Africa and the Academy in the 21st Century

The conference invites the speakers and audience to reflect on a classical work in the field of African Studies, Africa and the Disciplines (V. Mudimbe, R. Bates and J. O‘Barr 1993), but also consider the present and future of African Studies, in particular in Switzerland.

Zusammenfassung

  • Was Konferenz | TagungAfrica and the Academy in the 21st Century
  • Wann to (Europe/Berlin / UTC100)
  • Wo Basel Schweiz
  • Teilnehmer*innen ORGANISING COMMITEE Cassandra Mark-Thiesen (University of Basel) Carole Ammann (SNSF-Postdoc / University of Bern) Fiona Siegenthaler (University of Basel) Christelle Favre (University of Basel) Solange Mbanefo (University of Basel) Alice Aterianus (Université de Lausanne) Matthieu Bolay (Graduate Institute Geneva) Wilfred Elegba (Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute, Accra)
  • Anmeldung bis 19.10.2019
  • URL http://www.zasb.unibas.ch/de/africa-and-the-academy
  • Termin herunterladen event_note iCal Datei herunterladen

Beschreibung

25 years ago, the conference “Africa and the Disciplines” and the landmark publication that resulted from it, asked for Africa‘s contribution to the disciplines. It showed the extent to which Africa as an apparently marginal field of study had already contributed to the emergence of new topics and ideas in the respective disciplines.

The momentum created by these insights within broader academia was, unjustifiably, short lived. Especially so given that the study of Africa has not only contributed to the development of the disciplines; as an interdisciplinary field, but has also changed the character of what once were separate disciplines and brought them closer together.

Scholars became increasingly interested in the spaces between the disciplines. This interest, which is usually cast in terms of interdisciplinarity or transdisiciplinarity, has bred a wide range of new and interesting studies with stimulating findings. Africa has created new research fields that no longer fit into the existing disciplinary framework. This increasingly affects our view of what the social sciences and the humanities are about, the topics that they will need to address in the future and how these new fields shape our understanding of the academic landscape as a whole.

STRUCTURE

Over two days the conference will hold four interactive, interdisciplinary plenary sessions. Each session will begin with a 30-minute moderated “paired conversation” between two scholars of a particular discipline. The choice of two “classic” disciplines – Anthropology and History –, and two “modern” inherently interdisciplinary disciplines, Public Health and Urban Studies, – reflects change in the field of African Studies.

Each of the eight conversation partners was invited to reflect on a relevant chapter of the book Africa and the Disciplines, as well as their own experience in academia as an Africanist: How has the field developed since they started. What experiences have they had with non-Africanist colleague’s in academia who question the value of the study of Africa? What types of armour (intellectual or otherwise) have they developed, as a result?

Immediately following the “paired conversation,” to enhance the dynamic, interactive and interdisciplinary purpose of the conference, the audience will be randomly divided into three to four breakout sessions where participants and panel speakers will consolidate the introduced topics in a concentrated group discussion. At the end of each session the audience will reunite for a moderated discussion in the plenary.

ORGANISING COMMITEE

Cassandra Mark-Thiesen (University of Basel)
Carole Ammann (SNSF-Postdoc / University of Bern)
Fiona Siegenthaler (University of Basel)
Christelle Favre (University of Basel)
Solange Mbanefo (University of Basel)
Alice Aterianus (Université de Lausanne)
Matthieu Bolay (Graduate Institute Geneva)
Wilfred Elegba (Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute, Accra)

Programm

FRIDAY 1 NOVEMBER 2019

9:30-10:00 Registration and coffee

10:00-10:10 Welcome address
Lorena Rizzo, (Co-president, Centre for African Studies Basel)

10:10-10:30 Introduction – Africa and the Academy
Till Förster (University of Basel)

10:30 – 12:45 Paired Conversation 1: Anthropology
Rita Kesselring (University of Basel)
Mwenda Ntarangwi (Commission for University Education, Nairobi)
Moderation: Alice Aterianus-Owanga (Université de Lausanne)
Workshops by Fiona Siegenthaler (University of Basel); Carole Ammann
(University of Bern); Matthieu Bolay (Graduate Institute Geneva)

12:45-14:00 Lunch

14:00-16:15 Paired Conversation 2: Public Health
Jakob Zinsstag (Swiss Tropical and Public-Health Institute)
Mandisa Mbali (University of Cape Town)
Moderation: Henri-Michel Yéré (University of Basel)
Workshops: Tanja Hammel (University of Basel); Wilfred Elegba (Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute, Accra); Vera Eichenauer (ETH Zürich)

16:30 -17:30 General Assembly of the Swiss Society for African Studies (SSAS)

17:30-18:15 Break

18:15-19:15 Keynote: Decolonising the Academy (Carl Schlettwein Lecture 2019)
Francis Nyamnjoh (University of Cape Town)

19:15 -20:30 Apéro Riche - Reception

SATURDAY 2 NOVEMBER 2019
10:00-12:15 Paired Conversation 3: History
Julia Tischler (University of Basel)
Ruramisai Charumbira (University of Bern)
Moderation: Cassandra Mark-Thiesen (University of Basel)
Workshops: Danelle van Zyl-Hermann; Andrea Kiyasi (both University of Basel); Wilfred Elegba (Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute, Accra)

12:15-13:15 Lunch

13:30-15:45 Paired Conversation 4: Urban Studies
Dalila Ghodbane (Universittà della Svizzera Italiana)
Berend van der Lars (ArchiAfrika foundation)
Moderation: Solange Mbanefo (University of Basel)
Workshops: Fiona Siegenthaler; Maren Larsen (University of Basel); Carole Ammann, (University of Bern); Matthieu Bolay (Graduate Institute Geneva)

15:45 -16:00 Break

16:00-17:00 Wrap-up discussion
Mwenda Ntarangwi, Mandisa Mbali,
Ruramisai Charumbira, Berend van der Lars
Moderation: Didier Péclard (Université de Genève)

17:00-17:15 Vote of thanks and final word
Anne Mayor (Université de Genève, Co-president, Swiss Society for African Studies)

Kontakt

 

Nähere Informationen

Veit Arlt

Tel. +41 61 207 34 82

afrika-tagung[ at ]unibas.ch