AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER - UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
  

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:

  1. Cover Letter
  2. Curriculum Vitae
  3. 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.
  1. 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

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