About the Company – Critical Food Studies:
Critical Food Studies: Transdisciplinary Humanities Approaches is a program funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. It originated from the Food Politics and Cultures Project and was established in 2019. The program is a collaborative effort between three major universities in South Africa: the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), the University of the Western Cape (UWC), and the University of Pretoria (UP). Its objective is to drive critical food studies within humanities disciplines in South Africa and globally. The program focuses on postgraduate studies, mentoring, seminars and conferences, academic and accessible online publications, as well as performance and visual art productions, aiming to engage the public.
Critical Food Studies Scholarship:
Critical Food Studies, in collaboration with UKZN, UWC, and UP, is offering a postgraduate scholarship for the academic year. The research team at UKZN, representing various disciplines across different colleges, will award scholarships to two postgraduate students (one Honours and one Masters) from any discipline who are interested in pursuing transdisciplinary studies.
The program aims to enhance transdisciplinary humanities research capacity and foster research community-building by providing academic and financial support for postgraduate studies. Candidates interested in using food as an analytical lens to scrutinize and theorize society, culture, the economy, and the polity can apply. The research areas may include cultural experiences of food, food branding and marketing, symbolic representations of “good food,” food consumption in agency struggles, the materiality of food, and its representation in art and popular culture, among others.
Selected scholars will receive mentorship through co-supervision and dedicated cohort seminars and workshops throughout the year.
Eligibility Requirements:
Applicants must meet the following minimum entry criteria:
- South African citizenship or permanent residency in South Africa
- Completion of a Bachelor’s degree for Honours applicants or an Honours degree for Masters applicants
- Full registration for the academic year
- Interest in interdisciplinary research on food informed by a humanities lens
Application Process:
Applicants must submit a letter outlining their interest in interdisciplinary research on food informed by a humanities lens and their future plans for advancing research in the field. Additionally, they should provide certificates and transcripts of completed qualifications. There is no application form to complete; applicants need to submit the required documents.
Applications should be emailed to Nokuthula Magudulela at MagudulelaM@ukzn.ac.za with the subject line “Critical Food Studies Scholarship Application .”
Closing Date:
The closing date for the Critical Food Studies Scholarship is 11 March . Applications submitted after this date will not be considered.
Contact Information:
For any queries regarding the scholarship program, applicants can contact Prof Lebo Moletsane at moletsaner@ukzn.ac.za.
