Hester du Plessis holds a PhD in Philosophy (UNISA) and is currently a Chief Research Specialist and Head of Science Engagement and Gender at the Research Use and Impact Assessment (RIA) unit of the Human and Social Science Council (HSRC) in South Africa. She was previously the Head of Faculty: Humanity at the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) in Woodmead, Johannesburg. She was also previously a Senior Research Specialist and Head of Science Communication in the Research Use and Impact Assessment (RIA) unit at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). She has academic and journalistic experience in the field of Art and Design and was Senior Researcher at the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA), University of Johannesburg (UJ). She was acting director for the Sustainable Energy Technology and Research (SeTAR) Centre, Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Research, Faculty of Science, UJ. She held a Research Chair in Design Education and Innovation at the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India in the Design Vision Centre (DVC). Her main areas of research follow a transdisciplinary approach and she is engaged in research in the areas of science communication, public understanding of science, civilizational studies, the arts, gender and philosophy. Besides a number of journal articles, her co-authored book publications include Science, crafts and knowledge: understanding of science amongst artisans in India and South Africa and The concept and application of transdisciplinarity in intellectual discourse and research and The rise, decline and rise of the Chinese civilisation: searching for an organising philosophy.