AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER - UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
  

MSU Tuesday Bulletin, 11/02/04

THE TUESDAY BULLETIN

Issue No. 10 Fall 2004
November 2, 2004

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
JOBS

EVENTS

November 4, 2004

"Zimbabwean Popular Music Since Independence," African Studies Center Brown Bag with Isaac Kalumbu, Faculty (School of Music, MSU), 12:00 noon, Room 201, International Center.


November 5, Friday

"Philosophy and Development: Ethics In or Ethics Of Development,"CASID/WID Friday Forum with Steve Esquith, Faculty (Philosophy Dept., MSU), 12:00-1:30 p.m., Rm 201 International Center.


November 5-7, Friday - Sunday

Amandla! film presented by Afrocentric Film Series. Amandla! tells the story of black South African freedom music and the central role it played against apartheid. Showing 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., at the Campus Center Cinemas, Wells Hall.


November 11, Thursday

No Brown Bag: African Studies Association Meetings in New Orleans.


November 16, Tuesday

As part of the World View Series at the Wharton Center, Constance Berry Newman, (Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and former Assistant Administrator for Africa, USAID) will address the global importance of Africa and the United States' role on the Continent. Assistant Secretary Newman is the chief diplomat on African policy for the US Department of State, overseeing more than 40 embassies. Tickets are only available at the Wharton Center box office. For more information call (517) 432-2000 or 1-800-WHARTON. Tickets are free for MSU faculty, staff, and students, $20 for the public.


November 17, Wednesday

"The Amazon Takes a Bow," International Business Student Organization presentation by Jonathan Elendu, African, Nigerian, Poet, Businessman, (founder and President of Elendu &Associates, Inc., a Public Relations firm based in Lansing, MI.), 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., Room N106 Business College Complex. For information contact Dr. Blackbear at 355-7605; or e-mail: blackbear@bus.msu.edu.


MSU ANNOUNCEMENTS

Lifetime Achievement Dance Award

Dorothy Harper Jones, Core Faculty member emeritus of the African Studies Center, received the Lifetime Achievement Dance Award.

As part of the National Dance Alliance convention, held at the Kellogg Center, October 24, 2004, the Michigan Dance Association presented Dr. Dorothy Harper Jones with the award. She shared her love for Africa and African dance long before many.

The African Studies Center, along with many others, congratulate Dr. Jones on this much deserved honor.


Global Festival 2004, Sunday, November 21, 2004

Global Festival 2004 will present MSU international student organizations and area nationality groups, sharing their cultures with exhibits, performance of ethnic dances, music, fashion shows, and demonstrations of native games and crafts. Festivities begin noon to 5:00 p.m at the MSU Student Union Building, and are free to the public
The World Gift Shop offers an international variety of art works, jewelry, glassware, clothing, stamps, and a multitude of gift items. (Proceeds go towards scholarships for MSU international families). Contributions of saleable international items or donations to the Scholarship Fund are also welcome.

Many "countries" will have international children's games, crafts, and activities geared for children of all ages. The Global Café, serving ethnic cuisine, is open from noon to 3:00 p.m., with ala carte offerings on the second floor all afternoon. For more information, contact Alex McCrae at (517) 332-8408 or Lillian Kumata at (517) 351-6046.


CASID/WID 2005-2006 FLAS Fellowships

The Center for Advanced Study of International Development (CASID) and Women and International Development Program (WID) at Michigan State University awards graduate fellowships under the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship program of the U.S. Department of Education.

The FLAS Fellowship program is designed to meet critical needs for specialists in American education, government, and other services of a public and/or professional nature who will utilize their skills in training others and in developing throughout the United States a wider knowledge and understanding of other countries and cultures.

CASID/WID's FLAS Fellowships are awarded to graduate students enrolled in programs that combine the study of a modern foreign language with advanced training and research in international development studies. Fellowship support includes the payment of tuition and fees (up to $11,000 per academic year) and a stipend of $14,000 for the academic year.

To be considered for fellowship support, applicants must be a citizen or national of the United States; or a permanent resident of the United States; or a permanent resident of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Applicant also must have earned a baccalaureate or comparable degree before the fellowship period begins and be admitted to or currently enrolled in a graduate degree program at Michigan State University.

For application materials, please go to: http://www.isp.msu.edu/casid/students/fellowships.html. The application deadline is February 14, 2005. For additional information, contact: Dr. Robert Glew, Associate Director, CASID, Michigan State University, 202 International Center, East Lansing, MI 48824-1035; Tel: (517) 353-4818; Fax: (517) 353-8765.


Beans for Health Alliance Funds Research Projects

Dr. Maurice Bennink and Dr. Lorraine Weatherspoon, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, were awarded $200,000 for "Utilization of Bean-Based Foods to Improve Nutritional and Immune Status of HIV Children in Tanzania and Botswana." The knowledge gained from these human feeding studies which incorporate both beans and cowpeas into diets will enable bean/cowpea industry groups, NGOs and public health groups in both developing countries and the U.S. to educate consumers of the nutritional attributes of beans and cowpeas, and to promote bean/cowpea-based solutions to health problems. Dr. Weatherspoon is a Core faculty member with the African Studies Center.


OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

East Lansing Film Society Film: Strangeheart

This very timely film follows two Sudanese teenagers who are relocated from Africa's plateaus to the plains of the American West. Orphaned by the devastating civil war in Sudan, Peter and Santino have become two of the so-called "Lost Boys", a group of over 20,000 young men who have fled to find refuge in neighboring countries. Their experiences of culture shock, assimilarion and loneliness are eye-opening and a test to the myth of "The American Dream".

The film will be shown on the MSU campus on December 3 - 5, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. It will be held at the Campus Center Cinema in Wells Hall. General admission is $5, $3 students, $3 seniors 65 and over.

The film will also be shown at the Hannah Community Center on Wednesday, December 8, 2004 at 7:30 p.m., only. Tickets are $6 and $4. For further information, contact the University Activities Board at 355-3354 or for the December 8th showing at the Hannah Center, visit the East Lansing Film Society website:
http://www.elff.com/filmsociety/index.htm.


CONFERENCES

10th Conference of Africanists, Moscow, May 2005

The Academic Council on Problems of African Countries and the Institute for African Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, are convening the 10th Conference of Africanists on the subject "Security for Africa: Internal and External Aspects" on May 24-26, 2005.

The immediate objective of the conference is to discuss the following issues:

  • Africa and Russia in a contemporary system of international relations;
  • Role of UN in keeping stability in Africa;
  • Digital divide and media literacy in Africa;
  • Civilization models of social evolution;
  • History of "Cold War" in Africa;
  • History of Africa's Resistance to external threats;
  • Resources, exports/imports potential and Russia- Africa co-operation;
  • International community in anti-terrorism struggle and Africa;
  • African social problems as a source of instability;
  • "Cultural Security" for Africa;
  • Economic security issues;
  • North Africa and the Near East democratisation, authoritarianism and security issues;
  • Southern Africa: security issues;
  • Interstate and intrastate conflicts, Ethnic & Religious factors;
  • Gender problems of contemporary Africa;
  • Contemporary situation and challenging problems of African linguistics and literature.

The Organising Committee welcomes extra themes that will elaborate on the subject of the conference. The working languages are Russian and English. Works will be conducted in plenary sessions, panels, and round tables, where free discussion is envisaged.

Panel and round-table proposals (within 500 words in any of the Conference working languages) are to be received by November 15, 2004. Information to be submitted with the proposal, include the panel conference's full name, title, institutional affiliation, full mail and e-mail addresses, and fax, and names, institutional affiliations, and e-mail addresses of potential participants. Abstracts of papers (up to 500 words) accompanied by authors' short Cvs are expected by e-mail by December 15, 2004 and full papers by March 15, 2005.

All proposals and inquires may be sent to: Conference Organising Committee, Institute for African Studies, 30/1, Spiridonovka Street, Moscow, 123001, Russia; Tel: (7-095) 290-2752, 290-6385; Fax: (7-095) 202- 0786; e-mail: inter@inafr.ru, copy to:
vladimir.shubin@inafr.ru.


World Cowpea Congress and International Legume Conference, April 17-21, 2005- Durban, South Africa

The University of Pretoria is hosting the IV World Cowpea Congress in conjunction with the International Edible Legume Conference (IELC) in Durban, South Africa, from April 17-21, 2005. The conference will provide a forum for research presentation, networking of African scientists with colleagues working on cowpeas and edible legumes from around the world, and interactions with growers and industry representatives through a trad exhibition. The venue for the Congress will be the International Convention Centre in Durban.

For more information regarding the IV World Cowpea Congress, visit the website at:
http://www.up.ac.za/conferences/ielc. December 15, 2004 is the deadline for submission of scientific abstracts and standard registration. February 15, 2005, payment of registration fees are due.

A few travel grants will be available to support participation in the Conference for students and young researchers from African countries, especially East and Southern Africa. Applications must be submitted to the IELC Secretariat prior to December 15, 2004.


JOBS

African Studies Faculty - University of Michigan

The Center for Afroamerican and African Studies (CAAS) at the University of Michigan seeks to add African Studies faculty to fill full-time joint appointments with any relevant social science department, excluding Anthropology.

The Center invites applications from scholars of social science disciplinary backgrounds, especially, but not exclusively those whose research includes attention to the southern African region, and who are prepared to teach courses (two per term) on social science topics related to Africa.

Ph.D. required. Rank open. Level of appointment commensurate with qualifications and record of publications. Applicants should send a current curriculum vitae, a writing sample, and a substantive letter of application describing their recent and future research agendas, professional accomplishments, and teaching interests at both graduate and undergraduate levels. Three reference letters should be mailed under separate cover to: James S. Jackson, Director, African Studies Search Committee, Center for Afroamerican and African Studies, University of Michigan, 4700 Haven Hall, 505 S. State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1045.

Preliminary interviews will be conducted at the ASA meetings being held November 11-14, 2004. Applications review begins immediately, and will continue until the positions are filled.


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

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