MSU Tuesday Bulletin, 01/20/04
Issue No. 2 Spring 2004
January 20, 2004
Weekly News from the AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY 100 INTERNATIONAL CENTER
EAST LANSING MI 48824-1035
For back issues, see archive <http://africa.msu.edu>
BULLETIN CONTENTS
EVENTS
MSU ANNOUNCEMENTS
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
January 22, Thursday
"Flashback: Fifty Years of Donor Aid to African Agriculture," African Studies Center
Brown Bag with Carl K. Eicher, University Distinguished Professor Emeritus (Dept. of
Agricultural Economics, MSU), 12:00 noon, Room 201, International Center.
January 23, Friday
Music Presentation with Thom Jayne and the Free Radicals, Creole Gallery (Lansing's 'old town'), 8:00 p.m. For more info, call 517- 487-9549 or visit www.creolegallery.com.
The "world" part of his music comes from his devotion to Africa, where he travels often
as an MSU professor of agricultural economics. His music is characterized by unusual
percussion with African drums, but you will also hear a flamenco, Latin classical and new
age sounds.
January 29, Thursday
"A New Agroecology of Epidemic Malaria in Africa: Maize and Malaria in Ethiopia,"African
Studies Center Brown Bag with James McCann, Visiting Professor (History, Boston
University), 12:00 noon, Room 201, International Center.
February 5, Thursday
"Agricultural Growth and Poverty Reduction: How can they be jointly achieved?" African
Studies Center Brown Bag with Cynthia Donovan, Faculty (Agricultural Economics, MSU),
12:00 noon, Room 201, International Center.
MSU ANNOUNCEMENTS
African Studies Center Application for Foreign
Language and Area Studies (FLAS) 2004-05
The African Studies Center at MSU is now accepting
on-line applications for FLAS fellowships for academic
year 2004-05 and for the 2004 Summer Cooperative
African Language Institute (SCALI). The FLAS
fellowship is funded by the U.S. Department of
Education Title VI program for the study of language
and non-language courses on Africa.
Detailed information on the fellowship, and on-line
application guidelines and forms are available on the
Center's website: http://africa.msu.edu/. Applicants
who can not access the on-line forms can either use the
printable PDF files available at the bottom of the
application form webpage or contact the African Studies
Center at (517) 353-1700; or e-mail: africa@msu.edu.
The deadline for submitting applications to the Center is
February 13, 2004. In accordance with the Title VI
centers' agreement of rotating summer course offerings
under SCALI, African languages study in summer 2004
will be hosted by Ohio University. For more information
visit the following site: http://www.ohiou.edu/scali.
Walker Hill International Scholarship
Deadline: February 2, 2004
The Walker Hill International Scholarship is now
available. An approximate $1,500 scholarship will be
awarded to a graduate student to be used for
predissertation visits to the site of the doctoral research
in a country outside of the U.S. (For international
students, research in one's own country does not
qualify).
Criteria:
- MSU Doctoral Student at Predissertation Stage
- Predissertation research objectives to be
accomplished during the period spent abroad
- Scholarly excellence
- Character and personal attributes that contribute
to a high probability of success in an
international setting
- Financial need may be considered
Application Procedure:
- A letter of application describing the use which
the scholarship funds would be put in the
context of the student's overall program of
study
- A copy of student's official academic transcript
- Two letters of support from faculty, including
one from student's advisor, specifically
endorsing and describing the proposed use of
funds
- Applicants one-page CV
Submit application and supporting documents to: Murari
Suvedi, Assistant Dean, International Studies and
Programs, 209 International Center; Phone: 355-2350;
Fax: 353-7254; e-mail: suvedi@msu.edu.
- MSU Wharton Center
- Les Ballet Africains
Sunday, March 28, 2004 at 3:00 pm, Great Hall
Les Ballet Africains has toured the four corners of the
earth during an illustrious career spanning 50 years, and
are universally recognized as Africas most renowned
and accomplished dance company. Les Ballet Africains
has represented their country, continent and culture at
some of the worlds most prestigious international
festivals and venues. Their rich and varied repertoire
presents a living demonstration of Africas prodigious
cultural heritage, the vitality and authenticity of which
is assured by a continuing connection with the daily life
of all African peoples.
For the 2003-2004 Season they are producing a new
work celebrating the company's history. The 35-member
ensemble will present their blend of traditional dance,
music, and story telling laced with the superb
demonstrations of spectacle, acrobatics, comedy and
drama. The company's ultimate mission is to foster a
greater understanding of Africa, hoping that it will lead
to a brighter future for its people.
The New York Daily News writes, "A bolt of joy from
Africa. They supply enough energy to light up a city".
Join them for a performance that will be unique, awe-
inspiring, and definitely of world-class variety.
Ticket prices range from $28.00 to $16.00. Contact the
MSU Wharton Center at: (517) 432-2000; or 1-800
Wharton; or visit the web at: www.whartoncenter.com
for tickets.
Faculty Publications
Gretchen Birbeck, Faculty in the Department of
Neurology and Epidemiology and African Studies
Center Core Faculty member at MSU, has published an
article: Childhood Malaria as a Risk Factor for Epilipsy
in the Tropics; Advances in Clinical Neurosciences,
2003; 13: 155-173.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
Summer Institute for college and university faculty
June 14 - June 26, WARC - Dakar, Senegal
The West African Research Association is offering an
intensive two-week summer institute on African literary
forms and their contexts, with a focus on Senegal. In
addition to taking a close look at a number of specific
texts, meeting prominent writers, and exploring the
interest in local language literacy and publications in
Wolof and Pulaar, the institute will consider literary
production in its relationship to other contemporary art
forms. The institute will be based at the West African
Research Center in Dakar, Senegal. It is intended for
faculty who wish to develop and expand teaching or
research related to African literature. To the extent
possible, the Institute director and the staff of WARC
will help participants pursue individual interests in
making research contacts or developing teaching
materials. The institute will be conducted primarily in
English.
Participation in the seminar will be limited to 12. For
more information on deposits and cost deadlines, as well
as an application form contact WARA at wara@bu.edu.
Applications should be received by February 15, 2004
for full consideration.
- SCALI Instructors
- Summer 2004
The Summer Cooperative African Language Institute
(SCALI) is now seeking applications for African
Language Instructors for Summer 2004.
Ohio University is proud to host the national Summer
Cooperative African Language Institute (SCALI)
program during Summer 2004. The SCALI program
offers intensive instruction in a variety of African
languages for 4 hours per day for 7 weeks (140 hours
total). This intensive institute will provide African
language instruction with exposure to the culture and
traditions associated with the chosen language. The
classes will be taught by expert instructors and
indigenous speakers of African languages. Students will
earn a total of 12 credit hours for the program; the
equivalent of a full year of language instruction. Non-
credit options are also available.
SCALI Instructors are hired from a pool of highly
qualified, professional instructors of African languages.
All of the instructors are native speakers of the
languages which they teach. Most instructors are
currently teaching or studying African languages and/or
linguistics courses at U.S. or African universities. To
apply for a teaching position, prospective SCALI
Instructors are asked to apply for a teaching position by
March 15, 2004. To apply for a position as a SCALI
Instructor, please send the following items:
-
Cover Letter
-
Curriculum Vitae
-
Evidence of Visa status or work permit*
- Please note: International students and scholars will
need to secure approval in advance for permission to
work at Ohio University.
-
Syllabus for a seven-week intensive language course,
appropriate to the level(s) of language proficiency which
you will be teaching. The syllabus must demonstrate the
objectives of the American Council for the Teaching of
Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Proficiency Guidelines for
listening, speaking, reading and writing. A copy of the
ACTFL guidelines is posted at
http://www.sil.org/lingualinks/LANGUAGELEARNI
NG/OtherResources/ACTFLProficiencyGuidelines/co
ntents.htm.
If you have not already participated in SCALI,
prospective instructors are encouraged to attend the
professional development institute held at the National
African Language Resource Center (NALRC) at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison. This institute is
designed to train African language instructors in
effective pedagogies and techniques for the teaching of
African languages. This institute will be held from June
1-June 15, 2004. For more information, please visit
http://african.lss.wisc.edu/nalrc/prog-serv/prof-dev/prof-
dev.htm.
For more information, contact: Catherine Cutcher,
SCALI Coordinator, African Studies Program, Ohio
University, 117 Haning Hall, Athens, OH 45701; Tel:
(740) 593-0272; Fax: (740) 593-9476; e-mail:
scali@ohio.edu or visit the website:
http://www.ohiou.edu/scali.
NALRC Program for African Language Instructors
June 1-15, 2004 - Madison, Wisconsin
As interest in African language learning and teaching
increases, so does the need to prepare graduate students,
teaching assistants who are planning to pursue African
language teaching as a profession, and faculty members
in the field who need retooling. The Summer 2004
Institute will train fellows in a number of crucial areas
central to the effective operation of an African
Language Program. Participants will move from a
theoretical overview to hands-on practice in teaching the
four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and
writing, and assessing them.
The NALRC will cover the program fees for 12 selected
applicants. Other expenses, such as transportation,
food, lodging, and books will be the responsibility of
each participant.
Applicants must be graduate students in good standing
in any African language, linguistics, cultural studies,
literature, second language acquisition, or any related
field at an accredited institution of higher education.
African language instructors and scholars may also
apply. Experience in teaching African languages is
preferable. In addition, all applicants must demonstrate
serious interest in African language learning and
teaching.
The applicant should submit a letter of application and
supporting documents for the summer 2004 institute by
February 15, 2004. Supporting documents include a
CV; three letters of recommendation indicating the
importance of the training for the applicant (one of the
letters must be from the executive officer of the
applicants' home department or African studies
program. Applications and supporting documents may
be submitted via e-mail. For further information
contact: National African Language Resource Center,
4231 Humanities Building, 455 N. Park Street, Madison,
WI 53706; Tel: (608) 265-7905; Fax: (608) 265-7904; e-
mail: nalrc@mhub.facstaff.wisc.edu; Web:
http://lang.nalrc.wisc.edu/nalrc.
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar