25th Anniversary of African Studies Institute

Beginning Nov. 1, the University will mark the 25th anniversary of the African Studies Institute with a conference, theatre performances, film screenings and lectures to showcase the richness and diversity of the continent:

"The political, economic and cultural importance of Africa continues to grow, which makes this an especially opportune time for faculty, staff and students as well as community members to learn more about the continent and its people," said Akinloye Ojo, director of the UGA African Studies Institute and associate professor of comparative literature and African studies in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

The 25th anniversary celebration will include an international conference Nov. 8-10 in the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries. The conference, titled "Africa and its Diaspora: Expressions of Indigenous and Local Knowledge," will encourage and document the ongoing conversation on the paradoxical dynamics of preserving the unique identity of African indigenous and local knowledge in an increasingly globalized and westernized world. The conference will offer a forum for intensive exchanges between scholars, researchers and technocrats from various disciplines who study Africa, the African Diaspora, the U.S. and other parts of the globe.

The conference also will bring several ambassadors from African nations—including Cote D'Ivoire, Lesotho, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania and Zimbabwe—together to discuss the African continent and the African diaspora on Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. in Masters Hall of the UGA Hotel and Conference Center. Renowned poet and scholar Tanure Ojaide, professor of Africana studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, will deliver the keynote address on Nov. 9 at 9 a.m. in the auditorium of the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries.

See the release for the full schedule. The ASI is one of our early interdisciplinary units and its existence is a tribute to the many scholars and campus voices that have led us to be more open to learning about the close ties between Africa and America. Diversity is all about our strength as a society and UGA is proud to celebrate this venerable institution that brings people and places together in the way that ASI does.