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Quicklinks: ASC Home

Welcome!

Established in July 2008, the African Studies Center (ASC) serves as a focal point for the more than 160 faculty and many students (graduate and undergraduate) involved in Africa-related initiatives and research at the University of Michigan. ASC seeks to foster interdisciplinary research and scholarship focused on Africa across the range of University disciplines while fostering collaboration and cooperation with partners in Africa in addressing social and intellectual needs and opportunities. Among other responsibilities, the ASC administers three initiatives funded by the President's Office:

  1. the University of Michigan African Presidential Scholars (UMAPS) program that brings 10 early career faculty members from Africa to U-M for mentored residencies of up to one year;
  2. the Africa Social Research Initiative (ASRI) to enhance quantitative social scientific data collection and analysis in Africa by African researchers; and
  3. the African Heritage Initiative (AHI) that explores how cultural assets in Africa are historicized, authenticated, accessed and circulated.

The intellectual content and character of the ASC's programs are shaped by the Center's Faculty Associates, and, where appropriate, graduate students and Affiliates. Its programs serve the general public, the scholarly community, University of Michigan faculty and students, Michigan teachers, and interested citizens and organizations.

Focus On...

UMAPS SCHOLAR Annet Oguttu

“I can think of no more important work than joining hands with you to transform and improve lives through the power and promise of global knowledge.”  This remark by U-M President Mary Sue Coleman during her 2008 trip to Africa marked the beginning of the University of Michigan African President Scholars (UMAPS)  Program.  The first group of scholars ended its tenure in Ann Arbor in August, and the impact of this unique opportunity for visiting faculty from South Africa and Ghana and their mentors is just beginning to emerge.

         An “advert” at the University of South Africa in 2008 was the beginning of a collaboration and friendship between Annet Oguttu and U-M tax law professor Reuven Avi-Yonah. An associate professor at the University of South Africa’s School of Law, Oguttu had just finished a PhD in international tax law when she learned about UMAPS.  The program invited promising, early-career faculty members from Ghana and South Africa to the U-M for a six-month residency.  (This year's cohort will include scholars from Liberia;  other African nations will be added in the future.)  Each scholar was paired with a volunteer U-M faculty mentor during the residency, and had full access to Michigan's resources to further their work on research projects, academic degrees, grant proposals, or other relevant activity.  The program seeks to help the next generation of African scholars and their home institutions build increased academic capacity.

Click here to read complete article.

 

Announcements

U-M's new African Languages program!

The African Studies Center is pleased to announce that CAAS will be offering instruction this fall in five sub-Saharan African languages:

Akan (Twi)
Bambara (Bamana)
Swahili
Wolof
Zulu

Swahili will be offered on site with a new full-time Swahili instructor, Dr. Nyambura Mpesha. The other languages will be offered via the CIC Courseshare program, a video-conferencing program. We will seek native speakers to assist with instruction on our end with the Akan, Bambara, Wolof, and Zulu courses.

Click here to download poster with further details. Course descriptions are available through the LSA course guide.