Message from the Head of Department

Welcome to the Department of Political Sciences, home to the disciplines of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Pretoria. We are committed to mould young people into critical and empowered citizens in a decolonising world. 

The Department offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Political Science and International Relations, as well as specialised master’s programmes in diplomatic and security studies.

The Political Sciences Department has a strong focus on research with two research centres and an institute attached to it, viz the Centre for Mediation in Africa, the Centre for the Study of Governance Innovation and the Institute for Strategic and Political Affairs.

The department was awarded a Jean Monnet Chair in Regional Integration and Governance Studies in 2012, a position held by Prof Lorenzo Fioramonti.

The Department is consistently ranked as one of the top publishing departments in the Faculty of Humanities. Recent book publications by members of the department and its research associates include:

Professor Siphamandla Zondi

• Siphamandla Zondi (co-editor). 2016. Decolonising the University, Knowledge Systems and Disciplines in Africa. Calafornia Academic Press.
• Siphamandla Zondi (co-editor). 2015. South African Foreign Policy Review: Volume 2. African Institute of South Africa. 
• Prince Mashele & Mzukisi Qobo. 2014. The Fall of the ANC: What next? Picador.
• Lorenzo Fioramonti. 2014. How Numbers Rule the World. Zed Books.
• Henning Melber (co-editor). 2013. Africa Yearbook: Politics, economy and society south of the Sahara in 2012. Africa Institute of South Africa.
• Laurie Nathan (co-editor). 2013. Falls the Shadow: Between the promise and reality of the South African constitution. UCT Press.
• ’Funmi Olonisakin (co-editor). 2013. Militancy and Violence in West Africa: religion, politics and radicalisation. Routledge.
• Tim Murithi (editor). 2013. Handbook of Africa’s International Relations. Routledge.

In partnership with the Institute for Strategic and Political Affairs, the Department has published the internationally accredited Strategic Review for Southern Africa for more than 30 years.

Prof S Zondi
Head of Department