The five postdoctoral fellows are from left;
Dr Sibanengi Ncube, Dr Hyden Munene,
Dr Joyline Kufandirori,Dr Joseph Kachim, and
Dr Victor Gwande.
Photos: Supplied
An unprecedented total of five prestigious Carnegie Corporation-funded postdoctoral scholarships in the
African Humanities Programme (AHP) of the American Council of Learned Studies have been awarded this year to members of the
International Studies Group – cementing the status of this UFS research unit as an incubator for African and international research talent.
“It was so satisfying to hear this good news – not only for me, but for my family as well – after being away from them for the whole of last year, studying!” says a delighted Dr Hyden Munene, one of the five recipients. For him and Drs Joseph Kachim, Joyline Kufandirori, Victor Gwande, and Sibanengi Ncube, this award allows an academic year free of teaching and other duties to either revise their dissertations for publication or for their first major research project after obtaining their PhDs. As fellows, they are also eligible for additional benefits such as residential stays for writing, manuscript development workshops, and publication support.
Dr Munene plans to use the grant to finalise his book project with the working title: Copper King in Central Africa: Rhokana/Rokana Corporation, 1928–1991, working from his home country, Zambia.
“This grant gives me an opportunity to conduct extra archival research in Zambia, where I will be visiting four archives and also conduct interviews,” he explains.
More than 500 applications were received, and only 45 postdoctoral fellowships granted. It is unique in the history of the AHP to award so many scholars from one relatively small programme. The AHP Associate Director for Southern Africa, Prof Fred Hendricks, called it “a remarkable accomplishment”, and evidence of “the concentration of talent developing at the University of the Free State.”
"The ISG continues to produce excellent research output, and more importantly, is developing the next generation of researchers," said Prof Petersen as he congratulated the ISG.
Prof Ian Phimister, Head of the ISG, pointed out that almost all the recipients were already part of supervisory teams on other researchers’ PhDs.