MSU Tuesday Bulletin, 09/23/08
The African Studies Center at MSU
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Tuesday Bulletin for September 23rd, 2008
Topics covered in this issue: Events | Announcements | Other Announcements | Fellowships |
Conferences | Jobs
Events
Malawi-MSU Strategic Partnerships: Accomplishments and Plans
Thursday, September 25, 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.
Study Abroad Fair
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Study Abroad Fair will be held from 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.
International Coffee Hour
Friday, September 26, 2008
International Coffee Hour, every Friday, is sponsored by the Office of International
Students and Scholars, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Spartan Rooms, International Food Court. All
are welcome.
AFRICOM and the Cumulative Militarization of Africa
Thursday, October 2, 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.
Reflections on Africa and African Studies 1965-2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
African Studies Center Brown Bag talk with Bill Derman, Faculty (Dept. of Anthropology,
MSU), 12:00 noon, Room 303 International Center.
And the Land Belongs to Those Who Work It: Reflections on the Dilemmas Facing South
Africa's Land Reform Programs
Friday, October 10, 2008
CASID/WID Friday Forum with Bill Derman, Faculty (Dept. of Anthropology, MSU), 12:00
noon, Spartan Room C, International Food Court.
MSU Announcements
Second Annual MSU Africanist Graduate Student Conference
The 2nd Annual MSU Africanist Graduate Student Conference will begin on Friday, September 26 at 6:30pm, 3rd floor, Lake Superior Room of the MSU Union with the keynote speaker address, followed by a reception Panels and presentations featuring graduate students from MSU and elsewhere will continue through Saturday. See http://africa.msu.edu/gradconference for more information.
Mali in Michigan: Art, Religion, & Politics in the 21st Century
- Visual Griots Photo-Voice Exhibit - September 15, 2008 to 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.
Islamic Manuscripts of Tombouctou Photography Exhibit
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Open through October 11, these photographs by Alexandra Huddleston will be on display
in the RCAH LookOut! Gallery.
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).
Study Abroad Information Meetings for Summer 2009 Programs Going to Africa
SOUTH AFRICA
"Conservation and Biodiversity in South African Parks and Nature Reserves"
5:00 pm - 001 Natural Resources
11:30 am - 204 International Center
5:00 pm - 152 Natural Resources
KENYA
"Society and Ecology"
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.
Mugabe Stripped of Honorary Degree at MSU
On September 12, 2008, Michigan State University's Board of Trustees revoked an honorary degree awarded to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in 1990, saying the one-time liberation leader no longer represents the values of the university. Visit http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008809120379 for further details.
Information Meeting for Agriculture, Development, Environment & Gender: NGO
Internships in Malawi
Jan. 12-May 1, 2009 (incl. 6 wks on MSU campus)
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, 353-5040; Dr. Tracy Dobson, 432-1711; or Kate Patch, 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.
Africa Podcast News at Michigan State University
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/. Direct inquiries to: alegi@msu.edu or limb@msu.edu.
Other Announcements
Int'l Law Symposium on Africa/Liberia, Cooley Law
The Third Annual International Law Symposium will be on the Rule of Law in Africa. The
event will be held on Saturday, October 4, 2008 at the Cooley Center, 300 S. Captiol,
Lansing, MI. The panels will be held in room 501, with the lunch in room 911. The event is
free and open to the public.
The first panel on Diverse Theories of the Rule of Law will run from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00
noon. Tatia Miller, Staff Attorney for the Africa Division of the American Bar
Association's Rule of Law Initiative will discuss a brief history of the Rule of Law and
Rule of Law reforms, highlighting work going on in Africa. Then there will be three
presentations on differing views on how best to implement rule of law reforms. A catered
lunch will be open from noon - 2:00 p.m..
The second panel, Liberia: Struggles in Implantation, will run from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.. Thomas Rasmusson, Professor of Law, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, will discuss Liberia's history, it's relationship with the United States and share some of his experience of living in Liberia for fourteen years. Part of the inspiration for the event stems from an article in the Economist on March 15, 2008, stating that while many economists are pushing for rule of law reforms, few actually understand what it means. The organizers hope that through understanding the theory and practice of rule of law reforms, all in attendance can leave with a better understanding of rule of law reforms in Africa. Any questions may be sent to Jeff Ziarnik, President, Cooley International Law Symposium at: ziarnikj@cooley.edu.
Fellowships
Building Capacity for Tourism and Transportation Management in South Africa
Request for Applications (RFA)
- Deadline
- October 28, 2008
Higher Education for Development (HED) expects to make two awards of up to $250,000 each
for 3-year higher education partnerships focusing on transportation and
tourism/hospitality in South Africa, contingent on USAID funding.
- Focus area one: one award up to $250,000 will build capacity in transportation
through higher education and training programs in South Africa with the University of
Johannesburg, Department of Transport and Supply Chain Management.
- Focus area two: One award up to $250,000 will concentrate on undergraduate and post
graduate-level studies in tourism and hospitality management in partnership with Tshwane
University of Technology, Department of Tourism.
For complete details visit http://www.hedprogram.org/ and click on South Africa: Building Capacity for Tourism and Transportation Management.
Conferences
Perspective on African Decolonization: African Intellectuals and Decolonization, Oct.
2-4, Ohio University
This conference is the second in a series of academic conferences at Ohio University
centered on the theme "Perspectives on African Decolonization," and focuses on African
Intellectuals and Decolonization. In 1958, Guinea, under Ahmed Sékou Touré,
chose political independence over continued association with France. The All-African
Peoples Convention hosted by Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana in the same year highlighted the links
between and among Africans and peoples of African descent in the Diaspora. 2008 is also
the sixtieth anniversary of the founding of the seminal journal Présence Africaine
by Alioune Diop.
Focusing on African intellectuals and decolonization will allow for an interrogation of all three concepts as well as an opportunity to examine the roles intellectuals have played and continue to play in contemporary African efforts at liberation from economic neo-colonialism. Featured speakers include: - Oyeronke Oyewumi Department of Sociology State University of New York at Stony Brook - Elizabeth Schmidt Department of History Loyola College in Baltimore - Tsenay Serequeberhan Department of Philosophy Morgan State University. A full conference schedule and registration information is available at http://www.african.ohio.edu/Conferences/index.html.
Jobs
Assistant Professor, African History - Trinity College
Trinity College, invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of assistant
professor in the history of Africa. Geographic and topical specializations are open. This
is a joint position shared by the History Department and the International Studies
Program. A Ph.D. in African history or related field, a firm commitment to undergraduate
teaching in a Liberal Arts college environment, and a strong research agenda are required.
Preference given to candidates who can contribute to Trinity's efforts to enhance its
interdisciplinary program in International Studies. Teaching responsibilities will be
largely within the context of the undergraduate curriculum and will include two semester
surveys of Africa. Candidates with a strong gender focus are particularly invited to
apply.
Preliminary interviews will be conducted at the African Studies Association and the AHA meetings. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. For full consideration, send letter of application (including statement of research and teaching interests), CV, graduate transcripts, sample of scholarly writing, and at least three letters of reference to: Prof. Kathleen Kete, Africa Search, Department of History, Trinity College, Hartford, CT 06106. Women and members of minority groups are strongly encouraged to apply. Trinity College is an AA/EOE. For more information about the Department and Program, visit http://www.trincoll.edu/~hist and http://www.trincoll.edu/Academics/Study/InternationalStudies. Please e-mail questions to: vijay.prashad@trincoll.edu.
African Diaspora Studies - U. of Wisconsin-Madison
The University of Wisconsin-Madison seeks candidates for a new faculty position in the
field of African diaspora studies. Appointment to begin in August 2009. The committee is
seeking a scholar irrespective of discipline, whose primary specialization lies in some
aspect of African diaspora studies, focusing upon the linkages between African diasporic
communities and Africa, the dynamics of the forced or voluntary migration that led to the
creation of those communities, their interactions and relations with societies of
encounter, and the adaptation, reproduction and transformation of African institutional,
cultural and expressive forms in diasporic settings. The committee particularly welcomes
applications from candidates in Anthropology, Political Science, Sociology, Geography, or
related social science fields. Send a curriculum vitae, a statement of background and
interest in African diaspora research and teaching, a sample of publications or writings,
and three names of potential references to: Professor Tejumola Olaniyan, Chair, African
Diaspora Search Committee, African Studies Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 205
Ingraham Hall, 1155 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1397. To ensure full
consideration, the application should be received by October 30, 2008. Unless
confidentiality is requested in writing, information regarding the names of applicants
must be released upon request.
Tenure track, African Politics - Ohio University
The Department of Political Science at Ohio University invites applications for a tenure
track appointment in African Politics with a thematic emphasis in Development or
Democratization. The successful candidate will teach undergraduate and graduate courses in
African and Comparative Politics. Ohio University is a Title VI African National Resource
Center. Appointment will be at the rank of assistant professor.
Complete and submit the online quick application found at: https://www.ohiouniversityjobs.com/ and send letter of application, vita, graduate transcripts, three letters of recommendation, a sample of scholarly writing and evidence of teaching effectiveness to: Ohio University, African Politics, Search Committee, Department of Political Science, Bentley Annex 264, Athens, OH 45701. Review of applications will begin on October 1, 2008 and continue until the position is filled.
from MSU African Studies Center <africa@msu.edu>
date Fri, Sep 19, 2008 at 3:23 PM
subject Tuesday Bulletin for September 23rd, 2008