Prominent South African social anthropologist, Leslie Bank was recently appointed as Professor Extraordinaire in the Department of Social Sciences at Walter Sisulu University. This is an honorary position for a three-year term from April 2019 until February 2022. Leslie, who is currently the deputy executive director for EPD, is also an Associate Professor at the University of Fort Hare. Leslie joined the HSRC in July 2016 and leads the Place-making and development theme in EPD. Since his appointment to the HSRC he has published three books and been the guest editor of a special edition of Development Southern Africa.

Leslie’s recent books include
Imonti Modern (2018) which he wrote with Mxolisi Qebeyi; Anchored in Place (2018) edited with Nico Cloete and Francois van Schalkwyk, and his sole authored City of Broken Dreams: Myth-making, Nationalism and Universities in an African motor city (2019) (see commentary in Mail &Guardian https://mg.co.za/article/2019-03-29-00-early-state-capture-stalled-motor-city). Imonti Modern and City of Broken Dreams are available from HSRC Press and leading bookstores. Anchored in Place is available from African Minds.