The
South African Association of Political Studies (SAAPS) has honoured
Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Prof Pierre du Toit with its prestigious
Lifetime Achievement Award.
SAAPS
is the oldest professional and subject association for political scientists in
the country with one of its aims to recognise scholars (students and lecturers)
for their scientific contribution to SAAPS and political science in general.
The
Lifetime Achievement Award is based on a peer review of a scholar's work and
recognises exceptional and internationally-recognised sustained scholarship
over a period. Du Toit, of SU’s Department of Political Science, has been
recognised for this work on, inter alia, democratisation and South Africa’s
democratic transition.
He
received the award at the Association’s recent Awards Ceremony that formed part
of its National Conference held at the University of the Western Cape.
In
his acceptance speech, Du Toit reflected on the rewards of an academic career
(which he called a vocation rather than a mere job) by focusing on research,
methodology, teaching and academic discipline.
SAAPS
congratulated Du Toit for his major academic contribution and wished him well
for the future.
Prof
Hennie Kotze, former dean of SU’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, received
the award in 2014.
Photo: Proff Pierre du Toit and Amanda Gouws of the Department of Political Science