Profile
Dr Udesh Pillay
Dr Udesh Pillay
Dr Udesh Pillay is an Urban Geographer and Built Environment Specialist by training. He is interested in the interface between research-praxis-and policy. Dr Pillay holds a Masters degree (summa cum laude) from UKZN, and a PhD (also cum laude) from the University of Minnesota in the U.S.A.
Dr Pillay’s career has straddled both the public, private and parastatal space – he has held executive positions at the CDE, IEC, HSRC, SALGA, and StatsSA. He has also taught extensively at a cross-section of South African and international universities. Most recently, Dr Pillay was the Dean of the UFS Business School. He is also an emeritus research fellow at Harvard and the LSE.
Dr Pillay is an esteemed scholar with 5 books to his name, and over 100 peer-reviewed articles in accredited local and international journals. His book entitled Development and Dreams: The Urban Legacy of the 2010 Football World Cup is an international bestseller, and is now in its 4th reprint. His new book on BRICS is due for publication in the 3rd quarter of 2025. Dr Pillay writes regularly for the Business Day, Mail and Guardian, and Daily Maverick newspapers. He provides thought-leadership on a range of socio-economic, development, and policy issues. He was also intimately involved in the drafting of the National Development Plan (NDP) and the TOR for the Presidential Infrastructure Co-ordinating Commission (PICC).
Dr Pillay’s career has straddled both the public, private and parastatal space – he has held executive positions at the CDE, IEC, HSRC, SALGA, and StatsSA. He has also taught extensively at a cross-section of South African and international universities. Most recently, Dr Pillay was the Dean of the UFS Business School. He is also an emeritus research fellow at Harvard and the LSE.
Dr Pillay is an esteemed scholar with 5 books to his name, and over 100 peer-reviewed articles in accredited local and international journals. His book entitled Development and Dreams: The Urban Legacy of the 2010 Football World Cup is an international bestseller, and is now in its 4th reprint. His new book on BRICS is due for publication in the 3rd quarter of 2025. Dr Pillay writes regularly for the Business Day, Mail and Guardian, and Daily Maverick newspapers. He provides thought-leadership on a range of socio-economic, development, and policy issues. He was also intimately involved in the drafting of the National Development Plan (NDP) and the TOR for the Presidential Infrastructure Co-ordinating Commission (PICC).