UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
MSU Tuesday Bulletin, 04/06/99

MSU Tuesday Bulletin, 04/06/99

BULLETIN CONTENTS

MSU ANNOUNCEMENTS OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS CONFERENCES STUDY ABROAD

April 7, Wednesday

African Media Program Brown Bag Film Series: 12:00 - 2:00p.m., Room 201, International Center. Featured Films: a) "Chronicle of a Savanna Marriage," (56 min), Kenya: The story begins in 1979 when Nayiani is fourteen, and has been promised in marriage to the son of their father's good friend. We follow Nayiani as she undergoes circumcision, grows accustomed to her new home, and welcomes the companionship of her husband's other wives. b) "Becoming a Woman in Okrika," (27 min), Nigeria: This film examines a coming of age ritual in the Niger Delta and offers a commentary on the conflict between traditional practices and the values of the modern world.

April 8, Thursday

"Current Challenges to African Agricultural Research." African Studies Center Brown Bag with Peter Matlon, Division Chief (Africa Desk, UNDP, New York), 12:00 noon, Room 201, International Center.

"Agriculture and Donor Fatigue A View from Within UNDP." Department of Agricultural Economics seminar with Peter Matlon, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m., Room 8 Ag. Hall.

April 14, Wednesday

African Media Program Brown Bag Film Series: 12:00 2:00p.m., Room 201, International Center. Featured Films: a) "The Children of Gambia," 1992, (60 min): This five-part series is a teaching tool for K-6 audiences. Filmed in Gambia, "The Children of Gambia" follows the children of the chieftain through 5 events described in the titles of the segments: Njeme's Family; Sunday in Kololi; Going to School; The Market in Banjul; Njeme Gets Braids. b) "Conversations with Women from the Third World, 1989, (20 min) This film is based on interviews with three women. Edith Kerre of Kenya, Obioma Nnaemeka of Nigeria, and Padmaja Seshadri of India. The women discuss their experiences of growing up as women in their respective countries.

MSU ANNOUNCEMENTS

Visit of South African University Leaders

A group of nine university leaders visited MSU on March 25-26, 1999 for the purpose of learning about the management of transformation in a major U.S. university. The group included university and technikon vicechancellors/rectors (equivalent of U.S. university presidents) as well as senior financial officers. The university officers were accompanied by two senior higher educational consultants from Price Waterhouse Coopers, which is the firm responsible for auditing many South African universities. Participants were the following: Professor H. Snyman, Vice

Chancellor, Port Elizabeth Technikon; Mr. D. Katzke, Director of Finance, University of Port Elizabeth; Professor J. Nel, member of senior management, University of Pretoria; Professor Vermeulen, member of senior management, University of Pretoria; Professor A. Malaza, Acting Vice Chancellor, University of Transkei; Professor H. Swanepoel, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Vaal Triangle Technikon; Professor Charles Dlamini, Vice Chancellor, University of Zululand; Professor Marcus Balintulo, Rector, Cape Technikon; Professor Nico Jooste, Executive Director of Eastern Cape Higher Education Association (ECHEA); Mr. J. Pretorius, Senior Higher Education Consultant, Price, Waterhouse, Coopers, South Africa; and Mr. C. Elfick, Senior Higher Education Consultant, Price Waterhouse Coopers, South Africa. The program was coordinated by Anne Schneller, International Studies in Education and Professor Ann Austin of MSU's Department of Educational Administration.

MSU/Ford Predissertation Grants

MSU/Ford Predissertation Grants for Social Science Fieldwork (1998 -1999) Provides doctoral students who are at the predissertation stage in the social sciences an opportunity to gain special training and/or make the necessary, preliminary explorations and arrangements for dissertation research with preference given to fieldwork in Africa, Asia or Latin America. Awards are expected to be in the range of $1,000 to $3,500. Students are expected to share a portion of the total travel cost. For travel after May 15, 1999, the deadline for applications has been extended to April 12, 1999. For more information or application material visit the Center for Advanced Study of International Development (CASID) at 306 Berkey Hall or contact Dr. Tom Carroll (CASID) at 353-5925, Dr. David Wiley (African Studies) at 353-1700, or Dr. Scott Whiteford (CLACS) at 353-1690.

Course Announcement

Fall 1999 The Department of Political Science is offering several classes in Comparative Politics. Students can choose from: PLS 140, Introduction to Comparative Politics, Professor Van De Walle; PLS 351, African Politics, Professor Bratton; PLS 352, Latin American Politics, Professor Jones; PLS 356, Western European Politics, Professor Abramson; and PLS 440, Political Institutions (TIER II Writing Seminar, Professor Jones. For further information, contact: Priscilla Walker, Undergraduate Advisor, Department of Political Science, 306 South Kedzie Hall; Phone: 353- 7225; email: walkerpr@pilot.msu.edu or any of the Professors listed above.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Sustainable Agriculture Field Program

Global Service Corps (GSC) announces the initiation of a Sustainable Agriculture Field Program in Eastern Kenya beginning July 1999. This Program inaugurates the Global CPR (Conservation, Preservation, and Restoration) Corps initiated by David R. Bower, preeminent international environmentalist. The Program offers two options, a four week short term and a

ten week long-term program. All participants must take part in the short term program which begins July 5th to July 31st, 1999, after which long term participants remain in Kenya for a minimum of two months. Participants should be interested in smallscale sustainable agriculture and community development, immersion into the Kenyan culture, and the learning and promotion of biointensive agriculture. College juniors and seniors (at least 20 years old), recent graduates, and graduate students are encouraged to apply for the Program. For more information contact: Global Service Corps, 300 Broadway, Suite 28, San Francisco, CA 94133. Telephone: (415) 788- 3666 ext. 128; Fax (415) 788-7324; Email: gsc@igc.apc.org; Website:

http://www.globalservicecorps.org

CONFERENCES

Ohio State University

The African Studies Center announces an interdisciplinary conference to be held April 24, 1999. The theme of the conference is "Ethno Religious Conflict in Rwanda and Bosnia: Origins, Consequences and Implications." The deadline for registration is April 19, 1999. For more information contact: Dr. Okey Onyejekwe, Center for African Studies, The Ohio State University, 314 Oxley Hall, 1712 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210; Phone: (614) 292-8169; Fax: (614) 292-4273; email: casois@osu.edu

Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant

The National Endowment for Humanities (NEH) and Central Michigan University announce an NEH Summer Seminar for School Teachers. The seminar will be held from July 5 to August 9, 1999. The focus of the seminar will be on Writing Africa: Chinua Achebe, Joyce CARY, Joseph Conrad and Wole Soyinka. For more information contact: Maureen N. Eke, Central Michigan University, Department of English, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859; Telephone: (517) 774-2662; Email: maureen.n.eke@cmich.edu

Kyoto University, Japan

The Center for African AREA Studies will host the 36th Annual Conference of the Japan Association for African Studies on May 29th 30th, 1999. For more information contact the conference organizing committee chair: Professor Jiro Tanaka, JAAS99@jambo.africa.kyotou.ac.jp. Web site:

http://jambo.africa.kyotou.ac.jp/

All-Russia Conference of Africanists

The 8th All-Russia Conference of Africanists will be held in Moscow on September 29-30,1999. The theme of the conference is "Africa at the Threshold of the New Millennium." For more information contact: Conference Organizing Committee, Institute for African Studies, 30/1 Spiridonovka str, Moscow, 103001, Russia; Telephone: 7 (095) 290 6385, 290 2752; Fax: 7 (095) 2020786; E mail: dir@inafri.msk.su

STUDY ABROAD

The Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE)

The Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE) invites applications for work camps in Algeria, Ghana, Morocco, and Tunisia for individuals 18 or older. Proficiency in French is

required for Francophobe Africa. For more information contact: Council of International Education Exchange, 205 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017; Telephone: (212) 661-1414.

The International Association

for Student Exchange for Technical Experience

The International Association for Student Exchange for Technical Experience provides on the job training in Lesotho and Sudan for university students in Engineering, Agriculture, architecture and the sciences. Locations vary from year to year. For more information contact: International Association for Student Exchange, 10 Cooperate Center, Suite 250, 10400 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD 21044-3510; Telephone: (301) 997-2200.

The International Foundation for Education and Self-Help (IFESH)

The International Foundation for Education and Self-Help (IFESH) offers a 9-month fellowship field study opportunities for graduate students. Fellows are expected to lend skills and expertise to grassroots, self-help programs, and are provided stipends and living allowances, health insurance and transportation. Countries with programs include Tanzania, Central African Republic, Swaziland, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Niger, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Guinea, Ethiopia, Cameroon and Zaire. For more information contact: IFESH, 5040 East Shea Blvd, Suite 260, Phoenix, AZ 85254-4610.

Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar

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