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13 March 2019 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Rulanzen Martin
Prof Neil Roos, editor of the Journal for Contemporary History
From left; Prof Neil Roos, newly appointed editor; Dr Chitja Twala; Prof Heidi Hudson, and Prof Henning Melber, editor of the Acta Academica Journal.

The repositioning of The Journal for Contemporary History in the Faculty of the Humanities can be likened to the French word ‘renaissance’; maybe an overused cliché even in this lofty academic arena, but with a new editor, the journal will construct a new identity for itself and the faculty.

“In my view, this journal occupies an important place in the faculty’s strategy. It is not only a vehicle to promote interdisciplinarity and internationalisation, but also serves as an important space for building capacity,” said Prof Heidi Hudson, dean of the Faculty of the Humanities.

Prof Neil Roos, new editor of the journal, succeeds Prof Pieter Duvenage. He will steer the journal along with Prof Heidi Hudson and Dr Chitja Twala, Vice-dean of the Faculty of the Humanities.

On Thursday 14 February 2019, Prof Heidi Hudson, hosted a function on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State to reset the journal’s agenda.

Finding a new focus

Prof Roos pointed out that the Journal for Contemporary History has a long history; it is an archive in itself because it contains published work which would probably not have been published elsewhere. He added that History as a discipline has changed over time and that “the journal needs to change to where the discipline finds itself these days”.

“It has been interdisciplinary, and it must remain that way, as it invites work from other fields. I would like to encourage submissions that cover a stronger theoretical engagement.”

Commenting on how the journal might be repositioned, Prof Roos said, “We can ground the journal in the Global South and soften the restriction that articles must come from sub-Saharan Africa”. Prof Roos is also of the opinion that this could encourage articles from other parts of the Global South, stimulate theoretical and comparative discussions beyond South Africa, and potentially enrich debates about history, politics, and global ethics. He suggested to the editorial board that the name of the journal be changed to the Southern Journal for Contemporary History. 

Making the journal a first choice for scholars across disciplines

The Journal for Contemporary History first appeared in 1975; until 2015, 94 issues have appeared, 764 articles and 240 book reviews were published, and the journal had five editors. “The journal has shifted from the histories of whites, while a growing number of liberation histories were included in the journal,” said Prof Roos.  Only essays with its empirical core focusing on sub-Saharan Africa since 1945, were considered. The journal was accredited by the Department of Higher Education in 1991.

Prof Roos insisted that in order to make this a journal of choice, “we must be quite clear about its identity and what it stands for”. It will retain and strengthen its current interdisciplinary feel, although all submissions will be expected to address the unique disciplinary feature of History, namely, the study of change over time. In addition, it will include a section for shorter review essays (dealing, for instance, with the regional or comparative historiographies of any number of topics; or the oeuvre of major scholars and commentators on the contemporary history of the Global South). Providing a platform for essays of this sort, or where several authors take on a particular theme, would further mark the journal’s unique identity. 

News Archive

Postgraduates’ new Kovsies home
2013-05-10

 
Some of the guests attending the launch, included from left: Prof Driekie Hay, Vice-Rector: Academic, Dr Henriette van den Berg, Director: Postgraduate School and Prof Corli Witthuhn, Vice-Rector: Research.
10 May 2013
Photo: Johan Roux

Postgraduate students and their academic 'parents' at the University of the Free State (UFS) now have a dedicated physical, emotional and electronic space to provide for their specialised needs in order to further promote research excellence at the UFS.

The university's Postgraduate School was launched in May 2011, but ventured further in the quest to fulfil and expand its mandate with new initiatives. These different aspects of the school were launched on Wednesday 8 May 2013 in the CR Swart Auditorium on the Bloemfontein Campus. The postgraduate strategy, postgraduate prospectus, the website and the headquarters of the Postgraduate School in the Johannes Brill Building were all unveiled and launched.

Prof Driekie Hay, Vice-Rector: Academic, who was a major driving force behind the formation of the Postgraduate School, during her address at the opening emphasised the multifaceted and unique relationships which often exist between students and supervisors.

Prof Hay, who has a distinguished academic background in postgraduate teaching, made plain her expectations for the Postgraduate School. She said it aims to "create an intellectual space for postgraduate students and supervisors" in order to produce world-class intellectuals at this university.

She said the school will empower both students who often don't know what to expect from supervision, as well as supervisors who often lack supervision skills. Through this it will be possible to create healthy, productive relationships between the distinct pairs in often misunderstood, unbalanced and intricate interactions.

Dr Henriette van den Berg, Director of the Postgraduate School, introduced the strategic plan of the school and emphasised the great strides that have already been made and what still needs to be done at the UFS in terms of postgraduate teaching. According to her, the Postgraduate School aims towards "holistic development of postgraduate students with transferable skills," through a multi-level and institution-wide approach at the university.

"Our aim is to develop a one-step service for postgraduate students, involving all the different stakeholders," she said.

The new Postgraduate School website was also showcased during the event. Reachable through a number of avenues on the main website, the site offers a digital version of the Johannes Brill Building. Brimming with features catering specifically for local, international, current and prospective students, the website provides crucial information.

The Johannes Brill Building's refurbished interior, with staff offices, seminar rooms and social spaces, were also showcased to UFS' staff and students. The initial phase of the Supervisors' Wall of Fame was also unveiled. According to Dr van den Berg , the wall will after completion bestow much-deserved praise on a hand-picked group of 60 supervisors who have respectively been responsible for more than 300 and more than 500 successful PhD and master's candidates over the past decade.

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