Maxi Schoeman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maxi Schoeman | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 November 1954 |
| Died | 14 September 2025 (aged 70) |
| Citizenship | South African |
| Occupations | Political scientist, Social Scientist, Academic |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | Aberystwyth University |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | International relations; Security studies; African politics |
| Institutions | University of Pretoria |
Maxi Schoeman (29 November 1954 – 14 September 2025) was a South African political scientist and a leading scholar of African international relations, peace and security studies.[1] She held senior academic and leadership roles at the University of Pretoria and was recognised for her work on South African foreign policy, African security, feminist international relations, and peacebuilding.[2][3]
Maxi Schoeman was born on 29 November 1954 in South Africa.[1] She earned her doctorate at Aberystwyth University, Wales.[4]
Academic career
After completing her doctorate at Aberystwyth University, Schoeman returned to South Africa and joined the University of Pretoria (UP) in 2000, where she worked as a researcher, lecturer and later professor.[4] She rose to become one of the university's most senior scholars in the social sciences, Head of the Department of Political Sciences; Deputy Dean of Postgraduate Studies and Research Ethics and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Humanities respectively.
Schoeman scholarship covered African peace and security, South African foreign policy, feminist approaches to international relations, African political economy, and human security.[3] She also worked with institutions such as the African Leadership Centre, contributing to programmes that supported early‑career researchers and journalists in peace and governance fields.[5]
Mentorship and Legacy
Schoeman was widely regarded as a generous mentor. Dr. Ruth Murambadoro described her as “a teacher of life, love and humanity” who embodied ubuntu in her mentorship and support of younger scholars.[6]
Throughout her career, Schoeman worked closely with a number of continental research institutions, including the African Leadership Centre (ALC) where she mentored young scholars and contributed to programmes advancing African scholarship in peace, security, and governance.[5]
