Guest Lecture by Sandrine Colard on November 26, 2024
"Life and Death of an Image: A Model(ed) Congo (1885-1908)"
Sandrine Colard is Assistant Professor of Art History at Rutgers University, and curator-at-large at the Kanal-Pompidou Museum in Brussels. She is a historian of African, modern and contemporary arts, as well as a historian of photography. Her research has been published internationally and supported by grants from the Musée du Quai Branly, the Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art, the Ford Foundation and by the Getty/ACLS. Among other exhibitions, Sandrine Colard curated the 6th Biennale of Lubumbashi, Future Genealogies: Tales from the Equatorial Line in 2019.
This talk revisits the now well-known group of “atrocity photographs” that precipitated the downfall of the Congo Free State (1885 - 1908), from the neglected perspective of its epicenter, Congo, and its then quasi-metropole, Belgium. It examines the initial moment when the use of the “model colony” slogan first attracted positive international attention and fired the imagination of West African migrants, including the photographer Herzekiah Andrew Shanu (1858–1905), in the colonial capital of Boma. Using photos and self-portraits, the talk will situate Shanu’s championing of the city’s exemplary image and cultivation of his own respectability in it alongside the marked ambivalence (Hayes and Minkley 2019) that yet pervades them. The talk stems from a larger research project r, designed as a transformative intervention in the exponential literature about King Leopold II’s regime amidst Europe’s final moment of imperial expansion, and in the story of early studio portraiture, propaganda and anti-colonial photography from an African perspective.
Organized by 山ǿ's African Studies Program, with the co-sponsorship of the African Studies Student Association and the Department of Art History and Communication Studies.
Tuesday, November 26, 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Leacock 232
A Roundtable Discussion on November 15, 2024
“Indigenous Land Rights and Conservation in East Africa: Aspirations and Contradictions”
Presenters:
Prof. John Galaty, Department of Anthropology, 山ǿ
Prof. Kariuki Kirigia, School of the Environment, and African Studies Centre, University of Toronto
Thomas James, PhD student, 山ǿ
Abigail Francis, MA student, 山ǿ
Mathew K. Birgen, PhD Candidate, School of Religious Studies, 山ǿ
Chaired by Prof. Colin Scott, Department of Anthropology, 山ǿ
Friday November 15, 2024, 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Peterson Hall 116
Guest Lecture by Prominent French Congolese Interdisciplinary Artist Michèle Magema on November 14, 2024
"Art and History in Congo: Conversation with Michèle Magema"
A guest lecture by Michèle Magema, who is a Montreal-based Congolese artist will be giving a lecture as part of the History of Congo course taught by Professor Monaville. All African Studies Program students are invited as well as ASSA members.
November 14, 2024, 11:35 AM to 12:30 PM
Birks 111
Professor Kariuki Kirigia on November 14, 2024
Waiting for Progress: "Promises of Privatization and Conservation on an African Indigenous Frontier in Southern Kenya"
A guest lecture by Professor Kariuki Kirigia of the School of Environment and African Studies Centre, University of Toronto. This lecture is part of the African Studies Program Speakers Series and is co-sponsored by the Institute for the Study of International Development, the Department of Anthropology and the African Studies Students Association.
November 14, 2024, 16:30 to 18:00
Leacock 232
Dr Khalid Medani's Op-ed in the Globe and Mail
African WomenEntrepreneurs Conference
Event organized by the African Studies Students' Association (ASSA) on March 14, 2024, between 4-6:30 pm, in Leacock 232
Overview of the Event: The African Women Entrepreneurs Conference serves as a dedicated platform for aspiring black female entrepreneurs to share their journeys, inspire others, and forge connections. Conceived by founder Claudestine Williams-Tucker, the event aims to address the underrepresentation in entrepreneurship by showcasing diverse ventures and facilitating meaningful dialogue. This year's theme, "Social Entrepreneurship: Highlighting the Profitability of Social Entrepreneurship," aims to challenge stereotypes and stigma while highlighting the positive impact of social enterprises. Additionally, as part of the conference, we are thrilled to host a roundtable discussion on the MasterCard Partnership Research Fund Study on Experiential Learning and Entrepreneurship. Representatives from African student groups at 山ǿ will share their experiences, providing invaluable insights as well as the challenges they face in the intersection of experiential learning and entrepreneurship.
Complete Conference Program on PDF: Complete Program
Background of the Organization: ASSA is committed to fostering a deeper understanding of African themes and realities, providing support to students enrolled in African Studies programs, and cultivating a vibrant community passionate about African affairs. Through engaging discussions, panel sessions, conferences, and interactive events, we strive to promote academic excellence, advocate for student welfare, and nurture a sense of belonging within the 山ǿ community.
Dr Elobaid A. Elobaid's Talk on November 20
African Studies Students’ Association (ASSA) of 山ǿ, World Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Student Association (WIMESSA) and South Asian Studies Student Association (SASSA) present:
Human Rights and the Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan
Dr Elobaid A Elobaid, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Monday, November 20
6-9 pm
ARTS 150
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Professor Khalid Medani Speaks at UCSB
Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies, University of California Santa Barbara
In 2019, a popular uprising brought down the regime of former President Omar Al Bashir of Sudan. This webinar will explore the dynamics that led to th 2019 revolution, while also unpacking the range of factors (national and international) that have contributed to the coup and the current civil war. It will also consider the opportunities and constraints for transnational solidarity, as variously positioned activists inside and outside Sudan navigate their relationship to the struggle while making connections to other movements across the world.
Presenters:
Professor Khalid Medani, 山ǿ
Professor Nisrin Elamin, University of Toronto
Ms. Reem Aljeally, Sudanese Visual Artist and Curator
Ms. Waad Husein, Sudanese-American Artist and Designer
Special Guests: Ms. Marine Alneel and Ms. Maryam AlFaki
Co-Sponsors: The African Studies Program at 山ǿ & The Department of Anthropology at University of California Irvine
Tuesday, October 31, 12 PM EST
Canada-Africa Economic Cooperation Strategy: Consultation at 山ǿ
The Government of Canada, in collaboration with 山ǿ’s African Studies Program and the 山ǿ Mastercard Foundation Transitions Project invite you to consultations about a .
- Date: Wednesday, October 25th
- Time: 4:30-6:30 pm EST
- Location:
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Professor Khalid Medani Speaks at University of Gothenburg
Governance and Local Development Institute (GLD) at University of Gothenburg is organizing a Policy Roundtable on the Local Responses to Conflict and Displacement in the MENA Region, on October 16, between 4-5 CEST (Central European Summer Time).
What are the links between the humanitarian crises in Sudan, Palestine and Syria? Why is it important to address these conflicts from a regional perspective? Join GLD in a policy roundtable discussion on local responses to conflict and displacement in Syria, Sudan, and Palestine. Professor Khalid Mustafa Medani will be joining Dina Melham, Shibley Telhami and Marwa Shalaby to discuss the nuances of these conflicts’ impact on various communities, shedding light on the social, economic, and humanitarian challenges it generates. This webinar provides a dynamic platform for academics, researchers, and policymakers to engage in meaningful dialogue, fostering a deeper understanding of the MENA region's political landscape.
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China in Twentieth and Twenty-First Century African Literature - Duncan Yoon
You are cordially invited to a lecture by Professor Duncan Yoon from Gallatin School of Individualized Study titled, China in Twentieth and Twenty-First Century African Literature.
The lecture will be held in Leacock 232, on October 5, starting 5:30 pm.
Duncan M. Yoon's book,China in 20th and 21st Century African Literature, is forthcoming (2023) with Cambridge University Press. The manuscript received the American Comparative Literature Association's (ACLA) Helen Tartar First Book Subvention Award in 2020. He is chair of the executive committee for the Modern Language Association's forum African Literature to 1990. Pedagogically, he is interested in the intersections between digital technology and critical thought. Before coming to Gallatin, he was an assistant professor of postcolonial literature at the University of Alabama. He served as a Fulbright Scholar to South Korea in 2004 and was a Kluge Fellow at the Library of Congress in 2018.
Politics as Therapy - Daniel Magaziner
You are cordially invited to a lecture by Professor of History, Daniel Magaziner, from Yale University, on Tuesday, September 19, at 5:30 pm, in Leacock 232. The title of his lecture is:Politics as Therapy: Notes on Art and Struggle in South Africa.
Dan Magaziner is a historian of 20th century Africa. He is the author of two books: The Law and the Prophets: Black Consciousness in South Africa, 1968 – 1977 (2010) and The Art of Life in South Africa (2016). He received his PhD at the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 2007 and taught at Cornell University before coming to Yale in 2011. A specialist in intellectual and cultural history, he teaches 19th and 20th century African and South African history; the history of the African diaspora; global and comparative international history. In 2016 he was awarded the Sarai Ribicoff Award for the Encouragement of Teaching at Yale.
Dan is working on two book projects, at the intersection of intellectual history and biography. The first, tentatively entitled Available Light: Race, Art and the Struggle for Change in South Africa uses the biography of the activist and archivist Omar Badsha to explore the history of race and social movements in post-World War II South Africa. The second, tentatively entitled World Man from Africa: Selby Mvusi and the Future traces the intellectual itinerary of a South Africa painter, sculptor, theorist and designer during the era of decolonization. Dan is also the editor of the forthcoming Oxford Handbook on South Africa.
BlackInSchool Book Publication
山ǿ's African Studies Program most heartedly congratulates Ms. Habiba Cooper Diallo for the publication of her new award-winning book #BlackInSchool, (University of Regina Press). The book is available on .
African Studies University Partnership Roundtable on May 18
On May 18th 山ǿ's African Studies Program proudly co-sponsored a round-table on the Crisis in Sudan with the Institute of African Studies at Carleton and York Universities and in collaboration with African Studies at the University of Toronto. The result of the presentation and discussion can be found on YouTube following the links below. This inaugurates the first of a series of future partnerships on African Studies between our Program at 山ǿ and Carleton, York and the University of Toronto.
Congratulations to Drs Kirigia, Dunyo and Nyarino!
山ǿ’s African Studies Program would like to congratulate Professor Kariuki Kirigia (Kenya) just hired in Environmental/African Studies at U of Toronto; Professor Alan Dunyo (Ghana) in the Dept of Architecture at 山ǿ; and Dr. Milka Nyarino (Kenya) for her Post-doc with Sociology at 山ǿ.
Dr Khalid Medani on Panel at the Australian National University
As events in Sudan continue to make headlines across the world, you are invited to a special event hosted by the Australian National University's Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, in conjunction with the Near East Policy Forum.
Sudan Unpacked: Crisis, Ceasefires and Global Involvement
Thu 15 Jun 2023, 5–6.30 pm AEDT (3-4:30 am EST)
Speakers
Dr Adil Abbas, Head of Higher Education at the Australian Industrial Systems Institute and community leader for the Sudanese Diaspora in Australia
Dr Nisrin Elamin, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and African Studies, University of Toronto
Hamid Khalafallah, Development practitioner, researcher and policy analyst based in Khartoum, Sudan
Dr Khalid Medani, Professor of Political Science, Director of the Institute of Islamic Studies, 山ǿ
The Conflict in Sudan Webinar - Dr Khalid Medani and Sudanese Scholars
For a conversation titled, The Conflict in Sudan: Will the Humanitarian Ceasefire Translate to a Political Resolution?,please check out theon June 1 at 10:00 EST withDr Khalid Medani, three of the most well-known Sudanese women scholars and activists and a well-known Sudan scholar. We hope you will learn much from these great other voices.
Sudan in Crisis Webcast Episode - Dr Khalid Medani
For a conversation on the sudden eruption of violence in Sudan and how it could impact peace and democracy in Africa, the Middle East and beyond, please check out this, featuring a conversation with the head of 山ǿ’s African Studies program and leading Sudanese scholar, Dr Khalid Medani (Institute of Islamic Studies and Department of Political Science).
The 2023 Professor Panel on the Brain Drain in Africa
The outstanding African Studies Students Association (ASSA) with characteristic prescient insight organized a Professor Panel on the African Brain 'gain' (rather than 'drain') at 山ǿ. Among the ASSA’s generative insights: engagement of the African diaspora with their homeland; facilitating return to experience the feeling of belonging and Pan-African unity; utilization of expatriate remittances for equitable development; and learn from -not teach to- Africans with local knowledge and expertise. Congratulations and thank you ASSA for all you do and Professors Khalid Medani (Sudan), Nii Addy (Ghana); Kiriuki Kirigia (Kenya); and Alan Dunyo (Ghana).
African Studies Students’ Association (ASSA) of 山ǿ presents:
The 2023 Professor Panel on the Impacts and Contributors of Brain Drain in Africa
Thursday, March 23
6-8 pm
LEA 232
Followed by reception
Black Female Entrepreneurs Conference
Please join us for an event organized by assa.mcgill [at] gmail.com (subject: Contact) (the African Studies Students' Association (ASSA)) on March 16, between 6-8 pm, in Arts W-120.
Summer 2023 Internship for Canadians with the Canada Global Affairs - deadline March 10, 2023
Internship Description and Requirements
The African Studies Program would like to congratulate 山ǿ’s African Students Society (MASS) on their inspiring and hugely successful Annual ‘Africa Speaks’ Conference. Once again, inspiring and reminding students (and faculty) of the great contributions of Africa and Africans to the world.
Africa Speaks Conference 2023
Organized yearly by the 山ǿ African Students Society (MASS), the Africa Speaks Conference aims to foster a discursive space to address questions that matter for Africans at 山ǿ and beyond. This year, we are interested in African languages on the continent and in the diaspora. We hope to explore this question through 3 panels: Language and Power, Language and the Arts, and Philosophies of Language.
February 10, 6-9 pm
February 11, 10 am - 2 pm
山ǿ's Faculty Club, 345 McTavish, H3A 1X9
Please reserve a spot on .
Book Launch of Professor Wendell Nii Laryea Adjetey on January 11, 2023
Cross-Border Cosmopolitans: The Making of a Pan-African North America
Wednesday, January 11, at 5 pm at the Faculty Club, at 3450 McTavish.The discussants, Professor Joe W Trotter (Carnegie Mellon) and Professor Leonard Moore (山ǿ) will join the author in a talk moderated by Professor Catherine Desbarats (山ǿ).You could read about the book on .
The African Studies journal Uhuru (for the last volume, please check is hiring editors for the 2022-23 edition.
Uhuru: The 山ǿ Undergraduate Journal of African StudiesCall for Editors 2022-23 | Deadline: December 31st 2022, 11:59 PM EDT
To apply, please send academic.assamcgill [at] gmail.com (an email )to the African Studies Students' Association of 山ǿwith the following:
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Name, program, and year
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Indicate which position you are applying for (Editor-in-Chief and/or editor)
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Why you would like to apply for this position
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Some classes you have taken related to African Studies
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A brief writing sample (can be an excerpt from an essay)
CONGRATULATIONS to the recipients of the first 山ǿ African Students Society (MASS) scholarship competition awarded following a rigorous selection process involving both undergraduate students and faculty reviewers and supported by 山ǿ’s African Studies Program:
Yves-Jusslin Maniratanga
Steve-Florian Maniratanga
Iona Ndiwa Amica
Kenza Battah
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