SAAPS RESEARCH COMMITTEES / STUDY GROUPS

Objective

Facilitation of research specialisation and networking within the SAAPS community

Council member responsible

Anthoni van Nieuwkerk, Graduate School of Public and Development Management, University of the Witwatersrand

Contact details

email

vannieuwkerk.a@pdm.wits.ac.za

Telephone

(027) 11-7173927

Activities

The establishment of a system of informal study groups (SGs) and more formal research committees (RCs). Once a study group has developed core interests and believes that it needs more structure, for example, to pursue research projects. It can apply to SAAPS for limited funding, as well as permanent space in colloquia and congresses. Some of the proposed fields of study are African Studies, South African Politics and Political Economy, Democratisation, Electoral Studies, Security, war and peace, Civil-military relations, Women and politics, International relations, Human rights, Political philosophy.

SAAPS COLLECTED VOLUME – READER ON SOUTH AFRICAN POLITICS

Objective

Using the Research Colloquium 2005 as the medium, SAAPS will launch collected contributions to a Reader on South African Politics. Invitations for contributions will be going out towards the end of April 2005. Some of the contributions will be commissioned; others will be open to theme-related research-and-writing proposals.

Council member responsible

Prof Susan Booysen, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

Contact details

email

sbooysen@icon.co.za

Telephone

(027) 83-2901636

Activities

Announcement of the volume via the SAAPS newsletter and Website invitation for proposals; selection of contributors; presentation of draft chapters at the 2005 SAAPS Research Colloquium. Editing and publication will take place in 2006. The volume will be partly subsidised through a small amount of seed-money that was made available by the International Association of Political Science (IPSA).

SAAPS SEMINAR SERIES

Objective

The advancement of the profile of SAAPS through being at the cutting-edge of political analysis and promoting this through seminar presentation and occasional think tanks

Council member responsible

Gampi Matheba, University of Johannesburg

Contact details

email

Matba-G@rau.ac.za

Telephone

(027) 11-9335626

Activities

SAAPS specific and joint SAAPS-Political Studies department seminars across South Africa. For joint seminars, SAAPS provides a modest contribution to expenses on the conditions of promotion of SAAPS membership, and encouragement by the hosting institution of participation of emerging scholarship. Hosting institutions are also to be encouraged to form local chapters of SAAPS. Details on applications for R300 sponsorship per seminar, plus further details on conditions, can be obtained from Matba-G@rau.ac.za ; sbooysen@icon.co.za or t.Hoeane@ru.ac.za. Also see section on Forthcoming Events.