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15 February 2006

The Ministry of Education will, from 26 to 28 February 2006, host a conference on strengthening of African Studies in Africa and South Africa in particular. The conference will be held at the Centre for African Renaissance Studies, UNISA, Pretoria.

The conference will be held under the theme “Maintaining Viable African Studies Centres: Challenges and Lessons from the Diaspora”. The purpose of this conference is to begin a debate on matters relating to structures and types of programmes needed to make African Studies both on the continent, and in particular, South Africa viable and sustainable. This would enable supportive policy intervention with the aim of diversifying delivery systems to involve civil society groups and empower communities. Most of all, it would help to ensure quality in the context of reforms.

It will provide a platform for sharing experiences, challenges and lessons learnt from the international community, including the continent and the Diaspora.

The expected outcome of the conference is that it should lead to increased pedagogical renewal and commitment to the development and utilisation of African Studies as a vehicle for social transformation. The conference should be seen as part of a process to facilitate accelerated and informed developments that can feed into related development plans as conceptualised in the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) framework.

Debates at the conference will be structured around the following focus areas:

* The role of African Studies in a globalising world
* Relationship to other academic disciplines/ the interdisciplinary nature of African Studies
* African Studies in the Diaspora: challenges and achievements.

Participants include stakeholders such as Council on Higher Education (CHE), Higher Education South Africa (HESA), Human Science Research Council (HSRC), the Africa Institute, professional and student organisations, members of higher education research (NRF, MRC, ARC) and development agencies, members of higher education regional consortia and officials of relevant government departments such as, the Department of Arts and Culture. Academics who will participate include amongst others, Professor Herbert Vilakazi, Professor Ben Magubane, Professor Shadrack Gutto and Professor Amina Mama.

Invitations have also been extended to notable international and African scholars such as, Prof Cornell West, Prof Michael Dosun, Prof Ajayi, Prof Mahmood Mamdani, Prof N’dri Assie-Lumumba and Prof Paul Tiyambe Zeleza. African scholars from a wide range of disciplines such as Economics, Sociology, Jurisprudence, and Archaeology have been invited to contribute to the debates.

Across the world, African Studies have for years formed an integral part of the academe. Universities such as Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Cornell and many other world renowned institutions have so far proved to be durable centres of African Studies.

However, on the African continent, there is a general dearth of African Studies in most of our universities. Few universities have well-established, viable African Studies departments. Those that have such or similar centres often suffer from lack of, or inadequate capital and human resources necessary to make such studies viable and sustainable. In South Africa, eleven years into our new democracy, few institutions offer African Studies as part of their curriculum.

Programme
Date: Sunday, 26 February 2006
Venue: African Window, 149 Visagie Street, Pretoria
Time: 18h30 to Welcome: Director-General, Mr Duncan Hindle,
* 18h45 - Keynote Address: Minister of Education, Mrs Naledi Pandor, MP.
* 18h45 - Dinner

Date: Monday, 27 February 2006
Venue: Centre for African Renaissance Studies no. 27 Skinner Street, Pretoria
* 08h15 to 08h30 - First Plenary: Welcome by the Minister of Education, Mrs Naledi Pandor, MP
* 08h30 to 10h30 - Setting the pace: Showcasing what exists
 
Professor Brenda Cooper, Director, Centre for African Studies, UCT
Professor Phillip Nel, Director, African Studies, University of Free State
Dr Mathole Motshekga, Director, Kara Heritage Institute
Professor Shadrack Gutto, Director, Centre for African Renaissance Studies, UNISA
Professor Pierre Hugo, Africa Institute
Dr Shamil Jeppie, Advisor to the South Africa-Mali Timbuktu Manuscript Project

* 10h30 to 11h00 - Tea break
* 11h00 to 13h00 - Parallel sessions

Session 1: African Studies for Development: Professor Amina Mama, Director, Africa Gender Studies
Session 2: African Studies on the continent and diaspora – Challenges and Achievements: Professor N’dri Assie-Lumumba, Cornell University
Session 3: The interdisciplinary nature of African Studies – issues of quality and delivery: Dr Sipho Buthelezi, University of Fort Hare

* 13h00 to 14h 00 - Lunch
* 14h00 to 15h00 - Second Plenary: Report on breakaway sessions
* 15h00 to 15h30 - Tea
* 15h30 to 16h30 - Third Plenary: Keynote address: Professor Paul Tiyambe Zeleza, Pennsylvania State University

Date: Tuesday, 28 February 2006
Venue: Centre for African Renaissance Studies no. 27 Skinner Street, Pretoria

* 08h30 to 10h30 - First Plenary: Panel Discussion. Taking the Lead: Anchoring African Studies in Africa Panel: Chair: Prof Malegapuru Makgoba
Dr Eddie Maloka: Africa Institute
Professor Barney Pityana: UNISA

* 10h30 to 10h45 - Tea break
* 10h45 to 12h00 - Parallel sessions
* 12h00 to 13h00 - Closing Plenary

Enquiries: Tommy Makhode
Ministerial spokesperson
Cell: 082 566 0446
Tel: (012) 312 5538
E-mail: makhode.t@doe.gov.za

Issued by: Department of Education
15 February 2006