9 - 2016 - CODESRIA

Vacancy Announcement: IT Manager

Deadline: Before 15 October 2016

The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) invites applications to fill the following local position within the Secretariat:

1. IT Manager

Responsibilities and expectations

Under the overall authority of the Executive Secretary and the direct supervision of the Programmes and Departments concerned, the employee will be expected to contribute actively and significantly to the day-to-day management of CODESRIA’s programmes that fall within their portfolio. They will also be required to play key roles in enhancing the quality of the Council’s programmes and activities for which they have been recruited.

The candidates must possess:

• Good interpersonal and communication skills,
• Ability to work in a multi- cultural environment with sensitivity and respect to diversity,
• Ability to work with minimum supervision, and,
• Have a good knowledge of English or French and an ability to communicate in the other.

1. IT Manager

Under the overall supervision of the Head of Programmes, CODESRIA Documentation and Information Centre (CODICE), the IT Manager will be providing IT support to CODESRIA’s activities.

He/or she will be required to:

• Manage the information technology and systems of CODESRIA;
• Troubleshoot the hardware, software and network systems;
• Provide orientation/training to users of the information technology;
• Maintain current and accurate inventory of technology hardware, software and resources in CODESRIA;
• Help in hiring and managing information systems personnel and contractors to design, develop, implement, operate and administer computer and telecommunications software, networks and information systems;
• Design and manage web services, including social media applications and discussion forums, and,
• Undertake any other IT-related tasks that are important to CODESRIA.

Academic/Technical Competencies/Qualifications:

• Have a master’s degree or equivalent qualifications in computer science, information technology/science, or other and,
• Have at least eight (8) years of working experience in a similar organisation.

c. Other Relevant Skills:

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
• Good knowledge of the workings of international organisations;
• Capacity to work under pressure and in a multicultural environment;
• Excellent computer experience in using Microsoft office applications;
• Good planning and organisational skills;
• Efficient and well organized personality and
• Demonstrable ability to work to tight deadlines.

2. Operating conditions

The level of remuneration will depend on the experience and qualifications of the candidates. However, CODESRIA offers good remuneration similar to those in international organizations.

3. Application procedure

The candidate should provide the following documents:

i. A letter of application;
ii. A detailed curriculum vitae;
iii. Copies of certificates of all indicated qualifications, and
iv. Three reference letters.

Other supporting documents may be required prior to recruitment.

The application should be sealed and submitted before 15 October 2016 to

The Executive Secretary
CODESRIA
Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop X Canal IV
P.O. Box 3304 CP 18524
Dakar, SENEGAL
E-mail: executive.secretary@codesria.sn

Kindly note that this is a locally-filled position. Only shortlisted candidates shall be contacted.

PhD/Doctoral Scholarships: Call for Applications

Closing Date: 30 September 2016

The National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS), in association
with the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA)

The NIHSS has partnered with CODESRIA to develop the African Pathways Programme scholarship. The aim of the scholarship is in line with the mandates of the Institute and Council to promote and facilitate research in the humanities and social sciences as well as to explore new vistas in pan-African scholarship.

Applications are invited from suitably qualified non-South African students to study full
time towards a doctoral degree in the humanities and social sciences at any public
university in South Africa. The scholarship call will be open to students whose research
is focused on their country or a comparative project on the following broad themes:

 Pre and post-colonial states, institutions and local experiences
 Histories and legacies of liberation struggles
 Regional integration, new development and economic alternatives
 International political economy and the role of African humanities
 Heritage, identity and culture (including literature, performance, art and
musicology)

Eligibility

 Only non-South African citizens (based in any African country) from designated
groups, with a preference to women.
 Not older than 45 years of age at the time of the application.

Value, Period and Conditions of the Award

The value of the award is R126 000 in the first year. Annual renewals are subject to proof of satisfactory progress. The maximum period for the award is three years. Successful candidates will be expected to sign a contract as regards conditions of the scholarship.

Selection criteria

 A successful completion of a Master’s degree, or entering the first year of
PhD/doctoral study following an upgrade from a Master’s registration, or registered for PhD study in first year of enrolment.
 Academic merit.
 Coherence and feasibility of the proposed research project.
 Contribution of the project to the body of knowledge in the field.

Application Procedure

Candidates should submit the following documentation for application:

1. Online application form, which is accessible through the link:
http://nihss.ac.za/content/doctoral-scholarships-application-form
2. Letter of confirmation by the prospective department or supervisor that you will be
admitted to the participating university for registration for PhD study.
3. A motivation letter (not longer than one A4 page – 500 words).
4. A recent intellectual autobiography: a narrative of the major influences in your
intellectual life (not longer than one A4 page – 500 words).
5. A research proposal outlining the problem statement, methodology, feasibility of your study and the contribution it will make to the body of knowledge in the particular field of study.
6. A certified copy of your full academic transcript/s.
7. A certified copy of your passport.
8. Sample copies of your best writing, e.g. a chapter from your Master’s study or any published academic work.
9. Two letters of recommendation from academics who are familiar with your work,
of which one must be the supervisor of your Master’s thesis. Letters of recommendation can be uploaded by the relevant academic at the following link:
http://www.nihss.ac.za/content/letter-recommendation

Please direct all queries to June-Rose Ngcobo at: scholarships@nihss.ac.za
Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
Closing Date: 30 September 2016
Also visit NIHSS website: www.nihss.ac.za

The following South African public universities are participating in the programme:

Cape Peninsula University of Technology; Durban University of Technology; Nelson
Mandela Metropolitan University; North West University; Rhodes University;
Stellenbosch University; Tshwane University of Technology; University of Cape Town;
University of Fort Hare; University of the Free State; University of Johannesburg;
University of KwaZulu-Natal; University of Limpopo; University of Pretoria; University of South Africa; University of the Western Cape; University of the Witwatersrand; University of Venda; University of Zululand; Vaal University of Technology; and Walter Sisulu University

Job Vacancy Announcement: Programme Officer (Research)

Deadline: 23 October 2016

The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) invites applications from African scholars to fill a vacant position of Programme Officer (Research) in its pan-African Secretariat located in Dakar, Senegal. This position is categorized as belonging to the senior staff of the Council and as such is filled on the basis of an international announcement. The successful candidate will work as a member of the Secretariat under the overall supervision of the Executive Secretary of the Council.

Candidates wishing to apply for the position are requested to note the following:

The Programme Officer (Research) works under the supervision of the Senior Programme officer and of Head of Research, and has as his/her primary responsibility the day to day management of a cluster of programmes within the Research Programme of CODESRIA that may include some of the following programmes: the National Working Groups; Comparative Research Networks; Multinational Working Groups; the Academic Freedom Programme; the African Humanities Programme; the Health, Politics and Society Programme; the Programme on Children and Youth; the Economic Research Programme; the Governance Research Programme; the Emerging Powers Programme; the Lusophone Initiative; the Arabophone Initiative; and the South-South Tri-continental Collaborative Programme. The Research Programme also organizes major conferences tied to the Council’s programmes and strategy.
In addition to his/her specific responsibilities, the successful candidate will be called upon to perform the following functions: initiate, develop and, where appropriate, manage new projects and programmes; lend support for the realization of the other scientific activities of the Council; organize academic and policy meetings; promote contacts with researchers, professional associations and regional organizations; prepare research and funding proposals on themes connected to their areas of expertise as may be requested by the Executive Secretary; and where appropriate, liaise with funding organizations under the direction of the Executive Secretary.

More information on CODESRIA and its Research Programme can be obtained from the Council’s website: www.codesria.org. It is CODESRIA policy to reflect the disciplinary, gender and linguistic diversity of the African social research community in its structures. In this connection, female candidates are especially encouraged to send in their applications for consideration for this position.

Qualifications

Applicants must:

• Have a sound university education and post-doctoral working experience in a research and/or training environment;
• Have a good knowledge of CODESRIA and possess a demonstrable ability to mobilize and promote the work of African researchers;
• Know and be familiar with the African and international scientific community;
• Have a proven experience of management in an academic environment;
• Be experienced in fund-raising, resource management and the preparation of reports for donors;
• Have a distinguished record of publication in peer-reviewed journals;
• Be fluent in French or English and have a good working knowledge of the other language.

Working Conditions

The salary level that will be offered will depend on the successful applicants’ experience and qualifications, and will be comparable to those of similar posts in other international organizations that apply the UN salary grill.

How to Apply

All applicants wishing to be considered for the position are required to supply the following documents:

1. A written application;
2. A detailed CV describing the candidate’s professional experience;
3. Three reference letters, two of which must come from people living in countries other than the applicant’s country of residence;
4. Three or four of the candidate’s recent publications.
5. Copies of relevant academic certificates

The reference letters in support of candidates must be sealed and sent under separate cover and marked ‘Confidential Reference’. The application letters and other supporting documents of candidates should be sent in a sealed envelope marked ‘Application Documents’.

Both the application and the reference letters should be sent to:

The Executive Secretary
CODESRIA
Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop X Canal IV
P.O. Box 3304 CP 18524
Dakar/SENEGAL
Email: executive.secretary@codesria.sn

Closing Date
All applications must be received by 23 October 2016. Any application received after this date will not be considered.

Re-Centring AfroAsia: Musical and Human Migrations in the Pre-Colonial Period 700-1500AD

Postgraduate Scholarship Application Form

Re-centring AfroAsia is a multi-pronged research, mapping, and archiving project that aims to not only revolutionise Humanities research in South Africa but also create an AfroAsian community of scholarship. There are three dimensions to this: firstly, as the Charter for the Humanities and the Social Sciences observed, the scholarship on the pre-1652 period is scant and it was untenable to continue as if the history should start with the arrival of the Dutch in the Cape. Although work around Mapungubwe has started re-positioning of Southern Africa in World and African history, it is still a tentative first step. Secondly, as Mamdani argued, the “customary” is a very recent colonial ossification, trapping Africa into a “traditional” mush which is ahistorical, static and highly problematic. Thirdly, the aesthetic fields have remained particularly Eurocentric and at best limited to Transatlantic scholarship, with the opening up of Africa’s contribution to the North-East being largely ignored. Furthermore, scholarship has been “Anglocentric” with a vast archive that speaks to Africa’s social, political and cultural past remaining unexplored: Swahili, Farsi, Arabic, Sanskrit and Mandarin (although Farsi was the aristocratic language of the Tang dynasty) sources are as yet unavailable to Southern Africa.

Re-Centring AfroAsia is planned as a supra-institutional project, housed at the Centre for African Studies and the College of Music at the University of Cape Town, in cooperation with the Centre for Humanities Research at the University of the Western Cape, the Wits City Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand, and the School of Culture and Creative Expressions of the Ambedkar University, Delhi. A significant element of the project is the training of an emerging cohort of researchers through Honours, Masters, and Doctoral bursaries.

In order to apply for the Re-Centring AfroAsia Scholarship, you MUST first have applied for a postgraduate program that is able to support your research direction within this project. Students with a creative mind – whether historians, archaeologists, musicologists, anthropologists and sociologists – are welcome to apply. Please complete the application form in full. As this is funded by AW Mellon, preference will be given to black scholars who are committed to contributing to the creation of an endogenous and indigenous scholarship in the humanities.

All applications should be submitted to: Tinashe Kushata

Logistics Coordinator
Re-Centring AfroAsia Research Project
Room 2.04, Centre for African Studies
Engineering Mall, Upper Campus, UCT
Email: Tinashe.Kushata@uct.ac.za

Closing date: 30 November 2016

Afroasia Scholarship Application Form