2007 African Studies Program • Indiana University ASP DIRECTOR TRANSITION
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events SUMMER•FALL 2007 African Studies Program • Indiana University ASP DIRECTOR TRANSITION ohn Hanson - After eight years leading IU’s amuel Obeng - As a teenager in Ghana, he was JAfrican Studies Program, John Hanson stepped Shis father’s orator. As a linguist, he studies conver- down as director on June 30th, 2007 to resume his sational phonetics and political discourse, among other position as associate professor of history on a full- topics. He also writes political satire (under various time basis. pen names) and poetry, has co-founded two journals (Issues in Political Discourse and Issues in Intercul- IU’s African Studies Program is one of the top-ranked tural Communication) and “A Genuine Case Is Argued programs in the country, and John has been an effec- in Brief” fl ashes at the top of his web page. Clearly, tive leader who combined a democratic and inclu- Samuel Gyasi Obeng, the new Director of IU’s African sive leadership style with diplomatic and strategic Studies Program, understands words, and, as he moves acumen. During his tenure as director the Program into this leadership position, he plans to use them to enjoyed a period of stability and vitality, refl ected in further the reputation the Program has enjoyed since an unparalleled and strong national and international its founding over forty years ago. profi le. Born in Asom, Ghana, Samuel Obeng received a B.A. The African Studies Pro- with honors in 1981 gram has been a recipi- from the University ent of the prestigious and of Ghana, where he highly competitive U.S. wrote an honors the- Department of Educa- sis about the nomi- tion Title VI National Re- nalization of nouns source Center and FLAS in Akan and also grant for more than forty studied classical his- years. As director, John tory and civilization, Hanson led the applica- Swahili, and African tion process and strategi- Studies, particularly cally and creatively wrote African dance and three successful Title VI technology and cul- proposals, garnering the ture in Africa. He be- Program top levels of gan graduate training funding and thus con- at the University of fi rming the national repu- Ghana and recounts tation of our program. ASP Directors past and present with picture of founding direc- that “there were only continued on page 2 tor Gus Liebenow l. to r. John Hanson, Samuel Obeng, Patrick continued on page 3 O’Meara, & Brian Winchester. DIRECTOR TRANSITION JOHN HANSON During his eight years as director, outstanding program. Similarly, of Congress, and a Fulbright-Hays John was instrumental in devel- hosting the Summer Cooperative Faculty Research Grant which en- oping numerous new initiatives Language Institute (SCALI) for abled him to conduct research in which will shape the Program for two consecutive years (2005 and London and in Ghana. Noteworthy years to come. On campus, he 2006) points to the strength of our among his recent publications are was a strong advocate for the ASP program. IU’s African languages an article in the prestigious New and strengthened our presence program today is known for its in- Cambridge History of Islam and a with new hires and collaborative novative use of technology in the forthcoming co-edited volume on activities. Exciting junior faculty classroom as well as for its high- Religious Modernities in West Af- members engaged in cutting edge quality language instruction by rica. He also has a contract with research and scholarship have teachers who are well-trained and Cambridge University Press for a joined our nationally renowned up-to-date on latest pedagogical book in their New Approaches to senior faculty as a result. Under methods and teaching tools. African History series and another his leadership, the African Studies with Indiana University Press for Program continued to increase its While being the Director of the Af- his book on the Ahmadiyya Mus- programmatic strengths by adding rican Studies Program amounts to lim Movement. Free of the re- an African Languages Minor and a full-time job, John Hanson was sponsibilities of the directorship, Africa Study Abroad Options at also actively teaching and men- Hanson will now devote himself the undergraduate level, a Mas- toring during the past eight years. once again fully to teaching and ter’s Degree in African Studies, He supervised a steady stream of scholarship. and a dual M.A. with the School graduate students in African histo- of Library and Information Sci- ry, served on other doctoral com- John Hanson is leaving a strong ence. As editor-in-chief of Africa mittees, and continued to teach, and fl ourishing Program – a Pro- Today, Hanson has also played an revise, and develop new classes gram which he helped shape and important role in infl uencing the for the History Department. nurture for eight years and which journal’s move from a publica- is characterized by an atmosphere tion focused exclusively on po- At the same time, John maintained of inclusiveness and collegiality. litical science to one that spans the an active and productive research The students, faculty, and staff spectrum of social sciences and program. He is recognized as a of the African Studies Program humanities. Africa Today’s read- specialist on Islam in West Africa extend a heartfelt “thank you” to ership has increased as a result, and conducts pioneering research him for his leadership, dedication and the journal certainly adds vis- on the Ahmadiyya movement in and hard work. And while we will ibility to the ASP. Ghana. This research has already miss him as Director, we wish him attracted international attention. well in his future endeavors. ♦ Recognizing that a strong African In 2004, for example, he was in- languages program is a vital ele- vited to lecture before members ment of an African Studies Pro- of the Ahmadiyya movement in gram, John Hanson vigorously Chicago, with the lecture being supported IU’s African languages. broadcast worldwide on the move- For example, the recruitment of ment’s satellite channel. For his Dr. Alwiya Omar, a nationally re- 2004-05 sabbatical, he received nowned language pedagogue, in- a Rockefeller Humanities Resi- creased the profi le of our already dency Fellowship at the Library EVENTS 2007 2 DIRECTOR TRANSITION SAMUEL OBENG three faculty left in linguistics, so if we can fi nd someone to give us present African Studies programs the department tried to help us get a massive endowment, signifi cant with new opportunities for work- grants out of the country. I re- enough to name the Program.” ing with people on the continent ceived offers from the University to make meaningful contributions of Alberta and from the University Obtaining support for hiring ad- there, and Samuel looks forward to of Bergen in Norway, but then the ditional faculty is a high priority. exploring how IU’s African Stud- British government gave me an Boosting enrollments in African ies Program can do this. “We as a Association of Commonwealth languages courses and in the newly Program can do more, by applying Universities grant—these were established African Studies M.A. for grants that we ask our African some of the biggest grants ever in program are additional goals, as counterparts to be part of,” he sug- the commonwealth. I was matched well as exploring the possibility of gests. Pointing to the teaching and with John Local and John Kelly at offering B.A. and Ph.D. degrees in HIV/AIDS research being done by the University of York. My dis- African Studies. Samuel Obeng IU faculty member Michael Re- sertation was “Conversational plans to promote “spur-of-the-mo- ece at Kenya’s Moi University, he Strategies: Towards a Phonologi- ment” eight-week courses dealing notes that here at IU, public health cal Description of Projection in with African topics of current in- is an area in which some collabo- Akan (Akyem-Twi).” terest, and he would like to ex- ration is already taking place. “We plore the possibility of the African should encourage IU to do more After completing his Ph.D. in languages program offering Afri- of it,” he says. 1988, Samuel returned to the Uni- can culture courses in English. versity of Ghana, where he became Samuel Obeng encourages mem- a senior lecturer in the Department As he considers the fi eld of Afri- bers of the ASP to propose ideas of Linguistics in 1994. Later that can Studies, Samuel sees changes, and suggestions for programs and same year, though, he moved from challenges, and opportunities. initiatives, and he looks forward Ghana to Bloomington to accept a Unlike when he fi rst came to the to a broad participation in the Pro- position in linguistics at Indiana United States, faculty are no lon- gram’s activities in the coming University. In 2000 he received ger overwhelmingly white male years. ♦ tenure and became an associate Americans. Instead, there are professor; and in 2006 he became many more Africans teaching in a full professor. the U.S., and, as a result, courses are being taught from indigenous As Director of IU’s African Stud- perspectives. “Now we have emic ies Program, Samuel wants to and etic perspectives, and we can build on the achievements made build on both and give them equal by the Program under John Han- attention,” he notes. Funding has son as well as establish new initia- become more challenging. “In the tives. “I want us to be number one, past it was very easy for the ASP not only in terms of the Title VI to apply for grants, but now col- awards, but beyond,” he says. Rec- laboration with a partner in Africa ognizing the opportunities that a is frequently expected and the pro- secure fi nancial base can bring, he cess is much more competitive.” plans to lead a search for endow- In Africa, changing political, ment funds, noting “I’d like to see economic, and social situations AFRICAN STUDIES 3 Brad Weiss (College of Wil- ership: Kwame Nkrumah, Julius liam and Mary) “Producing Nyerere and Jomo Kenyatta in SEMINARS African Futures in a Neolib- Context;” John P.