News

ASP at 60: University Archives Exhibition Opens - In the National Interest: The Founding and Early Growth of Indiana University’s African Studies Program

Monday, September 20, 2021

Beginning in 1961 with a Ford Foundation grant, Indiana University’s African Studies Program has been one of the most influential of its kind in the country. The program has been one of the principal ways the university has engaged with the rest of the world since the middle of the last century and supports teaching and research across various disciplines.

Dr. Bárbaro Martínez-Ruiz to Lead New Global Visual Cultures Initiative

Thursday, August 12, 2021

Dr. Bárbaro Martínez-Ruiz, Associate Professor of Art History (African Arts) and the Tanner-Opperman Chair in Honor of Roy Sieber, has been named the Coordinator of the new Global Visual Cultures initiative at HLS. This university-wide initiative is an outgrowth of the long-standing ASP faculty Working Group focused on New Media and Literary Initiatives in Africa (NEMLIA).

BFC/A and ASP co-sponsored screening of The Burial of Kojo with director Samuel Bazuwele, leads to article in the African Studies Review by Dr. Terri Francis

Thursday, August 12, 2021

The Black Film Center & Archives and the ASP have a strong history of collaboration. After ASP Associate Director Tavy Aherne and BFC/A Director Terri Frances worked together to bring film director Samuel Bazuwule to speak at a screening of The Burial of Kojo, interviews with the director led to a piece in the African Studies Review.

Papers of seminal African filmmaker Paulin Vieyra acquired by IU Black Film Center/Archive

Thursday, August 12, 2021

Through the work of ASP faculty Vincent Bouchard, BFC/A director Terri Francis, and others, Indiana University Black Film Center/Archive has acquired the papers of Paulin Vieyra, the first French-speaking sub-Saharan African to direct a film, 1955's "Afrique-sur-Seine."

ASP Welcomes New Faculty, Dr. Nana Amoah-Ramey

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

ASP is pleased to announce that Nana Abena Amoah-Ramey, Ph.D. will be joining the IU African Studies Program this fall in a faculty lecture position shared with IU’s African African American & African Diaspora Studies Department (AAADS).

MCCSC and IU Students win National Language Awards for Swahili

Thursday, July 1, 2021

The national Swahili Cultural Institute (New York) recognized three Bloomington area students for their dedication, enthusiasm, and excellance in the study of Swahili language and culture.

Remembering Mpolo

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Mpolokeng Lesetla was a graduate student in the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies at Indiana University. Mpolo was completing a third Master’s degree, which focused on Human Rights and International Studies, when she succumbed to her battle with cancer recently. Mpolo leaves behind a daughter, whom she had hoped to put through college.

IMPORTANT: Request of Scholars who have worked with UCT African Studies Library

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

In light of the fire at the University of Cape Town on April 18th, 2021, academics and other researchers around the world who have worked in these special collections and have taken photocopies or mobile phone images of documents may be able to contribute these to help recover some of the lost records.

Join IU ASP in celebrating #IU Day!

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Today, we wish to send our greetings out to all of our current students, our global alumni, Faculty, Faculty Emeriti, and friends. As well, ASP is excited to announce that 2021 marks our 60th anniversary as a program dedicated to promoting the greater understanding of Africa and its dynamic, global diaspora! Throughout the upcoming academic year, we will have special programming and guests, invite back alumni, reflect on our history, and look toward the future.

2021 Africa Today Intern

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

The African Studies Program (ASP) in the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies (HLS) is seeking an advanced graduate student to serve as an intern for Africa Today, a leading peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journal. The intern works closely with the Africa Today editorial team (including the editor-in-chief, other editors, and the managing editor).

New Publication by Dr. Allison Schnable

Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Allison Schnable Assistant Professor in the O’Neil School and ASP Faculty Affiliate has published her book, Amateurs Without Borders: The Aspirations and Limits of Global Compassion (University of California Press, 2021). Amateurs without Borders examines the rise of new actors in the international development world: volunteer-driven grassroots international nongovernmental organizations.

New Publication by Dr. Clemence Pinaud

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Dr. Clemence Pinaud, Assistant Professor of International Studies and ASP Faculty Affiliate has published her book, War and Genocide in South Sudan. The book is based on more than a decade of fieldwork in South Sudan and explores “the relationship between predatory wealth accumulation, state formation, and a form of racism-extreme ethnic group entitlement that has the potential to result in genocide.”

Congratulations to Dr. Margaret Graves!

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

The ASP wishes to offer its congratulations to Dr. Margaret S. Graves, Associate Professor of Art History and ASP Affiliate Faculty, who has won the 2021 Karen Gould Prize in Art History for her book, Arts of Allusion: Object, Ornament, and Architecture in Medieval Islam. This prestigious annual award is given to a book or monograph that is judged to be of outstanding quality, selected by the Medieval Academy of America.

Dr. Michelle Moyd Receives the IU Building Bridges Award

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Ruth N. Halls Associate Professor of History, CRRES Associate Director, and ASP faculty affiliate, Dr. Michelle Moyd, is a recipient of the IU Building Bridges Award. The award is given annually during celebrations of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Institute on sustainable development helps teachers become globally ready

Thursday, December 3, 2020

Even during a pandemic, K-8 teachers gathered virtually to explore how today’s challenges affect everyone during an institute on sustainable development this fall.

Dr. Rozell Nesbitt, Presidential Fellow in Peace Studies at Chapman University, to speak on BLM in Africa

Monday, October 5, 2020

Former anti-apartheid and anti-colonial activist, educator, scholar and Presidential Fellow in Peace Studies at Chapman University, Dr. Rozell "Prexy" Nesbitt, will speak at the IU ASP event, Transnational Solidarities: Black Lives Matter & Human Rights Movements in Africa.

Institute for K-8 Teachers: The Sustainable Development Goals

Friday, September 18, 2020

Through a focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, participants will learn how today’s pressing global challenges are experienced in local communities around the world. Teachers will build knowledge and skills to infuse their classrooms with global content and perspectives, fostering student-led, project-based, solutions driven, standards-aligned teaching and learning. For more information and to register, visit http://bit.ly/IU-Workshop or email Vesna Dimitrieska at Vdimitri@indiana.edu

New Summer Swahili Program for Middle & High School Students

Monday, May 4, 2020

ASP is offering the IU Swahili Program virtually this summer. The non-cost program is open to interested Middle and High School Students. Please contact Tavy Aherne (taherne@indiana.edu) for more details.

ASP Spring Student Awards Ceremony Goes Virtual

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Join us for a virtual ASP Spring Student Awards Ceremony, where we will recognize our Summer FLAS fellows, our volunteers, the graduating senior of the year, and recognize this year’s Hodge winner! See our Events page or the Friday Events Bulletin for further details and zoom link.

African Languages Festival – canceled

Thursday, April 2, 2020

For the safety of our students and faculty, we regret to announce that we will be cancelling our spring African Languages Festival. We will miss seeing all of our students’ growth in their languages and the showcasing of their talents. We hope to be back together again next year.

Announcing GSAS 2020 Symposium

Friday, January 10, 2020

This year’s Graduate Students in African Studies (GSAS) Annual Symposium will be in April. The theme is “African Space and Mind: Progress and Challenges in the 21^st Century.” For more information, please contact Samantha Hyde (samhyde@iu.edu).

Dr. Maria Grosz-Ngaté Delivers 2019 ASA Presidential Address

Saturday, November 23, 2019

On November 22, former associate director of the IU African Studies Program, Maria Grosz-Ngaté, delivered the 2019 ASA Presidential Lecture “Knowledge and Power: Perspectives on the Production and Decolonization of African/ist Knowledges” at the annual African Studies Association meeting in Boston.

ASA Service Award Presented to John Hanson

Friday, November 22, 2019

At the 62^nd Annual Meeting of the African Studies Association in Boston, John Hanson, director of the IU African Studies Program and Professor of History, received the 2019 ASA Service Award. He accepted the award together with his colleagues Jan Jansen (Leiden University), Dmitri van den Bersselaar (University of Leipzig), and Michael Doortmont (Leiden University).

African Studies Program and the University of Bayreuth’s “Africa Multiple” Cluster of Excellence Grant

Friday, November 1, 2019

Indiana University’s African Studies Program is a “preferred partner” in a network of universities in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, South America, and the United States associated with the University of Bayreuth’s seven-year Cluster of Excellence grant from the German Federal Government, awarded in 2019.

P.S. Vieyra: Pioneer of African Cinemas, Filmmaker, Producer and Historian Workshop

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

This fall, a two-day workshop was held focused on the work and legacy of Paulin Soumanou Vieyra. The workshop was organized by Vincent Bouchard (Associate Professor, French and Italian; African Studies affiliate faculty) and Terri Frances (Director, Black Film Center/Archive) with support from numerous entities at IU.

Religious Authority in Muslim Africa: Fragmentation & Plurality

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

The African Studies Program co-organized a workshop on the topic, “Religious Authority in Muslim Africa: Fragmentation and Plurality,” at the Indiana University European Gateway in Berlin from October 10-12, 2019. The initiative was led by John Hanson(African Studies Program) and Ron Sela (Islamic Studies Program), joined by Rüdiger Seesemann (University of Bayreuth) and Terje Østebø and Ben Soares (University of Florida).

Trevor Phipps, Ibrahim Odugbemi, Barakaeli Mbise, and Samantha Hyde

African Studies Program is pleased to welcome new M.A. students

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

The ASP is pleased to welcome our new MA students: Trevor Phipps, Ibrahim Odugbemi, Barakaeli Mbise, and Samantha Hyde (not shown)!

African Studies Program is pleased to welcome 2019-2020 Fullbright Language Teaching Assistant

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Karibu –welcome- to Twalha Kassaisa, African Studies Program’s 2019-2020 Swahili Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant!

Global and International Studies building

2019 HLS Summer Institute

Monday, September 30, 2019

The African Studies Program, the Wright School of Education’s P-16 Center, and several other HLS areas studies centers recently hosted the 2019 HLS Summer Institute.

group of people wearing red shirts on staircase

Congratulations to this year’s cohort for the STARTALK Swahili summer language program

Monday, September 30, 2019

The African Studies Program congratulates this year’s cohort for the STARTALK Swahili summer language program!

Donation to ASP Outreach Collection

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Thank you to Jeffrey Holdeman (Senior Lecturer, Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures; Director of the Global Living-Learning Center) who recently donated six beautifully embroidered men’s hats of West African origin. These will enrich the offerings of our ASP Outreach Lending Collection.

Donation to ASP Outreach Collection

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Thank you to Jeanne Sept (Professor Emeritus, Anthropology) who donated numerous objects from her years of research on the African continent to our ASP Outreach Lending Collection. Among the objects are textiles and clothing from West and East Africa; Kenyan objects of adornment, children’s toys. incense pots, hair combs, earth pigments, and even a giant ostrich egg! We have already begun utilizing the objects in our outreach to K-12 classrooms.

FLAS Awardees 2019-2020

Monday, September 2, 2019

Congratulations to this year’s Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) academic year fellows: Issac Agbetuyi (Yoruba); Erin Anderson (Arabic); Fashola Ayo-Igbala (Yoruba); Maggie FitzGerald (Zulu); Meghan Halaburda (Swahili); Marina Mecham (Zulu);Trevor Phipps (Kinyarwanda); Sydney Pleak (Zulu); Macy Richardson (Swahili); and, Caitlyn Wishmeyer (Swahili).

2019 ASP Pedagogy Awards

Monday, September 2, 2019

The 2019 ASP Pedagogy Awards were presented to Foluso Mary Okiebiorum, Victor Alabi, and Richard Nyamahanga. The award supports the conference participation to present research and undertake training at language pedagogy conferences.

Patrick O’Meara Awardees

Monday, September 2, 2019

This year’s Patrick O’Meara Travel Awards, in support of presentations at professional conferences, go to: Taiwo Ehinini (linguistics), Khalid Essassiah (History), and Sylvester Matete Makobi (Music in Literature & Performance). Congratulations, all!

2019 Outstanding ASP Graduate Student Named

Monday, September 2, 2019

Congratulations to this year’s ASP Carlton T. Hodge Prize winner, Sylvester Matete Makobi (ASP PhD Minor & PhD Candidate, Jacobs School of Music)! We thank Sylvester for his outstanding commitment to African Studies.

children in classroom holding up pieces of paper with drawn flags

Bloomington area school-aged children in grades K-6 will be able to learn introductory KiSwahili

Saturday, August 31, 2019

Bloomington area school-aged children in grades K-6 will be able to learn introductory KiSwahili through the award winning after-school program Bridges: Children, Languages, World.

Congratulations to Jenny Parker on her new appointment

Monday, August 26, 2019

Congratulations to Jenny Parker on her appointment as Director of the West Africa Research Association! Jenny is also completing an African Studies Program minor as a Ph.D. candidate in the IU Department of Anthropology. We wish her the best on her new endeavor in Boston, Massachusetts!

Alumna nominated for 2018 Herskovits Prize

Friday, August 23, 2019

IU ASP alumna Dr. Joanna Grabski (Art History) was nominated for the African Studies Association 2018 Herskovits Prize for her book, Art World City: The Creative Economy of Artists and Urban Life in Dakar (Indiana University Press). The annual award is for the best scholarly work on Africa, published in English, during the previous year.

IU Alumna will curate new exhibition at Northwestern University Block Museum of Art

Thursday, August 22, 2019

IU alumna Kathleen Bickford Berzock (Ph.D., Art History) will curate an exciting new exhibition at the Northwestern University Block Museum of Art: Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange across Medieval Saharan Africa. The exhibition runs January 26, 2019, through July 21, 2019.

The African Studies Program among 11 centers and programs to receive Title VI funding

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

The African Studies Program is excited to be included among eleven international centers and programs in the IU School of Global and International Studies to receive Title VI funding. This is a record number of SGIS centers to receive funding totaling $18.8 million.

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