AIIAS is pleased to announce the arrival of the new assistant professor of the AIIAS Graduate School Education Department, Dr. Rolf I. Naidoo.
Rolf Innes Naidoo is of Indian descent but was born in South Africa. Before accepting the call to serve at AIIAS, he worked as a senior lecturer in Helderberg College of Higher Education in South Africa for two years. For the 20 years that he has lived in South Korea, he served for ten years as an assistant professor and nine years as an English language missionary instructor.
He has a PhD in Cognitive Linguistics and English Education from Kyungpook National University in Daegu, Korea, in 2014, and a Master of Arts in applied linguistics from The University of New England in Armidale, Australia, in 2010. He also has earlier educational experience in psychology and communications, languages, and counseling from South Africa and the United States.
Rolf is married to Ji Young Park, a teacher who has been managing the English program at Sahmyook Elementary School in Seoul, South Korea. They are blessed with two children, Ryan (17) and Rachel (10).
“Your arrival has long been anticipated. You are filling a need that is very significant. So plan to stay with us for a long time,” said Dr. Arceli Rosario, chair of the education department at the AIIAS Graduate School.
“A pleasant and towering personality is Dr. Rolf Naidoo. Speak with him, and you will see how meticulous and proper he is with words and pronunciations. He is a linguist, so be careful when you talk to him. He may be listening to your language more than the content,” jests Dr. Samuel Gaikwad, interim vice president for academics at AIIAS. “My personal experience says that he is a nice guy and a good friend. Welcome to AIIAS, Dr. Naidoo. You are among friends.”
Rolf is a firm believer in Adventist Education. “As a Linguistics professor, it is my goal to do my best wherever I am with the gifts God has given me. As Adventists, we come from a culture of excellence, and God expects nothing less from us,” affirms Rolf Naidoo.
The Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS) is an institution of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists that offers exclusively postgraduate education in four main areas: business, education, public health, and religion.
By: Sharnie Love Zamora
AIIAS Assistant for Institutional Writing
