Prof Nomusa Makhubu
Nominee's Province:
Western Cape
Project Name/Description:
Associate Professor in Art History at Michaelis School of Fine Art / Deputy Dean of Transformation at UCT
Professor Nomusa Makhubu is an Associate Professor in Art History at Michaelis School of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town (UCT), and Deputy Dean of Transformation at the university. Makhubu joined UCT in 2014 and became a deputy dean last year. She feels complete when collaborating with colleagues in higher education and beyond. “My line of work as deputy dean is transformation and the primary focus is to develop the faculty transformation plan, including employment equity plans for the faculty," says Makhubu. “As an associate professor, I am a teacher and researcher with a focus on Modern and Contemporary African Art.” Given her background, it almost seems natural that she has ascended the world of academia. “My parents pursued higher education, and both became school headmasters. Their careers inspired me to achieve as well.” Makhubu's academic work encompasses academic research and the visual arts – photography and film – to explore ideas of gender, citizenship and what it means to be African. “I grew up in the Vaal. When I finished high school, I had good grades, and I could have followed a career in the sciences. But I had an ‘A’ in art and a keen interest in what I could do with it. “After applying for many different degrees around the country, from architecture to medicine, I eventually chose to study fine art at Rhodes University,” she says. She currently heads a project called Creative Knowledge Resources, a platform to mentor emerging scholars and help facilitate collaborative projects.
