About
the Center
APARC
at Boston University
Boston University
is an ideal setting for APARC for a number of reasons.
- APARC
was initiated with the active support of the Chancellor, President, and
Provost
- Boston University
has the second oldest African
Studies Center in the nation, having been established
in 1953. Over almost five decades, BU has established an
international reputation for excellence in teaching and
conducting research on Africa. The African Studies Center
has an active program, and is supported by publications,
African language instruction, and public outreach activities.
It is the ideal environment for APARC.
- Given the multidisciplinary
approach of APARC, it is important to be able to call upon the resources
of a major research university with strengths in law,
medicine, public
health, art and
literature, history,
international relations,
and economics.
- The University
has deep and broad experience in collaborating with institutions
in Africa. BU has a long-standing study
abroad program with the University of Abdou Moumouni
in Niger,
a faculty exchange program with an Ethiopian University,
and has in the past operated a successful USAID-sponsored
public health initiative in twenty West African countries.
- Boston University's
history of careful study of both Anglophone and Francophone
Africa, and its internationally focused special programs
such as the World Leaders Forum, provide a synergistic environment
in which the Center has flourished.
- Given that
a core component of the Center is the African Presidential
Archives, Boston University's commitment to expanding its
already impressive collection of 20th/21st Century archival
material has ensured that the materials receive the quality
of care, availability, and dissemination consistent with
the Center's goals.
Beyond the assets and resources of Boston University, the city of Boston is the ideal context for such an endeavor. Boston is one of the intellectual capitals of the world, thus thousands of scholars, students, and future leaders are able to enjoy access to the Center and its research. This means that the Center is exposing a new generation engaged in scholarly study to current realities and fresh insights about Africa. Boston also provides an ideal site for APARC because it is one of the world's major financial centers. This makes it an excellent venue for African leaders to advance ideas that might move Africa from the margins to the mainstream of the global community.
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The Work of APARC
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APARC