British Academy awards Early-Career Scholar
- Wits University
Political theorist Dr Ayesha Omar has been awarded a three-year British Academy International Fellowship.
Omar is one of 15 outstanding scholars from across the globe to receive the prestigious fellowship, which includes salaried employment, research expenses and relocation allowance including an endorsement for the Global Talent Visa. The total value of the award is £361,425, approximately R8,500 000.
Her research titled Liberal Engagements of Black Intellectual History in South Africa will be conducted at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London.
“I am both delighted and honoured to have been awarded the British Academy International Fellowship. The project builds on the foundations of earlier research that I developed at Wits which studies the intricate tapestry of Black intellectual history in South Africa. My project hopes to further explore these neglected archives by illuminating the myriad of ways in which black intellectuals engaged and critiqued liberalism in the context of settler colonialism and Apartheid,” says Omar a Senior Lecturer at Wits.
Omar who joined Wits in 2017 is also a Mellon Early Career Research Fellow and a visiting scholar at the University of Cambridge. The British Academy complements her work as a research and teacher.
The fellowship provides early career researchers with the opportunity to gain experience across international borders, acquire and transfer new skills and knowledge, and foster long-term relationships through networking opportunities.