MSU Tuesday Bulletin, 01/22/08

The African Studies Center at MSU
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Tuesday Bulletin for January 22nd, 2008

Topics covered in this issue: Events | Announcements | Other Announcements | Conferences Events
Film series: Bamako (Mali)

Thursday, January 31, 2008

New film from Africa film series to be shown at the Snyder-Phillips residential college theater, 7:30p.m.

Sponsored by the African Studies Center, Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, Dept. of English, Film Studies, African-American Literature and Cultural Emphasis (English Dept.). Michigan-Africa Network of Activists (MANA) meeting on HIV AIDS in Africa

Monday, January 21, 2008
MANA meeting 12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m., Room 204 International Center.

Please direct questions to Washington Mutatu at or 355-9715 ext 258. Neurops! ychological Effects of Pediatric HIV in Ugandan Children

Thursday, January 24, 2008

African Studies Center Brown Bag talk with Michael Boivin, Faculty (Neurology & Ophthalmologyy, MSU), 12:00 noon, Room 201 International Center. Language Use in Africa: Why Do Speakers Often Codeswitch Between Languages?

Thursday, February 7, 2008

African Studies Center Brown Bag talk with Carol Myers-Scotton, Adjunct Faculty (Linguistics, and Visiting Scholar, African Studies Center, MSU), 12:00 noon, Room 201 International Center. The role of Veterinary Science in West African Public Health

Thursday, January 31, 2008

African Studies Center Brown Bag talk with Dr. Denis Ohna, Faculty, Vet. Medicine, Univ. of Nigeria (Fulbright Visiting Scholar, Univ. of Pittsburgh), 12:00 noon, Room 201 International Center. Announcements
The Nnamdi Azikiwe Award for best student paper

Th! e MSU Af rican Studies Center announces a program of two annual awards for the best graduate and the best undergraduate student papers in African studies. The papers should have been written within the past year, should be approximately 20 double-spaced pages in length, and should focus on issues related to any aspect of the study of African nations and peoples – including governance, health, society, gender, science, development, education, environment, communication, and language.

The award honors former Nigerian President Nnamdi Azikiwe, a scholar and politician, who led Nigeria as its first civilian president and who invited MSU faculty to join him and other Nigerians to build a land-grant model university in Eastern Nigeria. This became the University of Nigeria at Nsukka, had a distinguished educational history, and was the beginnings of the MSU African Studies faculty. Papers will be reviewed by a faculty committee, and the first awards will be made in spring 2008. Th! e winning papers will be peer- reviewed for publication in a new African Studies Working Papers Series, and each author will receive a $200 prize. Papers should be submitted to the African Studies office via e-mail (in MS Word or WordPerfect) or by mail (both hard copy and on diskette/ CD/DVD). Please follow the detailed criteria and submission procedures at http://africa.msu.edu/azikiweaward.php. Papers and forms must be submitted by 5PM, February 15, 2008. PHL 351 - African Philosophy

Tuesday/Thursday, 3:00-4:20 p.m.,

Instructor: John Otieno Ouko <oukojohn@msu.edu>.

Course topics include: Definition and justification; epistemological, metaphysical, and ethical issues in African Philosophy; the "rationality" debate; and connections among African, African American and feminist philosophies. For more information, call the Department of Philosophy at 355-4490. PHL 491/PHL 890 - Marxist Philosophy and the Africana! World

Class will meet on Tuesdays, 4:10-7:00 p.m., 1 Morrill Hall, 3 credits. Professor John H. McClendon III, Director of African American and African Studies and Professor of Philosophy, will offer this special topics course. Graduate students needing 800 level credits may enroll under PHL 890.

The fact that Marxist philosophy emerged from the European context has stimulated dialogue and debate about it's applicability to the Africana world. This course addresses how various people of African descent have philosophically responded to the question of whether Marxism can serve as a viable philosophy of liberation. The class will follow a lecture discussion format with particular attention given to extensive discussions based on the readings of Kwame Nkrumah, C.L.R. James, Claudia Jones, Eugene C. Holmes, Angela Davis, Cedric J. Robinson and Cornel West. MSU International Predissertation Travel Award

Applications are being! solicited for the 2008 Predissertation International Travel Awards of up to $5,000. These awards are designed to provide funds for MSU Ph.D. candidates - regardless of citizenship status - in the predissertation stage in the Colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR), Arts and Letters (CAL), Education (ED), and Social Science (SSC) for travel outside of the United States during one or more of these semesters: Summer 2008, Fall 2008, and Spring 2009.

The instructions and application form can be found at www.isp.msu.edu/students/funding/prediss/. The application deadline is February 1, 2008. If additional information is required, please contact Jenny T. Bond, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, Acting Dean, International Studies and Programs, Michigan State University; Tel: (517) 355-2351; Fax: (517) 353-7254; e-mail: jbond@msu.edu. African Studies Center Application for Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) for 20! 08-09 AY

The African Studies Center at MSU is now accep! ting on- line applications for FLAS fellowships for academic year 2008-09 and for the 2008 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.php.

Candidates must have completed application procedures by February 15, 2008. 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. For the Summer Cooperative African Language Institute (SCALI) 2008, which will be hosted by the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, please visit: http://africa.msu.edu/scali.php; or http://scali.afrst.uiuc.edu/ for details. !
MSU-Compton Africa Peace Fellowships

The MSU-Compton Africa Peace Fellowships provide $15,000 for dissertation research in Africa by exceptional MSU Ph.D. candidates who are citizens of a Sub-Saharan African country and who intend to return to their country or region of origin after completing their studies and whose topic concerns conflict resolution, peace, and security issues in Africa. Funds require a minimum of six months of research in Africa. Recipients must have completed all Ph.D. requirements except the dissertation before accessing the funds. The application deadline is February 15, 2008 for funds that must be expended during calendar year 2008. Go to: http://africa.msu.edu/compton/MSU_Application.pdf for details. 2008 Spring Course Announcements

HST 830 African Historiography
Class will meet Tuesdays, 7:10-10 p.m., The instructor is Dr. Peter Limb limb@msu.edu.

Thi! s graduate seminar course is about trends and debates in Afric! an histo ry writing and in the study of history writing about Africa. It explores the origins and features of African historiography, its place in broader paradigms, the lives and views of historians, and problems facing history writing in African universities today. A series of case studies (sources; forerunners; rural/urban societies; gender; resistance/ accommodation; environment; religion; colonial rule; prisons/psychiatry; African intellectuals; biography) examine important historiographical issues from the past and present with a view to understanding the current state-of-the-art of African historiography, how it has changed over time and place, and likely future trends. Other Announcements
Intensive KiSwahili in Tanzania, Summer 2008

The Association of African Studies Programs (AASP) and the African Language Teachers Association (ALTA) in cooperation with Michigan State University announce the Fulbright-Hays Grou! p Projects Abroad for Intensive Advanced Kiswahili in Tanzania. The Intensive Advanced Kiswahili Group Project Abroad (GPA) for the summer of 2008 will be held in Tanzania, pending receipt of grant funding from the U.S. Department of Education. The program is tentatively scheduled for June 20th -August 9th, 2008. The program is organized by Michigan State University (MSU). MSU in collaboration with the University of Florida and the University of Dar es Salaam, will conduct the program at the MSTraining Centre for Development Co-operation near Arusha Tanzania. With U.S. Department of Education support, candidates who are accepted will be awarded fellowships that will pay all air tickets to Tanzania and ground transport there as well as all expenses for instruction, housing, meals, and extracurricular activities in Tanzania. An additional fee of $1,000 is required of each student participant.

To be eligible, applicants must be 1) U.S. citizens or perma! nent residents of the United States; 2) A graduate student or ! junior o r senior currently enrolled in an institution of higher education, who is studying in the areas of social sciences, humanities, foreign languages, and/or African Studies.

Applications are available on the MSU African Studies Center website http://africa.msu.edu/kiswahili.php. Applications can be submitted electronically.

Please submit the following:

1. The original plus six copies of the completed two-page application; 2) Original, official academic transcripts from your current college/university. (If your Kiswahili study was done elsewhere, transcripts from that institution should be requested as well). Only original transcripts will be accepted; 3) A letter from your most recent instructor giving a detailed evaluation of your speaking, reading, and writing proficiency in Kiswahili. This evaluation should be mailed by the evaluator directly to Dr. Deo Ngonyani by the deadline of the application; 4) Two letters of recommendation from other current or fo! rmer instructors. These should also be sent by the recommender directly to Dr. Ngonyani by the deadline.

Dr. Ngonyani will be available to assist you during the preparation of your application. Please contact him for advice or for more information at: Dr. Deo Ngonyani, 614 Wells Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824; Tel: (517) 353-4051; e-mail: ngonyani@msu.edu. The application deadline is February 15, 2008. Please visit http://africa.msu.edu/kiswahili.php for details and the application form. Intensive Zulu in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, Summer 2008, June 11- August 10, 2008

The University of Pennsylvania African Studies Center announces Fulbright-Hays Intensive Intermediate-Advanced Zulu Group Project Abroad in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. The 10th Fulbright-Hays Intensive Intermediate-Advanced Zulu Group Project Abroad (Zulu GPA) for the summer 2008 will be held in South Africa, KwaZulu! -Natal, pending receipt of grant funding from the U.S. Departm! ent of E ducation.The eight week Fulbright-Hays Intensive Intermediate-Advanced Zulu GPA in South Africa is directed by the University of Pennsylvania, in affiliation with the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pietermaritzburg. The Zulu GPA is a national, federally-funded program designed to provide students of Zulu from across the United States with an opportunity to advance their competency in the Zulu language and culture in South Africa among native speakers of Zulu. It is directed by the University of Pennsylvania, with funding from the U.S. Department of Education Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad Program and the University of Pennsylvania.

Applicants must be: 1) U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the United States; 2) currently enrolled in graduate studies concentrating on Africa, or

3. undergraduates currently in their sophomore, junior or senior year and focusing on Africa.

The following will be the criteria for the selection of participants: 1! ) Overall previous academic performance;

2. Superior performance in at least two semesters of a university-level series of Zulu/Ndebele/Xhosa/Swati courses, or the equivalent; 3) Letters of recommendation that portray a strong candidate; 4) Applicant's statement of purpose, including professional and academic goals;
   
   

5. Intermediate-low level of competency in Zulu/Ndebele/Xhosa/Swati on an ACTFL scale; and,
   
   
6. Academic/career commitment to African Studies.

The deadline is February 15, 2008. For more information and application materials go to: http://www.africa.upenn.edu/afl/zulugpa.htm or Email: Dr. Audrey N Mbeje (Project Director) mbeje@sas.upenn.edu. Conferences
16th Annual Graduate Research Conf. - Boston University, March 14-15, 2008

"Transcending Boundaries, Bridging the Continent" is the title for the sixteenth annual Graduate Research Con! ference in African Studies at Boston University.

The G! raduate Research Conference in African Studies is an interdisciplinary forum intended for graduate students at all levels of study. The conference provides an informal setting in which students can exchange ideas, share research, and expand collegial networks. In past years, participants have presented course research, dissertation proposals, thesis chapters, methodological models, and other works in progress. While there are no strict thematic guidelines, special consideration will be given to papers with multidisciplinary application and/or cross-regional appeal.

The abstracts are due February 1, 2008. E-mail application forms to ascgrcon@bu.edu; or mail to: Graduate Student Conference, African Studies Center, 270 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215. Visit. http://www.freewebs.com/ascgradconf for more information.

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