Oor bendes en politiek

Dr Derica Lambrechts het op die Maart-gradeplegtigheid haar doktorsgraad gekry oor interessante navorsing oor die impak van bendes op die Kaapse Vlakte. Sien volledige artikel.

One of our Political Science lecturers, Prof Scarlett Cornelissen has been included in the list of the top 50 reseachers of Stellenbosch University, based on 2011 research outputs in accredited publications. With this came the further good news of a R50 000 research grant. This award acknowledged the very high standard of research that Prof Cornelissen has been doing over a number of years.

Ubanesia Adams-Jack and Nicola de Jager complete basic Xhosa course, Masazane 1

Post-Graduate students attend the debate on the State of the National Address at parliament, 14 Feb 2012

Staff exchange scholarship

Dr Nicola de Jager from the Political Science Department has returned from a two-month teaching and research exchange opportunity in Germany after receiving a staff scholarship through the Erasmus Mundus Action 2 (EMA2) SAPIENT scholarship programme. She is one of five academics from Stellenbosch University (SU) who will be teaching in Europe in 2011 and 2012 thanks to three EMA2 programmes - ema2sa, SAPIENT and EUROSA. Nicola taught a course on Comparative Southern African Politics and Democratisation as part of the Masters in International Studies and Development programme at the Institute.

Student receives Mandela Rhodes scholarship and Rector's award

Elnari Potgieter (22), an honours student in the Political Science Department, has had many reasons to smile during the past two weeks. A week ago she received the wonderful news that she is one of 23 students in Africa to receive a Mandela Rhodes scholarship for 2012.

Elnari is one of three students at Stellenbosch University (SU) on whom this honour was bestowed. The other two students are Matthew de la Hey and Mario Mark Ruiters.

And if that is not enough to get excited about, she also received the Rector's Award for Excellence in Service from SU on 12 October this year.

"Both achievements are well deserved and a reward for outstanding academic and academic support work (including that of departmental tutor) together with a love for humanity that is evident in everything she does. Congratulations, Elnari, we are proud of you!" said Prof Anthony Leysens, chair of the Department.

Already on cloud nine, Elnari also recently heard that she ended third in the Beeld national "Dink Na" essay competition for 2012. Her topic focused on creative solutions to government failure in South Africa.

"David Welsh, one of the authors of Ending Apartheid (Longman, 2011), has written probably the best recent single volume survey of the transition, The Rise and Fall of Apartheid (Jonathan Ball, 2009), a magnum opus that combines depth of analysis with a refreshing lack of ponderous academic prose. In this new book, he and Jack Spence have written a lively and concise account that extends beyond 1994 into the present century. Published in a series that combines serious academic synthesis with a style (and length) that makes complex historical events accessible to non-specialists, undergraduates and senior high school students, this new book is an example of what can happen (all too rarely, I am sorry to say) when compression meets erudition."
Source: Focus, Issue 60, January 2011

Prof. Pierre du Toit and Dr Nicola de Jager at the Cape Town launch of their book titled: Friend or Foe: Dominant party systems in southern Africa. Insights from the developing world. Co-published by UCT Press and the United Nations University Press.

Political Science First years role-playing in their South African politics course

Gouws in Kommissie vir Geslagsgelykheid aangestel, wen internasionale toekenning

Prof Amanda Gouws (foto) van die Departement Politieke Wetenskap aan die Universiteit Stellenbosch is een van die nege kommissarisse wat president Jacob Zuma onlangs in die Kommissie vir Geslagsgelykheid (KGG) aangestel het. Kwalik 'n maand ná die aanstelling het dié hoogleraar, wat haar op genderpolitiek, Suid-Afrikaanse politiek en politiese gedrag toespits, nóg 'n prestasie om te vier.

By die 22ste Wêreldkongres vir Politieke Wetenskap van die Internasionale Vereniging vir Politieke Wetenskap (IPSA) het sy die Wilma Rule-toekenning vir die beste referaat in die kategorie "Gender en Politiek" gewen. Die kongres het van 6 tot 12 Julie in Madrid, Spanje, plaasgevind en prof Gouws se wenreferaat het gehandel oor multikulturalisme in Suid-Afrika en die oënskynlike teenstelling tussen universele menseregte en kultuur/tradisie.

Die prys word sedert 2000 toegeken om navorsing op die gebied van gender en politiek aan te moedig. Dit heet na Wilma Rule wat, soos prof Gouws, 'n graad met Joernalistiek as een van haar hoofvakke verwerf het voordat sy haar akademiese loopbaan in Politieke Wetenskap begin het. Volgens die IPSA-webtuiste het Rule se "studie van gender en politiek aanleiding gegee tot lewenslange navorsing oor kiesstelsels, en hoe dit die verkiesing van vroue en onderverteenwoordigde minderhede tot openbare ampte fasiliteer of verhinder". Sy was "'n toonaangewende skrywer en Politieke Wetenskap-navorser wie se werk uitgeloop het op 'n aantal artikels en boeke wat konvensionele idees oor die redes vir die gebrek aan politieke verteenwoordiging deur vroue in Amerika bevraagteken".

Gouws sê dit is 'n reuse voorreg om die prys te kon ontvang.

"Ek was sprakeloos, want ek het dit glad nie verwag nie. Tog is dit 'n groot eer. In sekere sin is dit ook 'n eer vir Suid-Afrika, want hierdie referaat konsentreer op die probleme van 'n ontwikkelende land. Dit is 'n pluimpie vir ons dat 'n organisasie soos IPSA die politieke uitdagings van 'n ontwikkelende land erken."

Skaars 'n maand gelede was Gouws se aandag nie soseer by die referaat wat sy in Madrid moes aanbied nie, maar eerder by haar aanstelling in die KGG. Volgens Gouws is "'n uitstekende groep kommissarisse is aangestel, met die vermoë om toe te sien dat die Kommissie op 'n veel hoër vlak en veel sigbaarder as voorheen funksioneer".

"Ek is opgewonde om saam te werk met my medekommissarisse, wat almal bewus is van die erns van geslagsdiskriminasie in Suid-Afrika, en wat besef dat heelwat van die oplossings wat in die verlede aanbeveel is, nie werk nie en dat dit nou tyd is om na nuwe oplossings te soek."

Sy sê sy hoop om die openbare profiel van die Kommissie gedurende haar ampstermyn te verhoog en te verbeter.

"Ek hoop dat ons nou meer gereeld met die publiek sal begin kommunikeer en dat ons werklik erns sal maak met ons toesigfunksie oor die regering deur dop te hou watter impak wette op geslagskwessies het. Ek vertrou ook dat waar diskriminasie wel plaasvind, ons die ondersoekfunksie van die Kommissie sal aanwend om na oplossings te soek," sê Gouws.

Staff Scholarship

Dr Nicola de Jager received a staff scholarship from SAPIENT to teach and research at the University of Duisburg-Essen from 1 October to end of November 2011.

Study Opportunity

Jacques de Vries has been given a place in the Erasmus Mundus Global Studies programme without a scholarship at the University of Leipzig (Germany) and the University of Vienna (Austria) starting in September 2011.

Scholarship

Conrad Kassier has been given one of 26 scholarships by the Erasmus Mundus Global Studies programme and will study at the University of Wroclaw (Poland) and the University of Vienna (Austria) starting in September 2011.