On 30 March 2023, the Faculty of Humanities bid farewell to its Dean, Prof Vasu Reddy, who has been appointed as Vice-Rector: Research and Internalisation at the University of the Free State (UFS).

Prof Reddy joined the Faculty in 2015 as Dean and a Professor of Sociology. A formidable researcher, he has received a B1 NRF-rating and been elected as a distinguished member of the Academy of Sciences for South Africa. Keen to challenge prevalent narratives, Prof Reddy has spent his career at UP emphasising what it means to be human and exploring how we affect, impact and change the environment we occupy. He has also contributed towards many successes and achievements during his time at UP including:

• Raising the Faculty’s QS Ranking to 34 in 2023;
• Improving specific subject rankings across the Faculty such as: Development Studies’ position within the world’s Top 100, Archaeology’s ranking among the Top 200, Sociology’s place within the Top 300, and Political Sciences’ standing within the world’s Top 400;
• Launching Africa’s first MA programme in Tangible and Heritage Conservation; and,
• Establishing a range of new research Centres, Units and Schools such as the Centre for Asian Studies in Africa and the UP-chapter of the African Centre for the Study of the US.

As Dean, Prof Reddy’s has also raised more than R50 million from the Andrew W Mellon Foundation to fund several faculty-wide initiatives that researched: poverty, (in)equalities, genders and sexuality, decoloniality, HIV/AIDS and public intellectuals. These projects have supported staff as they achieve their research objectives and funded a significant cohort of postgraduate students. Reddy has also raised funds to support the Faculty’s broader gender studies research through grants from, among others, Africa Scope. His tenure has also contributed towards other Faculty-wide achievements such as advancements in teaching and learning and in promoting greater social responsibility.

Over 250 of Prof Reddy’s colleagues, family and friends attended the farewell event at the Bridge Gallery in the Javett-UP Arts Centre. The event featured performances of Sibelius’ Andante Festivo by the UP Symphony Orchestra, Inkosi Namandla (God of Strength) by UP Camerata Choir, and Mozart’s Rondo ‘Alla Turca’ by internationally acclaimed pianist Megan-Geoffrey Prins who also lectures in the School of the Arts. Colleagues and students also delivered brief messages documenting Prof Reddy’s tenure and impact as Dean. These included: Prof Ruksana Osman, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic at the University of the Witwatersrand; Prof Narnia Bohler-Muller, Executive Director of the HRSC’s Democracy, Governance and Service Delivery Programme; and UP colleagues Prof Theo van Wyk, Prof Sandy Africa, Prof Innocent Pikirayi, Prof Karen Harris, Prof Mpume Zondi, Dr Sepetla Molapo, Ms Vicky Reynders, and his PhD student, Mr Trevor van Wyk.

As his parting gift, Prof Reddy launched the HumanEATies, a cookbook produced by staff and students from the Faculty of Humanities in collaboration with Dr Hennie Fisher and his students from the Consumer and Food Sciences Department of UP’s Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences – they also catered the event with a menu of dishes from the cookbook. Published by ESI Press, HumanEATies is a compilation of 100 recipes that celebrate the cultural diversity of a faculty that spans a century. Each guest was presented with a complimentary copy of the cookbook and a limited edition HumanEATies apron.

The Faculty of Humanities thanks Prof Reddy for his commitment, service and dedication to both the Faculty as well as UP as a whole. We wish him everything of the best!