Yusuf Patel
Yusuf's PhD project title is 'Divergent memories: Sites of apartheid era incarceration and violence.' Read more about Yusuf's research.
Project title
Divergent memories: Sites of apartheid era incarceration and violence
Supervisors
- Professor Laura Routley
- Professor Susannah Eckersley
- Professor Iain Jackson (University of Liverpool)
About Yusuf
I'm a highly motivated and progress-focused Ph.D. researcher and Professional Architect.
I'm interested in architecture, politics and memory studies and enjoy the mix between the theoretical backing behind PhD research and the practicality of everyday architectural practice. This provides a balance to tackling complex situations and drives my love for learning, teaching, continuous development and problem-solving.
Project description
'Divergent memories: Sites of apartheid era incarceration and violence examines how memories of apartheid-era incarceration and violence are engaged with in South Africa.'
It does this by analysing two sites in Johannesburg that were central to this incarceration and violence which have received very divergent treatment in the post-apartheid era. These sites are:
- Central Johannesburg Police Station (formerly John Vorster Police Station) and
- Constitution Hill (Formerly Johannesburg Fort).
This PhD project is part of a larger research project titled: Afterlives of Colonial Incarceration based at Newcastle University and funded by the Leverhulme Trust, a UK based research funder. Read more about this research project
My interests
My interest in space and politics has developed to include the role memory, heritage, and legacy play in the built environment and how spaces of trauma have embraced, ignored, or resisted the difficult memories associated with its past.
In my spare time, I also enjoy swimming, cooking and Palestinian embroidery (Tatreez).
Publications
Blog Post: Complicit Architecture: Sites of apartheid-era incarceration Anti Apartheid Legacy
Blog Post: Individual and Collective Trauma: Seeking Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Anti Apartheid Legacy
Presentations
Conferences and workshops:
- BISA Conference - Glasgow. Paper Title: The Afterlives of Violence Co-presentation with Prof. Laura Routley (Newcastle University) (June ’23)
- MSA Conference - Newcastle. Paper Title: Colonial Imaginaries and the Politics of Space, Place and Memory. Co-presentation with Prof. Laura Routley (Newcastle University) (July '23)
- Annual Conference of the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence - Bayreuth. Paper Title: Building Memories of Apartheid Incarceration: The Role of Architecture in Post-Apartheid South Africa. Presenter and Chair of the Panel titled ‘Home’ (October '23)
Academic Qualifications, Organisational Membership and Achievements
Awards
- Transformative Pedagogies (University of Johannesburg)
- Artificial Intelligence in the 4IR (University of Johannesburg)
Memberships
- Professional Architect (South African Council For the Architectural Profession)
- Intro to Learning and Teaching (Newcastle University)
- MSA (Memory Studies Association)
- BISA (British International Studies Association)