On Friday 4 September amidst the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies (DHHS) held a virtual event to connect with their students and to celebrate their achievements of 2019.
Since the early 1990s, the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies has held annual events to celebrate and acknowledge their students' achievements. This is highly appreciated by them and contributes to their CVs, making them more "ready for work". According to Karina Sevenhuysen who organises the event, “Over the years, the awards ceremony has also functioned as a marketing tool to showcase the activities of the Department and the achievements of the students”.
Most of the sponsors form an integral part of the Department’s community engagement within the broader historical and heritage and cultural tourism community. Alumni of the Department are also actively involved, either as presenters on behalf of sponsors or as sponsors themselves - a clear indication of the Department's commitment to their students and the relationships that they build with current and former students.
It has also become customary to host the function with a specific theme in mind, for example "inspired by the past" (2012); "out into the world ..." (2016); "reaching the finish line against all odds ..." (2017); "we did it!" (2018); and "advice to my younger self" (2019). This year’s theme was "ready for work? ready for life!" (2020).
The Department of Historical and Heritage Studies' first-ever Virtual Award Ceremony
This year’s award ceremony was well-attended, and included: Prof Vasu Reddy (Dean of the Faculty of Humanities) as guest speaker; Prof Norman Duncan (Vice-principal: Academic); Ms Lindiwe Soyizwapi (Director: Dept Library Services) and a number of sponsors, including:
- Protea Bookshop, JL van Schaik, UP Museums and UP Archives;
- Department Alumni Rian Leith and CR Botha;
- Academic societies including Historical Association of SA (HASA), SA Historical Society (SAHS), Historical publications of SA (HiPSA), African Historical Review;
- And from Industry: Getaway, Sakabula Safari and Tours)
In addition, colleagues from Education Innovation, the Faculty of Humanities’ academic administration, Merensky Library staff and other colleagues from the Faculty of Humanities were in attendance.
Prof Karen Harris, Head of Department, emphasised that the awards ceremony was “a highlight of the academic year” and particularly thanked the sponsors, who have formed a relationship with the Department spanning many years.
Prof Reddy, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, recognised the historic nature of the event as the Department’s first virtual ceremony. Prof Reddy also observed how the prize giving played an important role as a marketing tool showcasing the activities and achievements of the Department and Faculty more broadly. Prof Reddy particularly noted the importance of the event in bringing together alumni and sponsors with current students. Prof Reddy extended his congratulations to the students for their achievements and thanked the staff of DHHS for their hard work.
Organiser of the event and lecturer in the Department for many years, Mrs Sevenhuysen, emphasised the way the Department sought to prepare students not just for work, but for life more broadly, with a focus on the importance of “soft skills”. Mrs Sevenhuysen stressed the importance of ‘visual intelligence’ that the Department’s training encouraged, building on the ‘ability to transform data into information and knowledge’, which she reminded the attendees was a critical skill.
The theme of the award ceremony was "Ready for work? Ready for Life!"
Our students display multiple skills that were recognised
The Department is thrilled with the success of this year’s event and has this message for their students the Department says we think you are: “ready for work& ready for life!" (2020). The Department of Historical and Heritage Studies extends congratulations to the following students who won awards:
History Undergraduate:
- Suzanne Loots – Rian Leith Award for outstanding performance in History at first-year level
- Kristal Klingenberg - Historical Publications Southern Africa (HiPSA) Award for the best History essay by a first-year student.
- Armin Kific – African Historical Review Award for the best second-year student in African History.
- Sabrina Jardim – Southern African Historical Society Award and Protea Book Store Award for the best second-year student in South African History
- Stephanie Cookson, Madison Moulton, and Noah Nkhoma - J.L. van Schaik Publishers Award and Historia Award for best third-year History students
- Stephanie Cookson – Historical Association of South Africa Certificate for best undergraduate History student over three years
Heritage and Cultural Tourism Undergraduate:
- Chizoba Agodi –Award for Heritage and Cultural Tourism for best first-year student
- Jenira Ferreira – CR Botha Award for Heritage and Cultural Tourism for best second-year student
- Shayleen Gething – Sakabula Safari & Tours Prize for Heritage and Cultural Tourism for best third-year student
- Shayleen Gething – Historical Association of South Africa Certificate for best undergraduate Heritage and Cultural Tourism student over three years
History Postgaduate (Honours):
- Ruby McGregor-Langley – J.L. van Schaik Publishers: Prize for History (for best honours student) amd Historical Association of South Africa Certificate for best History honours student
- Francois Annandale – Historical Association of South Africa Certificate for best Heritage and Cultural Tourism honours student
- Giné Gebhardt - Protea Book Store Award for best research report by a History honours student
- Giné Gebhardt, Gelaine Hart and Cassandra Squire – UP Archives Research Award for best group assignment by History honours students based on primary research: “What’s in the Box” project
Heritage and Cultural Tourism Postgraduate (Honours):
- Francois Annandale – Getaway Award for best Heritage and Cultural Tourism honours student amd Historical Association of South Africa: certificate for best honours student in Heritage and Cultural Tourism.
- Danolien van den Bergh – UP Arts Museum Book Award for best honours research report in Heritage and Cultural Tourism
- Danolien van den Bergh – UP Arts Museum Book Award for outstanding performance in Heritage and Cultural Tourism at honours level for best Campus Tours’ tour guide
- Steven Motena - UP Museums Book Prize for outstanding performance in Heritage and Cultural Tourism at honours level (merit award)
The Department of Historical and Heritage Studies would also like to recognise our postgraduate students who graduated in September 2019 and April 2020:
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN HISTORY
- Marcus Richard Melck, "Eine andere Heimat - A different home. A biographical narrative of South African Germanness, 1864 – 2014"/ Supervisor : Prof KL Harris
- Stephen Peter Symons, "Shadows asking an echo to dance - Navigating ambiguity: How former conscripts (1980 - 1990) navigate memories of induction into the South African Defence Force (SADF) in post-apartheid society" / Supervisor : Prof SE O'Connell
DOCTOR OF LITERATURE IN HISTORY
- Victoria Regina Heunis, "Anglo-boereoorlog boerekrygsgevangenekuns, 1899-1902" / Supervisor : Prof FJ Pretorius
MASTER OF ARTS IN HISTORY
- Martin Richard Coetzee, "Cimatographs, Crystal Valves and American Cultural Imperialism: The Role played by IW Schlesinger's Media Organisation at the Genesis of the South Africa's film and Radio Industries, 1913-1937" / Supervisor : Dr G Paleker
- Morgainne Sue Du Plessis, "How beloved is Alan Paton's Beloved Country? A historical appraisal" / Supervisor : Prof KL Harris
- Silvânia Arlete Borges Salvador, "Angola and the Southern African Development Community's energy sector in a contemporary historical perspective: Policies, strategies and frameworks from 1980 to 2005" / Supervisor : Dr G Ncube
MASTER OF SOCIAL SCIENCE IN HISTORY
- Andile Onke Bam , "Advantage Line: Contextualising the transformation debate by exploring the socio-political history of rugby in South Africa" / Supervisor : Dr IM Macqueen
- Nobungcwele Holiness Mbem, "Rethinking railway histories of the Transvaal: Examining the relationship between infrastructure, modernities and people, 1860s-1960s" / Supervisor : Dr G Paleker
- Sarah Jessica Meewes, "South African Ballet: A Performing Art during and after Apartheid" / Supervisor : Dr IM Macqueen
- Marius Scheepers, "The Battle at Indungo, 31 October 1987: An SADF military venture against SWAPO in the Angolan Border war" / Supervisor : Prof FJ Pretorius
- Elizabeth Freda Soer, "Stuck in the past: A continuum of colonisation in Iraq (1900-2004)" (cum laude) / Supervisor : Dr IM Macqueen
MASTER OF SOCIAL SCIENCE IN HERITAGE AND CULTURAL TOURISM
- Matikoe Matsoso, "Landlocked Lesotho: South Africa's tourism stranglehold?" (cum laude) / Supervisor : Prof KL Harris
MASTER OF SOCIAL SCIENCE IN HERITAGE AND MUSEUM STUDIES
- Itumeleng Nonkululeko Masiteng, "A bone to pick: Curation vs Repatriation - Understanding the contestation of human remains in South African museums (at Ditsong National Museum of Cultural History)" / Supervisor : Prof SE O'Connell
- Dominique Niemand, "'Bid vir my ma': A narrative inquiry into the experiences of white (cum laude) Christian Afrikaner females during SADF conscription from 1980 until 1990" / Supervisor : Prof SE O'Connell
Virtual Campus
Get Social With Us
Download the UP Mobile App