by Gerrit Bester
Dr Anna-Marie Jansen van Vuuren, senior lecturer in the Department of Visual Communication's Film programme, has been selected for the flagship Future Professors Programme 2023 of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).
Led by Prof Jonathan Jansen, a distinguished professor at the University of Stellenbosch, the Future Professors Programme is a national, collaborative initiative aimed at developing the qualities of academic excellence and leadership in university scholarship to contribute to the development of a future South African professoriate.
Applicants should have a doctorate in any discipline and already have a track record of some academic achievement that would signal advancement to the professoriate. An NRF rating is not required but is advantageous.
Dr Jansen van Vuuren is a Y-rated NRF researcher whose research centres on South African cinema, focusing on both the historical and contemporary film landscape. She has presented her research at conferences around the world, most notably the 2018 Film and History Conference in Madison, Wisconsin (USA). Her extensive film knowledge is regularly tapped in related radio and television interviews, most recently during the Joburg Film Festival.
In addition to her academic duties, she is a special film journalist and correspondent for the current affairs programmes of Radio Sonder Grense (RSG), mostly reporting on the local and international film industry. In the latter capacity, she won prestigious national media awards.
Asked what the opportunity to be part of the Future Professors Programme means to her professional advancement, she said: "I am always excited to push myself out of my comfort zone and to engage and learn from others. As academics we often only engage scholars in our field or in your own university, and what really thrills me about this opportunity is that I will have the chance to meet and engage with South African academics from around the country."
Every year, all South African universities are invited to nominate five qualified scholars for this two-year fellowship. The fellowship consists of three cohorts of 20 to 30 fellows.
The programme is intended to foster synergies that will benefit the fellows once they enter the professoriate and will cascade to the larger next-generation South African population to encourage the formation of academic networks, teaching excellence, the sharing of visiting scholars and resources, student and public engagement, interdisciplinary exchange, and innovative and fundamental intellectual projects.
Prof Nalini Moodley, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Design, congratulated Dr Jansen van Vuuren, saying: "This is a wonderful opportunity for the expediated development of a strong female Faculty member. The value of this journey will benefit the Faculty in varied ways particularly through enhanced scholarship, excellence in teaching and supervision as well as contributing to building research capacity in the creative industries. Dr Jansen Van Vuuren is a generous academic and I have no doubt that this journey will be one that will be shared with the colleagues in the Faculty. I wish her well."
The Future Professors Programme broadly consists of two components, a residential programme (a series of meetings headed by prominent scholars
in a variety of disciplines) followed by an international engagement.
Film lecturer and fundi, Dr Anna-Marie Jansen van Vuuren, has been selected for the prestigious Future Professor's Programme.
PHOTO: Peter Goldsmid
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