MSU Tuesday Bulletin, 09/16/08

The African Studies Center at MSU
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Tuesday Bulletin for September 16th, 2008 Topics covered in this issue: Events | Announcements | Other Announcements | Jobs Events

Information Session on U.S. - African Higher Education Partnerships Monday, September 15, 2008

Information Session on U.S. - African Higher Education Partnerships, sponsored by the Office of International Development, 2:00 p.m., Room 204 International Center.

Information Session on U.S. - African Higher Education Partnerships (2nd Day) Wednesday, September 17, 2008

The Information Session will also take place on September 17th at 9:00 a.m., Room 6 International Center. (See MSU Announcements for further information).

What's Wrong With Human Rights Film?
Thursday, September 18, 2008

African Studies Center Brown Bag talk with Ken Harrow, Faculty (English Dept., MSU), 12:00 noon, Room 303 International Center.

AFRICOM and the Cumulative Militarization of Africa Thursday, September 25, 2008

African Studies Center Brown Bag talk with David Wiley, Director, African Studies Center and Faculty, (Sociology Dept., MSU), 12:00 noon, Room 303 International Center.

Study Abroad Fair
Thursday, September 25, 2008

Study Abroad Fair, 12:00 noon - 6:00 p.m., 2nd Floor MSU Union. The fair is designed to give students a "one-stop shopping" opportunity to learn about the wide array of MSU study abroad programs.

The Impact of Global Change on Food Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa Friday, September 26, 2008

CASID/WID Friday Forum with Jennifer Olson, Faculty (Dept. of Telecom, Information Studies & Media, MSU), 12:00 noon, Room 303 International Center.

Malawi-MSU Strategic Partnerships: A Panel Report Thursday, October 2, 2008

African Studies Center Brown Bag talk with Professors Anne Ferguson (Anthropology, GenCen), Dean Jeffrey Riedinger (International Studies & Programs), Terrie Taylor (Osteopathic Med.), & Leo Zulu (Geography), 12:00 noon, Room 303 International Center.

MSU Announcements

Information Session on U.S. - African Higher Education Partnerships, Sept. 15th and 17th, 2008 The Office of International Development will host the Information Session on U.S. - African Higher Education Partnerships on Monday, September 15th at 2:00 p.m., room 204 International Center and September 17th at 9:00 a.m., room 6 International Center. This session will provide details to faculty who are considering developing a proposal for the U.S. - African University Higher Education Initiative planning grants. This program is sponsored by the National Association for State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC). For more details contact Gretchen Sanford, Assistant Director, OID at 432-8398; e-mail: sanford@msu.edu, or Mary Anne Walker, Managing Director, OID at 432-9184; e-mail: mawalker@msu.edu.

Mali in Michigan

Art, Religion, & Politics in the 21st Century - Visual Griots Photo-Voice Exhibit, September 15 2008 - March 15, 2009 This exhibit of photos by Malian youths is on loan to the MSU Museum from the Smithsonian and is curated by Shawn Davis. The exhibit will involve outreach and civic engagement activities, especially with Lansing, Mason, and Lansing Special Education classrooms. The exhibition at the MSU Museum is supported by the Residential College in Arts and Humanities (RCAH) and L.A.T.T.I.C.E. (Linking All Types of Teachers in International Cross-Cultural Education). The exhibit is open to the public.

Study Abroad Information Meetings for Summer 2009 Programs Going to Africa SOUTH AFRICA
"Conservation and Biodiversity in South African Parks and Nature Reserves"

• Wednesday, October 1 5:00 pm - 001 Natural Resources
  
  
• Thursday, October 2 11:30 am - 204 International Center
  
  
• Monday, October 6 5:00 pm - 152 Natural Resources

KENYA
"Society and Ecology"

• Thursday, October 2 6:00 pm - 126 N. Kedzie

Please direct any questions to Chris Barden, Editor, Office of Study Abroad, 109 International Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1035; Phone: (517) 432-8785; Fax: (517) 432-2082; barden@msu.edu; http://studyabroad.msu.edu.

Agriculture, Development, Environment & Gender: NGO Internships in Malawi - Jan. 12 - May 1, 2009 This program is a cooperative venture between the College of Social Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Center for Gender in Global Context, the African Studies Center , and the Institute of International Agriculture which will allow students the opportunity to carry a full semester course-load while participating in a non-governmental organization (NGO) internship. Students will be required to take intensive course-work for six weeks in East Lansing, two-weeks in Malawi, and an eight-week internship with an NGO. Examples of NGOs a student may work with are Water Aid, Action Aid, or World Vision (all subject to change).

Students must be in good academic standing, with a grade point average of at least 2.5 at the time of application. Meeting this minimum grade point average does not, however, guarantee admission. Additionally, students must submit an essay with their application stating why they wish to participate in this program. This program is open to MSU students only.

The deadline to apply is October 15, 2008. Visit http://studyabroad.msu.edu/programs/africangointern.html for more details. To find out more about the program contact one of the following people: Dr. Anne Ferguson, Department of Anthropology, Director of Center for Gender in Global Context, 206 International Center; Phone: (517) 353-5040; Dr. Tracy Dobson, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, 10C Natural Resources Building; Phone: (517) 432-1711; Kate Patch, Center for Gender in Global Context, 206 International Center; Phone: (517) 353-5040. The Study Abroad Planning Meeting will be on Wednesday, October 1, 2008, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. in Room 6 International Center.

Sudan Exhibit at MSU Main Library
The MSU Libraries presents an exhibition of books, photos, journals and maps in conjunction with One Book, One Community's "They Poured Fire On Us from the Sky," featuring Sudan's conflict and Sudanese refugees with close MSU and Lansing ties. The exhibit is on the First Floor, West Wing of the Main Library (opposite new books, near Cyber Café).

A map tracing routes of Alephonsion and Benson Deng and Benjamin Ajak is included, as well as photo displays from local groups: Southern Sudan Rescue and Relief Association; Southern Sudan Health Care Organization; and Southern Sudanese and MSU African Studies Center publications on Sudan.

Africa Podcast News at Michigan State Univ. Africa Past and Present - the podcast about history, culture, and politics in Africa - is hosted by Michigan State University historians Peter Alegi and Peter Limb. It is produced by MATRIX - The Center for Humane Arts, Letters, and Social Sciences Online at MSU ( http://www.matrix.msu.edu). Listen and subscribe to the biweekly podcast at: http://afripod.aodl.org/.

FEEDBACK: The best comment posted on the podcast website will receive a beautiful "How Big is Africa" poster.

SKYPE: The hosts want to interview individuals in Africa (and beyond) using Skype (headset and microphone required). If interested send us an e-mail at: alegi@msu.edu or limb@msu.edu.

Other Announcements

Unite For Sight

High Impact Volunteering Abroad Unite For Sight welcomes volunteers who may not have previous health or eye care experience. Volunteers receive all necessary training from Unite For Sight so that they are able to assist eye doctors with community eye outreach programs. Unite For Sight also welcomes volunteers to participate as photographers and filmmakers. The Unite For Sight international volunteer program provides unique service-learning opportunities about global health and international development through hands-on clinical service and cultural exchange. Undergraduates, medical students, public health students, nursing students, optometry students, and others participate in hands-on clinical programs while assisting eye doctors in India, Ghana, and Honduras to provide eye care for patients living in extreme poverty. Students are encouraged to participate in the program for academic credit if their universities offer the option.

The application as well as complete details about Unite For Sight's international opportunities are available at http://www.uniteforsight.org/volunteer-abroad.

UN Publications

Sustainable Development in Africa The United Nations Division for Sustainable Development is currently supporting the deliberations of the Commission on Sustainable Development during its 16th and 17th sessions, which address the themes: agriculture, rural development, land, drought, desertification and Africa. To support the work of the Commission, the Policy Integration and Analysis Branch of the Division has produced two new publications on Africa which may be of interest and which may be useful in research or practical work. The publications are following:

Trends in Sustainable Development: Africa Report provides a concise, highly visual, graphic- and map-based analysis of key economic, social and environmental trends in Africa. URL: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/publications/trends_africa2008/index.htm .

Innovation for Sustainable Development: Local Case Studies from Africa presents and analyses a careful selection of local level sustainable development initiatives in Africa, in such areas as Enhancement of Agriculture and Fisheries, Water Management, Protection of Ecosystems, Health Improvement, and Sustainable Tourism. URL: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/publications/africa_casestudies/index.htm .

Jobs

Two Tenure-track positions - Michigan State Univ. The Department of Sociology at Michigan State University is seeking applications for two tenure-stream faculty positions as Assistant Professors in the study of the African Diaspora. The department is seeking sociologists who study Diasporic groups (African origin) and their identities, cultural forms, economic and political ties, social organization, and/or post-national and transnational processes and movements. Candidates should have expertise to enhance the Sociology department theme, Global Transformations, and one of our focus areas of urban, race and migration, family and gender, health and well-being, sociology of population-demography, and/or food-environment-agriculture-science and technology (see www.sociology.msu.edu). Successful candidates will be expected to establish a strong, externally recognized and supported program of scholarship; to develop excellence in teaching with undergraduate and graduate courses; and to establish a recognized program of outreach and professional service appropriate to their scholarship. Relevant language skills are desirable. Candidates with regional areas of interest in Africa, Asia, and/or Latin America and the Caribbean are preferred.

Candidates should submit a letter of interest, a curriculum vitae, writing samples and four letters of reference to: African Diaspora Faculty Search Committee, 316 Berkey Hall, Department of Sociology, East Lansing, MI, 48824-1111. Electronic submissions are encouraged. Submit to: bokemeie@msu.edu. Further information on the department and the position announcement are also available on the department website: http://www.soc.msu.edu/. Initial review of applications will begin October 1, 2008 and will continue until a suitable candidate is identified. Position available August 15, 2009. Michigan State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution.

Language Coordinator - Rutgers University The Department of African, Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Literatures in the School of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University (New Brunswick) invites applications for a full time, non-tenure track position of Language Coordinator in the newly-established Department of African, Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Literatures. This is a renewable, three-year contractual position with full benefits. Applicants must have a Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition or a related field, with a concentration on Less Commonly Taught Languages of Africa/Middle East/South Asia, and should have a minimum of three years experience in Second/Foreign Language Coordination in an American academy.

Candidates are expected to be competent in the use of instructional technology and communicative, standards-based teaching methodologies and must be conversant with the latest methods in Second/Foreign language assessment and should have demonstrated success in grant-writing. Applicants should have a demonstrated record of active participation in one or more professional organizations focused on Less Commonly Taught Languages. To apply, submit a letter of interest and updated CV, and have three letters of recommendation sent directly to the Chair of the Search Committee, Dr. Ousseina Alidou. Review of applications will begin on October 20, 2008 and continue until the position is filled. Rutgers is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Please mail your application to: Professor Ousseina Alidou, Chair, Language, Coordinator Search Committee, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, Department of African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian Languages and Literature, 54 Joyce Kilmer Avenue, Lucy Stone Hall, B301, Piscataway, NJ 08854. Visit: http://lang.nalrc.wisc.edu/nalrc/news/announcement/job.html for more details.

from MSU African Studies Center <Africa@msu.edu>

date Fri, Sep 12, 2008 at 4:43 PM
subject Tuesday Bulletin for September 16th, 2008