The destruction of Kennedy Road: A precursor to Marikana

Kenneth Good on how the temerity of the organised poor was met with a ferocious counter-attack from the state. ...read more

Orientation 2013

Orientation 2013 ...read more

Politics students receive Mandela Rhodes Scholarship

Three Rhodes University students, Lihle Mancoba, Abigail McDougall and Michael Glover, are amongst the 29 young Africans to receive the prestigious Mandela Rhodes Scholarship for 2013. ...read more

Cable guy plugs into lucrative gap in market

A bout of frustration over a missing iPod cable has turned into a lucrative business for university student Andrew Lynch. Today he sells cables for all sorts of appliances as well as electronic equipment to customers around South Africa — while studying politics at Rhodes University in the Eastern Cape. ...read more

Jacques Depelchin Presents on the Congo

Jacques Depelchin Presents on the Congo ...read more

Postgraduate Degrees in the Department of Political and International Studies

2013 Honours and Masters Programmes ...read more

Politics Honours student lauded for best essays

Politics Honours student lauded for best essays ...read more

‘Second transition’ is non-existent

According to venerated political analyst, Professor Steven Friedman, South Africa is not in a second transition, because we haven’t actually seen the first one. ...read more

Think out the box and into the future

The Rhodes University Department of Political and International Studies hosted its 10th annual teach-in this week. Shameez Joubert reports on the second of five lectures that focused on the so-called Second Transition as proposed by the ANC. ...read more

Zuma: from strategist to reckless gambler

The Rhodes University Department of Political and International Studies hosted its 10th annual teach-in this week at the Barratt Lecture Theatre complex. This year the focus was on the so-called Second Transition forming the core of debate ahead of the ANC's policy conference last month. ...read more

South Africa still divided and unequal

In his Teach-In Lecture yesterday (26 July), Professor Steven Friedman said, bypassing the focus on a second transition and focusing instead on how to meaningfully and sustainably implement the promises made to South Africans post 1994 should be the focus of government. ...read more

Creating new intellectuals

Dr Catherine Burns of the University of the Witwatersrand Institute for Social and Economic Research (WISER), was candid and heartfelt in her lecture, when addressing an audience of mainly Rhodes students about their civic responsibility and intellectual autonomy. ...read more

Inequality 'bad for both rich and poor'

SOUTH Africa is "pregnant with opportunity" to create a social compact for higher growth and development, says executive director of the Mapungubwe Institute and member of the national planning commission, Joel Netshitenzhe. ...read more

Achille Mbembe to deliver a second “Thinking Africa” Public Lecture

Prof Achille Mbembe is to deliver the Second Annual Rhodes University Thinking Africa Project Public Lecture on "Frantz Fanon on the Subject of Emancipation" to be held on 12 July, 2012 at the Rhodes Eden Grove Red Lecture Complex. ...read more

Nelson Mandela Visiting Professor, Professor Amitav Acharya, teaches to postgraduates on Comparative Regionalism in May 2012

Amitav Acharya is professor of International Relations and the UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance at the School of International Service, American University, Washington, D.C. He also chairs American University’s ASEAN Studies Center. ...read more

Thinking Africa: Shifting the Geography of Reason

From 6 to 10 July some of the very best scholars in South Africa, as well as the very best Fanon scholars in the world will come together at Rhodes to mark the start of the Thinking Africa project ...read more

The pain and politics of names

Research professor at Walter Sisulu University, Professor Thenjiwe Miyewa, highlighted the challenges faced by South African women wanting to change their names following a change in marital status in a society that has little policy to support it.
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Terence Beard Prize Award

The annual Terence Beard Prize for the “Best Student in Political and International Studies 2009”was awarded to Beth Vale and handed to her by Professor Terence Beard invited for the occasion. ...read more

Social Justice for LGBTI

Mazibuko Jara, a presenter at this year’s annual Teach-In hosted by the Department of Political and International Studies at Rhodes, reminded the audience that Social Justice is a concept whereby in society every individual has equal rights
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SAAPS Conference 2009

A group of 15 third year and postgraduate students from the Department of Political and International Studies attended the South African Association of Political Studies (SAAPS) regional colloquium in Port Elizabeth on 1-2 September ...read more

SA must use its global, regional influence wisely - The Daily Despatch

Amitav Acharya is the Nelson Mandela Visiting Professor of International Relations at Rhodes University and the UNESCO chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance at American University, Washington, DC. His previous appointments include Professor of Global Governance at the University of Bristol, Professor at York University, Toronto, Fellow of the Harvard University Asia Center, and Fellow of Harvard’s John F Kennedy School of Government. ...read more

Rhodes hosts experts for Thinking Africa

A three-day colloquium under the theme “Fanon 50 years later” was hosted by Rhodes’ Department of Political and International Studies’ last week as part of their launch of their flagship project, Thinking Africa.

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Prof Zhang Brings Chinese Foreign Policy to Rhodes

Professor Zhenjiang Zhang from the department of International Relations at Jinan University in China spent the last term teaching honours and master’s students at Rhodes the basics of Chinese Foreign Policy. ...read more

Politics Teach In 2010

Politics Teach In 2010 ...read more

Over the rainbow

The Department of Political and International Studies at Rhodes is currently hosting its ninth annual Teach-In series of public lectures, with the aim of stimulating debate and bringing to the attention of the University
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Liberian diaspora

Rhodes graduate and lecturer in the department of Political and International Studies at Rhodes, Siphokazi Magadla, recently presented a seminar that tackled issues related to the political economy of diaspora-led African development ...read more

Jamal Provokes Lively Discussion

As an initiative of this year's second semester the Department of Politics and International Relations has been holding thought-provoking monthly seminars, the second of the series being “Deep Diversities – The Indian Ocean as Idea” by Ashraf Jamal, Senior Lecturer in the Fine Arts Department. Jamal lists maritime studies as one of his major interests. ...read more

Indentured Chinese Labour

The departments of Sociology and Politics and International Studies kicked off their weekly Critical Studies seminar series in the second semester with Dr Tu Huynh contesting the ideas surrounding Chinese labour in South Africa ...read more

Graduation Invitation

Graduation Invitation ...read more

Graduation 2011

On 8 April 2011 the Department of Political and International Studies hosted its annual graduation lunch for graduands and their parents or guardians, acknowledging the successful completion of undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. The department honoured sixty-three recipients of the undergraduate ...read more

Dissertation workshops at Rhodes

The Andrew W Mellon Foundation in conjunction with Rhodes University and the Thinking Africa project of the Department of Political and International Studies recently held two dissertation workshops for postgraduate students at Rhodes

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S'bu Zikode Speaks at Rhodes: Democracy on the Brink of Catastrophe

The road to real democracy has not been easy to those who are still searching for the truth in it. It is like the long road of Abahlali baseMjondolo to the Constitutional Court. Democracy means different things to different people. ...read more

Calling for context in Egypt and the Middle East

“I’ve always been fascinated by the Middle East, especially the upheavals in Egypt that I believe are a continuation of the revolution that started many years ago,” said Mr John Rose recently during one of a series of discussions that formed part of the 2011 Critical Studies Seminar Series ...read more

African solutions for Africa?

Dr Issaka Souaré of the Institute for Security Studies in Tshwane recently debated the reality and feasibility of finding African solutions to African problems during his presentation at the Department of Political and International Studies at Rhodes.

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A solution from within

Mr Steven Kuo, a Visiting Associate at the Centre for African Studies at the University of Cape Town, gave a talk on his paper that looked at the Chinese position on United Nations intervention and its engagements in Liberia.

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A story nearly forgotten

As part of its monthly documentary screening, the Department of Political and International Studies presented the multiple-award winning documentary, Pray the Devil Back to Hell at the Barratt Lecture theatre last Thursday. ...read more

The challenges of ethnic minority groups in China

The Confucius Institute and Department of Political and International Studies at Rhodes University, recently hosted an expert on Chinese culture and ethnicity, Prof Colin Mackerras, Professor Emeritus of Griffith University in Australia.
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The politics of privilege

Dr Sally Matthews of Rhodes University, recently presented a paper entitled, “Renouncing Privilege, Using Privilege”, as part of the 2011 Critical Studies Seminar series, hosted by both the Department of Politics and International Studies and Sociology department. ...read more

Thinking Africa launches newsletter

The Department of Political and International Studies has recently launched a Thinking Africa newsletter, which will be distributed both nationally and internationally as part of the department’s efforts to broaden understandings of Africa’s people and politics. ...read more

Social policy and citizenship in South Africa.

Professor Robert van Niekerk, Director and Professor of Social Policy at the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), recently shared his thoughts on the emergence and development of a social democratic tradition of thinking in South Africa, reflected in inclusive social policy proposals developed since the era of the 1940s. ...read more

The Doha Round is alive

Last week the Department of Economics & Economic History and the Department of Political & International Studies jointly hosted Mr Wamkele Mene, Counsellor: Economic at South Africa’s Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva, at a lunchtime seminar entitled “The Doha Development Round: alive, with benefits?”. ...read more

Gender and Islam: a complex issue

Dr Elaheh Rostami-Povey, visiting Senior Mellon Fellow at the department of Political and International Studies shared her views on gender and Islam and the misperceptions surrounding women’s activist groups at a seminar held at the department last week. ...read more

Raj Patel talks people, politics and food

At a seminar hosted by the Departments of Politics and International Studies and Sociology last week British-born American, Dr Raj Patel addressed issues of food security and their complexities in the contemporary international environment as highlighted in a recent publication he co-authored with Mr Philip McMichael. ...read more

Top academics at Politics department

The department of Political and International Studies is hosting two distinguished international academics, Mr John Rose and Dr Elaheh Rostami-Povey as guest lecturers this semester on issues surrounding the Israel Palestine conflict and gender and Islam. ...read more

HIV/Aids, and the complexities of medical research

“With regards to the kinds of research we see into HIV and Aids during the 1980s, there was an identification of certain ‘high risk groups’ from the onset, and this had huge implications for the type of research that was conducted and the types of people who were assessed,” Carla Tsampiras of the History Department told students and lecturers ...read more

The dilemmas of difference and implications

Dr Joshua Kirshner of the Geography Department addressed students and lecturers yesterday as part of the 2011 Critical Studies Seminar Series hosted by the departments of Politics and International Studies and Sociology. Dr Kirshner shared insights gleaned from post-doc research carried out on the 2008 xenophobic attacks and their potential causes and effects in South Africa. ...read more

Israel and Apartheid SA: Shady dealings unearthed

Dr Sasha Polakow-Suransky, author of The Unspoken Alliance: Israel’s Secret Relationship with Apartheid South Africa, addressed students and lecturers yesterday (17 February) on his research as part of the 2011 Critical Studies Seminar Series hosted by the Departments of Politics and International Studies and Sociology. ...read more

An undemocratic democracy

Dr Steven Friedman, Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy at Rhodes and the University of Johannesburg, discussed his paper entitled Democracy as an Open-Ended Utopia: Reviving a Sense of Uncoerced Political Possibility at a Politics & International Studies Seminar last week. ...read more

The challenge of unconstitutional change

Dr Issaka K Souaré of the Institute for Security Studies visited the Department of Political and international Studies last week. Author of a number of books, including 'Africa in the United Nations System 1945 -2005', he presented a seminar on Friday entitled “The Challenge of Unconstitutional Change of Government in Africa”. ...read more

Prof. Bischoff's Inaugural Lecture

No End by Fire or Ice – IR, Reconstituting the International was held at Eden Grove last week. VC Saleem Badat's introduction gave the audience a short glimpse into Professor Paul-Henri Bischoff's event-filled life. Born in Cape Town to Swiss parents, Bischoff left South Africa aged two. ...read more

Best Essay for Politics Student

Rhodes honours student, Bridget Hannah, has won the South African Association of Political Studies (SAAPS) Best Essay award in the Honours category for her essay entitled, "With reference to Deutsch, Carr, Haas and Habermas, explain how constructivist Emmanuel Adler seeks to overcome anarchy and how he suggests the building of international or transnational communities." ...read more

Graduation 2010

At graduation ninety four undergraduates, thirteen Diploma, fifteen Honours, nine Masters students and one PhD student obtained their degrees. ...read more

Teach-in 2009 Day 4: Deputy Minister J. Cronin

Jeremy Cronin was made Deputy Minister of Transport in 2009. A Member of Parliament since 1999 and Deputy General-Secretary of the SA Communist Party since 1995, Cronin was imprisoned for seven years (1976-1983) at Pretoria Maximum Security Prison ...read more

Prof. Peter Vale wins Prestigious Award

The Politics Department's Professor Peter Vale is the recipient of the University's most prestigious research award. the VC's Distinguished Senior Research Award. ...read more