African Studies November 2009 University of Michigan iiiiii Center alliances No.2 Member of the University of Michigan International Institute ASC Launch Conference a Great Success INTerNATIoNAL SyMPoSIUM feATUreS SCHoLArS, DIgNITArIeS iimidst much good cheer Aand palpable excitement, the African Studies Center marked its academic debut with an international symposium featuring an impressive array iiof national and international scholars and dignitaries. The March 12-14, 2009 event, “Engaging Africa/ Advancing African Studies,” fulfilled its dual peace continues to consolidate with each objectives of honoring the first anniversary passing year—even as victims’ rights of U-M President Mary Sue Coleman’s trip are ignored. He argued that the need for to Africa, and advancing the intellectual peace and reconciliation within families iiagenda for Africa initiatives at the U-M. evolved outward from the grassroots level These initiatives represent the ‘Michigan to the country as a whole. He then turned Difference’ by spanning health, science, to Kenya, where a fragile peace has set in humanities, engineering, public policy, law, following the election violence of January the arts, and more―the full gamut of the 2008, and argued for improved coordination university. among international actors assisting with Following remarks by Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Lester Monts, Interna- tional Institute Director Mark Tessler, and ASC Director Kelly Askew, the symposium began with a keynote address on “Peace Without Justice” by João Honwana, Director of the Africa I Division/UN Department of Political Affairs. Honwana is a leading figure in African conflict resolution who fought in the Mozambican struggle for independence. He directed the Conventional Arms Branch of the UN Department for Disarmament Affairs and led peace-building efforts in Guinea-Bissau and Sudan before being Amos Sawyer, former President of Liberia appointed to his current position. Honwana explored cases where peace conflict resolution. A lively panel discussion was achieved at the expense of justice, and followed, featuring rahma Bourqia, queried how sustainable such peace is. President of Université Hassan II, Morocco; He focused the first half of his remarks on David Wiley, Professor of Sociology, MSU; Mozambique, where families were divided and Amos Sawyer, former President of by split loyalties during the war, yet where Liberia. João Honwana, UN Africa I Division Director Continued, p. 2 FROM THE DIRECTOR Continued from p. 1 The second day began with an address by Coleman, who reflected on her African n this second issue of Africa-related projects and collaborations. trip and her commitment to continued Alliances, we explore Launched with generous funding from collaboration with African universities. She Iactivities from the the office of the President; office of the pointed out that “many African studies African Studies Center’s Vice President for research; College of centers focus their work on the social first full year and the engineering; the schools of Information, sciences and humanities, and that’s great. trajectories guiding education, and Natural resources and We do this, and more, by also incorporating our current efforts. Let the environment; graham environmental disciplines like medicine, engineering, and Photo by Elshafei Dafalla Mohamed me begin by affirming Sustainability Institute; and the International dentistry providing a broader platform for that our accomplishments thus far would not Institute, STeM-Africa will connect faculty scholars engaged in research, teaching, and have been possible without the dedicated and students from Africa with the U-M to service related to Africa.” team that animate the ASC: Devon Adjei (Key facilitate development of creative solutions Proving her point, four interdisciplinary Administrator), Sandie Schulze (Program to some of the most critical global issues, panels occupied the rest of the day: Coordinator), and Thaya rowe (Secretary). To from waste management and water access to “expanding Health Initiatives in ghana,” give but one example, the successful launch of bioinformatics and cybersecurity. “Health and Environment in Urban Africa,” the U-M African Presidential Scholars (UMAPS) We welcomed several distinguished guests “Dynamics of Science and Technology program derives largely from their meticulous to campus this past summer. These included in Africa,” and “U-M Presidential African organization, warm hospitality, and ability Ambassador Amina Salum Ali of the African Initiatives: Heritage and Social research.” to make ASC a home-away-from-home for Union (AU); Commissioner Jean-Pierre Each panel was introduced by a U-M dean: our UMAPS scholars. The heartfelt statements Ezin from the AU Department of Human the first by James Woolliscroft of the Medical made by UMAPS scholars at the farewell dinner resources, Science and Technology; and School, the second by Peter Polverini of iiii in August (see story p. 6) highlighted this, and University of Liberia President Emmet Dennis. the School of Dentistry, the third by David I join them in thanking Devon, Sandie, and All three engaged us in discussions on how Munson of the School of Engineering, and Thaya for their talents and thoughtfulness. I the U-M might play a role in invigor-ating and the fourth by Terrence McDonald of LSA. A also extend a welcome to Derek Peterson, supporting higher education in Africa. dazzling assemblage of scholars from U-M the new ASC Associate Director. Derek is I write this letter from Tanzania, a country and partner institutions in Africa presented an associate professor in the Department with limited higher-ed opportunities. The on a wide range of topics. of History and CAAS, and joins us from government’s goal after independence The final day featured a roundtable Cambridge University (UK) where he served as was to promote literacy, focusing efforts discussion with directors of centers of Director of its African Studies Centre. We feel on universal primary education and African or Africa-related studies—Mamadou very fortunate to have him on our team. supplementing it with adult education. But Diouf (Columbia), James Pritchett (MSU), We also welcome to campus new professors inadequate resources led to a period of Harry Garuba (UCT, S. Africa) and Alcinda Anne Pitcher (CAAS/Political Science), Martin decline at the two universities that until Honwana (open University, UK); and the Murray 2 (Taubman College of Architecture recently were the only higher-ed options in current president of the African Studies and Urban Planning/CAAS), Frank Nunoo- this country of 38 million people. Faculty Association, Paul Tiyambe Zeleza. Chaired Quarcoo (School of Art and Design), were poorly paid; many left for more lucrative by Kevin Gaines, Director of CAAS, the Nyambura Mpesha (CAAS), and Yazier Henry careers elsewhere. Infrastructure was not roundtable reviewed the current state of (Ford School of Public Policy/CAAS), all of maintained, and new technologies lay beyond African studies and how innovations within whom bring Africanist expertise. reach—yet demand for a college education the field have transformed disciplines. We introduce with this issue the new ASC kept rising. A compelling discussion highlighted the logo, developed by Michigan Marketing & Higher education is in a state of crisis Design; and we anticipate that our new website all across Africa, leading the AU to declare will soon go live. Another achievement is our 2006-2015 a “Second Decade of Education new African Languages program, launched for Africa.” With our proven excellence this semester with Dr. Mpesha teaching across disciplines, institutional commitment Swahili, plus instruction in Akan, Bambara, to internationalization, and longstanding Wolof, and Zulu offered via videoconferencing collaborations in Africa, the U-M is poised from Indiana University. Many thanks to Loyd to be a significant partner in the AU’s Mbabu, our Africana librarian, who tested the efforts. our faculty and students benefit in waters by offering a pilot Swahili course in untold ways by acquiring new perspectives 2008-09. It was such a success that we were and encouraging innovation in conditions able to make the case for introducing a full at a significant remove from the bounty of program this year. our campus. U-M’s growing engagement Alcinda Honwana speaking at the conference, with (L to R) Kevin Gaines, Mamadou Diouf and Previously in Alliances, we detailed three with Africa has the potential to reap both James Pritchett. presidential initiatives administered through immediate and hidden rewards for all the ASC: UMAPS, African Heritage, and involved, enhancing our status as a global origins of African studies, and emphasized African Social research (see updates pp. university. It is an exciting time for African the need for collaborative solutions to 10-11). It is my great pleasure to announce Studies, and I thank every one of you for the challenges faced on both sides of the a fourth initiative: STEM-Africa, which will role you play in making it so. Atlantic. support U-M faculty in the fields of science, Kelly M. Askew technology, engineering, and mathematics with Photos by U-M Photo Services october 2009 Some of his students traveled to Ghana with Silverman and Chaffers, where they met with Ghanaian students who had done the same thing. They worked together and presented their designs to the Techiman community, which selected one for the cultural center. Although this type of collaboration