In October 2015, the African Studies Association of Africa will host its first international conference at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria on the theme “African Studies in the Twenty-First Century: Past, Present, and Future.” Below, CIHA Blog editorial assistant, Edwin Asa Adjei discusses the goals of the association, which include “seeking African solutions to African problems.” You can find details of the conference, including the call for papers here.
by Edwin Asa Adjei
The African Studies Association of Africa (ASAA) was formed out of extensive discussions among directors of various centres and institutes of African Studies in Africa as well as other scholars. The consultations led to a colloquium at the Centre for African Studies (CAS), University of Cape Town, on the 1st of October, 2012. The ASAA was launched on October 25, 2013 at the International Conference on African Studies organised by the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana.
The ASAA has a mission to promote Africa’s own specific contributions to the advancement of knowledge about the peoples and cultures of Africa and the Diaspora. To fulfill this mission, the association has set the following goals: Promote and support networking and interdisciplinary exchanges among Africanist scholars, centres and institutes of African Studies on the continent, promote research and discussions on topical issues of concern to the well-being of Africans, promote and encourage research by African scholars on the continent, promote and encourage Africa-centred education – an informed understanding of Africa through museums, archives, schools, policymakers, NGOs, media, business, learned societies, and other interested communities, promote links with Africans and institutions in Africa and the Diaspora involved and interested in African Studies, encourage partnerships with existing Associations of African Studies and other organizations interested in promoting African affairs, and create professional opportunities for its members.
The ASAA is therefore seeking African solutions to African problems. Several associations exist outside the African continent for the discussion of issues concerning Africa and how to promote African affairs. The ASAA which has members in some of these associations and has membership from all corners of the globe was formed to promote African contributions to knowledge and serves as a platform for interaction between African scholars and the world on an African stage, in an African setting and discussing African contributions to knowledge about African people. This puts African universities at the forefront of studies about Africa and the diaspora and enhances the image of African universities and African scholars which will go a long way to enhance the image of the continent.
Edwin Asa Adjei is an MPhil student at the University of Ghana-Legon and is an editorial assistant with the CIHA Blog.