Video Podcasts - Afrikanists Assemble

This month’s question is: “What do you think is an aspect of fieldwork in your discipline that too often gets overlooked?”

This month’s question is: “What risks and/or potentials do you see in the usage of new digital media and technologies on African languages, literatures, or studies?”

This month’s question is: “Let’s pretend that you’ve been offered a sizable grant to revitalize a single African language. Do you accept it? If not, why? If so, what language do you choose and what initiatives do you create?”

This month’s question is: “What is a particularly interesting or impressive use of creativity in language that you’ve encountered? If you want, you can send us a written sample of the creativity you’re talking about and we’ll turn it into a graphic to show as a visual aid while you speak.”

This month’s question is: “In what ways do you think African literatures can help us to redefine the term ‘literature’ as it’s been used in the past?”

This month’s question is: “Let’s pretend you’ve been asked to create a flag to represent your academic field. What colors and elements would you integrate and why? If you would like to draw your flag, you may send it to us and we will show it as a visual aid during your contribution!”

This month’s question is: “Let’s pretend that the minister of education of an African country comes to you and asks you to help develop a new language policy in the education system. Do you agree to help? If not, why not? If so, what sort of policies would you create?”

This month’s question is: “Let’s pretend that a radio station in Germany that wants to feature exclusively African content approaches you and asks you to create a weekly program. You have the rights to air anything you want for two hours every week. What kind of program do you make?”

This month’s question is: “Let’s pretend that an Africanist Hall of Fame has been established and you’ve been approached by the committee and asked to nominate three Africanists to be considered for induction. Whom do you choose and why?”

This month’s question is: “What is your utopian vision for cooperation/research collaborations in African Studies? What does it have to entail? What are the aspects that make it 'decolonial'?”

This month’s question is: “What is your opinion on the state of African language teaching, and what is your utopian vision for it?”

This month’s question is: “Let’s pretend that you’ve been given a generous yearly budget and the task of creating a way to highlight and celebrate great African oral literature. What initiative would you create and what would it look like?”

This month’s question is: “Let’s pretend that you’re an extraterrestrial flying down to earth and visiting your academic setting and field of study for the first time. What do you find strange about it?”

This month’s question is: “Let’s pretend that you’re approached by a brand-new high school graduate who isn’t sure what to major in and they ask you what it is you like about Afrikanistik/African Studies so much. What do you tell them?”

This month’s question is: “Let’s pretend that a brilliant scientist has invented a machine that can transfer up to three fluent African-language competencies to the human brain. Which African languages do you choose to acquire and why?”

This month’s question is: “Let’s pretend that you’re suddenly recruited by a band of some incredibly talented African musicians who want to create a new fusion of two different styles of African music. What two styles of African music do you suggest fusing together and why?”

This month’s question is: “From your academic background, do you see any overlap (or potential overlap) between research and activism? If so, where is it? If not, why?”

This month’s question is: “Let’s pretend that you’re an executive producer tasked with making a film adaptation of an African literary work. What literary work do you choose to adapt to the silver screen and why? What would the movie be like?”

This month’s question is: “If you could go back in time and change the way the field of African linguistics developed - either broadly or within a specific context you’re familiar with - what would you change? And what difference would that make for us today?”

This month’s question is: “Let’s pretend you have unlimited funds and could design an international conference on any topic you are passionate about. What would it look like? Where would it be? Whom would you invite to speak?”

This month’s question is: “If Afrikanistik (the study of African languages and literatures) were to merge or have more porous borders with another field, which field do you think would be a cool partner and why?”

This month’s question is: “Let’s pretend that Shakespeare is suddenly canceled and stricken from the literary canon and school curricula all over the world. You have the opportunity to replace him with an African playwright or author. Whom would you choose to fill the void and why?”

There will be a new episode of Afrikanists Assemble the first day of every month! In every episode, people from various academic backgrounds answer a question related to the field of Afrikanistik and African Studies.

This month’s question is: “If you could build your own utopian future for Afrikanistik (the study of African languages and literatures), what would the field look like?”