The two-day colloquium is held at Nelson Mandela University’s North Campus from 21 – 22 June. The participants and speakers will be touching on a number of themes, including the influence of the sea on languages, recreating the sounds of the sea through music and the colonisation and decolonisation of the sea.
The theme of the colloquium is in line with the University’s ocean science strategy, which highlights the interdisciplinary approach to unearthing the potential of the sea, through its recently launched Ocean Sciences Campus.
The campus is a dedicated ocean sciences centre of excellence that will foster transdisciplinary research and innovation, with a postgraduate focus, necessary to address the ecological, economic and social sustainability challenges of the oceans.
Former Mandela University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Derick Swartz, who has been one of the key figures in the establishment of the ocean sciences strategy and campus, will open the proceedings. The keynote speakers for the Colloquium include Dr Kirk Sides, a World Literatures lecturer in from the UK’s Bristol University, and Prof Patrick Vrancken, who holds the South African Research Chair in the Law of the Sea and Development in Africa at Nelson Mandela University.
The colloquium will close off with a brief discussion on the “blue humanities”, where the humanities scholars explore sea-related issues, themes and topics.
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