International Affiliation Appointments For University Of South Africa Professor
Sharing excitement, Segalo says the appointment announcements were a welcomed entry into 2023. She adds that the appointments paved the way for what 2023 has in store regarding scholarly engagements and collaboration possibilities, with a determination to learn and share.
University of Ghana
Segalo, who is also the recipient of the Unisa Principal Prize for Excellence in Research, says Covid-19 delayed her appointment at the University of Ghana. However, after things settled, the university was still keen to host and have her officially affiliated with the Institute of African Studies. She explains: “The institute serves as one of the leading centres of African Studies that was established in 1961 with the support of the then president of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah.” She adds: “The institute also offers an interdisciplinary space accommodating students and researchers.” Segalo explains that her affiliation with an institute that serves a Pan-Africanist agenda is in line with her personal research agenda and the Research Chair’s core objectives.
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas African Studies Center (KASC) is a National Resource Center dedicated to studying African studies and promoting African languages. Segalo says: “KASC has started an initiative to promote sustainable connections with African partners.” For 2023, the centre is focusing on public health and well-being issues, and because Segalo’s work is aligned with the theme, she was appointed as a 2023 Fellow.
Segalo’s role in the two institutions will be to deliver lectures and conduct seminars for staff and students (primarily postgraduate students). In addition, she explains: “I will be looking into collaboration possibilities for joint research projects and student exchanges. I will also be participating in both online and in-person academic engagements.”
Contributing to Unisa’s global footprint
Segalo says that as part of the internationalisation project, Unisa allows academics (and students) to explore collaboration possibilities outside of the institution. She believes that being affiliated with other institutions creates avenues and leaves footprints in various spaces. She was inspired to become a fellow to learn from other scholars, access resources at other institutions, share knowledge and seek networking possibilities.
In addition, Segalo says as the Chief Albert Luthuli Research Chair; she wants to pursue the agenda that Inkosi Luthuli set – to be Pan Africanists. Being affiliated with the University of Ghana allows her to advance Luthuli’s legacy of Pan-Africanism. “Luthuli never confined himself to South Africa but also spent time in the United States. Again, such footprints and legacies are necessary and can only be reinforced by intellectual endeavours aimed at tackling social justice issues,” she asserts.
Affirming Unisa’s 150 years of service
“This year, the institution celebrates 150 years of shaping futures and changing people’s lives, and with these appointments, I see an affirmation of the institution’s significance and what it has to offer,” says Segalo. Coming from a university at the forefront of leading the decolonisation and Afrikanisation agenda in the county, Segalo says she intends to carry and uphold the same agenda as she engages with the two institutions.
She is also working on several projects, but one worth noting is the collaboration of the Chief Albert Luthuli Research Chair with the University of Bristol Perivoli Africa Research Centre, the University of Cape Town, the Association of African Universities and others. Jointly, they are embarking on a 12-month initiative to produce an Africa-centred guiding framework to advance transformation in academic and research collaborations in the UK and the global North with Africa.