​​​​​This year, the biennial Thys Visser Commemorative Lecture hosted by the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, will be given by Prof Emmanuel Akyeampong of the Center for African Studies at Harvard University in the USA.

The title of Prof Akyeampong's lecture is: Pandemics, Commodity Markets and Recessions: Africa and the Corona virus.

The lecture will be streamed live and will also be recorded.

Date:           27 May 2021

Time:           12:30

Live streaming:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC22fcr80QaETDNoeilYnxsg.  ​After the lecture, the link for the recorded lecture will be published on the home page of the faculty website (www.sun.ac.za/ems).

​ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Prof. Emmanuel K Akyeampong is the Ellen Gurney Professor of History and of African and African American Studies and Oppenheimer Faculty Director of the Center for African Studies at Harvard University. He is a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a Corresponding Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (UK).

Prof Akyeampong is the author and editor of several books and articles including Drink, Power, and Cultural Change: A Social History of Alcohol in Ghana, c.1800 to Recent Times (1996); and Between the Sea and the Lagoon: An Eco-Social History of the Anlo of Southeastern Ghana (2001).

He served as co-chief editor with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., for the Dictionary of African Biography, 6 vols. (2012). He has also been a co-editor of the Journal of African History, of African Diaspora and serves on the editorial board of African Arguments.

THYS VISSER

After graduating from Stellenbosch University in 1977 with a BComHons degree, Mr Thys Visser qualified as a chartered accountant. In 1980 he joined the Rembrandt Group, where he held various positions before his appointment as Managing Director of the Group. From 2000 until his untimely death in 2012 he was Chief Executive Officer of Remgro Limited.

In his 32 years with the Group he left an indelible mark on the company, its investments, the employees of the Group and the South African business landscape at large.

Mr Visser, who served as a director on the boards of numerous listed companies, was also the chairperson of Stellenbosch University's Stellenbosch Trust. In this capacity he played a pivotal role in the governance of university funds. Under his leadership, significant trust resources were allocated to building capacity in the university, promoting its interests internationally, and substantially strengthening the university's fundraising efforts.

We are proud to honour him with this lecture that bears his name, and would like to convey our gratitude to the Visser family and Remgro Limited for their support.

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