Gerrit Olivier

Abbreviated CV : Gert Cornelius Olivier, 2 January 1935

Gerrit Olivier (the name he uses and is known by) holds a PhD in International Politics from the University of Pretoria, the first one of its kind ever to be awarded by a South African University. He was senior lecturer in Political Science at the University of Zululand and professor of International Politics at the University of Pretoria.

In 1983 he joined the South African diplomatic service, serving as the country's first diplomatic representative in the Soviet Union and first Ambassador in the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan. In 1996 he was appointed at the Rand Afrikaans University (now University of Johannesburg) as director of the Centre for European Studies, a position he still holds.

During his academic career he received research grants from the SA Human Science Research Council, the British Council, the Deutsche Akademische Austauchdienst (DAAD), the American and the Taiwanese Governments and was visiting fellow at the Centre for International Politics at Harvard University and the Moscow Institute for Diplomacy and Internatioaaanl Relations (Mgimo).

Professor Olivier was founding member of the South African Political Science Association, of which he also became the President and the first editor, for nine years, of the South African Journal of Political Science, Politikon.

Positions he currently hold include that of Chairman of the International Committee of the SA Business Chamber (CHAMSA), Commissioner of the SA Broadcasting Complaints Commission and Chairman of the Pretoria Branch of the SA Institute of International Affairs. He is the Author and co-author of numerous academic books and articles, a regular commentator on radio and television and the writer of newspaper articles on topical international issues.

Prof Olivier is married to Dr Suzan Emily Olivier and has three children, Michéle, Tanya and Anton-Louis