STIAS has learnt with deep sadness of the passing of Professor Maxi Schoeman, a valued member of our Extended Fellowship and Research Programme Committee (FRPC).
Schoeman joined the Committee in 2018 and made an immense contribution to shaping and curating the STIAS Fellowship cohorts.
“For many years, Prof. Maxi Schoeman served on the Institute’s Fellowship and Research Programme Committee with affectionate enthusiasm, commitment, and distinction. She had an exceptional sense of what the Institute sought in a prospective STIAS Fellow,” said STIAS Director, Edward K. Kirumira. “Maxi was one of the finest human beings and academics I have had the pleasure of working with. We will miss her dearly.”
Former STIAS Director and FRPC member Hendrik Geyer added:
“This news comes as a real shock, very difficult to digest. We will sorely miss Maxi and her well-argued input into our deliberations – she leaves a gaping hole in the STIAS makeup.”
Before joining the STIAS selection structures, Schoeman was herself a STIAS Fellow. She was in residence in the second semester of 2016, working on a research project titled Promoting peace, security and development in Africa: Challenges and constraints to South Africa’s African agenda.
Her project explored South Africa’s African policy within the frameworks of its African Agenda and its foreign policy white paper, The Diplomacy of Ubuntu. The project formed part of her wider scholarly contribution to understanding South Africa’s foreign policy and the challenges facing emerging powers amid shifts in the international political system.
Between 2000 and 2019, Schoeman served as Head of the Department of Political Sciences and later as Deputy Dean for Postgraduate Studies in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Pretoria. She was widely respected for her academic leadership, administrative acumen, and her commitment to nurturing the next generation of researchers.
STIAS extends its heartfelt condolences to her family, colleagues, and friends.
“It is unthinkable that we will not see her again!” said fellow FRPC member, Louise Viljoen.