specific Purposes Journal. He is also an active member of the Communication and Partnerships team of Engagement Australia. He has received awards for excellence in research and research training, and excellence in work towards education of African-Australians and Africa.