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EDUCATION
The Ghana and Nigeria Ecological Survey Techniques ScholarshipKey information 1. The Ghana and Nigeria Ecological Survey Techniques Scholarship funds the full course fees and a study support grant for one student per annual cohort for the duration of their course. The scholarship is available to applicants who are either a national of Ghana and ordinarily resident in Ghana or a national of Nigeria who is ordinarily resident in Nigeria. The scholarship is awarded on the basis of demonstrated outstanding academic or professional merit and/or potential, and a candidate’s potential to contribute to the field in their home country. 2. The Scholarship is available for each academic year from 2022 to 2024. 3. One scholarship is available for the Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques (PGCert) commencing in September 2023. It covers the course fees for the first three terms of registration (the PGCert is normally completed over one year) as well as a study support grant to contribute towards costs such as travel and accommodation for the face to face week in Oxford in September. 4. If the awardee suspends their studies for one or more terms, the Scholarship will not automatically be carried over—they should contact the Senior Course Administrator to request this. Eligibility 5. Applicants meeting the usual course entry requirements and who are either: a national of Ghana and ordinarily resident in Ghana or a national of Nigeria and ordinarily resident in Nigeria. 6. All eligible applicants (see point 5) who apply to the PGCert before 1 March 2023 will be automatically considered for the scholarship. Criteria 7. The Scholarship will be awarded on the basis of outstanding academic and/or professional merit and/or potential, and taking account of demonstrable commitment and ability to contribute significantly to the fields of ecology and conservation in their home countries. Key criteria include: (a) Academic excellence, where indicators may include: a high-level qualification in a relevant discipline (such as a first-class honours degree, US GPA of 3.7, or equivalent, merit or distinction at postgraduate level) and individual marks on a student’s transcript. (b) Professional excellence: Evidence of a strong record of relevant professional achievement including extensive practical field experience in the areas of ecology and biodiversity. Indicators may include the candidate’s CV, personal statement, interview and professional references. (c) Motivation and potential future contribution to the field: Applications should demonstrate the potential to make an on-going professional contribution to ecology and conservation in Ghana or Nigeria either via applied ecology or conservation projects or via academic research and teaching. Assessment 8. A panel (comprising at least two suitable University staff) will assess candidates according to the criteria above, and may consider any written and/ or oral components of candidates’ PGCert applications. 9. The Panel may propose a ranked shortlist, whereby the Scholarship, if declined by the first candidate, will be offered to the next one, and so on. Offer and acceptance 10. The awardee is normally contacted in early May, and will be given a deadline to confirm their acceptance. 11. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified as soon as the awardee has accepted their offer. Further information 12. For any queries about the Scholarship, please email the course team at est@conted.ox.ac.ukBy: Raquel Acosta
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EDUCATION
The Ghana and Nigeria Ecological Survey Techniques ScholarshipKey information 1. The Ghana and Nigeria Ecological Survey Techniques Scholarship funds the full course fees and a study support grant for one student per annual cohort for the duration of their course. The scholarship is available to applicants who are either a national of Ghana and ordinarily resident in Ghana or a national of Nigeria who is ordinarily resident in Nigeria. The scholarship is awarded on the basis of demonstrated outstanding academic or professional merit and/or potential, and a candidate’s potential to contribute to the field in their home country. 2. The Scholarship is available for each academic year from 2022 to 2024. 3. One scholarship is available for the Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques (PGCert) commencing in September 2023. It covers the course fees for the first three terms of registration (the PGCert is normally completed over one year) as well as a study support grant to contribute towards costs such as travel and accommodation for the face to face week in Oxford in September. 4. If the awardee suspends their studies for one or more terms, the Scholarship will not automatically be carried over—they should contact the Senior Course Administrator to request this. Eligibility 5. Applicants meeting the usual course entry requirements and who are either: a national of Ghana and ordinarily resident in Ghana or a national of Nigeria and ordinarily resident in Nigeria. 6. All eligible applicants (see point 5) who apply to the PGCert before 1 March 2023 will be automatically considered for the scholarship. Criteria 7. The Scholarship will be awarded on the basis of outstanding academic and/or professional merit and/or potential, and taking account of demonstrable commitment and ability to contribute significantly to the fields of ecology and conservation in their home countries. Key criteria include: (a) Academic excellence, where indicators may include: a high-level qualification in a relevant discipline (such as a first-class honours degree, US GPA of 3.7, or equivalent, merit or distinction at postgraduate level) and individual marks on a student’s transcript. (b) Professional excellence: Evidence of a strong record of relevant professional achievement including extensive practical field experience in the areas of ecology and biodiversity. Indicators may include the candidate’s CV, personal statement, interview and professional references. (c) Motivation and potential future contribution to the field: Applications should demonstrate the potential to make an on-going professional contribution to ecology and conservation in Ghana or Nigeria either via applied ecology or conservation projects or via academic research and teaching. Assessment 8. A panel (comprising at least two suitable University staff) will assess candidates according to the criteria above, and may consider any written and/ or oral components of candidates’ PGCert applications. 9. The Panel may propose a ranked shortlist, whereby the Scholarship, if declined by the first candidate, will be offered to the next one, and so on. Offer and acceptance 10. The awardee is normally contacted in early May, and will be given a deadline to confirm their acceptance. 11. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified as soon as the awardee has accepted their offer. Further information 12. For any queries about the Scholarship, please email the course team at est@conted.ox.ac.uk Read moreBy: Raquel Acosta
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CULTURE AND SOCIETY
Call for Papers: The 7th Annual Lagos Studies Association ConferenceDecolonization discourses have taken new turns since the second decade of the 21st century. Unfortunately, instead of accounting for decades of activism and scholarship on the decolonization of African knowledge systems, ideologies, and practices since the 1950s, the new decolonization agitation largely disregards previous incarnations. Decolonization has become a catch-all word for every legacy of colonialism that must be dismantled as new ones emerge. As it is, what needs to be decolonized has increased as new bodies of knowledge and the real consequences of imperial domination in the everyday life of Africans emerge and are transformed from their familiar state. Moving beyond the simplistic definitions of decolonization, we ask for critical reflections on the historicity of actions, politics, and practices that have shaped how scholars, artists, and public commentators have been reflecting on the legacies of colonial domination. We ask for continuity and change in the history of decolonization. We seek contributions that engage with decolonization paradigms beyond the dichotomy of contemporary or postcolonial Africa and the colonial past to interrogate the new challenges of decolonization emanating from the struggle to decolonize within African institutions of power, including but not limited to universities. Should the decolonizer be decolonized? How is coloniality emerging within decolonization movements? What are the limits of decolonization, and who should set these parameters? How are movements and ideologies of decolonization introducing new paradigms that need to be decolonized? This short conceptual note does not claim to fully espouse the contradictions in decolonization discourses and praxis of the 21st century. Nevertheless, we anticipate unpretentious and bold contributions that engage with decolonization both as a living reality of the past and the present and as a way of knowing. We ask for empirically grounded contributions that take conceptual and theoretical issues seriously. We anticipate contributions that are not afraid to problematize decolonization in any framework. We seek new ways of thinking about the decolonization of knowledges, ideologies, and practices in 21st-century Africa. Submission Rules Individual Submission: Individual proposals should include a 250-word abstract, a short bio, and the email and phone contacts of presenters. Please do not submit more than one abstract. Abstracts cannot have more than two presenters. You cannot present more than one paper, either solo or joint. Submit your abstract here: https://forms.gle/qziEGvJMV3eybGRCA Group Submission: Panel, roundtable, and workshop proposals should comprise a 250-word summary, and the email and phone contacts of all panelists. Please email panel proposals to LSA at lagosstudiesassociation@gmail.com Submission Deadline: December 1, 2022. Notification of acceptance of abstracts by January 15, 2023. Registration fees covers nine full meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) throughout the conference. Everyone listed on abstracts must pre-register by paying the registration fee after acceptance of abstract. For full information on fees please visit Lagosstudies.org. If you have any questions about the conference, contact LSA at: Email Address: lagosstudiesassociation@gmail.com Website: Lagosstudies.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/205111409881162/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/LagosStudiesBy: Raquel Acosta
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CULTURE AND SOCIETY
Call for Papers: The 7th Annual Lagos Studies Association ConferenceDecolonization discourses have taken new turns since the second decade of the 21st century. Unfortunately, instead of accounting for decades of activism and scholarship on the decolonization of African knowledge systems, ideologies, and practices since the 1950s, the new decolonization agitation largely disregards previous incarnations. Decolonization has become a catch-all word for every legacy of colonialism that must be dismantled as new ones emerge. As it is, what needs to be decolonized has increased as new bodies of knowledge and the real consequences of imperial domination in the everyday life of Africans emerge and are transformed from their familiar state. Moving beyond the simplistic definitions of decolonization, we ask for critical reflections on the historicity of actions, politics, and practices that have shaped how scholars, artists, and public commentators have been reflecting on the legacies of colonial domination. We ask for continuity and change in the history of decolonization. We seek contributions that engage with decolonization paradigms beyond the dichotomy of contemporary or postcolonial Africa and the colonial past to interrogate the new challenges of decolonization emanating from the struggle to decolonize within African institutions of power, including but not limited to universities. Should the decolonizer be decolonized? How is coloniality emerging within decolonization movements? What are the limits of decolonization, and who should set these parameters? How are movements and ideologies of decolonization introducing new paradigms that need to be decolonized? This short conceptual note does not claim to fully espouse the contradictions in decolonization discourses and praxis of the 21st century. Nevertheless, we anticipate unpretentious and bold contributions that engage with decolonization both as a living reality of the past and the present and as a way of knowing. We ask for empirically grounded contributions that take conceptual and theoretical issues seriously. We anticipate contributions that are not afraid to problematize decolonization in any framework. We seek new ways of thinking about the decolonization of knowledges, ideologies, and practices in 21st-century Africa. Submission Rules Individual Submission: Individual proposals should include a 250-word abstract, a short bio, and the email and phone contacts of presenters. Please do not submit more than one abstract. Abstracts cannot have more than two presenters. You cannot present more than one paper, either solo or joint. Submit your abstract here: https://forms.gle/qziEGvJMV3eybGRCA Group Submission: Panel, roundtable, and workshop proposals should comprise a 250-word summary, and the email and phone contacts of all panelists. Please email panel proposals to LSA at lagosstudiesassociation@gmail.com Submission Deadline: December 1, 2022. Notification of acceptance of abstracts by January 15, 2023. Registration fees covers nine full meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) throughout the conference. Everyone listed on abstracts must pre-register by paying the registration fee after acceptance of abstract. For full information on fees please visit Lagosstudies.org. If you have any questions about the conference, contact LSA at: Email Address: lagosstudiesassociation@gmail.com Website: Lagosstudies.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/205111409881162/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/LagosStudies Read moreBy: Raquel Acosta
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AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS+2
Call for Papers: Land and Sustainable Food TransformationsGUEST EDITORSAdam Calo, Assistant Professor of Environmental Governance and Politics, Radboud UniversityColine Perrin, Senior Researcher in Geography, INRAEKirsteen Shields, Senior Lecturer in International Law and Food Systems, University of EdinburghSylvia Kay, Researcher, The Transnational InstituteSarah Ruth Sippel, Professor of Economic Geography and Globalization Studies, University of Münster This Elementa special feature invites articles exploring the role of land in sustainable food transformations. The forthcoming collection provides new understandings on how governance of land (property relations, land access, land tenure, landscape policy) mediates the potential for food system transformations. The special issue goes beyond understanding dynamics of the land food nexus to ask how land relations can be reformed to create favorable conditions for more just and sustainable food systems to emerge. A complete call for proposals can be found here. Land relations—property, access, tenure, landscape—are a central underlying driver of the material form of food systems, from farm to distribution. Despite their fluidity and historical and geographical diversity, land relations have a tendency to become “normalized” through law, custom, and practice. In particular, the exclusionary private ownership model of property has come to be deeply entrenched in legal systems worldwide, particularly in the Global North. The power of this normalization is evidenced, for example, in how research and practice aimed at reshaping food systems from grassroots movement, policy-level, or biophysical perspectives often omit the role of land relations in bringing about agricultural sustainability and agrarian change. Understanding land relations as “static” thus potentially constrains or directs the kinds of sustainable agriculture and food transformations that can take place. We thus invite contributions on characterizing the role of land relations in sustainable food production, critiques of existing sustainability interventions in the food system from a perspective of land relations, and socio-legal analysis of pathways to reforming or reimagining synergized land and food system transformations. We aim to highlight the role of land relations and property regimes in a ‘Global North Context’. We call for insights on the power relations embedded in land in both the dominant land regimes that underly the industrial food system but also in the alternative counter movements bubbling up to contest the status quo of the land food nexus. Articles in this special symposium might examine the following topics or other related issues: The role of power relations in assembling land for food production of differing forms; Discourses that shape the legitimacy of strong property regimes and the resulting material influence in institutions, actors, social movements, resources, and technologies; Cross disciplinary learning from other domains such as housing justice, intellectual property debates, and antitrust applied to understand food system transformations; Global South—North food system co-learning on alternative land governance for food systems change; Empirical evidence of the relationship between alternative property regimes and alternative food system practices such as agroecology, diversified or organic farming, local food processing, and/or food sovereignty; Dominant food system technocratic “solutions” or interventions (such as vertical farming, regenerative agriculture, agricultural easements, payments for ecosystem services, crop biotechnology, alt-proteins and sustainable intensification) and the way they either entrench, challenge, rely upon, or overlook the role of property regimes; Dominant food system social “solutions” or interventions (such as farmer training programs, capacity building, empowerment campaigns, dietary nudging, microfinance) and the way they either entrench, challenge, rely upon, or overlook the role of property regimes; Politics of land reform in (seemingly) stable statutory institutions (such as liberal sovereign states in industrialized economies); Creative imagined or practiced legal or social pathways to reform the norms of property on farmland or other nodes of the food system; Advancements on access theory with regards to food system transformations; The above themes relate to questions of how land politics influence food system transformation pathways. If you wish to submit a paper to the special issue, please submit a 500-word abstract detailing your article’s title, type, purpose, methodology, key findings, and significance to the guest editors at adam.calo@ru.nl by 14th January. Elementa accepts original research articles, reviews, policy bridges, commentary, and other creative multi-media formats such as interviews and podcasts. and discussion papers. All paper formats will be considered although original research articles are preferred. More information about submission criteria can be found here: https://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/pages/submissionguidelines Deadlines: Abstracts: 14th January 2023 Authors notified of invitation to submit a paper: 1st February 2023Complete first drafts due to editors: April 28th 2023 (Spring 2023)Reviews sent to authors: Summer 2023By: Raquel Acosta
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AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS+2
Call for Papers: Land and Sustainable Food TransformationsGUEST EDITORSAdam Calo, Assistant Professor of Environmental Governance and Politics, Radboud UniversityColine Perrin, Senior Researcher in Geography, INRAEKirsteen Shields, Senior Lecturer in International Law and Food Systems, University of EdinburghSylvia Kay, Researcher, The Transnational InstituteSarah Ruth Sippel, Professor of Economic Geography and Globalization Studies, University of Münster This Elementa special feature invites articles exploring the role of land in sustainable food transformations. The forthcoming collection provides new understandings on how governance of land (property relations, land access, land tenure, landscape policy) mediates the potential for food system transformations. The special issue goes beyond understanding dynamics of the land food nexus to ask how land relations can be reformed to create favorable conditions for more just and sustainable food systems to emerge. A complete call for proposals can be found here. Land relations—property, access, tenure, landscape—are a central underlying driver of the material form of food systems, from farm to distribution. Despite their fluidity and historical and geographical diversity, land relations have a tendency to become “normalized” through law, custom, and practice. In particular, the exclusionary private ownership model of property has come to be deeply entrenched in legal systems worldwide, particularly in the Global North. The power of this normalization is evidenced, for example, in how research and practice aimed at reshaping food systems from grassroots movement, policy-level, or biophysical perspectives often omit the role of land relations in bringing about agricultural sustainability and agrarian change. Understanding land relations as “static” thus potentially constrains or directs the kinds of sustainable agriculture and food transformations that can take place. We thus invite contributions on characterizing the role of land relations in sustainable food production, critiques of existing sustainability interventions in the food system from a perspective of land relations, and socio-legal analysis of pathways to reforming or reimagining synergized land and food system transformations. We aim to highlight the role of land relations and property regimes in a ‘Global North Context’. We call for insights on the power relations embedded in land in both the dominant land regimes that underly the industrial food system but also in the alternative counter movements bubbling up to contest the status quo of the land food nexus. Articles in this special symposium might examine the following topics or other related issues: The role of power relations in assembling land for food production of differing forms; Discourses that shape the legitimacy of strong property regimes and the resulting material influence in institutions, actors, social movements, resources, and technologies; Cross disciplinary learning from other domains such as housing justice, intellectual property debates, and antitrust applied to understand food system transformations; Global South—North food system co-learning on alternative land governance for food systems change; Empirical evidence of the relationship between alternative property regimes and alternative food system practices such as agroecology, diversified or organic farming, local food processing, and/or food sovereignty; Dominant food system technocratic “solutions” or interventions (such as vertical farming, regenerative agriculture, agricultural easements, payments for ecosystem services, crop biotechnology, alt-proteins and sustainable intensification) and the way they either entrench, challenge, rely upon, or overlook the role of property regimes; Dominant food system social “solutions” or interventions (such as farmer training programs, capacity building, empowerment campaigns, dietary nudging, microfinance) and the way they either entrench, challenge, rely upon, or overlook the role of property regimes; Politics of land reform in (seemingly) stable statutory institutions (such as liberal sovereign states in industrialized economies); Creative imagined or practiced legal or social pathways to reform the norms of property on farmland or other nodes of the food system; Advancements on access theory with regards to food system transformations; The above themes relate to questions of how land politics influence food system transformation pathways. If you wish to submit a paper to the special issue, please submit a 500-word abstract detailing your article’s title, type, purpose, methodology, key findings, and significance to the guest editors at adam.calo@ru.nl by 14th January. Elementa accepts original research articles, reviews, policy bridges, commentary, and other creative multi-media formats such as interviews and podcasts. and discussion papers. All paper formats will be considered although original research articles are preferred. More information about submission criteria can be found here: https://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/pages/submissionguidelines Deadlines: Abstracts: 14th January 2023 Authors notified of invitation to submit a paper: 1st February 2023Complete first drafts due to editors: April 28th 2023 (Spring 2023)Reviews sent to authors: Summer 2023 Read moreBy: Raquel Acosta
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CULTURE AND SOCIETY+1
CFP: The 22nd Annual Africa Conference– The University of Texas at AustinTheme: Technology, Culture, and African Societies Date: March 31- April 2, 2023 Email: austinafricaconference2023@gmail.com The 22nd Annual Africa Conference at the University of Texas at Austin calls for submissions of papers in the humanities, social sciences, sciences, and other disciplines on the kaleidoscopic presence of technology and culture in African societies. The objective of this conference is to encourage conversations rooted in the histories of the African people, with the connection of science and technology to imagine alternate realities and a liberated African future. Culture is dynamic, and globalization has become an epoch for the constant reinvention of culture that transcends time and space. As globalization continues to spread, more people find themselves across spaces and borders, with their lives structured and oriented by connections to one or several other places. Africa’s rich history is multifaceted and complex, with multiple heritage that cut across centuries and regions. The distinctiveness of each culture is peculiar to their authentic traditional practices and identities, ranging from language to literature, music, visual art, and fashion. In present-day Africa, globalization paves the way for technology, which has aided the growth, adaptation, and transfer of African cultures worldwide. Artificial intelligence and the web are perhaps the most increasingly emerging technologies that are radically shifting normative paradigms in Africa today. The African continent requires new approaches that respond to the sociopolitical and economic needs of African societies. These approaches will define the future for the cultural, political, economic, and social spheres and on the national, regional, and international levels as they re-imagine a new future for Africa where humanity and technology meet. Accordingly, we invite proposals for papers, panel presentations, roundtables, and artistic works/performances that critically examine these and other related issues on African history, culture, and its intersection with technology. The conference will allow scholars from various disciplines and geographical locations to interact, exchange ideas, and receive feedback. As in previous years, participants will be drawn from around the world. Graduate students are encouraged to attend and present papers. Submitted papers will be assigned to panels based on similarities in theme, topic, discipline, or geographical focus, and selected papers will be published in a series of book volumes. We welcome submissions that include but are not limited to the following sub-themes and topics: Technology and African Historical Discourses Technology and African Literature Technology and the African Diaspora Cultural Dimensions in Africa and Technology Technology and Popular Culture Technology and Gender Constructions Technology and Environmental Security Culture, Urbanization, and Digital Urbanism Globalization, Technology, and Identity Formation Technology and Education Technology, Religions and Ritual Performance Technology and Performative Arts Visual Arts and Digital Culture Technology and Cinema Technology and African Fashion Technology and Health Sciences Cultural Practices, Indigenous Medicine, and Technology Technology and Linguistics Culture, Technology and New Media Technology and Postcolonial/ Postmodern Conditions Technology and Decoloniality Technology, Politics and Cultural Paradigms Festivals, Ceremonies and Technology Funeral Technology–Old and New Digital Economy for Africa’s Initiative Technology, Language, and Rhetoric Technology and Archival Studies Africa Trade and Technology Technology, Geography, and Natural resources Technology and Archaeology Anthropology and Africa’s Digital Revolution Social Mobility in the Digital Age Security Technology in Africa Technology and Peace and Conflict Resolution Each proposal must include: Title of the work and an abstract of 200 words Name of the presenter (with the surname underlined) Mailing address Phone number Email Institutional affiliation Three to five keywords best characterize the themes and topics relevant to your submission. Participants are expected to follow these guidelines. Proposals for panels (3-5 presenters) must include: (1) the title of the panel and a collective summary of 250 words on the panel’s theme, including the title of each individual’s work (2) a 200-word abstract for each speaker’s presentation (3) mailing addresses (4) phone numbers (5) email addresses (6) institutional affiliation of each presenter. Proposals will be accepted on the official conference website (www.utafricaconference.com) and by email: toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu (cc: austinafricaconference2023@gmail.com) from mid-August to mid-December 2022. Participants who require a visa to enter the United States must submit abstracts and register early, as it may take six months to book visa appointments. A mandatory non-refundable registration fee of $150 for scholars and $100 for graduate students must be paid immediately upon the acceptance of the abstract. This in-person conference fee includes a conference t-shirt and bag, admission to the panels, workshops, special events, and transportation to and from the hotel and conference events. Registration also includes breakfast for all three days, dinner on Friday night, lunch on Saturday, a banquet with DJ and an open bar on Saturday evening, and a closing celebration on Sunday. All participants must have funds to attend the conference, including the registration fee, transportation, and accommodation. The conference and the University of Texas at Austin do not provide any form of sponsorship or financial support. However, the Holiday Inn Austin-Town Lake will have a special rate for conference participants, and transportation between the hotel and the university is included. *Events are subject to change in accordance with CDC guidelines and global health and safety concerns. We are currently exploring a possible hybrid model for attendees who may not be able to attend physically due to US travel restrictions. All official updates will be posted on the conference website as soon as they are available. If you have questions, please contact the conference coordinators via the official email. All correspondence, including submission of abstracts, panel proposals, completed papers, and all kinds of inquiries, must go through the official conference email: austinafricaconference2023@gmail.com CONFERENCE TEAM Organizers: Olayombo Raji-Oyelade, olayombo.raji@utexas.edu Victor Angbah, vangbah@utexas.edu Convener: Toyin Falola, toyinfalola@austin.utexas.eduBy: Raquel Acosta
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CULTURE AND SOCIETY+1
CFP: The 22nd Annual Africa Conference– The University of Texas at AustinTheme: Technology, Culture, and African Societies Date: March 31- April 2, 2023 Email: austinafricaconference2023@gmail.com The 22nd Annual Africa Conference at the University of Texas at Austin calls for submissions of papers in the humanities, social sciences, sciences, and other disciplines on the kaleidoscopic presence of technology and culture in African societies. The objective of this conference is to encourage conversations rooted in the histories of the African people, with the connection of science and technology to imagine alternate realities and a liberated African future. Culture is dynamic, and globalization has become an epoch for the constant reinvention of culture that transcends time and space. As globalization continues to spread, more people find themselves across spaces and borders, with their lives structured and oriented by connections to one or several other places. Africa’s rich history is multifaceted and complex, with multiple heritage that cut across centuries and regions. The distinctiveness of each culture is peculiar to their authentic traditional practices and identities, ranging from language to literature, music, visual art, and fashion. In present-day Africa, globalization paves the way for technology, which has aided the growth, adaptation, and transfer of African cultures worldwide. Artificial intelligence and the web are perhaps the most increasingly emerging technologies that are radically shifting normative paradigms in Africa today. The African continent requires new approaches that respond to the sociopolitical and economic needs of African societies. These approaches will define the future for the cultural, political, economic, and social spheres and on the national, regional, and international levels as they re-imagine a new future for Africa where humanity and technology meet. Accordingly, we invite proposals for papers, panel presentations, roundtables, and artistic works/performances that critically examine these and other related issues on African history, culture, and its intersection with technology. The conference will allow scholars from various disciplines and geographical locations to interact, exchange ideas, and receive feedback. As in previous years, participants will be drawn from around the world. Graduate students are encouraged to attend and present papers. Submitted papers will be assigned to panels based on similarities in theme, topic, discipline, or geographical focus, and selected papers will be published in a series of book volumes. We welcome submissions that include but are not limited to the following sub-themes and topics: Technology and African Historical Discourses Technology and African Literature Technology and the African Diaspora Cultural Dimensions in Africa and Technology Technology and Popular Culture Technology and Gender Constructions Technology and Environmental Security Culture, Urbanization, and Digital Urbanism Globalization, Technology, and Identity Formation Technology and Education Technology, Religions and Ritual Performance Technology and Performative Arts Visual Arts and Digital Culture Technology and Cinema Technology and African Fashion Technology and Health Sciences Cultural Practices, Indigenous Medicine, and Technology Technology and Linguistics Culture, Technology and New Media Technology and Postcolonial/ Postmodern Conditions Technology and Decoloniality Technology, Politics and Cultural Paradigms Festivals, Ceremonies and Technology Funeral Technology–Old and New Digital Economy for Africa’s Initiative Technology, Language, and Rhetoric Technology and Archival Studies Africa Trade and Technology Technology, Geography, and Natural resources Technology and Archaeology Anthropology and Africa’s Digital Revolution Social Mobility in the Digital Age Security Technology in Africa Technology and Peace and Conflict Resolution Each proposal must include: Title of the work and an abstract of 200 words Name of the presenter (with the surname underlined) Mailing address Phone number Email Institutional affiliation Three to five keywords best characterize the themes and topics relevant to your submission. Participants are expected to follow these guidelines. Proposals for panels (3-5 presenters) must include: (1) the title of the panel and a collective summary of 250 words on the panel’s theme, including the title of each individual’s work (2) a 200-word abstract for each speaker’s presentation (3) mailing addresses (4) phone numbers (5) email addresses (6) institutional affiliation of each presenter. Proposals will be accepted on the official conference website (www.utafricaconference.com) and by email: toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu (cc: austinafricaconference2023@gmail.com) from mid-August to mid-December 2022. Participants who require a visa to enter the United States must submit abstracts and register early, as it may take six months to book visa appointments. A mandatory non-refundable registration fee of $150 for scholars and $100 for graduate students must be paid immediately upon the acceptance of the abstract. This in-person conference fee includes a conference t-shirt and bag, admission to the panels, workshops, special events, and transportation to and from the hotel and conference events. Registration also includes breakfast for all three days, dinner on Friday night, lunch on Saturday, a banquet with DJ and an open bar on Saturday evening, and a closing celebration on Sunday. All participants must have funds to attend the conference, including the registration fee, transportation, and accommodation. The conference and the University of Texas at Austin do not provide any form of sponsorship or financial support. However, the Holiday Inn Austin-Town Lake will have a special rate for conference participants, and transportation between the hotel and the university is included. *Events are subject to change in accordance with CDC guidelines and global health and safety concerns. We are currently exploring a possible hybrid model for attendees who may not be able to attend physically due to US travel restrictions. All official updates will be posted on the conference website as soon as they are available. If you have questions, please contact the conference coordinators via the official email. All correspondence, including submission of abstracts, panel proposals, completed papers, and all kinds of inquiries, must go through the official conference email: austinafricaconference2023@gmail.com CONFERENCE TEAM Organizers: Olayombo Raji-Oyelade, olayombo.raji@utexas.edu Victor Angbah, vangbah@utexas.edu Convener: Toyin Falola, toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu Read moreBy: Raquel Acosta
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CULTURE AND SOCIETY
Call for abstracts in the middle of summer for a special issue of the journal SourcesDear all, A call for abstracts in the middle of summer for a special issue of the journal Sources. Matériaux & Terrains en études africaines around the "sources of madness" coordinated by the team of the ERC project MaDAf ("Governing Madness in West Africa »): https://madaf.hypotheses.org/ The deadline for submission of abstracts is 30 September 2022 Here is the call in French: https://www.sources-journal.org/881 And in English: https://www.sources-journal.org/887 This proposal for a special dossier on the sources of madness in Africa (continent and diasporas) is part of the recent epistemological renewal of studies on mental disorder on the continent. It is based on the observation that reflections on the nature and diversity of sources mobilised in this field by researchers remain sparse and fragmentary. Anchored in an interdisciplinary and long-term perspective, this dossier aims to show the richness of the materials exploited, as much as to promote a reflection on sources often situated at the intersection of different mediations (medical, administrative, (post)colonial, etc.). Here is the provisional timetable: 30 September 2022: submission of article proposals, consisting of a summary of about twenty lines with a provisional title, name(s), contact details and affiliations of the authors. An email address must be included. The abstract must present the nature of the materials treated, briefly describe them, and give some contextualisation in relation to the discipline and the research question. Indicate the possibilities of online dissemination of the sources - in whole or in part. 1 November 2022: reply to the authors (acceptance or refusal) 1 March 2023: article sent 15 July 2023: send an evaluation report to the authors 1 October 2023: submission of final versions of the article Spring 2024: release of the issue Gina Aïtmehdi, Camille Evrard, Raphaël Gallien, Paul Marquis and Romain TiquetBy: Raquel Acosta
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CULTURE AND SOCIETY
Call for abstracts in the middle of summer for a special issue of the journal SourcesDear all, A call for abstracts in the middle of summer for a special issue of the journal Sources. Matériaux & Terrains en études africaines around the "sources of madness" coordinated by the team of the ERC project MaDAf ("Governing Madness in West Africa »): https://madaf.hypotheses.org/ The deadline for submission of abstracts is 30 September 2022 Here is the call in French: https://www.sources-journal.org/881 And in English: https://www.sources-journal.org/887 This proposal for a special dossier on the sources of madness in Africa (continent and diasporas) is part of the recent epistemological renewal of studies on mental disorder on the continent. It is based on the observation that reflections on the nature and diversity of sources mobilised in this field by researchers remain sparse and fragmentary. Anchored in an interdisciplinary and long-term perspective, this dossier aims to show the richness of the materials exploited, as much as to promote a reflection on sources often situated at the intersection of different mediations (medical, administrative, (post)colonial, etc.). Here is the provisional timetable: 30 September 2022: submission of article proposals, consisting of a summary of about twenty lines with a provisional title, name(s), contact details and affiliations of the authors. An email address must be included. The abstract must present the nature of the materials treated, briefly describe them, and give some contextualisation in relation to the discipline and the research question. Indicate the possibilities of online dissemination of the sources - in whole or in part. 1 November 2022: reply to the authors (acceptance or refusal) 1 March 2023: article sent 15 July 2023: send an evaluation report to the authors 1 October 2023: submission of final versions of the article Spring 2024: release of the issue Gina Aïtmehdi, Camille Evrard, Raphaël Gallien, Paul Marquis and Romain Tiquet Read moreBy: Raquel Acosta
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CULTURE AND SOCIETY+1
Call for Proposals: The Collections of Ousmane Sembène & Paulin S. Vieyra WorkshopWorkshop presentation We would like to invite academics (Graduate students, junior researchers, independent scholars, and university professors) to visit Indiana University’s collections on African cinemas (mainly Ousmane Sembène’s archives, held at the Lilly Library, and the Paulin S. Vieyra archives, held at the Black Film Center & Archive (BFCA), during a fixed period of approximately 10 days, in August 2024. Each attendee will use the workshop to conduct archival research for a chapter on these pioneers of African cinemas, to be finalized and submitted for December 2024. During this collective research stay, we will organize discussion tables, paper presentations, and film screenings to stress new perspectives on African Film studies and to share novel discoveries from the archives with specialists and the general public. If Ousmane Sembène is to this day recognized as the “father” of African cinema, Paulin S. Vieyra, as his friend, mentor, and producer, was a key eyewitness and contributor to early sub-Saharan African cinema. Starting in 1954, Vieyra was a filmmaker, the first director of the Senegalese newsreel service, and a film critic and historian. During this period, Vieyra also directed a series of short films that documented the Independence of Senegal: Une nation est née (A Nation is Born, 1961) is a historical portrait depicting pre-colonial traditions and then European domination, before celebrating the wealth and collective strengths of the young Republic of Senegal; Lamb (1963) shows the social ramifications of traditional wrestling performances. Later in his career, he directed his only feature film, En résidence surveillée (Under House Arrest, 1981), which justifies the political choices of President Senghor and his administration. In his role as an administrator within the nascent African film industry, Vieyra helped young French-speaking African filmmakers to produce their first movies, advocating for them at film festivals in Russia, France, Burkina Faso, and Tunisia. Additionally, he wrote articles to promote African cinema and was a leader in organizing the Fédération panafricaine des cinéastes (FEPACI), using his political connections to procure funding for film production and distribution. Near the end of his life in the 1980s, Vieyra earned a Ph.D. (under the supervision of Jean Rouch) and became Professor of Film Studies at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar (UCAD). Writer and filmmaker Ousmane Sembène (1923-2007) drew on his experiences as the son of a Lébou fisherman in Casamance, in the French colonial army and as a docker in Marseille in order to stage colonial injustices. A well-known novelist, he sought in the early 1960s to reach an audience beyond the Westernized elites. Understanding film to be a privileged medium for this access, he trained in Moscow (Berty 2019). In 1962, Sembène directed his first short film Borom Sarret. Then he adapted one of his short stories, La Noire de... (1966), the story of a young Senegalese woman who takes her own life while working in France, a film awarded the Jean Vigo Prize. The recurring themes of Sembène's films are the history of colonialism, the critique of the new African bourgeoisie, and the affirming of the strength of African women. His films have been regularly presented at the Moscow International Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival and FESPACO, which in 2001 paid tribute to his extraordinary career. Sembène’s last film, Moolaadé (2004), explored the issue of female genital mutilation and received an enthusiastic reception at both FESPACO and the Cannes Film Festival. Both Vieyra and Sembène were key innovators of a postcolonial film aesthetic and in the development of audio-visual means of production, both in Senegal and throughout French-speaking West Africa. As intellectuals and artists, but also as political activists, they made movies that were close to the African public. And, importantly for today’s researchers, they kept all of the papers and materials related to their storied careers. Now that their archives have been acquired by the Lilly Library and the BFCA, we have the opportunity to explore Sembène’s and Vieyra’s work and legacies and have a better understanding of the origins of sub-Saharan African cinema. Workshop goals The primary goal of this workshop is to begin to fulfill Indiana University’s commitment to make available and to promote Sembène’s archives (Lilly Library) and Vieyra’s archives (BFCA). The second goal is to facilitate the journey to and stay in Bloomington, IN of specialists in early African cinema and to involve junior scholars in this fascinating research field. We are planning to gather about ten to fifteen researchers for approximately ten days. The third goal of this workshop is to produce a collection of essays linked to the archives, published by a major university press. Thus, each of the archival workshop participants will be selected according to the pertinence of their proposed chapter in this collective work. The final text will be expected before the end of 2024, after having participated in the archival workshop at Indiana University. Call for chapter proposals The co-editors will be Vincent Bouchard (Indiana University), Rachel Gabara (University of Georgia), and Amadou Ouédraogo (University of Louisiana at Lafayette). We welcome proposals that focus on (but are not limited to) the following themes, with a particular interest in submissions that treat the links between these two key figures: -Sembène’s and/or Vieyra’s intellectual legacies in their writings. - The new aesthetic to which they contributed through their own audio-visual production, collaborations, and film criticism, in the early stages of sub-Saharan African cinema (1955-1980). - Sembène’s and/or Vieyra’s contributions in the organization and administration of cinematographic institutions in West Africa. - Sembène’s and/or Vieyra’s support, as producer or mentor, of other African filmmakers. - Sembène’s and/or Vieyra’s contributions to the promotion of African cinema more broadly. By October 30th, 2022, proposals (500 words, a short bibliography, and a brief professional biography) in English should be sent to the following email: clafouch@iu.edu. Should you have any questions, please contact one of the co-editors: vbouchar@iu.edu, rgabara@uga.edu, amadou@louisiana.edu. --------------------- Information forwarded by the UCLA African Studies Center www.international.ucla.edu/africaBy: Raquel Acosta
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CULTURE AND SOCIETY+1
Call for Proposals: The Collections of Ousmane Sembène & Paulin S. Vieyra WorkshopWorkshop presentation We would like to invite academics (Graduate students, junior researchers, independent scholars, and university professors) to visit Indiana University’s collections on African cinemas (mainly Ousmane Sembène’s archives, held at the Lilly Library, and the Paulin S. Vieyra archives, held at the Black Film Center & Archive (BFCA), during a fixed period of approximately 10 days, in August 2024. Each attendee will use the workshop to conduct archival research for a chapter on these pioneers of African cinemas, to be finalized and submitted for December 2024. During this collective research stay, we will organize discussion tables, paper presentations, and film screenings to stress new perspectives on African Film studies and to share novel discoveries from the archives with specialists and the general public. If Ousmane Sembène is to this day recognized as the “father” of African cinema, Paulin S. Vieyra, as his friend, mentor, and producer, was a key eyewitness and contributor to early sub-Saharan African cinema. Starting in 1954, Vieyra was a filmmaker, the first director of the Senegalese newsreel service, and a film critic and historian. During this period, Vieyra also directed a series of short films that documented the Independence of Senegal: Une nation est née (A Nation is Born, 1961) is a historical portrait depicting pre-colonial traditions and then European domination, before celebrating the wealth and collective strengths of the young Republic of Senegal; Lamb (1963) shows the social ramifications of traditional wrestling performances. Later in his career, he directed his only feature film, En résidence surveillée (Under House Arrest, 1981), which justifies the political choices of President Senghor and his administration. In his role as an administrator within the nascent African film industry, Vieyra helped young French-speaking African filmmakers to produce their first movies, advocating for them at film festivals in Russia, France, Burkina Faso, and Tunisia. Additionally, he wrote articles to promote African cinema and was a leader in organizing the Fédération panafricaine des cinéastes (FEPACI), using his political connections to procure funding for film production and distribution. Near the end of his life in the 1980s, Vieyra earned a Ph.D. (under the supervision of Jean Rouch) and became Professor of Film Studies at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar (UCAD). Writer and filmmaker Ousmane Sembène (1923-2007) drew on his experiences as the son of a Lébou fisherman in Casamance, in the French colonial army and as a docker in Marseille in order to stage colonial injustices. A well-known novelist, he sought in the early 1960s to reach an audience beyond the Westernized elites. Understanding film to be a privileged medium for this access, he trained in Moscow (Berty 2019). In 1962, Sembène directed his first short film Borom Sarret. Then he adapted one of his short stories, La Noire de... (1966), the story of a young Senegalese woman who takes her own life while working in France, a film awarded the Jean Vigo Prize. The recurring themes of Sembène's films are the history of colonialism, the critique of the new African bourgeoisie, and the affirming of the strength of African women. His films have been regularly presented at the Moscow International Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival and FESPACO, which in 2001 paid tribute to his extraordinary career. Sembène’s last film, Moolaadé (2004), explored the issue of female genital mutilation and received an enthusiastic reception at both FESPACO and the Cannes Film Festival. Both Vieyra and Sembène were key innovators of a postcolonial film aesthetic and in the development of audio-visual means of production, both in Senegal and throughout French-speaking West Africa. As intellectuals and artists, but also as political activists, they made movies that were close to the African public. And, importantly for today’s researchers, they kept all of the papers and materials related to their storied careers. Now that their archives have been acquired by the Lilly Library and the BFCA, we have the opportunity to explore Sembène’s and Vieyra’s work and legacies and have a better understanding of the origins of sub-Saharan African cinema. Workshop goals The primary goal of this workshop is to begin to fulfill Indiana University’s commitment to make available and to promote Sembène’s archives (Lilly Library) and Vieyra’s archives (BFCA). The second goal is to facilitate the journey to and stay in Bloomington, IN of specialists in early African cinema and to involve junior scholars in this fascinating research field. We are planning to gather about ten to fifteen researchers for approximately ten days. The third goal of this workshop is to produce a collection of essays linked to the archives, published by a major university press. Thus, each of the archival workshop participants will be selected according to the pertinence of their proposed chapter in this collective work. The final text will be expected before the end of 2024, after having participated in the archival workshop at Indiana University. Call for chapter proposals The co-editors will be Vincent Bouchard (Indiana University), Rachel Gabara (University of Georgia), and Amadou Ouédraogo (University of Louisiana at Lafayette). We welcome proposals that focus on (but are not limited to) the following themes, with a particular interest in submissions that treat the links between these two key figures: -Sembène’s and/or Vieyra’s intellectual legacies in their writings. - The new aesthetic to which they contributed through their own audio-visual production, collaborations, and film criticism, in the early stages of sub-Saharan African cinema (1955-1980). - Sembène’s and/or Vieyra’s contributions in the organization and administration of cinematographic institutions in West Africa. - Sembène’s and/or Vieyra’s support, as producer or mentor, of other African filmmakers. - Sembène’s and/or Vieyra’s contributions to the promotion of African cinema more broadly. By October 30th, 2022, proposals (500 words, a short bibliography, and a brief professional biography) in English should be sent to the following email: clafouch@iu.edu. Should you have any questions, please contact one of the co-editors: vbouchar@iu.edu, rgabara@uga.edu, amadou@louisiana.edu. --------------------- Information forwarded by the UCLA African Studies Center www.international.ucla.edu/africa Read moreBy: Raquel Acosta
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EDUCATION
Call for Applications for the MSc Embedded and Mobile Systems (EMoS) ProgrammeThe Centre of Excellence for ICT in East Africa (CENIT@EA) at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in Arusha, Tanzania, offers a 2-year Master in Embedded and Mobile System that imparts theoretical scientific background knowledge, as well as practical methods, techniques, and tools to enable young professionals todevelop and marketize digital solutions, that are crucial for the transformation of industries and development. The Master includes elements such as an internship, an applied Master thesis, summer schools, guest lectures from the private and public sector, as well as Entrepreneurial and Soft Skills training. The following research topics stand in the centre of CENIT@EA and are addressed in the master’s programme . Mobile Computing Embedded Systems Project Management Soft Skills Entrepreneurship Information Systems Who can apply? The call is aimed at graduates with a first academic degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) fields related to Embedded and Mobile systems, as well as professionals working already in the academia or private and the public sector. The CENIT@EA project especially aims to strengthen the role of women in STEM-related fields and the ICT sector. Female graduates are therefore particularly encouraged to apply. How to apply? Interested students can apply for admission to the master programme in Embedded and Mobile Systems through the NM-AIST Online Admission System. The admissions process is fully handled by NM-AIST. You can find more information about the Master on the CENIT@EA website. For assistance or more inquiries on general admission applications to the EMoS programme at NM-AIST please write to admission@nm-aist.ac.tz or call +255 628 183 676 during office hours. Want to advance your career and make an impact? Then go ahead and apply for the MSc EMoS at NM-AIST!By: Bettina Onyango
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EDUCATION
Call for Applications for the MSc Embedded and Mobile Systems (EMoS) ProgrammeThe Centre of Excellence for ICT in East Africa (CENIT@EA) at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in Arusha, Tanzania, offers a 2-year Master in Embedded and Mobile System that imparts theoretical scientific background knowledge, as well as practical methods, techniques, and tools to enable young professionals todevelop and marketize digital solutions, that are crucial for the transformation of industries and development. The Master includes elements such as an internship, an applied Master thesis, summer schools, guest lectures from the private and public sector, as well as Entrepreneurial and Soft Skills training. The following research topics stand in the centre of CENIT@EA and are addressed in the master’s programme . Mobile Computing Embedded Systems Project Management Soft Skills Entrepreneurship Information Systems Who can apply? The call is aimed at graduates with a first academic degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) fields related to Embedded and Mobile systems, as well as professionals working already in the academia or private and the public sector. The CENIT@EA project especially aims to strengthen the role of women in STEM-related fields and the ICT sector. Female graduates are therefore particularly encouraged to apply. How to apply? Interested students can apply for admission to the master programme in Embedded and Mobile Systems through the NM-AIST Online Admission System. The admissions process is fully handled by NM-AIST. You can find more information about the Master on the CENIT@EA website. For assistance or more inquiries on general admission applications to the EMoS programme at NM-AIST please write to admission@nm-aist.ac.tz or call +255 628 183 676 during office hours. Want to advance your career and make an impact? Then go ahead and apply for the MSc EMoS at NM-AIST! Read moreBy: Bettina Onyango
