Drawing its inspiration from the 2022 Academic Achievers Awards, the Chancellor’s Award recognises exceptional achievement in the field of research. It is aimed att the advancement of science and the associated promotion of the interests of the University of Pretoria.

Professor Charles Fombad is a full professor in the Centre for Human Rights in the Faculty of Law. He is currently the Director of the Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa (ICLA).

His research can broadly be characterised as “comparative constitutionalism in Africa”. His work often provides a holistic and comprehensive perspective based on his extensive experience and ability to bridge common law and civil law African legal traditions. As a result of his research, Professor Fombad has received several best article awards for his research output. Professor Fombad is also a visiting professor at several African universities.

He is also a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa, an associate member of the International Academy of Comparative Law and a fellow of the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study. Since 2006, he has been a member of the Executive Committee of the International Association of Constitutional Law and is one of its four vice presidents. This has reinforced the position of our law faculty as the leading law faculty in Africa and one of the top faculties in the world.

Professor Karen Harris is a full professor in the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Pretoria.

She is the Chairperson of the Historical Association of South Africa (HASA) and an Executive Board Member of the International Society for the Study of Chinese Overseas (ISSCO). Her research focuses on the history of the overseas Chinese, a field in which she was a pioneer some three decades ago. She is regarded as an authority on the history of the Chinese in South Africa and has written extensively on the subject. She was also involved in the Chinese Association of South Africa’s (CASA) successful high court case regarding Black Economic Empowerment (BEE).

Her more recent publications include Rising China and the history of the South African Chinese; The Construction of ‘Otherness’: A history of Chinese migrants in South Africa; Taking History on Tour: Lowering the disciplinary drawbridge; Insourcing the Indigenous Without Outsourcing the Storyteller: A Sustainable African Solution; and Pandemic Classroom: grouping or groping the digital divide — all of which reflect the diverse range of her research.

We congratulate these recipients and encourage them to continue contributing in creating a better tomorrow.

Vice-Chancellors Book Award

The University of Pretoria introduced the Vice-Chancellor’s Book Award to recognise and reward authors of scholarly books, monographs and collections.

A book is considered to be scholarly if it presents the findings of an original, systematic investigation undertaken to gain new knowledge and insight, advances knowledge in a particular discipline, and brings credit to the University. Scholarly books may be written in any of South Africa’s official languages, and translations of major works originally published in other languages are also considered. To qualify for nomination, books should bring credit to the University on account of their contribution to the advancement of the humanities, the social sciences, or the natural and applied sciences.

The first recipient of this award is Dr Jonathan Okeke Chimakonam, who holds a PhD in mathematical logic from the University of Calabar, Nigeria. He is an associate professor in the Department of Philosophy (Faculty of Humanities).

His research interests include the history, logic, and methods of African philosophy, decoloniality, ethics, and philosophy of religion. His publications in reputable international journals and presses include articles (64), chapters (39), books (16), dictionary and encyclopaedia entries (three), published conferences and talks (six) and interviews and blogs (ten). His academic work is well-cited and in addition to this, he is the subject of a master’s thesis that was completed at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Department of History titled: Jonathan Chimakonam: An Intellectual Biography of an African Philosopher.

In philosophy, African studies and interdisciplinary studies, Dr Chimakonan developed the system of conversational thinking. This consists of the theory of conversational philosophy, the method of conversationalism and the system of logic called Ezumezu that grounds them.

Dr Chimakonan is currently the president of the Conversational Society of Philosophy (CSP) and serves on the board of several other professional societies.

The second recipient of this award is Dr Uchenna Ogboyanna, who is a postdoc in the Department of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Pretoria. He holds a PhD from the University of Calabar, Nigeria, supervised by Dr Jonathan Okeke Chimakonam.

Dr Ogbonnaya’s areas of specialisation and research interest include African philosophy, logic, metaphysics, applied philosophy, and philosophy of religion. He is a member and secretary of the Conversational Society of Philosophy (CSP) and is the coordinator of their Monthly Seminar Gathering (MSG).

He is currently working on a postdoctoral research project titled: ‘Decoloniality through Conversational Thinking’ with Dr Chimakonam. He has also co-authored a book with Dr Chimakonam titled African Metaphysics, Epistemology, and a New Logic: A Decolonial Approach to Philosophy.

We congratulate these two recipients and may they continue to work together towards the success of African Philosophy.