Hi, everyone. My name is Dr Derica Lambrechts and
I’m a senior lecturer at the Department of Political Science at Stellenbosch University.
Today we are going to tell you a little bit more of studying political science at the Department of Political Studies, Stellenbosch University.
I’m joined here by someone else, a current student who will fill you in on studies.
Hi, guys. I'm B and I’m a current master’s student at Stellenbosch University in the Political Science Department.
So, B, I would like to know, what made you come
to study the BA programme International Studies at Stellenbosch University?
Firstly, I first applied in law at Wits University and here with international studies and I got accepted for both,
but I felt like law wasn’t exactly for me because international studies was going to help me
broaden my mind and be able to interact with more people from different backgrounds.
I felt like that was very important because you need to understand
where people come from, why they are the way they are in the circumstances they’ve grown up with.
Those are just a few things that you will learn and the context that you will study
when you come and study political science at Stellenbosch University.
But, B, I would like to ask you another question.
When you came and studied political science here and you finished your bachelor’s degree,
what did you do after that and what is it that you’re busy with now?
Currently I’ve been a tutor for the Political Science Department for three years now.
I’m on the UNASA, UN Association of South Africa, committee under the Siyafunda subcommittee.
Basically...
Are you currently busy with your master’s thesis?
Yes, I’m busy doing my thesis now in gender studies.
My supervisor is Prof Amanda Gouws and she fortunately offered me the prestige SARChI bursary
because I was really that great in her module in honours.
My thesis basically is trying to show the links between the exploitation of women in this patriarchal,
capitalist world system and how that relates to how we exploit the environment to sustain our lives.
Basically in doing so I bring it down to South Africa and find out in what ways they are
addressing this by first looking at gender studies or gender equality and how that would help address
the environmental crisis we’re going through now.
Wow, that’s quite a mouthful. There are many other
topics that you can also study when you come to the Department of Political Science, for example
public policy, political risk analysis, and a broad range of international relations aspects.
I think maybe what we should conclude with after we’ve dealt with what it
is that we study at the Department, B, if you can share maybe a few ideas or
insights about what it is that you would like to do when you complete your master’s degree
and also, maybe, do you know of any alumni and what they are currently doing after
they’ve completed their studies at the Department of Political Science?
Basically I would like to go in the political-social analyst direction
which basically is just to immerse myself in other faculties of degrees and basically
share my education and how I also am going to do what the Political Science Department did for me.
That is to broaden my mind and always consider how my actions, whether it’s for example building
a road in a random township, how that will affect how people get to work or how houses are built or
the modes of transport they use. Most of the alumni that came
to Stellenbosch are doing exactly what we’re doing now, but on the news, giving
their analysis on current issues in the world. Others go overseas and work in companies or
NGOs such as the United Nations, which most of you know. That’s what most people do.
Thank you very much, B. As you can see, there are a broad range of aspects that you can do
after you’ve completed your degree in political science at Stellenbosch University and there are
a broad range of employment opportunities out there, political risk analysts, public policy analysts,
but also in the diplomatic service. It also gives you a great idea of geopolitical
factors in the world out there and how these factors interlink with each other.
As B said, as a student of political science you will develop a keen understanding of the socio-political
context that we in South Africa function in, but also in the global society around us.
That being said, if you have any other questions, please contact us at the Department of Political Science.
We hope to see you in our classes soon. Thank you.