MSU Tuesday Bulletin, 12/05/06
The next bulletin will commence on January 9 or 16, 2007.
Have a Joyous and Happy Holiday Season
THE TUESDAY BULLETIN
Issue No. 14 Fall 2006
December 5, 2006
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 <http://africa.msu.edu/>>
BULLETIN CONTENTS
EVENTS
MSU ANNOUNCEMENTS
CONFERENCES
JOBS
EVENTS
December 1 - December 15th
"Books for Africa" book drive. New and Used textbooks, novels, and children's
books are collected and shipped to Africa. Collection boxes are located at:
SBS, the African Studies Center, International Center Book Store, College of
Education and Mason/Abbott Lobby. Visit http://www.msu.edu/b4africa; or
e-mail: b4africa@msu.edu to learn more about the MSU Books for Africa student
organization.
December 5, Tuesday
"The District Six Museum and the Politics of Public History in South Africa,"
Special Brown Bag talk with Ciraj Rassool, Faculty (History, Univ. of the
Western Cape, South Africa), 12:00 noon, Room 201 International Center.
December 5, Tuesday
Study Abroad program in Senegal, May 11-June 23, 2007, Informational meeting
with Professors Mara Leichtman and Ken Harrow, 6:00 p.m., Room 213 Morrill
Hall. (See MSU Announcements for further details).
December 7, Thursday
"Slavery, Ethnicity, Identity, and the Development of Popular Culture in
Contemporary Sudan," African Studies Center Brown Bag talk with Ahmad Sikainga,
Faculty (History, Ohio State University), 12:00 noon, Room 201 International Center.
December 8, Friday
"Human Rights and Social Conditions in Senegal: The Problems of Talibe and of
Clandestine Emigration," CASID/WID forum with Kenneth Harrow, Faculty (English
Dept., MSU), 12:00 noon, Room 201 International Center.
December 12, Tuesday
"Livestock, Manure and Nutrient Management: An International Perspective on
Sustainability and Environmental Impact," talk by Dr. Salvador Fernandez-Rivera
(Livestock management in Ethiopia), 10:30 a.m., Room 1310 Anthony Hall.
Sponsored by the Animal Science Department.
MSU ANNOUNCEMENTS
African Studies Center Application for Foreign
Language and Area Studies (FLAS) for 2007-08 AY
The African Studies Center at MSU is now accepting
on-line applications for FLAS fellowships for academic
year 2007-08 and for the 2007 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.
Up to date information and on-line application forms are
available at: http://africa.msu.edu/FLAS/FLAS.htm.
Candidates must have completed application procedures
by February 15, 2007. Related application materials
are to be mailed to the Assistant Director of the African
Studies Center, 100 International Center, Michigan State
University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1035; Phone: (517)
353-1700; Fax: (517) 432-1209; e-mail:
fisseha@msu.edu. In accordance with the Title VI
centers' agreement of rotating summer course offerings
under SCALI, African languages study in summer 2007
will be hosted by the University of Illinois, Urbana-
Champaign. For details, please visit:
http://www.afrst.uiuc.edu/SCALI07.htm for details..
Faculty Announcement
Michael J. Boivin, Ph.D, MPH, participated in the
Ugandan Pediatric HIV Disability Study. He spent
several weeks in Rakai, Uganda in July, 2006
collaborating with Dr. Heena Brahmbhadt on a a study
of neurodevelopmental disability in HIV infected
children in the Rakai district of Uganda. Dr. Boivin,
who started at MSU this past May, is Associate
Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry in the
International Neurologic and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Program (INPEP) under the direction of Dr. Gretchen
Birbeck. He is also a Core Faculty member in the
African Studies Center. For detailed information about
the study, e-mail Dr. Boivin at:
michael.Boivin@ht.msu.edu.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo at the Wharton Center
Ladysmith Black Mambazo will perform at the Wharton
Center on February 18, 2007. The African Studies
Center has decided to acquire tickets for the event. We
will collect the money first (CASH only, no checks, no
credit cards), then we will purchase the tickets from the
Wharton Center. Tickets will cost $17.00 (includes a
$2.00 restoration fee charged by the Wharton center).
All monies must be in by December 15, 2006 in order
to get prime seating. Please see Lisa in the African
Studies Center, Room 100 International Center. If
questions, call 353-1700.
Spring Course Announcements
PHL351 - African Philosophy
M/W, 8:30-9:50 (room to be announced)
Instructor: John Otieno Ouko
Topics:
Is there an African Philosophy?
African debates about knowledge and reality
The role of ethics in African philosophy
The "rationality" debate
African philosophy's ties to African-American and
feminist thought
For more information, call the Department of
Philosophy at 355-4490; or e-mail: oukojohn@msu.edu.
RD876, International Rural Development (on web)
3 credit graduate course on the MSU ANGEL program.
This course is available every semester. It simulates a
small group of students sitting around a table with the
professor, who has years of hands-on experience
actually designing and implementing many development
programs and projects in Africa, Asia, and Latin
America. For more information about this graduate
seminar, see the preview at: https://angel.msu.edu <https://angel.msu.edu/> or e-
mail Professor George Axinn at: axinn@msu.edu.
NUR402, International Health (on web); 3 credits
This course will provide a general understanding of
factors/dynamics that affect the health of human
populations and efforts to improve it. The course will
address: 1) the cultural context of health and illness; 2)
international health and population status, and 3) the
role of international agencies in policy setting and
program development. The course is open to graduate
and undergraduate students, and nursing and non-
nursing majors. For additional information, please
contact the instructor: Professor Connie Currier, (517)
432-1162; e-mail: currier3@msu.edu.
IAH 251A- Topics in Area Studies and Multicultural
Civilizations: Focus on Southern Africa
This two-credit course will meet twice a week during the first half
of spring semester; 2007: January 8-February 28, 2007.
Mon. 6:30 p.m. - 7:20 p.m., Wed. 6:30 p.m. - 8:50 p.m.,
Room 110 Berkey Hall. The course will count toward
the second IAH requirement. Students who have
already completed the second IAH requirement can
register for the course as an elective. This course
investigates contemporary issues in the southern Africa
region through the media of film, literature and lecture.
It will make use of MSU professors with Southern
African expertise and visitors from Southern Africa.
Please direct questions to instructors John Metzler or
David Wiley at 353-1700.
MSU Study Abroad Program in South Africa
Expressive Arts, Cultural Heritage, and Museum Studies
in South Africa is the title of this program beginning
May 28 - June 18, 2007. South Africa has a history of
expressive culture dating from some of the world's first
examples of rock art to today's art that reflects the
complexities of a multi-cultural society undergoing
tremendous transformations. Before the end of
apartheid and the establishment of a new government in
1994, much of the nation's art, music, history, and
culture were little known to the rest of the world.
Through this program, participants will not only have an
opportunity to be introduced directly to the historical
forms of cultural heritage unique to this region, but also
to critically assess the social, racial, religious, political,
and cultural factors that have impacted both these
expressions and the institutions charged with preserving
and presenting culture. The program will run for four
weeks in three primary locations in South Africa: Cape
Town, Durban, and Johannesburg/Pretoria. More details
about the program may be found at:
http://studyabroad.msu.edu/programs/safricaculher.html.
Questions may be directed to Marsha MacDowell at
macdowel@msu.edu; tel: (517) 355-6511; or C. Kurt
Dewhurst at dewhurs1@msu.edu; tel: (517) 355-2370.
The application deadline is March 1, 2007.
Summer 2007 MSU Study Abroad in Dakar, Senegal
Culture, Society and Islam in Senegal is the title of this
program beginning May 11-June 23, 2007. Senegal is
one of the most beautiful and diverse countries in
Africa. A stable democracy, friendly people, and a rich
cultural, intellectual, literary, cinematic, artistic and
musical heritage make this one of the most accessible of
African nations and the cultural center of West Africa.
Courses will satisfy IAH, ISS, and Anthropology
requirements, and will have a special emphasis on
Senegalese culture, society and religion. In addition to
topics dealing with history, art, music, cinema, and
literature, students will learn about the city of Dakar and
about "Senegalese" Islam through work in various
disciplines and visits to mosques and religious centers.
More details about this program are at:
http://studyabroad.msu.edu/programs/senegalculture.h
tml. Direct inquiries about the program to: Professor
Ken Harrow, Dept. of English, (517) 353-7243; e-mail:
harrow@msu.edu; or Professor Mara Leichtman, Dept.
of Anthropology, (517) 432-7048; e-mail:
mara.leichtman@ssc.msu.edu. Application deadline is
March 1, 2007. There will be an informational meeting
on Tuesday, December 5, 2006, 6:00 p.m., in room
213 Morrill Hall.
CONFERENCES
Int'l Conference on Ethiopian Development Studies
August 3-5, 2007, Western Michigan University
The WMU Center for African Development Policy
Research (CADPR) announces the 4th International
Conference on Ethiopian Development Studies (ICEDS)
on the theme: "The Challenges of Peace and
Development in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa."
The Symposium is intended for academics, policy
makers, investors and donors, and others interested in
contemporary issues in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa.
Each contributor is invited to submit the participation
form, found at: http://homepages.wmich.edu/asefa/
(click on the 4th ICEDS Conference Announcement) and
a one-page typed double-spaced copy of the proposal.
Abstracts that do not include a completed "Participation
Form" will be regarded as incomplete and will not be
accepted.
Proposals on the following are invited: 1) Agriculture,
Food Security, and Rural Development; 2) Education
for Sustainable Development; 3) Regional Integration
for Development; 4) Building Democratic Institutions of
governance and civil society; 5) Health and HIV/AIDS
Issues; 6) Private Sector, Entrepreneurship and Markets;
7) Science and Technology for Development; 8) US
Policy on Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa; 9) Managing
Ethnic, Clan, and Religious conflicts; 10) Peace
building and Conflict Resolution; 11) Women and
Development; 12) The Role of the Diaspora in
Development; and 13) An open forum for political
parties. Please send all abstracts or proposals by April
1, 2007 to: 4th International Conference on Ethiopian
Development Studies (4th ICEDS), Attn: Professor
Sisay Asefa, Center for African Development Policy
Research (CADPR), Western Michigan University,
Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008, USA; Fax: (616) 387-
0630 e-mail: SISAY.ASEFA@WMICH.EDU.
JOBS
Three positions at Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor
The University of Michigan's Center for Afroamerican
and African Studies is seeking to fill three positions in
African studies, pending approval. Rank is open.
Specialists in the fields of history, literature
(Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone), religion,
philosophy, creative writing, sociology, music,
ethnomusicology, linguistics, and psychology, and
working on all regions of sub-Saharan Africa are
welcome to apply, although there is particular interest in
western and southern Africa. ABD candidates must have
substantial portions of their dissertations available for
reading and expect the doctorate by September 1, 2007.
To apply, please send a letter of application, c.v.,
research statement, teaching statement, writing samples,
evidence of teaching excellence, and the names of three
or more suggested references (or a placement dossier) to
Kevin Gaines, Director and Chair, Search Committee,
The Center for Afroamerican and African Studies,
University of Michigan, 4700 Haven Hall, Ann Arbor,
MI 48109-1045. Deadline for receipt of application
materials is January 7, 2007. The University of
Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action
employer and is supportive of the needs of dual career
couples. All applications will be acknowledged.
Asst. Professor - (Islam in Africa) Univ. of Florida
The Center for African Studies at the University of
Florida invites applications for a tenure-track assistant
professor in the field of Islam and Muslim Societies in
sub-Saharan Africa, to begin August 2007. The
committee is interested in candidates with a research
focus in fields as Muslim thought, religious practice,
Islamic history, social dynamics, and/or political
movements. This will be a joint appointment. Required
qualifications include: a Ph.D. in a relevant field;
significant research experience in sub-Saharan Africa;
a strong record or substantial promise of teaching and
scholarly publication on Islam in Africa. Candidates
should demonstrate an ability to work collaboratively
across disciplinary boundaries with faculty in various
departments and colleges. Knowledge of an African
language is also desirable. Please send a letter of
application, CV, and supporting materials to: Chair,
Islam in Africa Search Committee, Center for African
Studies, University of Florida, 427 Grinter Hall, P.O.
Box 115560, Gainesville, FL 32611-5560. Three letters
of reference should also be sent directly. All materials
should be received by January 12, 2007.
Page Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar, Ph.D.