Dr. Praneschen (Che) Govender – PhD | VR/AR Education Specialist | Immersive Learning Researcher
Dr. Praneschen (Che) Govender is an immersive technologies practitioner and researcher specializing in the integration of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) into higher education. Born in South Africa and now based in Amsterdam, he brings a unique perspective on how immersive technologies can transform learning experiences across cultures and contexts.
Academic Credentials
Dr. Govender holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. His doctoral research provided him with a deep understanding of human behavior, cognition, and organizational dynamics—insights that now inform his work in designing effective immersive learning experiences.
Current Role
Dr. Govender currently serves as the VR/AR in Education Lecturer at Hotelschool The Hague in the Netherlands, in cooperation with Warp VR. In this role, he leads the integration of VR and AR technologies into the curriculum, helping students experience real-world scenarios from anywhere in the world. He and his colleagues have been driving the integration of immersive technologies into over eight courses since the pandemic created the need for learners to experience real-life learning from their own homes.
Previous Experience
Prior to his current position, Dr. Govender was a Lecturer at the University of Johannesburg in the Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management. There, he developed expertise in organisational development interventions, including:
Research & Projects
Dr. Govender's research explores the use of AI tutors in education in both 2D and 3D forms, as well as the application of VR/AR for performance enhancement and onboarding training. His work forms part of the Transformative Hospitality Education and Tech Abilities Research project (Erasmus+).
Students in his "Future of Work" minor have created immersive prototypes using Design-based Research, collaborating with industry leaders including Hyatt and Hilton to develop VR onboarding training prototypes.
His published research includes:
View his research profile on ResearchGate.
Dr. Govender is passionate about edTech innovation in the tertiary education sector and beyond, committed to exploring how immersive technologies can create more engaging, effective, and accessible learning experiences for students worldwide.
Lecturer
