Centres
Nhu Space
MISSION
The Nhu Space cultivates a place aimed at nurturing critical and creative thinking, approaches, and actions, and is anchored on two thematic areas of work:
- Boys, Men and Masculinities
- Decolonised, Decolonial, Indigenous, Africa(n)-centring Psychology
The Space supports and brings together people interested in critical and creative thought, methodologies and practices which engage with, deepen our understanding of, and bring new insights into questions related to these two areas work.
The Nhu Space invites students and scholars, but also activists, artists and other creative individuals from a variety of fields whose work connects with its anchoring themes in illuminating ways to get in touch.
Chair for Historical Trauma and Transformation and the SARChI Chair in Violent Histories and Transgenerational Trauma
This Research Chair goes to the heart of the issues at the forefront of contemporary debates about violence, historical trauma and memory and its expressions across generations. Few topics stake a more compelling claim on humanities research than the legacies of historical trauma. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the Chair brings a critical research perspective to bear on the traditional approaches to historical trauma and its transgenerational repercussions, while seeking to engage with the question of what transformation means in the aftermath of violent and oppressive pasts. While focused on the South African context, the inquiry speaks to global questions of the transmission of traumatic memory in the aftermath of historical trauma, dealing with the past, and the possibility of breaking intergenerational cycles of historical trauma. This is a strategic research initiative, poised not only to contribute significantly to public debates about the complex interplay of the historical, cultural and traumatic dimensions of memory, but also to create a vibrant research hub in the global south on these issues of historical trauma, memory and transformation.
Centre of Public Mental Health
The CPMH grew out of a shared vision and commitment to collaboration between members of the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health at the University of Cape Town (UCT), and the Psychology Department at Stellenbosch University (SU).
At UCT, the establishment of a Centre to undertake research and training in Public Mental Health was initially suggested as an outcome of the groundbreaking Mental Health and Poverty Project (MHaPP), led by Alan Flisher and Crick Lund. At the same time, Leslie Swartz, Ashraf Kagee and Tony Naidoo at the Psychology Department at SU started developing a Masters in Public Mental Health.
When this became apparent, the two departments began a process of collaboration that eventually culminated in the establishment of the CPMH, through the adoption of a memorandum of understanding between UCT and SU in May 2009.