Africa News from the Centre of African Studies, University of London,
January 2015 |
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| | | Centre of African Studies 50th Anniversary Lecture:
Yinka Shonibare MBE RA
Wednesday, May 13th | 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre (BGLT), SOAS 
The Centre of African Studies is honoured to welcome the renowned artist Yinka Shonibare MBE RA to deliver our annual lecture, marking the 50th anniversary of the largest centre of expertise on Africa outside Africa.
Over the past decade, Shonibare has become well known for his exploration of colonialism and post-colonialism within the contemporary context of globalisation. Shonibare's work explores these issues, alongside those of race and class, through the media of painting, sculpture, photography and, more recently, film and performance. Using this wide range of media, Shonibare examines in particular the construction of identity and the tangled interrelationship between Africa and Europe and their respective economic and political histories. Mixing Western art history and literature, he asks what constitutes our collective contemporary identity today. Having described himself as a 'post-colonial' hybrid, Shonibare questions the meaning of cultural and national definitions.
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Starting from (W)here? Understanding the international art market from an African perspective 
25 & 26 April 9:00 AM -: 6:00 PM, Room B11, SOAS This training course marks the launch of The Africa Centre's African Creative Business Programme ('ACBP') initiative, starting with the two day intensive and interactive course designed for professional practice help and guidance for creative people. This 2-day course includes lectures regarding African contemporary art, the influence of galleries, art and the internet, and many more. For a full list of the lectures and more details about the conference, please click here. We welcome curators; writers; gallerists; bloggers; critics; collectors; students; researchers; enthusiasts. Admission Fee: £95 for the two day course, inclusive of lunch, tea & coffee & networking reception (5.45-7pm on Saturday 25th April) Please register on Eventbrite
Whatever Happened to the Developmental State? The Curious Incident of South Africa
Africa Seminar - Ben Fine (SOAS). Monday 27th April, 5.15-7pm, Room 4429
In the wake of the Great Financial Crisis, GFC, the revival of support for state intervention, other than in the financial sector, has been remarkably limited and momentary. Yet, we are told that industrial policy is back on the agenda. If so, why has the developmental state not become more prominent given that it is so heavily associated with the rise of Japan and the East Asian NICs? But a counterexample is provided by South Africa which declared itself committed to being a developmental state just as the GFC broke. Is this an exception, or an exception that proves the continuing rule of neoliberalism?
Organised as part of the 'Economic Transformation in Africa' Working Group
Find out more
Future Sounds of Mzansi - Film Screening
28 April 2015 | 6:00 pm
Djam Lecture Theatre (DLT), SOAS
Co-directed by performance artist and producer Spoek Mathambo, this documentary aims to explore, express, and interrogate South Africa's cultural landscape. A chief vehicle of this exploration is electronic music, a staple of South African popular culture. The film engages with a potent range of pioneers sculpting the sounds of things to come. We swim in the sounds of deep house, glitch hop, sghubu sapitori, durban qhum, dubstep and shangaan electro.
Watch the trailer
All welcome, to rsvp, email cas@soas.ac.uk |
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· Vamba Sherif - 'Bound to Secrecy' · Book Launch, Tues 5th May, 6pm-8pm, Room 116
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Steeped in the tradition of supernatural detective fiction and exploring the use and abuse of power in dysfunctional governments, this novel begins with the arrival of William Mawolo, a stranger from the capital, in a border town somewhere in Africa. On a secret mission to investigate the disappearance of the local chief, Mawolo is hampered by the suspicion of the local population, particularly Makemeh, the daughter of the missing chief, whose apparent indifference to her father's disappearance emboldens Mawolo to draw closer to her. As time goes by and no one in the capital orders him back, Mawolo decides to go above his official authority and take charge of the town, but this move only bolsters his ego and antagonizes the locals further—at which point he realizes that learning the secrets of the town might just bring about his own demise.
Chair: Dr. Robtel Neajai Pailey (SOAS)
Find out more _________________________________________________________________ In the Name of the People: Angola's Forgotten Massacre by Lara Pawson · Book Launch, Mon 18th May, 5.15pm-7pm, Room 4429
On 27th May 1977, a small demonstration against the MPLA, the ruling party of Angola - led to the slaughter of thousands, if not tens of thousands, of people. These dreadful reprisals are little talked of in Angola today - and virtually unknown outside the country. In this book, journalist Lara Pawson tracks down the story of what really happened in the aftermath of that fateful day. In a series of vivid encounters, she talks to eyewitnesses, victims and even perpetrators of the violent and confusing events of the 27th May and the following weeks and months. From London to Lisbon to Luanda, she meets those who continue to live in the shadow of the appalling events of 40 years ago and who - in most cases - have been too afraid to speak about them before. As well as shedding light on the events of 1977, this book contributes to a deeper understanding of modern Angola - its people and its politics; past, present and future.
Chair: Christopher Cramer (SOAS)
Find out more
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Re-Presenting Africa in Young Adult Speculative Fiction: The Ekpe Institution in Nnedi Okorafor's Akata Witch
Africa Seminar - Louisa Uchum Egbunike (SOAS). Monday 1st June, 5.15-7pm, Room 4429
Find out more
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· 'Africa – Why Economists Get it Wrong' by Morten Jerven · Book Launch, Thursday 4th June, 6pm-8pm, Brunei Suite
·  Not so long ago, Africa was being described as the 'Hopeless Continent'. Recently, though, talk has turned to 'Africa Rising', with enthusiastic voices exclaiming the potential for economic growth across many of its countries. What, then, is the truth behind Africa's growth, or lack of it? In this provocative book, Morten Jerven fundamentally reframes the debate, challenging mainstream accounts of African economic history. Whilst for the past two decades experts have focused on explaining why there has been a 'chronic failure of growth' in Africa, Jerven shows that most African economies have been growing at a rapid pace since the mid-90s. In addition, African economies grew rapidly in the 50s, the 1960s, and even into the 1970s. Thus, African states were dismissed as incapable of development based largely on observations made during the 1980s and early 1990s. The result has been misguided analysis, and few practical lessons learned. An essential account of the real impact economic growth has had on Africa, and what it means for the continent's future. Respondent: Tunde Zack-Williams (University of Central Lancashire)
Chair: Christopher Cramer (SOAS)
Find out more
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The Humor Principle in Modern African Literature and Cinema
Africa Seminar - Maik Nwosu (University of Denver). Monday 1st June, 5.15-7pm, Room 4429
An examination of how the African comic imagination, which traces a path back to African folklore, has variously manifested in modern African literature and the direct-to-video Nigerian film industry known as Nollywood.
Find out more
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SOAS African History Seminar
All seminars will be held in room B101, Brunei Gallery, 17.00-18.30 29 April, Wednesday
'The War Was Born With Us, the Spear is Our Sister': Warfare and Bonds of Dependence on the South African Highvelt - Ettore Morelli (SOAS) Wed. 6 May 2015
No seminar Wed. 13 May 2015
Waging Another War: Social Relations and the Formation of a Working Class in Luanda, 1961-75 - Juliana Cordeiro de Farias Bosslet (SOAS) Wed. 20 May 2015
Settler Colonialism and the Ontological Turn: Conflating Nguni and Dutch Colonialism in the Eastern Zimbabwe Highlands, 1860-1900 -Diana Jeater (Goldsmiths College) Wed. 27 May 2015
The Birth of South Africa's Military-Industrial Complex: Pre-Apartheid Public and Private Sector Development -Sumaiya Aboo (SOAS) |
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Events and Seminars in the UK |
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The African Studies Centre organises a lively programme of seminars, workshops and international conferences. At least three research seminars on Africa meet each week during Michaelmas, Hilary and Trinity Terms:Annual events include:Podcasts of past seminars and events hosted by the African Studies Centre are available both on the Oxford University Podcasts Website and on iTuneU.
Upcoming Events:
Tuesday 28 April 2pm
Contested Decolonisation and the Dilemmas of intervention. The United Nations and Nation-making along the Congolese-Northern Rhodesian border, 1960-1964
Thursday 30 April
Quantities in Multiple Currency Systems: Thoughts from African History - Jane Guyer (John Hopkins University)
Thursday 7 May
Gender power, desire, and civilization: Controversies around the national ban on FGM in Fouta Toro, Senegal - Sarah O'Neill, Institute of Tropical Medicine (Antwerp)
Please click here for a full list of events
Cambridge Centre of African Studies Seminars
Please click here to find the full list of events that will be taking place during the upcoming term.
Highlights:
Talk: Current Trends in African Christian Scholarship
April 27, 2015
Speakers: David Maxwell (Cambridge) & John Peel (SOAS)
Chaired by Andrea Grant (Cambridge)
Africa Research Forum:
Wednesday 29th April, 1-2pm, Room S1, Alison Richard Building, 7, West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DT
Cambridge-Africa: Scifest Africa-South Africa's National Science Festival - April 30, 2015
Scifest Africa also allows South Africa and the world's leading scientists the opportunity to share their work, make science accessible within the reach of ordinary people, network with one another, provide career guidance and act as role models for the youth, in order to encourage them to embark on careers and become leaders in these fields. Find out more
African Heritage Challenges: Development & Sustainability - April 30, 2015
This conference aims to explore the ways in which heritage can promote, secure or undermine sustainable development in Africa, and in turn, how this development affects conceptions of heritage in Africa. As the countries of Africa attempt to forge burgeoning economies and societies in the twenty-first century, cultural heritage has a role to play as the nexus where the past and the future meet. Find out more
Leeds Centre of African Studies Seminars
View full listings
London School of Economics
View full listings
King's College London
View full listings
Birkbeck College
View full listings
Royal African Society Events
**SAVE THE DATE**
Friday 3 to Sunday 5 July 2015
Venue: The British Library
Africa Writes, the Royal African Society's annual literature and book festival, returns for its fourth year running this summer.
Africa Writes showcases established and emerging literary talent from Africa and the Diaspora. This year's festival will once again present a unique opportunity for you to engage with your favourite African writers and books, and to discover new ones through our exciting programme.
This year's festival highlights include 'Meditations on Greatness: Ben Okri in Conversation' in which the Booker prize-winning author will discuss his vast selection of literary work.
For more information please visit the Africa Writes website
October Gallery Events:
Talk: A History of the 20th Century in Maps
with Tom Harper and Tim Bryars,
In conjunction with London Book & Screen Week
Thursday 16th April 2015
Find out more
Sancho – An Act of Remembrance Film Screening & Q+A
In conjunction with London Book & Screen Week
Friday 17th April 2015
Find out more
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William Fagg and the Study of Africa
William Fagg was the great pioneer of the study of art in Africa. His interests ranged across all regions of the continent, and through all periods and forms. In his capacity as the leading authority on the subject at the British Museum, his appreciation of African art was informed by his friendships with artists such as Jacob Epstein, Henry Moore and Leon Underwood, as well as Roland Penrose, Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts, at a formative period in its history. Today, William Fagg's insights still dominate the study of African art even when scholars of the present time sometimes find themselves fighting against those insights. The nature and substance of his leadership provides the subject of this conference.
Ticket detals: £26 (£16 students, Courtauld staff/students, RAI fellows/members and concessions)
BOOK ONLINE: http://ci.tesseras.com/internet/shop
Click here for more information on event details and to view the programme
Prints in Counterpoint: An exhibition by Atta Kwami
13 November 2014 - 31 May 2015
World Museum Liverpool
A vibrant and colourful display of sixteen lino prints by theGhanaian artist Atta Kwami. Kwami is an artist, scholar and curator based in Ghana and the UK.
Find out more
'1:54 Pop-Up' in New York City
15 – 17 May 2015.
Led by Koyo Kouoh, 1:54 NY Forum will, as usual, comprise of a full programme of talks and panel discussions to explore critical topics pertinent to contemporary African art today. Parallel to the fair and forum, 1:54 NY Public Programme will offer a wide range of social events and engagements – more details to be announced shortly.
Find out more
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View the full brochure here
The Centre of African Studies is running two courses for the 2015 SOAS Summer School: This introductory course will provide the participants with an overall understanding of the African continent. With a diverse range of sessions ranging from History and Politics to Languages and Music, the course will give an in-depth knowledge of the main academic areas of study of this vast and diverse continent.
Find out more This introductory course will provide the participants with overall understanding of the transnational nature of the modern world as it relates to migration and migrants, and related issues in the field of anthropology, politics, cultural studies, development and globalisation. The programme of study employs a multidisciplinary approach, with both teaching from academics and workshops delivered by diaspora professionals. Find out more
Applications are open to all, and the courses are suited to professionals who want to gain more knowledge of the region and for students interested in studying at SOAS, or who are interested in visiting Africa in the future.
Swahili Summer Courses organized by Edinburgh University
In a new initiative, the following summer courses will be made available at the University of Edinburgh and Tanzania. Please click the links for course descriptions and fees.
Swahili A course in Edinburgh (Course Organiser: Dr. Thomas Molony)
Dates: 29.06.2015 – 24.07.2015
Swahili B course in Tanzania, Butiama (Course Organiser: Dr. Thomas Molony)
Date: 27.07.2015 – 21.08.2015
Swahili A Beginners course in Tanzania, Butiama (Course Organiser: Dr. Thomas Molony)
Date: 27.07.2015 – 21.08.2015
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Conferences in the UK & Abroad |
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Conference - The Role of Arbitration Institutions in the Development of Arbitration in Africa - Registration is now open
Date: Thursday 23 July, 2015
Venue: African Union Commissions, Addis Ababa
A one day conference that will examine and discuss the current role and functions of arbitrations institutions within the continent. Prominent members and institutions will be present.
Delegates please register by clicking here.
To view the conference flyer click here
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Call for Papers: Social Order in Africa Workshop - The Social & Political Uses of Education - University of Oxford
This workshop will provide a day of lively, multi-disciplinary discussions on the subject of education and social order in Africa. In both colonial and post-colonial states in Africa, authorities have used education to imagine and reproduce numerous powerful forms of knowledge and identities, in many cases deeply entwined with modernist visions of statehood.
Papers for this workshop may range from how state and religous authorities have sought to shape young lives to youthss' struggle for self-mastery; from student politics to elite formations and reproductions, and from contests within 'traditional' education to school-based radicalism. Papers will be welcomed from a range of disciplines, including but not limited to politics, history, anthropology, education studies and sociology.
Click here for more information
Please submit 400-500 word abstract to dan.hodgkinson@qeh.ox.ac.uk by 15th May 2015
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African Heritage Challenges: Development and Sustainability - University of Cambridge
15 May - 16 May 2015, CRASSH, Alison Richard Building, 7 West Road, CB3 9DT Cambridge
'Heritage in Africa is increasingly employed as a vehicle for development. The desire to make heritage pay is palpable. Can one really put the onus on Africa's past to not only be self-sustaining but also to fuel development? How can Africa's heritage be used to shape and secure a sustainable future for the continent? This conference aims to explore the ways in which heritage can promote, secure or undermine sustainable development in Africa, and in turn, how this development affects conceptions of heritage in Africa'
Register online here or by clicking on the online registration button
Conference fee: £60 (full), £25 (students) - includes lunch, tea/coffee
Deadline: Monday 11 May 2015
Find out more
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Funding Opportunities & Prizes |
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APORDE 2015 - Call for Applications
African Programme on Rethinking Development Economics
31st of August to 11th of September 2015
Johannesburg, South Africa
APORDE is a high-level training programme in development economics which aims to build capacity in economics and economic policy-making. The course is run for two weeks and consists of lectures and seminars taught by leading international and African economists. This call is directed at talented African, Asian and Latin American economists, policy makers, academics and civil society activists who, if selectd, will be fully funded to participate in the course.
Please click here for more details and the application process
Deadline: 8th May 2015
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UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA
The Human Economy Research Programme
6 Doctoral Scholarships– Download CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA
The Human Economy Research Programme
6 Post-doctoral Fellowships – Download CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
___________________________________________________________________________ · · Junior Residency Fellowships for PhD candidates and advanced scholars, and a Workshop on 'Migration, Mobility and Development in Africa' · Download CFP
Download Description _____________________________________________________________
Call for Applications: Haycock Research Grant: Sudan and South Sudan
The British Institute in Eastern Africa (BIEA) invites applications for grants from the Haycock Fund, to support projects of research in Sudan/South Sudan. Applications may be for any sum between £1,000 and £10,000 pounds sterling, and may be made in respect of projects in any area of the humanities and social sciences. Applications may be for a one-off project, or may form part of an established larger programme of research activity.
Find out more
CAS Scholarships & Fellowships at SOAS
Governance for Development in Africa Initiative (GDiA) at SOAS
- PhD Scholarships
- MSc Scholarships
- Residential School in Africa (in London, UK)
Applications for PhD and MSc are closing next week, 30 April 2015. Therefore please consider applying for academic year 2016/2017.
Supported by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation
For more information contact Angelica Baschiera ab17@soas.ac.uk
Leventis Postdoctoral Fellowship for Nigerian Nationals - devised to assist scholars develop their research interests in collaboration with their counterparts in London. Applicants are invited to spend ten weeks as visitors of the Centre of African Studies in order to pursue their research in libraries and archives and participate in the intellectual life at the Centre. The scheme might be particularly appropriate for scholars working up a PhD thesis into publishable form.
Supported by the Leventis Foundation
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Studentships for MRes Politics with Language, MSc Research for International Development, MA Anthropological Research Methods, MA Anthropological Research Methods and Nepali
The Canon Collins Scholarships at SOAS – open to Masters students from Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Commonwealth Shared Scholarship for students from African Commonwealth countries applying for: MSc Development Studies, LLM in Law, Development and Governance, MSc Development Economics, MA Social Anthropology of Development, MA Music and Development
The Culture of Resistance Scholarships for Masters students in the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, from the following African countries: Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Ferguson Scholarships for African taught Masters students in African Studies, International Studies and Diplomacy & Social Anthropology of Development
Santander Taught Master's Scholarships for African students from Ghana
SOAS Master's Scholarships - Faculty of Arts & Humanities - (for any full-time taught masters programme in the Faculty of Arts & Humanities)
SOAS Master's Scholarships - Faculty of Language & Cultures (for the full-time MA Postcolonial Studies, MA Cultural Studies, MA Comparative Literature, MA Linguistics, MA Applied Linguistics & Language Pedagogy, MA Language, Documentation and Description, MA Translation Theory and Practice (Asian and African Languages)
SOAS Master's Scholarships - Faculty of Law and Social Sciences (for any full-time master's programmes in the Department of Development Studies, Economics, Law, Politics, International Studies and Financial & Management Studies, in the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy and in the the Centre for Gender Studies)
William Ross Murray Scholarship for an LLM student from a developing country
External scholarships
British Institute in Eastern Africa Graduate Attachment Scheme for recent graduates with an interest in further studies in Africa
British Council - The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) is an international programme under which member governments offer scholarships and fellowships to citizens of other Commonwealth countries. The CSFP was established at the first Commonwealth education conference in 1959, and over 26,000 individuals have benefited. CSC offers Masters and PhD scholarships as well as Fellowships and distance learning scholarships
- Mansion House Scholarships for training and work experience in the United Kingdom's financial services industry, open to postgraduate Nigerian students.
Other Universities
University of Sheffield West African Merit Scholarships for students from Benin, Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea or Guinea Bissau
University of Bath Steve Huckvale Scholarships for students in Africa – taught masters students from Africa who are intending to study Engineering or Management
Bournemouth University UKEAS Nigeria Scholarship for Nigerian nationals on full-time postgraduate courses
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Permanent Lectureship at the Centre of African Studies - University of Edinburgh
The Centre of African Studies at the University of Edinburgh is seeking to appoint an outstanding researcher and teacher to a permanent academic post in the Centre of African Studies, in the School of Social and Political Science. S/he will be joining a dynamic and interdisciplinary community of some 20 academics and 100 postgraduate students located in the centre, as well as many more around the university.
We are looking for candidates with a commitment to innovative interdisciplinary research and teaching with an African focus. Candidates will have relevant expertise in African studies or in political science, social anthropology, development studies, human geography, history or cultural studies.
The candidate will be based in one of largest clusters of Africanist experts in Europe, in a university ranked in the world's top 20, and in a city regarded as one of most beautiful and liveable in the UK.
Link to vacancy details and 'how to apply' available at: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AKY610/lecturer-in-african-studies/
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Permanent Researcher and Teacher -The Centre of African Studies at the University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh is seeking to appoint an outstanding researcher and teacher to a permanent academic post in the Centre of African Studies, in the School of Social and Political Science. S/he will be joining a dynamic and interdisciplinary community of some 20 academics and 100 postgraduate students located in the centre, as well as many more around the university.
We are looking for candidates with a commitment to innovative interdisciplinary research and teaching with an African focus. Candidates will have relevant expertise in African studies or in political science, social anthropology, development studies, human geography, history or cultural studies.
The candidate will be based in one of largest clusters of Africanist experts in Europe, in a university ranked in the world's top 20, and in a city regarded as one of most beautiful and liveable in the UK.
Link to vacancy details and 'how to apply' available at: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AKY610/lecturer-in-african-studies/
For any question, please do not hesitate to contact me: email: B.Bompani@ed.ac.uk
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Volunteer Opportunity in South Africa
The Sinovuyo Teen Study and Youth Pulse projects are looking for vibrant, energetic people to support our fieldwork team in running exciting research projects in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The posts would be intensive ones, with significant amounts of responsibility, but always working within a team in the Eastern Cape, with lots of support from Universities of Cape Town and Oxford. The positions will run: between 3 months and 1 year starting from April 2015 to April 2016 for the Volunteer Project and Logisitic Manager roles; 6 months (Youth Pulse) or 3 months (Sinovuyo Teen Study) to 1 year as soon as possible for the volunteer Fieldwork Coordinator roles; 1 year minimum for the experienced Manager role - depending on volunteer and Manager availability.
This is an opportunity to gain valuable fieldwork experience in the international development and research sectors, contribute to the livelihoods of young people in South Africa, and inform youth health policy and funding at the national and international levels.
Internship available with leading event organisers on the African continent
AME Trade Ltd is seeking an enthusiastic and dynamic intern who can multitask and work under pressure. This position is for a period of three months with the opportunity to progress into a full time role. Some expenses will be reimbursed.
For more information about the position please click here
Further inquiries should be directed to Laura Sitzia at careers@ametrade.org
Job Opening at BIEA: Assistant Director
British Institute in Eastern Africa
Applications are invited for this full time post to be based in Nairobi on a 2 year contract, from June 2015, or as soon as possible thereafter. Applicants should have the right to work in Kenya.
The Post holder will play a key role in maintaining the high profile of BIEA into an internationally recognised British Academy centre for research excellence in African studies.
Please click here for further details and job description
Deadline: 6:00 pm [East Africa Time], 1st May 2015
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