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In a globalized world, language regiments the flow of knowledge. Against the background of its "difficult heritage", Afrikanistik as the study of African languages, literatures and texts is in a privileged position to mediate heterotopic and heterogeneous knowledge practices. We invite young scholars to recalibrate Afrikanistik with their innovative ideas in dialogue with African Studies.

'What if?' Podcasts

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What if African Studies was the way you imagine it to be? Listen now to the first contribution by Anne Storch from Cologne University. We hope that this is the first podcast to a diverse series that features contributions by RecAf members answering to the 'What if?' question, featuring utopian visions of African Studies, alternative imaginations of the field and its academic and mundane life realities.

Monthly RecAf Reading Group

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Since current travel restrictions are preventing face-to-face exchange between RecAf partners and associates, we initiated a Reading Group that takes place online on a monthly basis

1st Blog Entry – Prof. Rose Marie Beck: At the Boundaries of the Speakaboutable

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The current events around the Black Lives Matter movement in the U.S. have elicited a global debate on racism and unresolved persisting inequalities. As dean and professor at the Institute for African Studies at Leipzig University, Prof. Rose Marie Beck has observed extensive student solidarity with the movement, as well as a certain insecurity concerning how to act in a responsible manner.

Recaf - Winter School
21 - 30 January 2020

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The winterschool shall enable students interested in postcolonial debates to gain insight into knowledge practices in and around African languages and literatures, and their relevance for African and Area Studies: How does knowledge in and about African languages contribute to a deeper understanding of postcolonialism?

International Workshop at the Federal University Wukari, Nigeria

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Unlike more traditional scholarly meetings, this workshop is intended to give space in particular to knowledge outside the disciplinary canon, to epistemologies that have been marginalized in a colonial world, and to the voices of young scholars and students.

First Grant Application Write-up Workshop
25 - 27 October 2019

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“Recalibrating Afrikanistik” (RecAf) and the Graduate School Global and Area Studies (GSGAS), University of Leipzig, invite young researchers and lecturers working in the broader fields of Afrikanistik, African and Area Studies for a three-day workshop on the procedures of writing grant proposals.

Where are we heading?

  1. goal-1

    A critical debate about the history and objects of our discipline

  2. Languages, literatures and texts as situated knowledge practices

  3. Joint knowledge production with young scholars and six partner universities