MSU Tuesday Bulletin, 08/26/03

MSU ANNOUNCEMENTS

August 28, Thursday "The Plunder of the Congo," African Studies Center Brown Bag with Tom Turner, Professor of Political Science, (National University of Rwanda), 12:00 noon, Room 201, International Center. September 4, Thursday "Partnerships for Food Industry Development - Fruits and Vegetables Newest Model in Economic Development: The Ghana PPP Project," African Studies Center Brown Bag with Peter Achuonjei, Project Coordinator (Partnership for Food Industry Development, PFID), 12:00 noon, Room 201, International Center.

MSU ANNOUNCEMENTS

Bambara Tutor Needed

The African Language Program at Michigan State University is looking for a speaker of Bambara (also known as Bamana, Bamanakan, Mandingo) to participate in a supervised tutorial for the 2003-04 academic year.

The weekly time commitment will be about 7 hours.

For more information, please contact Professor David Dwyer, Coordinator of the African Language Program at: dwyer@msu.edu.

Northeast African Studies Journal

Volume 6, Number 3 of the Northeast African Studies Journal is now available. This volume is in memoriam of Harold G. Marcus, founding Editor and Distinguished Professor of History at Michigan State University.

The first four articles include: 1960, the Year the Sky Began Falling on Haile Sellassie, Harold Marcus; The Sudan Interior Mission (SIM) in Ethiopia (1928-1970), Tibebe Eshete; Afewerq Yohannis and Debbebe Seyfu: Notes on Ethiopian Writers of the Late Twentieth Century, Reidulf K. Molvaer and; Conflict of Ethnic Identity and the Language of Education Policy in Contemporary Ethiopia; Teshome G. Wagaw.

The journal continues under a Transitional Editorial Team comprised of the journal's associate editors. The team will ensure that all manuscripts received are processed, assembled for publication, or returned with comment to their authors.

Subscriptions to the Northeast African Studies journal are available by writing to: Michigan State University Press Journals Division, 1405 S. Harrison Rd., Ste. 25, East Lansing, MI 48823-5245, USA; Telephone: (517) 355-9543, ext. 130; Fax: (517) 432-2611 or (800) 678- 2120; e-mail: msupress@msu.edu.

Course Announcements, Fall 2003

RD 826 International Development and Sustainability Instructors: Jeffrey Riedinger and John Kerr Monday 3:00 - 5:50 pm, 306 Natural Resources Building This course is intended to situate the current controversies about various approaches to international development and world poverty in the context of the evolution of international development theory and conceptualizations of development and poverty over the past half century. The continuing challenges of world poverty are central to this course. Students will better understand the concept of development,
the dominant paradigms of international development, the shift in development paradigms over time, and recurrent themes in international development and efforts to address world poverty over the past half-century.

SSC 490 Special Topics in Social Science - Issues in International Development

Instructor: Robert Glew Thursday 1:50 - 4:40, 2320 Engineering Building This course focuses on the dilemmas facing industrialized and developing nations in ending severe global inequalities and poverty. The class will explore how those dilemmas are explained and the solutions offered to solve them. Special attention will be given to issues of the environment, external assistance, women, and grassroots participation within the context of historical legacies and contemporary globalization.

Third Compton Africa Peace Fellowship

Deadline: September 15, 2003 Beginning in 2001, the African Studies Center (ASC) and the Women and International Development Program (WID), in cooperation with the Center for Advanced Study of International Development (CASID), have been offering Compton Peace Fellowships to students from Sub-Saharan Africa to support their dissertation field research in Africa. This program is an element of the MSU African Higher Education Renaissance Initiative (AHERI).

These dissertation fellowship awards are made possible by a grant from the Compton Foundation through its Peace Fellowship Program for addressing peace, conflict resolution, and security in Africa. Eligibility

Eligible candidates must: 1) Be from Sub-Saharan Africa (citizens of a nation in Africa).

2) Be enrolled in a Ph.D. program either at Michigan State University or at an African university partnering with MSU in linkage agreements and exchanges. Currently, these linkages exist with institutions such as Addis Ababa University, the University of Dar es Salaam, the University of Malawi and the University of Cheikh Anta Diop (Dakar).

3) Have completed their coursework in any of a variety of social science disciplines such as political science, sociology, history, public policy, economics, and law. Candidates must provide evidence that all requirements for the Ph.D. degree have been completed, including comprehensive examinations and departmental approval of the dissertation proposal.

4) Be pursuing a dissertation that requires a period of fieldwork for collection of qualitative or quantitative data.

Eligible Research Topics The awards are provided only to support research that will have a direct bearing on conflict resolution, peace, security issues, and/or environment and sustainable development relevant to Africa. The MSU Program will consider applications in the following fields:

1. Peace, Democracy, and Civil Society 2. Environment, Natural Resource Security, and
Community Participation 3. Population and Refugees 4. Communications, Peace, and Security 5. Labor and Industrial Conflict and Cooperation 6. Gender, Class, Race, and Ethnicity 7. Rural Development, Food, and Economic Security

The awards are for up to $15,000 and are to be used solely to support field research in Sub-Saharan Africa. As part of the Compton activities, Fellows will participate in a directed readings program related to peace and security at MSU. Note that for those students enrolled in African universities, the grant award of $15,000 is expected to cover costs of travel, housing and meals to attend the one month long MSU directed readings program, as well as to support field research in Africa.

Awards will be granted after a selective and competitive review by an MSU committee of African Studies and Women in International Development faculty. Normally, awards are limited to 12 months.

The application deadline is September 15, 2003. Awards will be made until funding is exhausted. Applicants should complete a fellowship application form, which is available from:

Women in International Development Program, 206 International Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1035: Phone (517)-353-5040; or download it from the African Studies Center Website: http://www.isp.msu.edu/AfricanStudies/

FELLOWSHIPS

Pre-Doctoral and Post-Doctoral West African Research Association (WARA) Fellowships

Two research fellowships being offered for Summer 2004 in West Africa with funding from the ECD- Department of State. These fellowships are open to graduate students who wish to conduct research for an 8-10 week period in order to 1) prepare a doctoral research proposal or 2) carry out research related to the completion of another terminal degree program. This competition is open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are currently enrolled in graduate programs at institutions of higher education in the United States.

Each fellowship will provide round-trip travel to a West African country and a stipend of up to $3,000 to cover cost of living expenses. The West African Research Center (WARC) in Dakar, Senegal may assist with academic contacts and affiliations and recommendations for lodging in the country chosen by the fellow.

Candidates must submit an essay of no more that six (6) double-spaced pages describing the concept, methodology and significance of the proposed research project to their academic field. A one-page bibliography relevant to the proposal may also be attached.

Additional supporting materials must include three (3) letters of reference by professors; a curriculum vitae; and both undergraduate and graduate transcripts (official transcripts are acceptable). Each application must also include an official WARA application cover sheet available at www.warc-croa.org, as well as a brief (50-80 word) abstract of the research project.

Complete applications will consist of one original and three (3) copies of all materials (4 sets total) except letters of reference. Letters should be included in the application packet in envelopes sealed and signed by the referee. Letters of reference sent separately will not be considered. The application deadline is December 1, 2003.

Please direct inquiries and submit applications to: WARA, African Studies Center, Boston University, 270 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215; Tel: (617) 353- 8902; Fax: (617) 353-4975; e-mail: wara@bu.edu, www.warc-croa.org.

WARA - Residencies for West African Scholars In the interest of promoting collaboration between US and West African scholars, this grant program provides a visiting scholar from West Africa with opportunities for library research, guest lecturing or teaching, and/or collaborative work with American
colleagues. WARA covers round-trip travel costs of the selected scholars and provides a stipend of $2,500 to cover meals and local transport costs.

Interested member institutions should submit a proposal of a maximum of 5 double-spaced pages, profiling the visiting scholar they wish to host, his or her proposed residency activities, expected impact or outcome of the residency, and any additional contribution or support the institution can offer. Application materials should also include the visiting scholar's curriculum vitae and a letter of interest from the scholar, as well as a letter of support from a relevant administrator (dean, department chair, etc.) at the host institution.

Each applicant must also include an official WARA application cover sheet (providing information on the scholar to be hosted), available at www.warc- croa.org, as well as a brief (50-80 word) abstract of the proposed residency. The main contact person at the host institution making the application should be clearly indicated in the abstract. Please send one original and three copies (4 sets total) of all materials.

The application deadline is November 1, 2003 for a residency to take place in Spring or Fall 2004.

Please direct inquiries about institutional membership and submit applications to: WARA, African Studies Center, Boston University, 270 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215; Tel: (617) 353-8902; Fax: (617) 353-4975; e-mail: wara@bu.edu, www.warc-croa.org.

West African Research Center Travel Grant The West African Research Center in Dakar, Senegal is offering travel bursaries of up to $2,500 to scholars and graduate students of West African nationality. U.S. citizens are not eligible for this competition. Travel funds may be used to: 1) Attend and read papers at academic conferences relevant to the applicant's field of research; 2) Visit libraries or archives that contain resources necessary to the applicant's current academic work; and 3) Travel to a research site.

Applications will consist of the following: a description (6 double-spaced pages maximum) of the applicant's research and how the proposed travel is relevant to this work; CV with research and teaching record when relevant; an abstract of the paper to be read and a letter of acceptance to the conference (for those wishing to attend meetings); a description of the collections to be consulted and their significance to the applicant's research (for those wishing to travel to libraries or archives).

Graduate student applicants should, in addition, submit a letter of recommendation by the professor overseeing their research. Each application must also include an official WARA application cover sheet available at www.warc-croa.org, as well as a brief(50-80 word) abstract of the activity to be funded.

There are two deadlines: September 15, 2003 for travel between January 1 and June 30, 2004; and March 15, 2004 for travel between July 1and December 31, 2004.

Submit applications in triplicate to: WARC/ Centre de Recherche Ouest Africaine, B.P. 5456 (Fann Residence), Rue E x LÇon G. Damas, Dakar, Senegal; Tel: 221-865-22-77; Fax: 221-824-20-58; e-mail: nenediop@hotmail.com.