The University is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor James Ogude as the new Director of the Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship (CAS) with effect from 1 January 2017.

Professor Ogude, who is currently a professor and senior research fellow, has been the Deputy Director of the Centre since May 2013.

He was awarded a PhD in African Literature by the University of the Witwatersrand and also holds a master's degree in Literature and a BEd(Hons) in Literature, English and Education from the University of Nairobi.

Prof Ogude has extensive research experience, as well as experience in the management of research. Prior to his appointment at the University of Pretoria, he was on the staff of the University of the Witwatersrand where, following his appointment in 1994, he served as a Professor of African Literature and Cultures in the School of Literature and Language Studies, and as Head of African Literature and Assistant Dean: Research in the Faculty of Humanities. He was also a member of the University Research Committee.

Prof Ogude, who has received a B rating from the NRF, is the author of five books and one anthology of African stories. He has also published more than 50 articles on African literature and popular culture in Africa in local and international peer-reviewed journals. His research interests include the African novel and the postcolonial experience in Africa. More recently, his research focus has shifted to popular cultures and literature in Africa, with special focus on African cities and the role of the arts in the making of identities. He is currently the Principal Investigator of a University of Pretoria research project on the African philosophy of Ubuntu, which attracted major funding from the Templeton World Charity Foundation.

He is an acclaimed academic with wide-ranging international research networks and a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) and the Modern Language Association of America. He has served on boards of statutory bodies, including the National English Literary Museum (NELM). He also sits on the editorial boards of leading international journals such as The Journal of Commonwealth Literature.

The University congratulates Professor Ogude on his appointment and wishes him well in his future career as Director of the CAS and as a member of the University's Senior Management team.