BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:https://github.com/derhansen/sf_event_mgt METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT UID:856-1333@temp.sagw.ch CLASS: PUBLIC SUMMARY:Africa and the Academy in the 21st Century DESCRIPTION:An interactive, interdisciplinary event hosted by the Swiss Soc iety for African Studies and the Centre for African Studies Basel bringing together a selection of Swiss and international scholars studying Africa.\n \nThe conference invites the speakers and audience to reflect on a classica l work in the field of African Studies, Africa and the Disciplines, but als o consider the present and future of African Studies, in particular in Swit zerland.\n\n25 years ago, the conference “Africa and the Disciplines” and t he landmark publication that resulted from it, asked for Africa‘s contribut ion to the disciplines. It showed the extent to which Africa as an apparent ly marginal field of study had already contributed to the emergence of new topics and ideas in the respective disciplines. The momentum created by th ese insights within broader academia was, unjustifiably, short lived. Espec ially so given that the study of Africa has not only contributed to the dev elopment of the disciplines; as an interdisciplinary field, but has also ch anged the character of what once were separate disciplines and brought them closer together. Scholars became increasingly interested in the spaces be tween the disciplines. This interest, which is usually cast in terms of int erdisciplinarity or transdisiciplinarity, has bred a wide range of new and interesting studies with stimulating findings. Africa has created new resea rch fields that no longer fit into the existing disciplinary framework. Thi s increasingly affects our view of what the social sciences and the humanit ies are about, the topics that they will need to address in the future and how these new fields shape our understanding of the academic landscape as a whole.\n\nStructure\n\nOver two days the conference will hold four interac tive, interdisciplinary plenary sessions. Each session will begin with a 30 -minute moderated “paired conversation” between two scholars of a particula r discipline. The choice of two “classic” disciplines – Anthropology and Hi story –, and two “modern” inherently interdisciplinary disciplines, Public Health and Urban Studies, – reflects change in the field of African Studies . Each of the eight conversation partners was invited to reflect on a rele vant chapter of the book Africa and the Disciplines, as well as their own e xperience in academia as an Africanist: How has the field developed since t hey started. What experiences have they had with non-Africanist colleague’s in academia who question the value of the study of Africa? What types of a rmour (intellectual or otherwise) have they developed, as a result? Immedi ately following the “paired conversation,” to enhance the dynamic interacti ve and interdisciplinary purpose of the conference, the audience will be ra ndomly divided into three to four breakout sessions where participants and panel speakers will consolidate the introduced topics in a concentrated gro up discussion. At the end of each session the audience will reunite for a m oderated discussion in the plenary.\n\nPaired Conversation 1 (Anthropology) :\n\nRita Kesselring (University of Basel) and Mwenda Ntarangwi (Calvin Col lege)\n\nThe first plenary session, which opens the conference, will introd uce two anthropologists who strongly explore political themes in and who ap ply transnational approaches to their research and writing. Both remain acu tely aware of the controversial history of the field of anthropology in doi ng so. However, Kesselring and Mwenda Ntarangwi are of two separate generat ions of scholars, exploring Africa from very different positions in the wor ld.\n\nPaired Conversation 2 (Public Health):\n\nJakob Zinsstag (Swiss Trop ic and Public Health Institute) and Mandisa Mbali (University of Cape Town) \n\nThe plenary session beginning with a conversation on public health brin gs two scholars with a strong track in transdisciplinary research in conver sation with one another. Mandisa Mbali’s work has a strong historical focus tying her work to activism, wheras Jakob Zinsstag’s emphasis has been spec ifically in collaborating with health practitioners on the continent.\n\nPa ired Conversation 3 (History):\n\nJulia Tischler (University of Basel) and Ruramisai Charumbira (University of Bern)\n\nThe plenary session starting w ith a discussion on history brings together two scholars of southern Africa who have centred the category of “race” in their work in different ways. B oth have also started to contribute to the globalisation of African history . However, whereas Julia Tischler’s work has been shaped by comparative glo bal history, Ruramisai Charumbira has looked to indigenous knowledges for t heir potential to inspire inclusive historical writing that feels true to a growing number of scholars in the field.\n\nPaired Conversation 4 (Urban S tudies):\n\nDalila Ghodbane (Università della Svizzera Italiana) and Berend van der Lans (African Architecture Matters)\n\nThis plenary session shall start bridging the complex perspectives of Urban planning on the African co ntinent, regarded as the world’s fastest urbanizing region. Architect Beren d van der Lans, has already a solid experience through the numerous associa tions and educational projects that have pioneered in documenting the recen t positionality of African architecture and political relevance in academia . Dalila’s field work in the Middle East and now in Northern Africa has a p oignant focus on how microclimates and anthropological behaviours have cruc ial impacts on the quality of a healthy and sustainable city, fit for futur e generations. This joint panel discussion will be a keystone platform to e xplore how all the pending factors of urban planning can and should positiv ely activate the new directions of safer, smarter and efficient urban envir onments.\n\nOn the evening of the first day of the conference, Francis Nyam njoh (University of Cape Town, tbc), who has engaged extensively with the d evelopment of Social Science research in Africa, will present the Carl Schl ettwein Lecture.\n\nA final wrap-up session moderated by a member of the SG AS (Didier Péclard, Université de Genève) will bring together all 4 externa l guests to look back on the two days of conversation.\n\nOrganising Commit tee:\n\n Cassandra Mark-Thiesen (University of Basel) Carole Ammann (SNSF -Postdoc / University of Bern) Fiona Siegenthaler (University of Basel) C hristelle Favre (University of Basel) Solange Mbanefo (University of Basel ) Alice Aterianus (Université de Lausanne) Matthieu Bolay (Graduate Insti tute Geneva) Wilfred Elegba (Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Researc h Institute, Accra) \n\nRegistration\n\nPlease register online before 19 Oc tober 2019. LOCATION:Universität Basel DTSTAMP:20191010T132027Z DTSTART:20191101T083000Z DTEND:20191102T163000Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR