The African Studies Center at the University of Pennsylvania brings together researchers and students, along with cultural, business and media entities, to gain knowledge of contemporary and historical Africa.

The Center coordinates a wide range of course offerings and events in a variety of disciplines ranging from history, language and culture to health, science and business. The geographic expertise of Penn Africanist faculty and staff spans the continent and extends to the African diaspora. They share a commitment to an interdisciplinary approach to the study of African people, their institutions, and the wider world where they now reside. Distinguished visiting scholars from the United States and Africa regularly contribute to the Center’s diversity of expertise, while benefiting from the resources available at Penn and in the region.

In recognition of the quality and richness of African Studies resources at Penn, Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore colleges, this four-school consortium has repeatedly received Title VI National Resource Center grants from the United States Department of Education since 1993.