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25 January 2023 | Story Lacea Loader | Photo Supplied
Prof Vasu Reddy
Prof Vasu Reddy, newly appointed Vice-Rector: Research and Internationalisation.

Prof Vasu Reddy has been appointed as Vice-Rector: Research and Internationalisation of the University of the Free State (UFS). His appointment for a five-year term was approved by the university’s Council during its quarterly meeting on 25 November 2022.

Prof Reddy completed a BA, BAHons, and an HDE at the University of Natal (Durban), a master’s at Wits University, and a PhD in Gender Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He began his career in languages, comparative literature, and gender studies as a lecturer at the same institution in 1993, before moving through the ranks as senior lecturer, associate professor, honorary professor, and research fellow. He was also Executive Director of the Human and Social Development Research Programme at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) before joining the University of Pretoria as Professor of Sociology and Dean of the Faculty of the Humanities in 2015.

“Prof Reddy has valuable experience in the South African higher education sector, and his extensive networks – nationally, on the continent, and globally – will contribute greatly to the university’s intent for the coming years to be a research-led university that contributes to development and social justice through the production of globally competitive graduates and knowledge. His portfolio will play a critical role in supporting the institution’s Vision 130, which is a formulation of our aspirations and intentions to reposition the UFS leading up to 2034, when the university will celebrate 130 years of existence,” says Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor.

Prof Reddy is a member of the Academy of Sciences of South Africa (ASSAf) and a B1 NRF-rated scientist. His research areas are African sexualities, genders, and inequalities, which exposes the persistent silences around sexualities (also aligned to HIV/AIDS). His research focuses on the importance of sexual cultures to interpret and understand sexual diversity in promoting people’s rights, well-being, and dignity with local and international research partners. He has supported an extensive number of postgraduate students and contributed to numerous peer-reviewed publications as both author and editor. He also boasts an extensive list of local and international conferences and is a respected workshop and short course facilitator.

Between 2007 and 2022, he was involved in obtaining substantive research funds, which contributed to numerous projects, including topics such as gender-based violence, affirmative action, poverty, food security, sexuality, education, public intellectuals, and equality – to name a few.

Prof Reddy is a regular guest for local and international media, providing expert opinions and insight in his field of interest. He was part of a Ford-funded international project on sexualities and pedagogies and had several successful linkages with institutions in the USA and the UK. He has also been involved in successful partnerships with civil society organisations and some multilateral agencies that have resulted in successful research collaborations with scholars and activists in South Africa, other parts of Africa, India, Europe, the UK, Latin America, and North America.

“Prof Reddy’s experience in these positions and his demonstrated success with research collaborations across different sectors place him in good standing to lead research and internationalisation at the UFS, “says Prof Petersen.

Prof Reddy will assume duty on 1 May 2023.

News Archive

Twenty years of the constitution of South Africa – cause for celebration and reflection
2016-05-11

Description: Judge Azar Cachalia Tags: Judge Azar Cachalia

Judge Azar Cachalia

The University of the Free State’s Centre for Human Rights and the Faculty of Law held the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the South African Constitution on 11 May 2016 on the Bloemfontein Campus.  Students and faculty members celebrated and reflected on not only the achievements of the constitution but also on perspectives regarding its relevance in modern society, and to what extent it has upheld the human rights of all citizens of South Africa.

The panel discussion started with a presentation on the pre-1996 perspective by Judge Azar Cachalia of the Supreme Court of Appeal.  Judge Cachalia reflected on his role in the realisation and upholding of the constitution, from his days as a student activist, then as an attorney representing detainees during political turmoil, and currently as a judge: “My role as an attorney was to defend people arrested for public violence. My role as a judge today is to uphold the constitution.”  He stressed the importance of the constitution today, and the responsibility institutions such as the police service have in upholding human rights.  Judge Cachalia played a significant role in drafting the new Police Act around 1990, an Act which was to ensure that the offences perpetrated by the police during apartheid did not continue in the current democratic era. Further, he pointed out that societal turmoil has the potential to make society forget about the hard work that was put into structures upholding human rights. “Constitutions are drafted in moments of calm.  It is a living document, and we hope it is not torn up when we go through social conflict, such as we are experiencing at present.”

Thobeka Dywili, a Law student at the UFS, presented her views from the new generation’s perspective.  She relayed her experience as a student teaching human rights at schools in disadvantaged communities. She realised that, although the youth are quite aware of their basic human rights, after so many years of democracy, “women and children are still seen as previously disadvantaged when they should be equal”. She pointed out that, with the changing times, the constitution needs to be looked at with a new set of eyes, suggesting more robust youth engagement on topics that affect them, using technology to facilitate discussions. She said with the help of social media, it is possible for a simple discussion to become a revolution; #feesmustfall was a case in point.

Critical perspectives on the constitution were presented by Tsepo Madlingozi of University of Pretoria and University of London. In his view, the constitution has not affected policy to the extent that it should, with great disparities in our society and glaring issues, such as lack of housing for the majority of the poor.  “Celebration of the constitution should be muted, as the constitution is based on a decolonisation approach, and does not directly address the needs of the poor. The Constitutional Court is not pro-poor.”  He posed the question of whether twenty years on, the present government has crafted a new society successfully.  “We have moved from apartheid to neo-apartheid, as black elites assimilate into the white world, and the two worlds that exist have not been able to stand together as a reflection of what the constitution stands for.”

Prof Caroline Nicholson, Dean of the Faculty of Law, encouraged more open discussions, saying such dialogues are exactly what was intended by the Centre for Human Rights. She emphasised the importance of exchanging ideas, of allowing people to speak freely, and of sharing perspectives on important issues such as the constitution and human rights.

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