The Faculty of Humanities is pleased to announce that Professor Christopher Isike has been appointed Head of the Department of Political Sciences, effective 1 August 2024.

Professor Isike holds a PhD in Political Science and has more than 20 years of teaching and research experience. He has contributed to the UP Department of Political Sciences for nearly a decade as a full Professor of African Politics and International Relations. In 2022, he was appointed Director of the African Centre for the Study of the United States at the University of Pretoria (ACSUS-UP). This research centre fosters scholarly collaboration, policy engagement, and cultural exchanges between African and American institutions.

Globally recognized in the discipline of Political Science, Professor Isike serves as President of the African Association of Political Science (AAPS) and is actively involved in international research collaborations through memberships in organizations such as the International Political Science Association (IPSA), South African Association of Political Studies (SAAPS), the Canadian Association of African Studies (CAAS), and the Global Conflict Mediation and Resolution Network (EPOS). He is an Advisory Board Member of the Society of Gender Professionals (SGP) and Board Member of Global Development Network (GDN), a public international organization established by Joseph Stiglitz that promotes better policies and better lives through high-quality policy-oriented social science research conducted in developing and transition countries.

A C2-rated researcher by the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa, Professor Isike has over 80 publications in leading national and international journals, as well as books and chapters published by esteemed houses such as Bloomsbury, Cambridge Scholars, and Palgrave Macmillan. His latest edited books include  Big Brother Naija and Popular Culture in Nigeria: A Critique of the Country’s Cultural and Economic Diplomacy  (with O. Ogunnubi, and O. Ukwueze; Palgrave Macmillan, 2023) and Conflict and Conviviality: The Ambivalence of African Migrant/Host Relations in South Africa, Palgrave Macmillan (with E. Isike; 2022). Prof Isike has received prestigious grants from the American Political Science Association (APSA), the US Department of State, the National Institute for Humanities and Social Science (NIHSS), and the University of Western Australia. He is also an Adjunct Professor of African Studies at Curtin University, Australia.

We are confident that Professor Isike will continue to lead the Department of Political Sciences to new heights and that he will contribute significantly to its ongoing success.

Congratulations, Professor Isike.