MSU Tuesday Bulletin, 02/08/05

THE TUESDAY BULLETIN

Issue No. 5, Spring 2005
February 8, 2005

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
CONFERENCES

EVENTS

February 10, Thursday

"Challenges Faced by Zimbabwean Universities," African Studies Center Brown Bag talk with Visiting Scholar, Jairos Makunde, University Registrar (Chinhoyi University of Technology, Zimbabwe), 12:00 noon, Room 201, International Center.

February 17, Thursday

"The Season of Courtship in Ethiopia-United States Relations," African Studies Center Brown Bag with Negussay Ayele, Visiting Professor at UCLA (Native of Ethiopia), 12:00 noon, Room 201, International Center.

February 23, Wednesday

"The Tenofovir Trials in Nigeria: Agency, Knowledge and Science," MSU Center for Ethics Brown Bag talk with Kristin Peterson, Assistant Professor of Anthropology (MSU) and DuBois-Mandela-Rodney post-doctoral fellow in the Center for Afroamerican and African Studies at the University of Michigan, 12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m., Room C102 E. Fee Hall (Patenge Room).

February 24, Thursday

"Alternate Futures for Sudan after the North-South Peace Agreement," African Studies Center Brown Bag talk with B. Yongo-Bure, Dept. of Liberal Studies (Kettering University, Flint, Michigan), 12:00 noon, Room 201, International Center.

MSU ANNOUNCEMENTS

African Studies Center Application for Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) 2005-06

The African Studies Center at MSU is now accepting on-line applications for FLAS fellowships for academic year 2005-06 and for the 2005 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 African languages 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 webpages or contact the African Studies Center at (517) 353-1700; or e-mail: africa@msu.edu.

In accordance with the Title VI centers' agreement of rotating summer course offerings under SCALI, African languages study in summer 2005 will be hosted by Indiana University-Bloomington. For more information visit the following website:
http://www.indiana.edu/afrist/scali1.html.

The MSU deadline for submitting both applications to the Center is February 18, 2005.

MSU Graduate Student Travel Funds Available

The Environmental Science & Policy Program (ESPP) will provide support for graduate student travel to professional meetings. Students must be presenting papers or posters focusing on environmental science and policy. Support of up to $750 for domestic meetings and up to $1,000 for meetings outside the U.S. will be available.

To apply, students should submit:
--An abstract of the paper or poster
--A short description of the nature of the meeting and of the context in which the paper will be presented (e.g., title of paper session or poster session) --A short budget indicating in general terms the costs of travel, registration and lodging for the meeting --A short note from the student's dissertation advisor indicating her or his support for the application

Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis starting on February 1, 2005, and continue until the allocated funds are depleted. Materials should be forwarded to: Ken Beer at his e-mail: beerk@msu.edu. Recipients will be contacted and asked to provide personal information (PID, etc.) to assist in filling out University paperwork prior to the awarding of the funds.

Priority will be given to:
--Current ESPP fellowship holders
--Students enrolled in the ESPP doctoral specialization --Students who have enrolled in ESP 801 or are currently enrolled in ESP 802
--Presentations of a clearly interdisciplinary nature --Presentations at interdisciplinary meetings

Students receiving funding are expected to acknowledge that support in their presentation, and to provide ESPP with a copy of the program page displaying their presentation or poster and an electronic copy of the presentation (PowerPoint slides, paper) or poster.

New Publications

Robert S. Glew, Associate Director of the Center for Advanced Study of International Development (CASID), and African Studies Center Core faculty member, has recently co-authored two publications on edible plants in the Republic of Niger. The publications are the result of an on-going research project that focuses on assessing the nutritional value of edible (non- cultivated and cultivated) plants that are consumed in the Sahel. The research initiative, begun in mid-1990s, has resulted in numerous publications. While in Niger during summer 2004, Glew spoke to an audience of governmental and non-governmental representatives on the potential nutritional value of edible plant foods in local diets with a particular focus on populations living in rural areas. The U.S. Embassy in Niamey hosted the presentation. The first article, Nutritional analysis of the edible pit of Sclerocarya birrea in the Republic of Niger (daniya, Hausa), can be found in the February 2004 issue of the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. The second article, The nutrient content of three edible plants of the Republic of Niger, was published in the February 2005 issue of the same journal. Abstracts of the articles may be requested by sending an e-mail to Robert Glew at: glew@msu.edu.

Film course, Second half of Spring semester 2005 Two-credit Film Course, March 17-April 28, 2005

AL 492: "Remembering the Past, Celebrating the

Present

Perspectives on South Africa @10." The world is celebrating South Africa for its 10 years of one of the most extraordinary and relatively peaceful transitions from racial injustice to democratic rule. The MSU African Studies faculty proposes a two-credit course on South African film and video to expose MSU undergraduates to the rich history and vibrant present of South Africa. Built with two key South African visitors and several faculty experts on South Africa and its media, the seven-session course will begin after MSU's spring break. For more information contact David Wiley or John Metzler in the MSU African Studies Center; phone: 353-1700.

Soweto Gospel Choir - MSU Wharton Center

The 32-member Soweto Gospel choir will share their vibrant and colorful culture of South Africa on Sunday, February 20, 2005 at 4:00 p.m.

The choir along with thrilling drummers and dancers offer a musical cornucopia of traditional African gospel and modern western spirituals sung in six of Soweto's 11 languages. Please visit the Soweto Gospel Choir's web-site at: http://www.sowetogospelchoir.com/

The African Studies Center has a limited number of tickets available. Ticket cost is $16.50. Contact Lisa Fruge‚ at the African Studies Center to reserve your tickets. Tickets are also available through the Wharton Center Box Office. Call 1-800-WHARTON or (517) 432-2000.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

The First African Career Fair in the US
Washington DC, February 14 -15, 2005

AfricTalents USA is pleased to invite African professionals (graduating from undergraduate and graduate school) to submit resumes to participate in AfricTalents USA, a recruitment event for Africans looking for career opportunities with leading corporations operating in Africa. AfricTalents is held in Paris and Dakar twice a year since 1999 by AfricSearch, a human resource and recruiting company. The event will take place at the new Washington Convention Center.

More than a career fair, AfricTalents USA enables you

to: 1) Meet recruiters from companies they are interested
in working for; 2) Obtain more information about
companies working in Africa; 3) Have on the spot
interviews with corporate recruiters; 4) Get a job in the

United States or Africa; and 5) Build contacts with employers and network with other participants.

Candidate selection criteria:
Excellent language skills, English and/or French, Spanish
Graduate, post-graduate degree (0-15 years of experience)
Strong technical skills
Outstanding interpersonal skills
Outstanding leadership and team working skills Excellent writing skills
International orientation
Available to work either in Africa and/or the US

Selected candidates will receive an invitation to attend 2 days of interviews and networking opportunities with leading multinationals and international organizations recruiting for positions in the United States and across Africa. For more information visit the website at: www.africtalentsusa.com. or contact Elsabeth T. Tedros, AfricSearch HR Solutions, LLC, Consultant, 1725 I Street NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006; Tel: (202) 349-3852; Fax: (202) 349-3854.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo Concert, March 16, 2005

The Interlochen Center for the Arts presents a concert featuring Ladysmith Black Mambazo. This Grammy award-winning a cappella vocal ensemble became known when Paul Simon recorded their stirring harmonies on his "Graceland" album. Since then they have recorded with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton, The Winans and George Clinton. They have also contributed to the sound tracks of "Coming to America" and "The Lion King Part II."

On Wednesday, March 16, 2005 this group, which represents the traditional culture of South Africa in the eyes of many music fans worldwide, will perform at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, 4000 Hwy-137, Interlochen, MI 49643. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets may be reserved by calling the Box office at (231) 276-7800 or 1-800-681-5920; or visit tickets.interlochen.org.

Ph.D. in Philosophy with African Focus offered

The History Department of the University of California, Davis, invites applications for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy with a focus on Africa for the academic year 2005-06.

The History Department admits a select pool of graduate student candidates for the degree and is now in its second year of offering a doctoral program focusing on Africa. The successful candidate(s) would participate in general graduate classes in history as well as tutorial and graduate classes in African history. There will be opportunities to serve as a teaching assistant for the two Africanist faculty members.

Students will study and write under the supervision of Professors Cynthia Brantley and Benjamin Lawrance, and can anticipate that they will proceed to conduct independent research in Africa. Candidates will also benefit from the experience and guidance of the many faculty in the History Department at UC Davis, take advantage of the rich expertise of Africanist faculty at UC Davis and the emerging African Studies designated emphasis within the African American and African Studies Program, and the large pool of African historians in the University of California system. Foreign language training assistance may be available. Applications are particularly welcomed from candidates from diverse backgrounds, whose research interests intersect with those of current faculty, particularly applied research models that incorporate or relate to the history of colonialism and contemporary development trends. For further information please direct questions to Professor Cynthia Brantley clbrantley@ucdavis.edu or to the History Department Graduate Program Coordinator Heidi Williams hlwilliams@ucdavis.edu; or write to: UC Davis History Department, 2216 Social Sciences and Humanities, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616; Tel: (530) 752-0776.

CONFERENCES

Twelfth Annual Graduate Research Conference Boston University, March 18-19, 2005

The Graduate Research Conference in African Studies is an interdisciplinary conference intended for students at all levels of their graduate careers. The conference aims to provide a friendly and informal setting in which students can discuss their research. In past years, participants have presented research proposals, thesis chapters, methodological models, work in progress, or simply outlines of dissertation proposals.

This year's keynote speaker is Dr. Jane Parpart. Dr. Parpart is the Lester B. Pearson Chair in International Development Studies at Dalhousie University.

Abstracts are due February 25, 2005. Submit on-line: http://www.bu.edu/africa/programs/graduate/gradconf; or mail to: Graduate Student Conference, African Studies Center, 270 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215. Abstracts submitted by mail should include the author's name, address, institutional affiliation, e-mail address and phone number. There is a $20 conference fee, payable by check to the African Studies Center.

Direct questions to Lynsey Farrell at lfarrell@bu.edu, or to Melissa Graboyes at graboyes@bu.edu.

Page Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar, Ph.D.