Colin Bundy
Encyclopedia
Professor Colin James Bundy (born 4 October 1944) is a South Africa
n historian and former Principal of Green Templeton College, Oxford
.
Professor Bundy was an influential member of a generation of historians who substantially revised understanding of South African history. In particular, he wrote on South Africa's rural past from a predominantly Marxist perspective
, but also deploying Africanist and underdevelopment
theories. http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/africanjournals/pdfs/transformation/tran016/tran016005.pdf Since the mid-1990s, however, Bundy has held a series of posts in university administration.
at Graeme College
, Grahamstown
in the Eastern Cape Province.
Bundy was educated at the University of Natal (B.A.) and the University of the Witwatersrand
(B.A. (Hons)). He was then a Rhodes Scholar at Merton College, Oxford
(1968-70) and a Beit Senior Research Scholar at St Antony's
(1970-72), graduating as an M.Phil. and D.Phil of the University of Oxford
with a thesis entitled African peasants and economic change in South Africa, 1870-1913, with particular reference to the Cape (1976).
(2001-06); Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of London
(2003-06); Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University of the Witwatersrand
(1997-2001); and Director of the Institute for Historical Research (1992-94) and Vice Rector (1994-97), University of the Western Cape
.
He returned to Oxford
as a Research Fellow at Queen Elizabeth House (1979-80) and in the Department for External Studies
(1980-84), subsequently being elected an Honorary Fellow of Kellogg College
. From 2006 until 2008 he was Warden of Green College, Oxford
, becoming the first Principal of Green Templeton College
on 1 October 2008, when Green College merged with Templeton College
. He retired from this position on 1 October 2010.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n historian and former Principal of Green Templeton College, Oxford
Green Templeton College, Oxford
Green Templeton College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is the university's newest college having come into existence on 1 October 2008 from the merger of Green College and Templeton College...
.
Professor Bundy was an influential member of a generation of historians who substantially revised understanding of South African history. In particular, he wrote on South Africa's rural past from a predominantly Marxist perspective
Marxist historiography
Marxist or historical materialist historiography is a school of historiography influenced by Marxism. The chief tenets of Marxist historiography are the centrality of social class and economic constraints in determining historical outcomes....
, but also deploying Africanist and underdevelopment
Dependency theory
Dependency theory or dependencia theory is a body of social science theories predicated on the notion that resources flow from a "periphery" of poor and underdeveloped states to a "core" of wealthy states, enriching the latter at the expense of the former...
theories. http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/africanjournals/pdfs/transformation/tran016/tran016005.pdf Since the mid-1990s, however, Bundy has held a series of posts in university administration.
Education
He received his secondary educationSecondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
at Graeme College
Graeme College
Graeme College is a public school located in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. It caters for boys from Grade 1 to Grade 12 and offers both boarding and day options to its pupils...
, Grahamstown
Grahamstown
Grahamstown is a city in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa and is the seat of the Makana municipality. The population of greater Grahamstown, as of 2003, was 124,758. The population of the surrounding areas, including the actual city was 41,799 of which 77.4% were black,...
in the Eastern Cape Province.
Bundy was educated at the University of Natal (B.A.) and the University of the Witwatersrand
University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg is a South African university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University...
(B.A. (Hons)). He was then a Rhodes Scholar at Merton College, Oxford
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
(1968-70) and a Beit Senior Research Scholar at St Antony's
St Antony's College, Oxford
St Antony's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England.St Antony's is the most international of the seven all-graduate colleges of the University of Oxford, specialising in international relations, economics, politics, and history of particular parts of the...
(1970-72), graduating as an M.Phil. and D.Phil of the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
with a thesis entitled African peasants and economic change in South Africa, 1870-1913, with particular reference to the Cape (1976).
Career
Bundy was Director and Principal of the School of Oriental and African StudiesSchool of Oriental and African Studies
The School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
(2001-06); Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
(2003-06); Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University of the Witwatersrand
University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg is a South African university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University...
(1997-2001); and Director of the Institute for Historical Research (1992-94) and Vice Rector (1994-97), University of the Western Cape
University of the Western Cape
The University of the Western Cape is a public university located in the Bellville suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. It was established in 1960 by the South African government as a university for Coloured people only...
.
He returned to Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
as a Research Fellow at Queen Elizabeth House (1979-80) and in the Department for External Studies
Kellogg College, Oxford
Kellogg College is one of the largest and most international graduate constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Kellogg College is a graduate college and admissions are not open to undergraduates. The college focuses on the concept of higher, postgraduate and lifelong learning...
(1980-84), subsequently being elected an Honorary Fellow of Kellogg College
Kellogg College, Oxford
Kellogg College is one of the largest and most international graduate constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Kellogg College is a graduate college and admissions are not open to undergraduates. The college focuses on the concept of higher, postgraduate and lifelong learning...
. From 2006 until 2008 he was Warden of Green College, Oxford
Green College, Oxford
Green College was a graduate college of the University of Oxford in England. It was centred around an architecturally appealing 18th century building: the Radcliffe Observatory, which is modelled after the ancient "Tower of the Winds" in Athens....
, becoming the first Principal of Green Templeton College
Green Templeton College, Oxford
Green Templeton College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is the university's newest college having come into existence on 1 October 2008 from the merger of Green College and Templeton College...
on 1 October 2008, when Green College merged with Templeton College
Templeton College, Oxford
Templeton College was one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford, England. It was an all-graduate college, concentrating on the recruitment of students in business and management studies....
. He retired from this position on 1 October 2010.
Publications
His publications include- 'Land and Liberation: The South African National Liberation Movements and the Agrarian Question, 1920s-1960s', Review of African Political Economy 11:29 (Summer 1984), 14-29
- History, revolution, and South Africa (Cape Town: University of Cape Town, 1987)
- Remaking the Past: New Perspectives in South African History (Cape Town: University of Cape Town, 1987)
- (with William Beinart) Hidden struggles in rural South Africa: politics & popular movements in the Transkei & Eastern Cape 1890-1930 (London: Currey; Berkeley: University of California Press; Johannesburg: Ravan Press, 1987)
- The rise and fall of the South African peasantry (London: Heinemann, 1979; 2nd edn., Cape Town: David Philip; London: Currey, 1988)
- The History of the South African Communist Party (Cape Town: Department of Adult Education and Extra-Mural Studies, University of Cape Town, 1991)
External links
- Guardian profile, 2004
- Talk by Bundy on Globalisation and universities, 1999
- Talk by Bundy on education in South Africa, 2003
- Article by Bundy on truth and reconciliation in South Africa, 1999
- Two-part video of Professor Bundy discussing the implications of the collapse of the Soviet Union on the prospects for global Marxist revolution. Part One Part Two