Thank you a million times!

With Gratitude
Professor Faizel Ismail 
Director of the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance

The Mandela School honours and celebrates Professor Alan Hirsch

Prof Alan Hirsch will retire on 31 December 2020, after 28 years at the University of Cape Town. To us, he will always have a special place in our hearts as the founding father of the School. In 2013, Prof Hirsch co-founded UCT’s Graduate School of Development Policy and Practice, which later became what is known today as The Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance. Prof Hirsch’s record speaks of his tenacity and passion for strategic leadership in the continent of Africa.

                         Prof Alan Hirsch and UCT Vice-Chancellor Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng at the official launch of the Mandela School. Photo Je’nine May.

Introducing new Faculty Members at the Mandela School

The School is growing, and we are privileged and honoured to be joined by respected experts who bring with them a wealth of industry insights.

A warm welcome to Alison Gilwald whose appointment as Adjunct Professor has been extended, and Mark Heywood who has been appointed as Adjunct at Professor level. Nimrod Zalk has been appointed as Adjunct Associate Professor. Sean Philips, Saliem Fakir and Isabelle Hoyeaux have been appointed as Adjunct Senior Lecturers. We welcome you all to the Mandela School and we look forward to working together. 

WTO reform and the crisis of multilateralism: A developing country perspective

A call for celebration – The South Centre, with support from Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS), published Prof Faizel Ismail’s latest book. The book provides a critical analysis of the US-led reform proposals and seeks to build a discourse around an alternative set of concepts or principles to guide the multilateral trading system based on fairness, solidarity, social justice, inclusiveness, and sustainability.
 

Title of the book: WTO reform and the crisis of multilateralism: A developing country perspective

                                                                                             You may download the book from here. 

Women’s leadership at the core for the Mandela School

The Mandela School is one of Africa's leading schools, bridging the gap between policy and practice. The School has invested in leadership development for Africa's public sector (broadly defined to include government, civil society, business, and the arts/media sectors), with a deepening focus on women's leadership. To date, the School has partenered with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) to implement a women's leadership development programme targeting women in middle and senior management, and with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) to deliver the Leading in Public Life: Women, Influence, Power Programme (WIPP).

This flagship Local Government Women’s Leadership Development programme is a comprehensive leadership intervention that seeks to promote diversity in leadership, enhance women’s leadership capacity, and amplify their impact in the local government space and the communities they serve. The programme ensures that women in local government are positioned to influence positive change where it is needed most. Here is an overview of the programme and who to contact should you be interested to hear more.

                                                                                   Local Government Women Leadership Development Programme.

In 2019, the Mandela School and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) partnered to deliver the Leading in Public Life: Women, Influence, Power Programme (WIPP). The second iteration of the WIPP (and ongoing alumni engagement) was planned for 2020; however due to COVID-19 we were not able to deliver the programme.

The Mandela School and KAS, in their ongoing efforts to promote the wellbeing of African women in the social justice and rule of law sector and promote networks of solidarity and trust across Africa, will host an end of year virtual event to allow reflections on women’s leadership during this period of COVID-19. For more information, kindly email Ms Veleska Maphike, Programme Coordinator at Veleska.maphike@uct.ac.za.

                The 2019 Fellows with Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng during the inaugural Leading in Public Life: Women, Influence, Power Programme (WIPP).

Prof Alan Hirsch and Prof Carlos Lopes published an article with CODESRIA

Congratulations to Prof Alan Hirsch and Prof Carlos Lopes for publishing an article with the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA).

Chapter title: Post-colonial African Economic Development in Historical Perspective 

Abstract: Africa is frequently framed in a narrative that reduces or minimises its significance and achievements. We review geographical and historical perspectives of Africa and present data that provides Africa greater significance and allows us to consider post-colonial African economic achievements outside of a simplistic narrative. We argue that placing Africa in a fairer historical and geographical perspective allows for more coherent planning for Africa’s future development. 

                                                                                              Read more and download the chapter from here.

Academic Programmes at the Mandela School

The School has adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic and has redesigned its contact mode of teaching and learning to virtual modes, starting with the June and July 2020 master’s programme teaching blocks. We are innovating! As Nelson Mandela once said: "A winner is a dreamer who never gives up."

In 2021, The Mandela School will for the first time offer a full-time MPhil in Development Policy and Practice! The MPhil in Development Policy and Practice is targeted at young professionals and newly graduated honours students who wish to study full time.

The highly sought-after part-time Master of Development Policy and Practice will continue to be offered for the eighth year. Applications for both master’s programmes for the 2021 academics are currently open and close on 30 November 2020. We are looking to attract candidates from across the African continent.

To enrich our offerings, we have introduced outstanding new teaching faculty members, such as Professor Carlos Lopes and Professor Faizel Ismail  and a range of experts and practioners as guest lectures.

For more information about the application process, please email Ms Zikhona Sikota ( zikhona.sikota@uct.ac.za ).

Thank you,
Dr Shanil Haricharan
Academic Director at The Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance 

                                                                                                      Prepare to lead in the public sector.
 

                                                                                                         Inspire meaningful change.
 

The AfCFTA and Transformative Industrialisation Webinar Series

The Mandela School hosted a webinar in May 2020 at which the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA, H.E. Wamkele Mene provided a keynote address. At this webinar, both the speakers and participants stressed that the AfCFTA must facilitate and enable the transformative industrialisation of Africa – not just open markets. The AfCFTA also must facilitate the spreading of the gains of the AfCFTA to the smaller and more vulnerable economies of Africa.

In response to the challenge the Mandela School launched a webinar series in the second half of 2020 titled: The AfCFTA and Transformative Industrialisation. The question that this webinar series seeks to address is: How can the AfCFTA advance Transformative Industrialisation? This series brought together industry experts and policy makers from across the continent of Africa.

The webinar series was hosted in partnership with the  Centre for Comparative Law in Africa (CCLA, University of Cape Town), Policy Research in International Services and Manufacturing (PRISM) at the School of Economics, UCT, the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED, University of Johannesburg), Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS, University of Pretoria), Africa International Trade and Commerce Research (AITC), the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) and the Toyota Wessels Institute for Manufacturing Studies (TWIMS).

Do connect with us on our digital platforms to keep abreast with the School’s activities. For communications related enquiries please contact: petunia.thulo@uct.ac.za and for general enquiries please contact: maria.beaunoir@uct.ac.za.