IsiXhosa research goes international

University of Cape Town (UCT) lecturer in African Languages & Literature Sanele Ntshingana is heading to the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University. There, he will be a fellow with the W.E.B. Du Bois Research Institute Fellowship.

Ntshingana, who is one of 18 global fellows selected, will focus on his book project titled Theorizing Political Authority from Vernacular Concepts: The Political Discourse of isiXhosa-Speaking African Intellectuals from South Africa, 1836–1914.

Ntshingana is currently doing his PhD in Historical Studies at UCT. “It is both a privilege and an honour. I’m incredibly excited. This is a highly competitive fellowship, and only one academic from UCT is selected each year. Many exceptional scholars at UCT doing remarkable work apply and are not selected. That makes this opportunity even more meaningful to me,” he said.

“One of my plans is to design an inter-departmental honours course at UCT that explores African political thought.”

Applicants were required to articulate their intended research at the WEB Du Bois Institute, explain how being at Harvard – and specifically at the institute – would enhance their research profile, and demonstrate how the work would contribute to the development of teaching and learning in higher education in South Africa. Applications are firstly submitted to UCT–Harvard Mandela Fellowship. Thereafter, UCT’s selection committee reviews the applications and recommends two or three top candidates to Harvard. The Harvard selection committee then makes the final decision.

Initiatives

“I believe my research proposal and teaching plans were compelling to both the local selection committee and the final review panel at Harvard. It was a rigorous and intense experience that required me to have a clear sense of the research I intended to pursue at Harvard, as well as a plan for teaching and research upon my return. The UCT–Harvard Mandela Fellowship offers a unique opportunity to strengthen my scholarship through access to Harvard’s rich academic resources and by presenting my research at key African Studies conferences. Beyond this, the fellowship will help establish enduring academic networks and foster innovative research initiatives upon my return,” Ntshingana said.

The opportunities, upon completion of his stint abroad, will be limitless: “One of my plans is to design an inter-departmental honours course at UCT that explores African political thought through vernacular sources. This course would bring together students and colleagues from African Studies, African Languages and Historical Studies, encouraging postgraduates to engage directly with African-language historical texts rather than relying solely on colonial archives.”

He added: “Another initiative I plan to develop is a research group focused on African intellectual history, particularly using African language archives. This group would include research partners in the United States and would host regular reading sessions and annual research development workshops. These workshops would be hybrid to accommodate international participation, offering spaces for feedback, collaboration and knowledge exchange.”