Amb. Mary Beth Leonard (CAS’84) & Pardee Alum Discuss Upcoming Nigerian Election
Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard (CAS’84) and Sterling Roop (Pardee ’09), Deputy Director of Peace and Democratic Governance at USAID, Nigeria explore the significance of this election in Nigeria, the wide field of candidates, the potential for violence and intimidation, as well as the country’s current and future political landscape.
Mondesire Presents Walter Rodney Lecture on South Sudan and East African Cultural Politics
Professor Mondesire discussed the accession of South Sudan into the East African Community, issues that have cropped up amidst South Sudan’s membership, the challenges of a burgeoning state undertaking global citizenship, and the process of broader regional cooperation within the EAC.
Year In Review: 2022 Highlights from the Pardee School
In 2022, the Pardee School went through numerous big changes, welcomed new members to our community, and set the stage for a period of substantial progress as we approach our second decade as stewards of global studies education at BU. As the New Year approaches, we want to highlight some of the biggest stories and moments from the year.
ASC Hosts Panel on LGBTQIA+ Advocacy in African Continent and Diaspora
Drawing on their experiences organizing with communities in Ghana, Morocco, Kenya, Zambia, and beyond, speakers commented on how institutional mechanisms – legal, organizational, or societal – have impacted the perception of LGBTQIA+ populations across Africa and the African diaspora and thus made collaboration and advocacy more difficult.
ASC Publishes New Hausa Ajami Workbook for Public Health
The new workbook from Boston University’s African Language Program offers twelve chapters spread over more than 200 pages that cover topics including childbirth, family health, hygiene, the body and environment, sexually transmitted infections, infectious diseases, and death.
ASC NEH Ajami Literature Project Develops New Resources
The ASC project – “Ajami Literacy and the Expansion of Literacy and Islam: The Case of West Africa” – is the first systematic comparative approach to several major African languages written in Ajami.
ASC Awarded Over $2 Million in Title VI Grant Funds
ASC’s National Resource Center (NRC) and Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) grants total just over $2.4 million and will support Africa-focused education, including African language instruction.
Hefner and Storella Appointed New Directors of Asia and Africa Centers
Professors Robert Hefner and Mark Storella both bring important leadership experience and a passion for the regions they work in; in these roles, they will continue the tradition of Asia and Africa-focused scholarship and Boston University and further enhance the great reputations that both of these Centers enjoy.
Policy Leaders Forum: Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard (CAS ’84)
Ambassador Leonard remarked on U.S.-Nigeria relations, highlighting the impact current events are having on this relationship, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the rise of China, and the ever-changing geopolitical landscape.
Assessing China’s Belt and Road Initiative: A Pardee School Series
This event series will examine the economic, social, political, and security impacts of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
CSE, ASC & CURA Host Lecture on Human Capital Investments in Africa
Wake Forest University Professor Lina Benabdallah discussed China’s human capital investments in Africa, current versus historical arrangements, as well as some of the factors driving human capital investments.
ASC Launches Fall 2021 Walter Rodney Seminar Series
During the premier lecture, Mai Hassan, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan and an award-winning scholar of authoritarian and hybrid regimes in Africa, presented her new research on the Sudanese popular uprising of 2018-19.
ASC Hosts Second International Colloquium on African Studies
ASC convened scholars 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
ASC Launches 2021 Walter Rodney Lecture Series
The Walter Rodney lecture series kicked off its 44th year with a webinar exploring “Youth, Pop Culture and Terror Warfare in Sierra Leone.”
Woldemariam Named Director of African Studies Center
Michael Woldemariam appointed next Director of the ASC. Longman to serve as Interim Director during AY 2020-21.
Ngom Publishes Chapters in Libraries and Archives in the Digital Age
Prof. Fallou Ngom publishes chapters in Digital Age on the misunderstandings of literacy in Africa.
ASC Launches Research Project on Ajamī Literature in West Africa
The African Studies Center has launched an important research initiative that aims to provide a new window into the history, cultures, and intellectual traditions of West Africa.
ASC Completes Research Project on Mandinka Archives
The African Studies Center recently completed a project with Mugar Library focusing on the archives of Mandinka scholars of Casamance, Senegal.
African Studies Center Hosts Graduate Student Conference
The keynote address was delivered by G. Ugo Nwokeji, Associate Professor of African American Studies at the University of California Berkeley.
ASC Hosts Rodney Lecture on Women, War and Agency
The African Studies Center hosted Hilary Matfess for a talk entitled “Women, War, and Agency: A Study of Boko Haram and Gender.”