| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER |
Issue No.2 Spring 2003
January 21, 2003 Weekly News from the AFRICAN STUDIES
CENTER MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY 100 INTERNATIONAL
CENTER
EAST LANSING MI 48824-1035
For back issues, see archive <http://www.isp.msu.edu/AfricanStudies>
EVENTS
January 23, Thursday "The African Woman in Traditional
African Societies: A Victim of Cultural Prejudice,"
African Studies Center Brown Bag with John Niba Ndongmanji,
Faculty, Dept. of English (University of Yaounde 1,
Cameroon West Africa), 12:00 noon, Room 201, International
Center.
MSU ANNOUNCEMENTS
MSU-Compton Foundation Peace Fellowships for Africa Dissertation Research - Deadline Extended to March 15, 2003 The MSU African Studies Center (ASC) and the Women & International Development (WID) Program are offering fellowships to African students to support their dissertation research in Africa. The MSU-Compton Foundation Africa Peace Fellowship is designed to support research addressing peace, conflict resolution, and security in Africa. Applicants must be from Sub- Saharan Africa, have completed requirements for their Ph.D. program except the dissertation, be either MSU students or students enrolled in African universities partnering with MSU in linkage agreements, and normally plan to spend circa nine months in Africa for research.
The deadline for submitting applications has been extended to MARCH 15, 2003. Application materials may be obtained from the offices of ASC or WID, or downloaded from the African Studies Website-- http://www.isp.msu.edu/AfricanStudies/Compton.htm
Foreign Travel Fund International Studies and Programs is accepting applications for spring-summer Special Foreign Travel Fund grants through February 1, 2003. Guidelines and application forms for travel to international meetings held March through August can be obtained from the Office of the Dean, International Studies and Programs, 209 International Center or by visiting the Web at: www.isp.msu.edu/
Book Donation to Lagos, Nigeria Folu Ogundimu, African Studies Center Core faculty member, is collecting used books and journals for shipment to the newly inaugurated Department of Mass Communication Library at the Lagos State University, and the general collections of the LASU libraries at Ojota and Suru-Lere, Lagos, Nigeria. If you would like to make a contribution of your used material for these libraries, the gesture will be most appreciated. Access to books and journals remain some of the most pressing and scarce resources for our African partners and the donations will go a long way to alleviate this problem.
Two years ago when Professor Ogundimu visited LASU as part of the MSU five-country survey of African universities, the refurbishment of university library resources were identified as one of the most urgent areas of cooperation and assistance with U.S. universities. Contributions to the LASU libraries could go a long way in meeting these needs. Drop off site and contact is Folu Ogundimu, 384 Communication Arts and Sciences Building, MSU. Donations will be accepted on a continuing basis and shipments will be sent three times a year. The first shipment is scheduled for mid-January, 2003.
MSU Global Access Database International Studies and Programs at MSU has developed a new web site. MSU Global Access, http://www.msuglobalaccess.net - is an ongoing initiative designed to make it easier for people to learn about the world on the World Wide Web. Over 8,000 resources have been annotated and inserted into a database under various categories, both geographical and topical. There is a separate page for every country and world region, as well as pages on Environment, Industry and Labor, Human Rights, world and country maps, and also many news resources that are region specific. This is an absolutely FREE web site and especially useful for those doing research online.
Questions regarding this database may be directed to: Lisa Robinson, Outreach Coordinator, MSU Global Access, International Studies and Programs; Phone: (517) 355-2350; Fax: (517) 353-7254; e-mail: robin445@msu.edu.
Tonga/Tumbuka Tutor Needed Seeking Malawian Tumbuka or Tonga speakers for private tutorial during June-July, 2003. Please contact Aaron Russell, 333-3482, arussell@msu.edu for details.
Thirteenth Annual International Awards This is the last call for nominations for three international awards that will be presented at the annual International Awards Ceremony:
- The Joon S. Moon Distinguished International
Award; - The Ralph H. Smuckler Award for Advancing
International Studies and Programs at MSU; and
- The Glen Taggart Award for Community Contribution
to International Understanding.
The deadline for nominations is February 7, 2003. If you nominated candidates last year and they did not receive awards, they will be accepted as nominees if you notify Murari Suvedi or Francoise St. Onge at 355-2350.
The Annual International Awards Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, April 2, 2003 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the new conference room on the third floor of the International Center. Nomination forms are available in Room 209, International Center.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
Black Roots: Researching African American Families - Library of Michigan, February 8, 2003 The Black Roots Workshop is designed to help researchers improve their genealogy research skills through the study of their African American heritage.
Tony Burroughs, an internationally known genealogist who teaches genealogy at Chicago State University, will be presenting a daylong workshop at the Library of Michigan focusing on African American genealogy. His presentation will discuss ways to improve research methodology and help create strategies for approaching elusive genealogical information. Registration fee is $20, $15 for students; lunch included. Registration deadline is Saturday, February 1, 2003.
The workshop presented by the Library of Michigan, is co-sponsored by the Library of Michigan Foundation and the Lansing Area African American Genealogical Society. Please direct inquiries to Randy Riley, Special Collections Manager at (517) 373-1300 or librarian@michigan.gov. For additional information about the Library of Michigan and their programs go to the website at: www.michigan.gov/hal
Summer Cooperative African Language Institute (SCALI) at Ohio University -Athens, OH SCALI will be held at one institution for two-year cycles. Ohio University will host SCALI in 2003-2004. SCALI will be hosted by Indiana University in 2005- 2006. For details, please visit the website at: http://www.ohiou.edu/linguistics/dept/SCALI/Index.h tml; or contact Pat Davidson, Assistant Director of SCALI, e-mail:davidson@ohio.edu; phone: (740) 593- 1767; or Judith Mmari, Assistant Coordinator; e-mail: jm550701@ohio.edu; phone: (740) 593-1767.
Summer Institute for African Language Instructors, June 2-20, 2003 As interest in African language learning and teaching increases, so does the need to prepare graduate students and teaching assistants who are planning to pursue African language teaching as a profession. The Summer 2003 Institute has been designed to help meet this need. It will train fellows in a number of crucial areas central to the effective design and operation of an African Language Program. African language scholars who are interested in professional development are also encourage to participate in the institute.
The program consists of a three-week intensive introduction to: a) African Language Program development, coordination and evaluation; b) Teaching the Productive Skills (Speaking and Writing) in the African Language Classroom; and c) Teaching the Receptive Skills (Listening and Reading) in the African Language Classroom.
Fellows will learn how to start a new African language program, and how to enhance an existing one. They will also have hands-on experience on how to teach both the productive and receptive skills.
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. To apply, the applicant should submit a letter of application, and supporting documents (which include a CV and three letters of recommendation, one of the letters should be from the director of the applicant's African language program) for the summer 2003 institute by March 3, 2003. Applications may be submitted by mail or through electronic mail. Send to: 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.
For further information, visit the web site at: http://african.lss.wisc.edu/nalrc. Applicants with a Foreign Visa, please speak with Olusola Adesope at (608) 265-7901 or e-mail: ooadesope@facstaff.wisc.edu
STUDY ABROAD
Zulu Group Project Abroad to South Africa -2003 South Africa - June 18- August 7, 2003 The Association of African Studies Programs and the African Language Teachers' Association announce the fifth Fulbright-Hays Intermediate-Advanced Intensive Zulu group project abroad in South Africa, directed by Yale University in affiliation with The University of Natal-Pietermaritzburg.
Up to fifteen participants will be selected for this project. To be eligible, applicants must have completed one full year of study or one intensive summer study of one of the following languages: Zulu, Xhosa, Siswati, Ndebele (Zimbabwe). Applicants must be currently enrolled in graduate studies concentrating on Africa, or be undergraduates currently in their sophomore, junior, or senior year and focusing on Africa. Applicants must be US citizens or green card holders. For more information or an application package, go to: www.yale.edu/zulu.
Summer Study Abroad Opportunity: Dakar, Senegal The Indiana University African Studies Program has developed a new, five-week, study abroad program in Dakar beginning in 2003. The program will be located at Cheikh Anta Diop University and offer six semester credits: 3 credits for a course on "History, Culture, and Politics of West African Muslim Societies" and 3 credits of intensive study of Wolof or Bamana (Bambara). Program dates are July 6-August 12. The program will be directed by Dr. Maria Grosz-NgatÈ, associate director of the African Studies Program and an anthropologist with long-term research experience in Mali. Local co- director is Dr. Babacar Fall of the Department of History and Geography, Ecole Normale SupÈrieure.
Senegalese faculty and professionals will give weekly guest lectures and American students will be paired with Senegalese students to facilitate local integration and language practice. Excursions are planned to GorÈe Island and St. Louis as well as to the religious centers of Touba, Tivaouane, and Ndiassane. Visit website for cost information.
Application deadline is February 24, 2003. Further information and application materials can be accessed at http://www.indiana.edu/overseas/flyers/dakar.html. Questions about the program should be directed to Dr. Grosz-NgatÈ at mgrosz@indiana.edu or 812/855-5081.
JOBS
Assistant Professor in Kiswahili -Univ. of Florida The
Department of African and Asian Languages and Literatures
(AALL) at the University of Florida (UF) invites applications
for a tenure track Assistant Professor position in
Kiswahili effective August 2003. All sub-specializations
(language instruction, linguistics, literature, film,
etc.) will be considered. Salary will be competitive
and depend on the candidate's accomplishments and experience.
Applicants must have at least a near native command
of Kiswahili. All interested individuals should have
three referees write directly to the address below.
They should also send to the search committee: 1)
a letter of application; 2) a current cv, including
the names and addresses of the three referees; 3) copies
of two recent publications which reflect their specialization;
and 4) a copy of at most, two chapters of the analytical
portions of their dissertations if the Ph.D. degree
is relatively recent.
Application deadline is February 15, 2003. Please mail material to: Swahili Search Committee, Department of African and Asian Languages and Literatures, University of Florida, 470 Grinter Hall, PO Box 115565, Gainesville, FL 32611_5565 USA.
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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