ASC Hosts Second International Colloquium on African Studies
On March 24-26, 2021, the African Studies Center (ASC), an affiliated center of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, co-hosted the Second International Colloquium on African Studies, “Migration, Security and Inequalities.”
Facilitating global academic exchange with participants joining from across Africa, Europe, and the Americas, the ASC organized the event in close partnership with the National Autonomous University of Mexico—including its University Program of Studies on Asia and Africa and its Centers for Mexican Studies in Boston and South Africa—and the University of Massachusetts at Boston. Additional support was provided by the BU Center for Latin American Studies.
The event opened with remarks by senior leadership from each host institution, including Adil Najam, Dean of the Pardee School. Each day additionally featured one of three keynote speakers: Alcinda Honwana, Inter-Regional Advisor on social development policy at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (New York); Gilbert Khadiagala, Director of the African Centre for the Study of the United States at the University of Witwatersrand (South Africa); and María Paula Meneses, principal researcher at the Centre for Social Studies at the University of Coimbra (Portugal).
Following each keynote, panels of scholars convened to share research on topics including structural changes in Africa after COVID-19, decolonial production and South-South cooperation, lusophone Africa, migration and human rights for women and children, and the Black Pacific. Former ASC Director Fallou Ngom moderated the panel “African Muslims in the Americas,” which included BU anthropology PhD candidate Gana Ndiaye discussing his research on race in the Senegalese community of Brazil.
In addition to research panels, the colloquium found inventive ways to incorporate arts programming in its all-online format. Professor David Ruiz of UNAM South Africa introduced producer and consultant Russel Hlongwane and Ismail Farouk, Director of Art for Humanity, who discussed the art exhibition “Imbeleko.” ASC Assistant Director Eric Schmidt introduced the final event, a performance of Afro-Colombian music by Alí Cuama and Bombo Negro live from Buenaventura, Colombia, with Professor Michael Birenbaum Quintero (Chair, Department of Musicology and Ethnomusicology) providing context and translations between songs.
The colloquium builds on an inaugural session held in Mexico City in 2019, and the organizers are eager to explore a third iteration in the future.
Founded in 1953, the Boston University African Studies Center has provided a strong foundation in African studies to generations of university professors, economists, health workers, government officials, development personnel, diplomats, and numerous others. Learn more about the center on its website.