Dear Humanities Colleagues 
 

Belmont Forum Research Grant   

 • Hester du Plessis’ (Dean’s Office) PREMISS project was one of 13 successful projects awarded a grant under the Forum’s Transdisciplinary research for pathways to sustainability initiative. 

This project also involves researchers from IRD (the French Institute of Research for Sustainable Development), the ThuyLoi University (Vietnamese University of Hydrology), the National Taiwan University, CBS, an International Business School in Köln, Germany, and the University of Bilgi, Turkey. Researchers will investigate the extent innovative technologies can support transdisciplinary approaches to enable and support the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Grants   
 Please join me in congratulating our colleagues who received grants under this call:

 • Juan Bornman (CAAC) and her colleagues Dana Marks (Ludwigs Maximillian University) and Marika King (Utah State University) who aim to establish a joint online international peer-group discussion forum and POD  • Denel Chetty and Duncan Reyburn (School of the Arts) who are working towards Creating an alternative online (drawing) learning environment for a new digital humanism • Karen Harris, Alois Mlambo, Tinashe Niyamunda, Thula Simpson, Ian MacQueen, Nisa Paleker, Glen Ncube, Karina Sevenhuysen, Charlene Herselman, CR Botha and Hannes Engelbrecht(Historical and Heritage Studies) will research the Pandemic Classroom: Grouping the digital divide  

Appearances on Media Platforms

 • Tharina Guse (Psychology) published an opinion article on Happiness in times of crisis: Is it possible and relevant? on News24.com 

• Roland Henwood (Political Science) has given several interviews on: • RSG about the call to postpone the local government elections (Clip 1 and Clip 2, Clip 3, Clip 4) and the cancelled by-election in the Buffalo City Metro (Eastern Cape)  • Radio Islam discussing Former President Jacob Zuma’s affidavit to the Constitutional Court • SAFM about the Ukrainian Foreign Minister’s claim that Russia is threatening his country with destruction and Alexei Navalny’s hunger strike • RadioPretoria about the recent by-election results and the prospects for smaller parties in the forthcoming local government elections 

• Chris Nshimbi (Political Sciences) presented two papers at a virtual conference titled "Octo-bounded: Zambia’s border relations in comparative perspective" and "Of rocks and hard places: Catch-22s in state policy and security in Southern African borderlands". You can read more about this engagement here 

• Abdi Samatar (Political Sciences) published the article Somalia’s toxic political and security order: the death knell of democracy in The Conversation 

• Jonathan Okeke’s (Philosophy) article on “Theory of Conversational Thinking” was the topic of a roundtable discussion at the Centre for Leadership Ethics in Africa (CLEA) at the University of Fort Hare. Panellists included Professors Bruce Janz and Bernard Matolino and Dr Chad Harris 

• Alf Nilsen (Sociology) participated in the following: • SAFM he discussed the COVID disaster in India and a follow up discussion on India’s alarming COVID statistics • An interview with Doing Sociology about his research on social movements in India • A book discussion on Iron Will: Global Extractivism and Mining Resistance in Brazil and India at the University of Helsinki • CapeTalk on India’s Second Wave disaster 

• Austin Pinkerton (Political Sciences) published the opinion article How ‘Free’ is free? on the Faculty website and an article on the launch of the new UPJournals Platform 

• Alexander Johnson and members of the School of Arts partnered with Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá to launch an ambitious inaugural seminar series. Speakers from UP and UTP discussed questions of culture, museology, and the creative endeavors among others. The next two seminar sessions will run from 17-19 May 2021 and 21–23 June 2021. 

• Nontembeko Bila (Social Work & Criminoloogy) presented a lunch time campus talk on Mentally Healthy Work Spaces 

• Wesley Mwatwara (Historical & Heritage Studies)published the article Transborder (in)security in the Honde Valley and the Specter of Covid-19 on Kujenga Amani 

• Chris Isike and Maxi Schoeman (Political Sciences) presented the paper “The domestic soft power drivers of regional leadership in Africa: a comparative analysis of Nigeria and South Africa towards a case for Group Hegemony” to the International Research Network on Southern Regional Powers in a Changing Global Order. 

• Chris Isike (Political Sciecnes) also appeared on: • SAFM to discuss Cuba/US relations following the handover of power from Miguel Diaz-Canel • Nigerian Channels TV to discuss Freedom Day, the dreams of 1994 and today’s reality  

• Hein Willemse (Afrikaans) appeared on: • Netwerk24 with the article In Suid-Afrika vernietig vuur and a piece titled Be ethical, moral and honourable • RSG' s Kommentaar programme  

• De Wet Swanepoel (Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology) was featured in the Tukkievaria with Fitbit for your ears: UP produces first-of-its-kind solution to encourage safe listening 

• Makone Maja (Dean’s Office) wrote the article UP joins international Octopus Programme arts initiative as network partner on the UP and Faculty Websites 

• Vicky Heunis (Historical & Heritage Studies) won the Protea Book prize for her thesis in Afrikaans and her win was covered in articles on the Faculty website, Netwerk24 and Maroela Media 

• Our THC graduates were profiled in the article on the UP Website UP caps inaugural graduates of first Master’s in Tangible Heritage Conservation in sub-Saharan Africa  

Publications on academic platforms

 • Alf Nilsen (Sociology) along with Karl von Holdt co-edited the book Rising Powers, People Rising: Neoliberalization and its Discontents in the BRICSS Countries which was published by Routledge 

• Benda Hofmeyr published the article Foucault’s Analyses Of Neoliberal Governmentality. Past Investigations And Present Applications in Etica & Politica / Ethics & Politics  

Scheduled Events

 • The French Films on UP Campus film festival will run from 17 – 28 May 2021 and will feature films such as Swallow of Kabul (along with a live Q&A session with French actress & director Zabou Breitman), Les Miserables, Portrait of a Lady on Fire and the film Kalkfontein GaMasha from one of our own graduates Burger Foster (Historical & Heritage Studies). 

• Nhlanhla Mnisi (African Languages) will present a seminar on 27 May 2021 on the topic Translating Citizen Science Tools: Potential, Challenges and Future Directions. Click here to RSVP and contact Penelope Mdluli.

 • Tangible Heritage Conservation programme (School of the Arts) will host the Global Consortium for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage’s annual meeting between 28-29 October 2021.

My congratulations to all our colleagues and to our staff and students who graduated this week. I would like to mention our colleague Lehlogonolo Poopedi who graduated on Thursday with her MA in Social Work.