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Music graduate shares her passion with local communityhttp://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=6159Music graduate shares her passion with local communityCorporate Communication/Korporatiewe Kommunikasie [Rozanne Engel]<p>​​​​<br></p><p>For Marlise Theron, creating music daily is not the only driving force in her life anymore. Spending time teaching music to young children in the Cloetesville community has brought her a deeper appreciation for her craft and also a sense of purpose to share that passion with others less fortunate than herself.</p><p>Theron, who hails from Stellenbosch, was awarded the degree of BMus in Music Education cum laude at Stellenbosch University's graduation ceremony for the Faculty of Arts and Social Science on Thursday (13 December). She is also a recipient of the 2018 Conservatoire Stipendium, which is the Music Department's highest award for its most exceptional student. </p><p>Says Theron: “My whole life is steeped in music. I'm really passionate about music and music education. I'm very lucky in the sense that my passion is something that I study and it's something that I unwind with and share with other people."</p><p>Theron, along with other students of the Music Department participated in the ATKV's Abbasorg and Rietenbosch Project during the course of their studies. This project respectively caters to preschool students and elementary school learners from the Cloetesville community. It was started by Danell Muller, a lecturer at SU's Music Department, who along with Theron, Rozelle Wilken, Jolandi Hanekom, Chandre Windvogel, Rachel Mertens and Jessica October, helped to raise some R60,000 for the Rietenbosch Primary School by means of a music concert. </p><p>Says Theron: “Music education is such a rich field. I think it's a noble art to practise, because you have a huge responsibility to carry on making music and convey it to the next generation.</p><p>Apart from her involvement in the Rietenbosch Project, she also helped to organise and facilitate the 2018 Con Serve Eisteddfod for the broader Stellenbosch community, where among 80 participants a 76-year old woman from the Stellenbosch community made her debut. It has become quite clear that her work in Cloetesville has helped to build mutual trust and sound relationships between people, eradicating barriers that have kept communities apart for too long.  </p><p>Theron elaborates: “Music lessons can be seen as a privilege and not an essential for many people. At times when you are a music student it can feel as if you are living in a bubble, where you practice your instrument, and you are fully involved in your own professional music-making world. The ATKV Abbasorg and Rietenbosch Project is a wonderful community initiative and it was a fantastic experience to be part of."</p><p>Theron believes that more music students should consider studying Music Education as it gives one a larger perspective on life and is a wonderful and enriching experience. </p><p>She makes her point as follows: “Unfortunately there are still not many people opting for music education. The future for music education in this country is so incredibly rich and the opportunities are absolutely endless. Studying music education really makes one such a complete musician. There's a misconception that those who do performance have made it, while those who study music education have not made it. However, when you study music education, it does not prevent you to still continue with your music career and it opens a bigger musical world to you."</p><p>Theron has been accepted to study for an Honours degree in Violin performance in 2019, and she fervently hopes to continue sharing her passion for music with the greater Stellenbosch community. <br></p><p>Photo by Stefan Els.<br></p><p><br> </p>
Music students win top prizes at ATKV-Muziqhttp://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=5054Music students win top prizes at ATKV-MuziqLynne Rippenaar-Moses<p>Two music students from the Music Department in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences have walked away with the top prizes at the national instrumental classical music competition, ATKV-Muziq, which was held on 29 July in Parow, Cape Town. <br></p><p>Twenty-four year old pianist and Masters degree student Sulayman Human (photo) was named the overall winner of the competition and received a prize R65 000 while Cameron Williams (saxophone), a second-year BMus student,  received the overall second prize of R32 000. Both students also received additional prizes of R8 500 each with Human receiving the prize for the <em>Best Interpretation of a</em> <em>Baroque or Classical Work </em>for his rendition of Mozart's  Sonata no. 10 in C major, K330; III. Allegretto and Williams receiving it for the <em>Best Interpretation of a South African Composition during the Second Round </em>for his rendition of A. Stephenson's <em>Introduction and Allegro.</em> The overall third prize of R16 000 was awarded to Jeffrey Armstrong (violin).</p><p>ATKV-Muziq is the biggest and most prestigious annual classical music competition in South Africa, with previous winners including international award-winning pianists Ben Schoeman and Megan-Geoffrey Prins. Through the competition ATKV makes a contribution to classical music in South Africa. The competition is open to young musicians between the ages of 15 and 27 with a total of R180 000 in prize money awarded to the winners. </p><p><em>Photo: Pianist and Masters degree student Sulayman Human was the overall winner of the ATKV-Muziq competition this year. (Supplied)</em><br><br></p>
Vosloo couple invests in Chair in Afrikaans Language Practice at SUhttp://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=6909Vosloo couple invests in Chair in Afrikaans Language Practice at SUDevelopment & Alumni / Ontwikkeling & Alumni<p>​​​Ton Vosloo and Anet Pienaar-Vosloo, a couple with close ties to Stellenbosch University (SU), announced that from 2020 they will be sponsoring the Ton and Anet Vosloo Chair in Afrikaans Language Practice at SU for five years.<br></p><p>In addition to the Chair, funds are made available for bursaries for deserving students studying Afrikaans at postgraduate level at SU.</p><p>According to the Vosloo couple, the Chair is aimed at further developing Afrikaans as an important instrument in the service of the entire South African community.</p><p>Until 2015, Vosloo was in the industry for 59 years as a journalist, editor, CEO and chairperson of Naspers, and for the past three years, professor of journalism at SU. Pienaar-Vosloo, also a former journalist, is filming the third television series <em>Mooi </em>for the VIA TV channel. She is a Matie who studied fine art, and is well known for her role as co-founder and director of the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, Aardklop and various other festivals across the country. She is also the first female chair of the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town.</p><p>Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of SU, says the donation not only helps in maintaining Afrikaans as a medium of instruction, but also in promoting Afrikaans as a science and career language in a multilingual community. "As far as we know this is the first and only sponsored Chair in Afrikaans Language Practice at any university," he adds.</p><p>Prof Ilse Feinauer of the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch in SU's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, has been appointed incumbent of this Chair. She has been teaching at the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch since 1982, and since 1996 has been involved in the postgraduate programme in translation, which has been expanded under her guidance from a postgraduate diploma in translation to a PhD in translation. She chaired the Department from 2005 to the end of 2008 and held the position of Vice Dean: Research of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences from 2015 to 2018. In 2013, Feinauer became the first woman to be promoted to professor of Afrikaans linguistics at SU, and in 2014, the Taiyuan University of Technology in Taiyuan, Shanxi (China), awarded her an honorary professorship in their Faculty of International Language and Culture.</p><p>“It is an incredible honour and privilege for me to be able to hold this Chair in Afrikaans Language Practice. All credit goes to Prof Wim de Villiers for laying the groundwork to make this Chair a reality in the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch."</p><p>According to Prof Feinauer, bursaries have already been awarded to four honours students, three master's students, two PhD students and one postdoctoral fellowship in Afrikaans and Dutch for 2020. “This Chair provides the Department with the opportunity to empower postgraduate students in particular to do research in and about Afrikaans in order to pursue a professional career after completing their studies in and through Afrikaans," she added.</p><p>When Ton Vosloo was asked why he and his wife came forward with the support of Afrikaans, he replied: “In my memoirs <em>Across Boundaries: A life in the media in a time of change</em>, published last year, I wrote a chapter entitled, 'Afrikaans in decline'. I made the point in the chapter that I hope gracious individuals would come forward who were concerned with the A to Z of Afrikaans.</p><p>“Anet and I have the grace that we can help. Afrikaans, as Jan Rabie put it, is our oxygen. Now is the time to step in further to develop this incredible source of knowledge for the sake of our nation's future. "</p><p>The Vosloos have been esteemed SU donors for some time.<br></p>
Music Department scoops award for best contribution to public artshttp://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=5533Music Department scoops award for best contribution to public artsLynne Rippenaar-Moses<p>​<span style="text-align:justify;">The Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival (SICMF) presented by the Music Department of Stellenbosch University scooped an award for the Best Contribution to the Visual Arts (including Public Arts) at the Cultural Affairs Awards of the Western Cape hosted by the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) in March. </span></p><p style="text-align:justify;">The Music Department is one of 18 departments within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. <br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">Each year, DCAS invites nominations from the general public of “individuals (residing in the Western Cape) who have excelled and made a difference in one or more of the Cultural Affairs categories; and in the process, made a substantial contribution towards the Western Cape government realising its strategic objectives". The winners are then selected by a panel of experts from those persons nominated. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">“The SICMF was nominated in two categories: best contribution to public arts and best contribution to performing arts.  We won an award for the best contribution to public arts which was presented at a function hosted by the Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Ms Anroux Marais," said Dr Pieter Grobler, the Chair of the Music Department.<br></p><p>“This is a great achievement, not only in terms of the prestige it affords Stellenbosch University but also in terms of recognising the work that the Music Department and  SICMF does in the field of social responsibility. " <br></p><p>Grobler said that he was seated next to Denis Goldberg – a prominent anti-apartheid activist and the only white man to be sentenced as part of the Rivonia trial, which also led to Nelson Mandela's 27-year incarceration – on the night of the awards ceremony when the announcement was made. <br></p><p>Being no stranger to the SICMF, Goldberg was extremely happy that the festival received recognition and the entire Music Department was subsequently invited to his 85th birthday celebrations to be held at the Hugo Lampbrechts Music Centre in April.<br></p><p>Goldberg featured as narrator in the commissioned work<em>, Moments in a Life</em>, at the 2016 SICMF. The music written by local composer Matthijs van Dijk was cleverly crafted to enhance texts taken from Goldberg's autobiography.</p><p>The SU Museum also received an award for the Best Museum Promoting Social Inclusion along with Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum.<br></p><p><em>Photo: Dr Pieter Grobler accepted the award presented by Ms Jane Moleleki, the Director Arts, Culture and Language of the Western Cape government for the SICMF.</em></p>
Herman Wasserman new chair of Journalism at SUhttp://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=9294Herman Wasserman new chair of Journalism at SUStellenbosch University / Universiteit Stellenbosch<p>​Stellenbosch University has appointed renowned media scholar Herman Wasserman as professor and chair of its Department of Journalism as of January 2023.</p><p>Wasserman is currently professor of Media Studies at the University of Cape Town, where he served as director of the Centre for Film and Media Studies from 2015 to 2020. He previously held positions at Rhodes University as well as the United Kingdom-based universities of Sheffield and Newcastle. </p><p>He is an alumnus of Stellenbosch University, where he obtained the degrees BA (1992), BAHons (1993), BHons (Journalism) (1995), MA (1997) and DLitt (2000). He also taught in the Department of Journalism from 2002 to 2007, first as Rykie van Reenen fellow and later associate professor. Before starting his academic career, he worked as a journalist for Media24. </p><p>Wasserman's work has received wide international acclaim. He is a fellow and board member of the International Communication Association, a former section head of the International Association for Media and Communication Research and an elected member of the Academy of Science of South Africa. Other accolades include a Fulbright fellowship, the Georg Forster research award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Germany, and the Neva prize from St Petersburg State University. Locally, he has been awarded the Stals prize for communication science and journalism from the Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns. In addition, Wasserman is editor-in-chief of the journals <em>African Journalism Studies</em> and <em>Annals of the International Communication Association</em>, associate editor of <em>Communication Theory</em> and the <em>International Communication Gazette</em>, and serves on the editorial board of several other journals. </p><p>He has been a visiting professor at the University of Houston (United States), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (Munich) and Tsinghua University (Beijing).<br></p><p>Wasserman's research centres on issues of media, democracy and society. As a member of international research teams, his work has been funded by, among others, the International Development Research Centre (Canada), the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council (both in the United Kingdom), the European Union, the British Academy, the Academy of Finland, the Andrew Mellon Foundation and the South African National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences. He is a widely published scholar with 16 books (monographs and edited volumes), 86 articles in peer-reviewed journals and 55 book chapters to his name.</p><p>His current work focuses on media and disinformation, and he has worked with organisations such as the World Health Organisation, UNESCO, Digital Public Square and Africacheck on issues such as the Covid-19 'infodemic', media freedom and development, media literacy in schools, and online disinformation. He recently led a major international study on information disorder in the global south, supported by the Canadian International Development Research Centre, and the book <em>Disinformation in the Global South</em>, which he co-edited, was published by Wiley-Blackwell earlier this year.  </p><p>“Stellenbosch University is delighted to welcome back Prof Wasserman to his alma mater," said Prof Wim de Villiers, Stellenbosch University's Rector and Vice-Chancellor. “Our Department of Journalism, accredited as one of the best schools of journalism on the continent, has a long history of teaching and research excellence. This is in addition to focused and practical training for journalists who need to operate in a world that is increasingly hostile to objective and fair reporting. Prof Wasserman is ideally suited to be handed the important baton of taking the Department into a challenging, but exciting future." </p><p>Equally pleased with the appointment, Prof Anthony Leysens, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, home of the Department of Journalism, said the Faculty welcomed the fact that someone of Prof Wasserman's academic stature in the field of media studies would be joining the Department. “I can think of no one who is better qualified and experienced to lead the Department and address the challenges and seize the opportunities in a radically changed digital media landscape," Prof Leysens said. “His work has managed to straddle and bring together various disciplines to focus on issues such as culture, democracy, disinformation and power in the media of the global south. I look forward to working with him."</p><p>Prof Lizette Rabe, outgoing chair of the Department, commented: “The Department of Journalism is excited that a media academic with the global standing of Prof Wasserman will be leading it into a completely new digital era – especially at a time when the tenets of traditional journalism, irrespective of platform, including technologies that are yet to be discovered, will become more and more important to serve our publics and help them distinguish between verified, independent, trusted information and the disinformation, misinformation and malinformation that are so overwhelmingly abundant and convincing." </p><p>Wasserman looks forward to joining the University at a time when study of the media has become increasingly relevant. “Journalism and media studies provide the opportunity for students to develop career-oriented skills, while reflecting critically on the role of the media in almost all aspects of politics, society and everyday life," he said. “While journalism internationally is currently experiencing crises of authority, trust, relevance and economic sustainability, the challenge for journalism education is to imagine ways in which journalism can reconnect with audiences, collaborate with communities, reinvigorate democratic participation and foster critical citizenship. This has to be done at a time when political pressures and attacks on freedom of expression are on the increase across the world, and the rise of disinformation has heightened the need for independent, trustworthy and informed journalism. I look forward to contributing to the growth and flourishing of this area of study, research and practice at Stellenbosch University."​<br><br></p><p>Image: Migal Vanas Photography<br></p>
PhD graduate finds learning - and love – at SUhttp://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=10531PhD graduate finds learning - and love – at SU Corporate Communication & Marketing / Korporatiewe Kommunikasie & Bemarking [Anél Lewis]<p>Zimbabwean-born Jabulani Shaba came to Stellenbosch University (SU) to pursue a postgraduate degree in history. But he found so much more. Shaba is awarded his doctorate this week (Monday 25 March) just days after tying the knot with Deveney Manuel, also a postgraduate history student in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.<br></p><p>The proposal took place at Val du Charron Wine Estate in Wellington in December last year, the day after Shaba had successfully defended his PhD. “She did not see it coming and her family kept the secret as well. As I was about to go on my knee, I said her full name and she began crying."</p><p>They first met when Manuel, who hails from Wellington in the Western Cape, was working on her honour's thesis. While Shaba admits that it was not easy working on his doctorate while in a serious relationship, the support of his future wife proved to be invaluable. “During moments of burnout, my partner was there to comfort me and encourage me to finish the final stretch." Shaba adds that if he were a poet, he would describe Manuel as “an embodiment of patience, kindness and understanding; an oasis of love that quenched my thirst and a shoulder to lean on".</p><p>He quips that her support was especially needed during moments of “intense feedback" from his supervisor, Prof Sandra Swart. Swart, who is the Chair of the Department of History and supervisor to both students, would say: “Jabulani, it is better to sweat in training than to bleed in combat." She has been a great mentor and inspiration to both of us, adds Shaba.</p><p>A delighted Prof Swart made a speech at the couple's wedding and when sharing the story of her postgraduate lovebirds, said “One of my favourite authors, Kurt Vonnegut, said 'History is merely a list of surprises. It can only prepare us to be surprised yet again.' Well, imagine my surprise – well, joyful astonishment – when they got engaged."</p><p>Shaba's research focused on the socio-environmental history of women in artisanal gold mining in Zimbabwe between 1932 and 2021. By reconstructing the stories of women in these mining settlements, his work contributes to scholarship on mining labour and gendered resource politics in southern Africa and beyond.</p><p>He says he chose SU for his doctoral studies because of “its diversity and multicultural environment". He adds that he loves the Boland town for its “refreshing ambience of nature, serenity in the mountains and the many places to have coffee. MOOD Coffee Bar is a firm favourite.  </p><p>The couple will soon leave for the Netherlands, where Shaba will take up a postdoctoral researcher position at the University of Groningen.</p><p><strong> Photo:</strong> Curt Ruiters​<br></p><p>​<br></p>
Challenges facing SA’s women not being addressedhttp://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=5062Challenges facing SA’s women not being addressedCorporate Communication / Korporatiewe Kommunikasie<p>On Wednesday (9 August), we celebrate National Women's Day. In opinion pieces in the media, staff at Stellenbosch University write that some of the most important challenges women in South Africa continue to face are not being addressed. Click on the links below to read the respective articles.</p><ul><li>​Prof Juliana Claassens (<a href="/english/Documents/newsclips/JClaassens_CapeArgus_Aug2017.pdf"><strong class="ms-rteThemeForeColor-5-0" style="">Cape Argus</strong></a>)<br></li><li>Prof Amanda Gouws (<a href="/english/Documents/newsclips/AGouws_DieBurger_Aug2017.pdf"><strong class="ms-rteThemeForeColor-5-0" style="">Die Burger</strong></a>)<br></li><li>Prof Louise du Toit (<a href="/english/Documents/newsclips/LduToit_CapeTimes_Aug2017.pdf"><strong class="ms-rteThemeForeColor-5-0" style="">Cape Times</strong></a>)<br></li></ul><p><br><br></p>
Making history? Untold stories see the light thanks to R11.7m granthttp://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=5226Making history? Untold stories see the light thanks to R11.7m grantDevelopment & Alumni / Ontwikkeling & Alumni<p>The untold stories of South Africans who were overlooked in the past and bypassed by history are set to see the light thanks to a new project settled within Stellenbosch University's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. This project, named the <em>Biography of an Uncharted People</em>, has just received a financial injection of R11.7m, spread out over the next five years, from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.</p><p>The project involves delving into the treasure trove of historical data of South Africans, especially black citizens, transcribing large numbers of historical microdata and is a first attempt to bring to light histories of families that were overlooked in the past. </p><p>"The good news is that historical records in digital format are rapidly becoming more available, but the bad news is that the stories these sources can tell remain untold," says project leader and associate professor, Johan Fourie. "Now we have funding to transcribe and analyse these records so as to be able to tell these stories."</p><p>According to Fourie, the project will contribute to the expansion of the Digital Humanities. He says Digital Humanities operates at the intersection of the humanities and computing. Scholars using the methods of the Digital Humanities can make use of a variety of tools, from algorithms that help with textual analysis, to image recognition, to big data techniques. They can digitise and transcribe large databases and analyse individuals' characteristics and behaviour. In the absence of other microdata of South Africans, particularly black citizens, who were often excluded from censuses and reports and underrepresented in other types of archival records such as personal collections of letters, individual-level records are a treasure trove of information about the economic, social, demographic, health, labour, genealogical and migration histories of the Cape Colony and South Africa. </p><p><strong>Contribute to debates in South African history </strong></p><p>Besides transcribing and disseminating these datasets, the project will also begin to analyse the information systematically in order to contribute to debates in South African history. In addition to the research topics to be undertaken by five masters and five honours students, five flagship projects for PhD students have been identified. These sources and the methods of the Digital Humanities will also be introduced into undergraduate and graduate teaching curricula. This will equip a new generation of historians to engage critically with primary sources and large amounts of quantitative and qualitative evidence. </p><p>Fourie says because the apartheid system handicapped South Africa by imposing on it a higher education system designed to maintain social and economic inequalities of race, class, gender, region and institution, this project is also an attempt to narrow the methodological divergence that have occurred in the discipline. </p><p>"We see historical privilege or disadvantage reflected in students' varying ability to work with large sets of quantitative and qualitative historical evidence using technological tools. This project aims to remove the handicaps and produce young scholars skilled in the Digital Humanities and able to teach the next generation," he says. </p><p>Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of SU, says the University is grateful for The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation's continued support to the development of social science and humanities research and knowledge creation and hope to continue this cooperation in future.</p><p>"This initiative clearly addresses our institutional strategy with regard to research in the social sciences and humanities as well as the crucial element of capacity development of young researchers, including those from designated groups. This trans-disciplinary project supports and will contribute significantly to the establishment and development of the Digital Humanities in the Faculty. </p><p>"Furthermore, this project will initiate and anchor a new methodology in the Department of History. It will have an impact on teaching, learning and research and open up opportunities for the motivation of future academic appointments in this field of research and teaching," he adds. </p><p>The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has a longstanding relationship with SU and endeavours to strengthen, promote, and, where necessary, defend the contributions of the humanities and the arts to human flourishing and to the well-being of diverse and democratic societies. To this end, the Foundation supports exemplary institutions of higher education and culture as they renew and provide access to an invaluable heritage of ambitious, path-breaking work. </p><p><strong>On the web: </strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://unchartedpeople.org/">https://unchartedpeople.org/</a></li><li><a href="https://mellon.org/">https://mellon.org/</a><br></li></ul><p> <em>Photo: Project leader, Prof Johan Fourie. </em><br></p><p><br></p>
Experts ask: Is world democracy under threat?http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=5961Experts ask: Is world democracy under threat?Lynne Rippenaar-Moses<p style="text-align:justify;">​​​Is world democracy under threat? This is the question posed by a number of leading researchers across the world, including South Africa, focused on democracy in the book <em>Democracy under Threat: A Crisis of Legitimacy?</em>.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The book was edited and co-authored by Prof Ursula van Beek, the founder and Director of Transformation Research Unit (TRU) at the Political Science Department at Stellenbosch University. TRU focuses on examining South African democracy comparatively in the regional southern African and global contexts from a political, economic and social perspective. The volume is the latest addition to a series of four books on democracy produced by TRU. <br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">“We have been working on this book for the last two years," says Van Beek, “and our research has shown that democracy is under threat from a number of factors, amongst them globalisation. Democratic nation-states are no longer fully in control of their own economies as they are tied into – and rely on – the global economic system. In addition, globalisation exposes citizens in individual countries to more severe economic and social risks. In the labour market this translates into reducing the scope and generosity of social protection systems."<br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">“At the same time, global technological advances call for highly skilled individuals. The latter are more mobile and generally financially better off than their less skilled fellow citizens who have fewer job opportunities and whose earnings are not increasing much either. This disparity evokes resentments that can lead to populism." <br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">“Therise in populism is also a response to the growing inflow of migrants and refugees, which the open borders of democratic nation-states facilitate. The populist tendencies have spread even to the most established democracies; the election of Donald Trump as President of America is a good example of people who feel marginalised and who are thus ready to support a populist candidate promising them a better life." <br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">However, says Beek, it is important to understand that populists are not anti-democrats. In most democracies populist political parties continue to function within the structure of a democratic system. <br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">“The damage populists do is that they erode the liberal values of democracy through their rhetoric and attempts to undermine liberal institutions to better serve their own ends."<br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">The cracks in the foundation of democracy has been showing since 2008, when countries across the world were hit by the financial crisis that originated in the United States with the collapse of the Lehman Brothers investment bank. <br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">“Up until then democracy was the very symbol of human wellbeing. The financial crisis dashed the hopes of many around the world that democracy would bring a better quality of life for everyone, especially for those in the global south". <br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">As noted by one of the authors of the book: “the economic consequences of the financial crisis, such as persistently high unemployment rates coupled with stagnation and even recession, austerity measures, deterioration of income distribution, and increasing poverty, to name a few, are all known too well. Concurrent with global economic slowdown, certain political developments raised not only eyebrows but also, and much more importantly, fears about the well-being of consolidated democracies."<br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">Following in the footsteps of the previous volumes in the series on democracy, the latest book focuses attention on five younger democracies (South Africa, South Korea, Chile, Poland and Turkey) and the well-established democracies of Germany and Sweden.      <br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">Having studied these countries for close to 20 years, the authors found that of the five younger democracies, three have not fared well at all. Turkey has become an authoritarian state, Poland has a populist leader, and South Africa is “struggling in the aftermath of the ruinous rule by former President Jacob Zuma".<br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">“The three countries have suffered a set-back to their democracy. In the process, South Africa has experienced a rise in radicalism between 1995 and 2013 with support for democratic rule declining and support for non-democratic rule on the increase."<br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">The book, says Van Beek, also touched on the impact of “the global screen culture of television and the internet" and how social media influences democratic votes. <br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">“One of the lessons of this study," van Beek added, “is that there is something democracy might learn from diplomacy where the manner of communication is of utmost importance. Instead of shouting at each other, we need to start communicating with each other across these big divides."<br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">While there is concern for the current threats to democracy in countries across the world, Van Beek says that their book is still “more optimistic than other books that have focused on democracy of late". <br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">“There has been some data and other studies indicating that the youth in the United States and Western Europe do not care about democracy, that they are disengaged. Our data shows that the youth are still pro-democratic and interested in democracy. And while our data shows how serious the situation is, it is not beyond hope."<br></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><em>Photo: Lynne Rippenaar-Moses​</em></p>
Arts Faculty helps secure grant to build capacity for early career scholars in Africahttp://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=6460Arts Faculty helps secure grant to build capacity for early career scholars in AfricaLynne Rippenaar-Moses<p style="text-align:justify;">​​​The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Stellenbosch University has helped secure a grant of R13.6 million from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for the newly developed Building Capacity for Early Career Humanities Scholars in Africa (BECHS-Africa) programme.<br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">The three-year transnational programme will offer residency for 30 early career scholars in the humanities to enhance their research agenda. Scholars will be chosen from the institutions that make up the BECHS-Africa partnership: the University of Ghana, the American University in Cairo, Egypt, SU, and the Washington University in Saint Louis, USA, with the University of Ghana as the lead institution. Eight fellows will be chosen from Stellenbosch University. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">The BECHS-Africa will provide avenues for early career scholars to spend an academic term of up to six months in a region of Africa other than their own, or in a global north institution. The programme is informed by research conducted in the United Kingdom by the British Academy and the Association of Commonwealth Universities in 2011. The study “noted that the years following the completion of a PhD are critical to the establishment of a successful research career, as it is during that phase that the skills and knowledge developed through postgraduate training are cemented".</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at SU, Prof Anthony Leysens, was involved in the formulation of the grant proposal. Others who worked on the proposal include Professors Samuel Kwame Offei and Samuel Agyei-Mensah from the University of Ghana; Professor Jean Allman of Washington University in Saint Louis; and Associate Professor Syed Maswood of the American University in Cairo.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">“The opportunity for early career scholars in our faculty to spend a considerable amount of time at our partner institutions (made possible by teaching buy-out) and focus on their own research and under the supervision of a leading scholar is invaluable. South African academics will be exposed to an environment which will certainly shape their thinking and direct their academic career. Younger scholars are usually inundated with teaching, together with the need to be a productive researcher. This initiative enables them to focus, with support, and within a unique environment on their research," said Leysens.<br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">He added that the faculty was also “committed to expanding its collaborations with universities on the continent and to participate in initiatives launched by other African universities". The BECHS-African programme, he said, fits in well with other established programmes for early career academics that faculty already participates in. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">At present, SU belongs to networks like the Partnership for Africa's Next Generation of Academics (PANGeA), of which the University of Ghana is also a partner. PANGeA is a “collaborative network of leading African universities developing research capacity and confidence in bringing African expertise to Africa's challenges". SU is one of eight partners that belong to this network. It contributes to this partnership through the Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences based at the faculty.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The Graduate School itself focuses on strengthening and advancing doctoral training and scholarship on the African continent. It has enrolled more than 220 full-time PhD scholars from 18 sub-Saharan African countries since 2010. To date, 134 PhD candidates have graduated via the graduate school, with many junior academic staff returning to their institutions to take up research and academic positions. In this manner, the School contributes directly to stemming the brain drain of academics from the African continent. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">In 2016, the PANGeA-Ed training and skills development programme was launched. It focuses on the development of research capacity in the arts, humanities and social sciences through research-based research and scholarship support on all the PANGeA campuses in Africa. A year later, the PANGeA Early Career Fellowship programme, which aims to identify academic leaders in the arts, humanities and social sciences in Africa, was established. It offers eight-week residencies at SU for 50 staff members within the PANGeA network over four years (2017 to 2020).</p><p style="text-align:justify;">Leysens said that the BECHS-African programme will further expand on all the work done to capacitate early career academics through the PANGeA and the Graduate School by allowing scholars to combine the experiences they have gained while studying towards their doctoral degree;  acquire new research skills that are essential to the successful further development of their academic career; and start building a wide range of networks that will only benefit their career development. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">At the same time, he said, early career academics from other African institutions will benefit from exposure to the faculty's top-rated scholars. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">“There is also the value-add opportunity for our own members of staff to spend time on the campuses of the other partners. At the same time, we will host fellows from our partners on this campus," said Leysens.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">​“My vision is for our faculty to embrace its African identity, to focus on the continent's challenges and opportunities and to increase our teaching and research partnerships with other African universities. This is an exciting opportunity for our younger colleagues to embrace this vision and to, at the same time, receive early career mentorship."<br></p>