In memoriam: Professor Ian Taylor

A collective tribute to a true friend of Africa and a wonderful teacher

On 22 February 2021, we lost Professor Ian Taylor. Ian has been a world-renowned scholar who made outstanding contributions in the fields of International Relations, African politics and China-Africa studies. Besides his remarkable academic achievements and output, Ian was an extremely passionate educator who has inspired generations of students at all levels of their studies and literally all over the world. He was genuinely interested in the opinions and lives of his students and truly cared for them. This ‘collective eulogy’ is a modest attempt to pay tribute to the important role Ian has played as a ‘teacher’, mentor or supervisor for many of us.

In the typical Ian-esque manner, Prof. Taylor often joked that his only ‘claim to fame’ was that he, during his and his wife Jo’s time at the University of Botswana (2001-04), taught Kennedy Kamoli, who would later, in 2014, stage a coup d’état in Lesotho. Of course, everyone knew that his modesty was misplaced. Ian has done pioneering work in what is now a burgeoning subdiscipline, China-Africa studies. But his work and interests went far beyond ‘China in Africa’. Ian published highly influential books and articles on the politics, international relations and political economy of Africa, on African political thought as well as Gramscian and Marxist theory, on international institutions and regionalism, on the (under)development of Africa and on peace and conflict on the continent. No doubt, he was an academic ‘superstar’ or, as the Cambridge Review of International Affairs once put it, ‘one of the most authoritative academics on SubSaharan Africa’s International Relations’. What made him special is that he never considered himself a ‘superstar’, let alone make others feel that he was one. He was incredibly humble and did not take himself too seriously. Occasionally, he would send us his newest publication. In the subject line of the email: ‘my latest nonsense’. Ian’s humble nature had a direct impact on how he interacted with his students. He was very approachable and genuinely interested in what students had to say. In class, he created a warm, very pleasurable learning atmosphere in which students felt comfortable to share their views.

Throughout his career, Ian remained steadfast and loyal to his political ideals of a more equitable and just world. He was a radical – a very gentle radical. He never compromised on his convictions of what is right and what is wrong. What he most certainly considered wrong was the enduring systematic exploitation of Africa by external actors and economic interests. At the same time, he would never let African political and economic elites escape from their responsibility for the fate of their people.

Ian was an academic who was fully aware of his privileges and reflective of his whiteness, class and gender. As a result, he was particularly eager to learn from others, not least from the less privileged. In contrast to many leading academics, he really listened when others spoke. He incorporated silenced voices, not least from Africa, into his work and actively engaged in the decolonisation of the institutions he taught at. He was puzzled about the fact that the University of St Andrews would offer a degree on International Political Thought without substantive input on Africa. He filled the gap by offering a module on African political thought. After all, he was a person of action not of talk. It was a pure pleasure sitting in his class listening to this incredibly knowledgeable man – sometimes dressed in his hoodie with the ‘University of Addis Ababa’ print – and discuss with him the thought and action of organic intellectuals such as W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Frantz Fanon, Thomas Sankara, Julius Nyerere, Walter Rodney and Steve Biko.

It was particularly important for Ian to be in exchange with students and academics from Africa. He taught courses at universities in Botswana, Ethiopia, Uganda and, for almost two and a half decades, at his alma mater in Stellenbosch where he had earned his PhD in the late-1990s. Amongst both students and faculty in St Andrews, his office was legendary for the colourful book walls Ian had erected around his desk. No doubt, his office hosted the biggest Africana library in Scotland. But there were also thousands of books on China, political economy, history, political thought and so on. It was indeed impressive to see the variety of literatures Ian delved into. At some point during my PhD, I simply stopped consulting the university’s library. I would knock on Ian’s office door, since chances were high he had the book I needed. On the few square metres of open wall that were not covered by books, there were photos of Amílcar Cabral, Antonio Gramsci, Chris Hani and Kwame Nkrumah. It was as if he wanted their eyes to watch his desk on which he carried on, in written form, their struggles for true liberation, social justice and emancipation. In the crowded bookshelves, the curious student who visited Ian in his office would spot busts of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Marx, next to souvenirs and gifts from all over the world.

But one would leave Ian’s office not only stunned by its décor but, more importantly, always elevated by his positive spirit and attitude. Ian had an unbelievable gift to make others feel good. With his dry sense of humour, he could turn a shitty day (of which there are usually many in the life of a PhD student) into a brighter day. I remember a message exchange with him about football. Spending his teens in West London, for young Ian it was obvious which team to support. Brentford FC was his choice, since it was – in his words – a ‘100% local club’ and, he would jokingly add that only ‘the fascists and glory hunters in West London’ would support Chelsea. He was not done wisecracking, as he started to blame me and my tribe for the rather modest performance of his favourite team over the last 80 years. He wrote: ‘Actually, you should feel guilty about this. We were at the top of the First Division in the 1930s and then Adolf started his thing and we’ve been crap ever since… I blame ALL Germans :D :D’. It was not least funny moments like this that made Ian such a wonderful person to spend time with.

Even after the diagnosis last year, Ian did not lose his positivity but instead remained optimistic and full of zest for action. I recall him expressing his annoyance about Covid-19. The pandemic would not allow him to travel to Africa in 2020 – for the first time since 1992. At the same time, he fully accepted his fate and underwent various therapies with stoic tranquility, despite their heavy side effects. He was immensely grateful for the help he received from the doctors and nurses. It was obvious that his firm belief in God gave him faith no matter what would come.

Two weeks before his death, I visited Ian for the last time, together with Pádraig Carmody, a long-time companion of his. We had an almost light-hearted, very pure time and laughed quite a bit. Jo and Ian showed us the very first issue from 1963 of the Journal of Modern African Studies whose co-editor Ian was. Ian told us stories of his family’s time in Botswana, where their daughter was born, of the time when he hitchhiked from Mauretania to Senegal and of the weekend trips during his stays in Addis Ababa. Thursdays or Fridays, he would check Ethiopian Airlines’ vast route network and book a flight to one of the few African destinations he had not been to. Wanderlust and curiosity were innate to Ian.

Our thoughts and sympathy are with Ian’s family. To you, Jo, Blythe and Archie: We hope you might find some solace in reading about how Ian inspired and touched so many of us across the world. We wish you strength and faith in the future. Ian, it is a true honour to have known you. We shall meet again. Until then, we will live off the wonderful memories of you and shall aspire to honour your immense legacy. A luta continua!

Dr. Tim Zajontz, St Andrews Ian’s PhD supervisee (2015-2020), University of St Andrews

In the summer of 2010, Ian and I were at a Beijing market that sells all things “old China” to tourists. Browsing at a stall specializing in Cultural Revolution posters, we saw a poster depicting disgraced party leaders. Pointing at the caricatures, and to the utter disbelieve of the stall owner, Ian named each leader. Most Chinese people will struggle to name these old leaders, never mind a ‘lao wai’! Ian was always unassuming and quietly confident. His confidence and belief in my abilities supported me through the ups and downs of my research journey and will always remain with me.

Dr. Steven Kuo, Cape Town Ian’s PhD supervisee (2007-12), University of St Andrews

Professor Taylor had a tremendous impact on my time at St Andrews. Always insightful, the stories he told were something of legend. His classes challenged convention and the commitment he showed to his students was unwavering. I feel enormously privileged to have been taught by Ian and have never met a student of his who would say otherwise. He will be greatly missed.

Jake Eisenecker, St Andrews Ian’s student, Politics of Africa (AY 2019-20) and International Relations of Sub-Saharan Africa (202021), University of St Andrews

I was fortunate enough to have taken two classes on Africa with Ian in my undergraduate years. Those classes triggered my passion for working on and with the continent and I’m glad to have spent five years’ living in various African countries since then. It is fair to say that my personal and professional trajectory was immensely influenced by Ian’s teaching and I remember his intellectual rigour and clarity - underpinned by personal empathy - with great fondness. He left a lasting impression on me as a great teacher and I will treasure his memory dearly.

Peter Lang, Copenhagen Ian’s student, Politics of Africa (AY 2010-11), International Relations of Sub-Saharan Africa (2011-12), University of St Andrews During the years in which I was Ian Taylor’s PhD student at the University of St Andrews, and the short time since, I had the privilege to have a mentor who was a committed scholar and teacher, and a very kind person. While perhaps a little intimidated at first, I got to know Ian as a supportive supervisor, unpretentious and open, driving every encounter with his many questions. I appreciated the freedom and confidence he gave me to explore research avenues that were not necessarily his own, while, at the same time, I could rely on his straight-forward advice and clear judgement. We also had the chance to meet during his various research and teaching trips to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where Ian was well liked and respected. He took time to engage with his students, and delighted in looking for treasures in the little second-hand bookshops. I will miss him very much.

Dr. Katharina Newbery, Leipzig Ian’s PhD supervisee (2014-19), University of St Andrews

Professor Taylor taught me in my final year at the University of St Andrews. He was deeply knowledgeable, passionate about his research, hugely supportive in pushing me to challenge myself in my work, and always willing to chat football! He was kind enough to act as a referee for me as I sought both Master’s and PhD opportunities. Ian was intelligent, humble, and supportive of others. He will be sorely missed. Rest in Peace.

Dr. James A. Malcolm, Coventry Ian’s student (AY 2004-05), University of St Andrews I came to Ian’s course with little knowledge about African politics and with the utter conviction that regional integration was the unfailing remedy to nationalism. His classes were a true eye-opener. I learnt that regionalism was not always pursued for lofty intentions but used and abused by elites for political incumbency and patronage, all with the complicity of the international community. And I discovered that beneath the fiction of regional organisations lied a whole world of actual regional-building forged by cross-border activities. His class turned out to be my starting point for an academic path dedicated to the study of regionalism ever since. My fondest memories, however, will be of later years of friendship - of laughing at ourselves, as he was sweating heavily under the thick tweed coat he refused to take off despite us having ordered plenty of spicy Szechuan food.

Dr. Frank Mattheis, Brussels Ian’s student, Political Economy of Southern Africa (2006), Stellenbosch University

Ian Taylor was one of the most exceptional minds I’ve ever had the privilege to learn from. I studied under him during the spring of 2019, while doing my Masters in International Political Theory at the University of St Andrews. That summer, he also supervised my Masters Dissertation. In that time, I was lucky enough to bear witness to the wide scope of his creativity, as he encouraged me to to work beyond the constraints of theoretical conventions and the limits of established disciplines- which ultimately helped set the tone for my work in my PhD. He was an incredibly kind individual whose generosity for sharing his wealth of knowledge was boundless. I will always admire him for his commitment to the shamefully neglected field of African Studies, and be grateful to him for the support and inspiration he provided in my academic career.

Brenden Benjamin, St Andrews Ian’s MLitt supervisee, International Political Theory (2019), University of St Andrews

Professor Taylor was my PhD supervisor, mentor and friend. He steered me to discover my passion, pushed me out of my timidity, taught me how to defend my position. He believed in me—as he did in all his students in whom he invested his time and concern. He believed in our dreams and ambitions. Despite his stature as a world leading authority in his field, he never made any of us feel small at any point in time.

While a lot of supervisors would just put us down on the list of their supervised PhDs and move on, Professor Taylor always took time to keep in touch. Over the last 7 years, I have had the chance to collect memories of him that I will always cherish in the form of email banters about everything and nothing. I miss him dearly, even more now that I know that there will be no cheerful email popping up in my inbox to reinstate my faith in the worthiness of fighting for the right thing. He would want us to keep up his legacy. He was and will always remain my guru.

Dr. Honita Cowaloosur, Port Louis, Mauritius Ian’s PhD supervisee (2010-14), University of St Andrews

I will remember Professor Ian Taylor most of all for his curiosity. He had an extraordinary observational ability, and approached the world with a desire to know it. His curiosity was grounded in commitment rather than naivety: He was always ready to learn new things and to explore topics from unconventional angles. This resulted in influential and celebrated research, yet his most valuable legacy may come from demonstrating through personal example the importance of making the journey worthwhile.

Prof. Heidi Østbø Haugen, Oslo Ian co-supervised Heidi’s PhD thesis (2009-12), University of Oslo

More memories and tributes can be found on the SAASUM Review Website: https://saasumreview.wordpress. com/2021/03/09/a-collective-eulogy-for-professor-ian-taylor/

What I would like to share with everyone at this ‘shitest’ moment is what Ian said to me when I finally found him on the final submission day of my PhD thesis – I needed his signature for the submission and his phone had no signal whatsoever. And just as I was so anxiously looking for him around our little town, he showed up on North Street, looked at the pale me, and said, “but it’s OK (now you find me)”. And he went on signed my PhD thesis with his signature blue marker on a wheelie bin.

Ian will be remembered a lot more than just a supervisor, but an irreplaceable companion, a friend who always has your back, or to myself, a family member who is just always there. I am sure that sadness is definitely not among one of those things that Ian would like to see from us, rather to be happy, kind, and stay just no matter how messy this world is becoming. Now our dearest supervisor has gone, “but it’s OK”, his spirit remains with us always, and we shall continue to make him proud.

Dr. Cheng Zhangxi, Beijing Ian’s PhD supervisee (2010-16), University of St Andrews

Professor Taylor was one of the first tutors I had upon entering honours. I remember being blown away when speaking to him in his office, not just from the volumes of books and busts of African leaders on the walls, but from the well of knowledge and insight he could so easily draw from to guide you. I’ve reminisced about his classes many times with friends; he was truly loved by all of us.

Leo Kelly, Manchester Ian’s student, Politics of Africa (AY 2019-20), University of St Andrews During my MLitt in International Political Theory at the University of St Andrews, Ian managed to implant in me a great interest in African Political Thought. During the first seminar, he walked in, looked at the Crass (English punk band) logo stitched on my bag and, to my utmost surprise, exclaimed that he had seen them perform live. That set the incredibly awesome and interesting tone of the seminars that followed.

Aristidis V. Agoglossakis Foley, St Andrews Ian’s postgraduate student, African Political Thought (AY 2018-19), University of St Andrews

The excitement of seeking advice from Ian stemmed from never knowing where, or when, his responses would come from; whether late at night, whilst negotiating a remote border crossing – and often through an intermittent internet connection. Regardless of circumstance, you always received a full and enthusiastic response. Ian first agreed to meet when I was completing my PhD at the University of St Andrews, in the School of Geography. His kindness, just like his work, bridged disciplinary divides and he made time to ensure I was prepared for my fieldwork, hours before catching a flight to complete his own. The next time we crossed paths would be a few months later in Cape Town as he headlined the latest Africa-China conference. His ever-present generosity was equalled by his modesty. As an early career academic, I continue to be reminded of the time I dared to refer to him as ‘the expert’, to which he simply replied, ‘there are no experts’. I know his work will continue to be an important source for those beginning their journey into Africa’s international relations, just as it was for me.

Dr. Liam O’Brien, Rutland Ian provided advice during Liam’s PhD studies in the School of Geography, University of St Andrews