On Tuesday, 12 November, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) celebrated the professorial inauguration of Professor Gijsbert Hoogendoorn, held at the Kerzner Building on the APB Campus. Professor Hoogendoorn, Professor in the Department of Geography, Environmental Management, and Energy Studies, delivered an inaugural address titled, “Whispered in Corridors: Intra-national Politics and Practices of Knowledge Production in South African Human Geography.”
Professor Hoogendoorn’s address explored the challenges and complexities within South African Human Geography, drawing attention to the political dimensions and practices that influence knowledge production in the field. He discussed calls within the global geographical community to reshape the discipline as a critical space of care and praxis, as recently highlighted by Daya (Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 47, 9, 2022).
Professor Hoogendoorn argued that this reconfiguration requires close examination of multi-scalar political dynamics, extending beyond global inequalities to address intra-national inequities and structural biases. His focus on South African Human Geography, supported by a thorough analysis of publication data and interviews with academic staff nationwide, shed light on how apartheid legacies contribute to a “double-peripheralisation” at historically disadvantaged institutions, creating a mosaic of “cores” and “peripheries” within knowledge production. These dynamics, often “whispered in corridors,” he noted, illustrate the need for critical engagement across multiple scales to build a fairer, more inclusive knowledge economy.
Following Professor Hoogendoorn’s address, Dr Daniel Hammett, Director of Learning and Teaching in the Department of Geography at the University of Sheffield, provided a response, reflecting on the broader implications of intra-national knowledge politics in academic geography.
The inauguration ceremony included a formal academic procession, with Prof Bettine van Vuuren, UJ Registrar, and Prof Annah Moteetee, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science, presiding.
About Professor Gijsbert Hoogendoorn
Professor Hoogendoorn joined UJ as an Associate Professor in May 2015 and served as Head of Department from 2017 to 2020. In August 2021, he was promoted to Full Professor. In recognition of his significant contributions to geography in South Africa, Professor Hoogendoorn received the prestigious Gold Medal Award from the Society of South African Geographers in 2024.
His research interests span Tourism Geography, with a particular focus on second-home tourism, climate change, and urban tourism. He has published over 100 journal articles, book chapters, and conference papers and has supervised numerous PhD and Master’s theses to completion.
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