Thinking from the South on Traditions of Politics and Aesthetics

Other Universals is a supra-national consortium supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The consortium consists of scholars from several universities in Africa (in South Africa: University of the Western Cape, University of Cape Town, University of the Witwatersrand  University of Johannesburg;  in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa University; in Ghana, University of Ghana- Legon); in the Caribbean, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus; and, in the Middle East, the American University of Beirut. Other Universals brings together scholars across different geographies to convene conversations around shared intellectual and political preoccupations. Other Universals hosts seminars, workshops, discussion groups across an array of thematic interests to support research on the long histories of radical anticolonial thought and cultural practices from the South. The consortium provides graduate student fellowships and creates a dynamic co-curricular programme for emerging scholars at the participating universities.

Thematic Areas

Other Universals encourages scholarship that draws on multiple anticolonial traditions to speak to universal predicaments. Currently, the consortium engages with the following.

Revisting Marxist traditions and the global South

This thematic area explores the relationship of Marxism/s to race, ethnicity, religion and sexuality. How might histories of internationalism in Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East and South Asia offer ways to connect with traditions of Marxism in the metropoles that engaged cultural and political identities as they affect the colonial and postcolonial subject? What can a living tradition of Marxist thought proffer to our current imaginings of a future beyond coloniality?

Translation and Comparison As Method

In investigating methods of studying living archives of critical thought, this thematic area asks the following questions: How do we read figures, texts and objects across radical political and aesthetic traditions? How do we do translation and comparison across and within these different systems of meaning? What does it mean to read a text, figure or object conjuncturally towards historicizing the practice of critique?

The Epistemic Question

This thematic area examines questions of epistemic violence/justice in the modern university of the global South. What is the relationship of secular criticism to modernity, universal knowledge to particular knowledges, and the making of the distinctions between the sacred and the profane?

Identity and Identification

The relationship between the making of the colonial political subject and postcolonial political subjectivities is central to this thematic area. Wherein identities like Black, Queer, Dalit, Muslim/Jew, Tribal exist inside of political formations yet also exceed them. How might we understand the relationship between  identity and identification in political and aesthetic worlds? What modes of cultural citizenship and idioms of difference define insider and outsider? How do notions of majority and minority work to produce the nation?

Webinars

News & Events

  • All
  • Audio
  • Event
  • Lecture
  • Round Table
  • Seminar
  • Video
  • Workshop
On Non Western Marxism and Empire

The Other Universals Consortium Virtual Talk

On Non Western Marxisms

The Other Universals Consortium Virtual Talk

Writing Workshop Announcement!

The Other Universals consortium will be running a 7 week writing workshop, facilitated by Anais Nony for Masters and PhD students working on their thesis. Further details on the poster attached.

On the Subject of Citizenship: Late colonialism in the world today, edited by Professor Suren Pillay

On the Subject of Citizenship: Late colonialism in the world today brings together reflections on citizenship, political violence, race, ethnicity and gender, by some of the most critical voices of our times.

ON THE SUBJECT OF CITIZENSHIP

Roundtable and Book Presentation

Congratulations Prof. David Scott, Guggenheim fellow for 2023

The Other Universals consortium congratulates our long standing collaborator Prof. David Scott on his recognition as a Guggenheim fellow for 2023.

Epistemic Ethnonationalism: Identity Policing in Neo-Traditionalism and Decoloniality Theory

The Centre for Humanities Research and the Other Universals Consortium invites you to the following event, organised by the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana.

Black Studies in/from the Southern Hemisphere, towards a Global Frame

March 06, 2023 / 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
3401 Dwinelle Hall, UC Berkeley

Race and Caste

The Other Universals Consortium and the Center for Race, Gender and Class (University of Johannesburg) are organizing a colloquium on Race and Caste; Hierarchy and Universality at the Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study on Feb 21-23, 2023.

Reconsidering Reparations

The Other Universals consortium hosted a webinar with Dr Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò on 28 October 2022.

Decolonisation, Africa, and International Law: Two Frames of Epistemic Violence

The Other Universals consortium will be hosting a webinar with Dr Mohsen al Attar is an Associate Professor at the University of Warwick and a Visiting Lecturer at UCL and Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Keynote Address: Unpayable Debt

Professor Denise Ferreira da Silva (The University of British Columbia) will be delivering a keynote address “Unpayable Debt” as part of the Other Universals Consortium’s 2022 public engagements on Theorizing Aesthetics and Politics from Postcolonial Locations. Date: Friday, May 20th. Time: 7 pm SAST

Keynote Address: A Prolegomenon towards ukuNqakula as an Aesthetic and Political Location

Professor Thembinkosi Goniwe will be delivering a keynote address “A prolegomenon towards ukuNqakula as an Aesthetic and Political Location” as part of the Other Universals Virtual Institute 2021 inquiry into Aesthetics and Politics on Tuesday, 23 November.

Keynote Address: The Conjuncture of 1956

Professor David Scott will be delivering a keynote address titled “The Conjecture of 1956” as part of the Other Universals Virtual Institute 2021 inquiry into The Question of the Political: Thinking Difference in the Aftermaths of the Colonial Political Economy.

Neither Settler Nor Native: The Making and Unmaking of Permanent Minorities

The Other Universals Consortium and CODESRIA invite you to a webinar with Professor Mahmood Mamdani about his new book Neither Settler Nor Native: The Making and Unmaking of Permanent Minorities.

Foucault in Iran: Islamic Revolution after the Enlightenment

A CHR Webinar held by the Other Universals Consortium with Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi

ASA Book Prize Finalist: Elizabeth Giorgis

The CHR congratulates Professor Elizabeth Giorgis on her latest book Modernist Art in Ethiopia achieving finalist status for both the ASA Book Prize (Herskovits) and the ASA Bethwell A. Ogot Prize.

Decolonizing Theory: Thinking Across Traditions

A CHR Webinar held by the Other Universals Consortium with Aditya Nigam

The Other Universals Consortium Webinar Series July – November 2020

The Other Universals consortium will be hosting a webinar series from July – November 2020

Radical Disenchantment

A CHR Webinar held jointly between Winter School and the Other Universals Consortium with Fadi Bardawil

Worldmaking After Empire: The Rise and Fall of Self-Determination

The Other Universals consortium will be hosting a webinar with Adom Getachew.

In Search of Africa(s): Postcolonialism and the Universal

The Other Universals consortium will be hosting an online seminar with Souleymane Bachir Diagne

Marxism, Radical Traditions and the South: Reflections on “Stuart Hall’s Voice”

The Other Universals consortium of the CHR invites you to a panel

Public Lecture: Professor Gopal Guru

The formation and practice of Social and Political Theory in the Indian conceptual imagination have, by and large, been a low profile enterprise.

Other Universals Public Lecture: “Sylvia Wynter’s Black Metamorphosis and the World We Live In”

Other Universals presents a public lecture by Dr. Aaron Kamugisha (Cultural Studies, University of the West Indies) on "Sylvia Wynter's Black Metamorphosis and the World We […]

Our Consortium Members

Principal investigator


Suren Pillay

Principal Investigator
University of the Western Cape
Centre for Humanities Research

Conveners


Samuel Aniegye Ntewusu

University of Ghana
Institute of African Studies

Yonas Ashine Demisse

Addis Ababa University
Political Science and International Relations

Victoria Collis-Buthelezi

University of the Witwatersrand/University of Johannesburg
Centre for the Study of Race, Gender & Class/English

Ruchi Chaturvedi

University of Cape Town
Sociology

Aaron Kamugisha

University of the West Indies/ Smith College
Cultural Studies/ African Studies

Chika C. Mba

University of Ghana
Institute of African Studies

Genevieve Nrenzah

University of Ghana
Institute of African Studies

Student fellows


Obenewa Amponsah

University of Witwatersrand
African Literature

Francesco Anselmetti

American University of Beirut
Centre for Arab and Middle East Studies

Arnaldo Pinto Teixeira Caliche

University of the Western Cape
History

Nelly Ganta

University of the Witwatersrand
Urban Geography

Reyda Gay

University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus
Cultural Studies

Elikem Kunutsor

University of Cape Town
Centre for Theatre, Dance & Performance Studies

Sikelelwa Anita Mashiyi

University of the Western Cape
Anthropology

Vania Patrick-Drakes

University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus
Social Policy

Rosette Sifa Vuninga

University of the Western Cape
History

Affiliated Academics


Samer Frangie

American University of Beirut
Political Studies and Public Administration

Danai S. Mupotsa

University of the Western Cape
History

Ayanda Nombila

University of the Western Cape
Political Studies

Project Administrators


Eric Narh Tei-Kumadoe

University of Ghana
Institute of African Studies

Phindi Malaza

University of the Western Cape
Centre for Humanities Research

Contact us

    Postal address

    Physical address

    Other Universals
    University of the Western Cape
    Private Bag X17
    Bellville 7535
    Republic of South Africa
    University of the Western Cape
    Robert Sobukwe Road
    Bellville
    Republic of South Africa