Dr Nico Jooste is the Senior Director: International Education at the, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. He acted in this position since July 2000. He was responsible for the development of the Office for International Education at the University with the philosophy of Comprehensive Internationalisation as the guide.
He is involved in the re-thinking of Internationalisation Globally and arranged the Global Dialogue on the future of Higher Education Internationalisation in January 2014 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. This event brought together all the major role players in Higher Education Internationalisation. He is currently also the Deputy President of the International Education Association of South Africa.

Prior to his appointment at the NMMU (initially UPE before the merger) he was the Executive Director of Eastern Cape Higher Education Association from June 1998 to June 2000. He was also the Acting University Registrar of the University of Fort Hare from Jan 1995 – December 1996 and Deputy Registrar Academic from Jan 1993.

He was Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in the Department of History and Economic History, University of Fort Hare from. February 1982 – February 1992. His areas of specialization are Eastern Cape History and International relations of South Africa during the period of the Cold War.

He has published widely on South African History as well as on Higher Education Management and presented numerous papers at local and International Conferences on both topics. He holds a PhD in History.