2009 Plans

1. Further enhancing the public profile of the Chair through scholarly and professional participation at national, regional and international conferences.
2. Scaling up research into the influence of China’s ‘soft power’ on African media and journalism, and possibly linking it up with the work of the Confucius Institute recently set up here at Rhodes University and/or Stellenbosch University. This is a relatively new research area and could potentially result in some groundbreaking analysis.
3. Hosting a high-level colloquium on Africanising the journalism curriculum pursuant to the forthcoming WJEC conference to be held in 2010.
4. Working with the World Bank on researching media influence on public opinion and policy in Africa as part of the Bank’s Agora initiative.
5. Reviving the web site.
6. Visiting the SAB LTD offices as part of a campaign to renew their sponsorship of the Chair.