Wilmot James
Encyclopedia
Professor Wilmot Godfrey James MP (born 5 July 1953) is a noted South Africa
n academic-turned-politician, who serves as the country's Shadow Minister of Basic Education and as a Member of Parliament
and Federal Chairperson for the opposition Democratic Alliance. He has served as director of Sanlam
, Media24
and the Africa Genome Education Institute
, and is the chairperson of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Immigration Advisory Board of South Africa. He is also a former Trustee of the Ford Foundation of New York
.
in the Western Cape
on July 5, 1953, to Peter Charles James and Shelma Rumine Hartel. He attended Athlone High School, and matriculated in 1970.
in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts Honours cum laude. He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in the United States
, and attained his MSc from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
in 1978, and a PhD from the same institution in 1982. In 1985 he did a post doctoral fellowship at Yale University
. He was a vising fellow at Indiana University
in Bloomington
in 1990, and a visiting fellow at the American Bar Foundation
in Chicago
in 1992.
In 1993 he moved to Cape Town
to become Professor of Sociology at the University of Cape Town
. He became Executive Director of the Institute for Democracy in South Africa in 1994, and served at Idasa until 1998. In 1999 he was appointed Dean of Humanities at the University of Cape Town
.
James was appointed an Executive Director at the Human Sciences Research Council
in 2001, a position he held until 2004.
In 2003 he was Moore Distinguished Visiting Professor at the California Institute of Technology
in Pasadena, California
.
In 2005 James was appointed Director of the Africa Genome Education Institute
.
newspaper, but left the paper later that year. In 2004 he became a Director at Naspers
's Media24
.
James served as a trustee of the Ford Foundation of New York
between 1996 and 2009.
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 academic-turned-politician, who serves as the country's Shadow Minister of Basic Education and as a Member of Parliament
Parliament of South Africa
The Parliament of South Africa is South Africa's legislature and under the country's current Constitution is composed of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces....
and Federal Chairperson for the opposition Democratic Alliance. He has served as director of Sanlam
Sanlam
Sanlam Limited is a financial services group in South Africa with its head office in Bellville in the Western Cape. Established in 1918, the Group demutualised in 1998 and Sanlam Limited then listed on the JSE Limited in Johannesburg and the Namibian Stock Exchange. The Sanlam Group conducts its...
, Media24
Media24
Media24 is the print media arm of the South African media company Naspers. It controls Naspers' newspaper and magazine Southern African publishing as well as printing activities but also includes the internet activities of the 24.com collection of web portals...
and the Africa Genome Education Institute
Africa Genome Education Institute
The Africa Genome Education Institute is a public forum focusing on genetics and biotechnology in the African continent. It has organised major genome related events and conferences in Stellenbosch , Cairo , Nairobi , Somerset West . The AGEI's executive director is Prof Wilmot James....
, and is the chairperson of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Immigration Advisory Board of South Africa. He is also a former Trustee of the Ford Foundation of New York
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
.
Early years
Wilmot James was born in PaarlPaarl
Paarl is a town with 191,013 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Its the third oldest European settlement in the Republic of South Africa and the largest town in the Cape Winelands. Due to the growth of the Mbekweni township, it is now a de facto urban unit with Wellington...
in the Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
on July 5, 1953, to Peter Charles James and Shelma Rumine Hartel. He attended Athlone High School, and matriculated in 1970.
University and academia
James graduated from the University of the Western CapeUniversity 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...
in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts Honours cum laude. He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and attained his MSc from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in 1978, and a PhD from the same institution in 1982. In 1985 he did a post doctoral fellowship at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. He was a vising fellow at Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
in Bloomington
Bloomington
Bloomington is the name of some places in the United States of America:*Bloomington, California*Bloomington, Idaho*Bloomington, Illinois** the Bloomington meteorite of 1938, which fell in Illinois, United States *Bloomington, Indiana...
in 1990, and a visiting fellow at the American Bar Foundation
American Bar Foundation
Established in 1952, the ' is an independent, nonprofit national research institute located in Chicago, Illinois committed to objective empirical research on law and legal institutions...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1992.
In 1993 he moved to Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
to become Professor of Sociology at the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
. He became Executive Director of the Institute for Democracy in South Africa in 1994, and served at Idasa until 1998. In 1999 he was appointed Dean of Humanities at the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
.
James was appointed an Executive Director at the Human Sciences Research Council
Human Sciences Research Council (South Africa)
The Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa primarily conducts large-scale, policy-relevant, social-scientific projects for public-sector users, non governmental organisations and international development agencies in support of development nationally, in the Southern African Development...
in 2001, a position he held until 2004.
In 2003 he was Moore Distinguished Visiting Professor at the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
.
In 2005 James was appointed Director of the Africa Genome Education Institute
Africa Genome Education Institute
The Africa Genome Education Institute is a public forum focusing on genetics and biotechnology in the African continent. It has organised major genome related events and conferences in Stellenbosch , Cairo , Nairobi , Somerset West . The AGEI's executive director is Prof Wilmot James....
.
Other positions
In 2001, James was appointed Associate Editor at the Cape ArgusCape Argus
Founded in 1857 by Saul Solomon, the Cape Argus is a daily newspaper published by Independent News & Media in Cape Town, South Africa. It is commonly referred to simply as "The Argus"....
newspaper, but left the paper later that year. In 2004 he became a Director at Naspers
Naspers
Naspers is a South Africa-based multinational media company with principal operations in electronic media and print media Naspers is a South Africa-based multinational media company with principal operations in electronic media (including pay-television, internet and instant-messaging subscriber...
's Media24
Media24
Media24 is the print media arm of the South African media company Naspers. It controls Naspers' newspaper and magazine Southern African publishing as well as printing activities but also includes the internet activities of the 24.com collection of web portals...
.
James served as a trustee of the Ford Foundation of New York
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
between 1996 and 2009.