The role of both students and journalists in political change in South Africa will be the focus of two addresses at Hope College on Monday, Oct. 15, starting at 4 p.m. by experts from the nation who are also wife and husband.
The public is invited to both talks, which will be presented in Winants Auditorium of Graves Hall. Admission is free.
Dr. Mpine Makoe, a 1990 Hope graduate who is a psychologist and the head of the Institute of Open Distance Learning at the University of South Africa, will present “Rhodes Must Fall: Student Activism in Post-Apartheid South Africa” on Monday, Oct. 15, at 4 p.m.
Abbey Makoe, an experienced journalist whose career has included editorships in print media as well as with the South African Broadcasting Corporation and who is chief executive officer of Mpine Media, will present “The Journalist’s Role in Transforming South Africa: From the Anti-Apartheid Struggle to Post-Apartheid” on Monday, Oct. 15, at 5 p.m.
Mpine Makoe, who is returning to campus for the first time since graduating from Hope with majors in communication and English. Her professional activity includes serving as president of the Distance Education Association of South Africa, and she has written several book chapters and articles in professional journals. She has received honors including the UNISA Women of the Year – Professional Support award from the University of South Africa in 2009; the Women in Developing Researcher Award from the University of South Africa in 2012; and the 2013 Editors Award for the article of the year from the Canadian Journal of Distance Education. In addition to her degree from Hope, she holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree in research methods for educational technology from The Open University in the United Kingdom and a doctorate in educational technology from The Open University.
Abbey Makoe’s roles with the South African Broadcasting Corporation have included serving as political editor of its news department as well as, currently, serving as a specialist editor. Through the years has also been news editor of the Sowetan, a daily newspaper headquartered in Johannesburg; editor-in-chief of the Royal News Service; and deputy news editor of The Star, a daily newspaper based in the province of Gauteng, which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria. Mpine Media is a consulting firm that provides service in advertising, marketing, public relations, contract publications and news.
The addresses are sponsored by the college’s Center for Global Engagement, associate dean of global education and African Entrepreneurial Fund, as well as many individual donors.
Graves Hall is located at 263 College Ave., between 10th and 12th streets.