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ANU Africa Network
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This website was established in 2013 by David Lucas, and renovated and relaunched in 2020 as part of a project to increase awareness of Africa and African studies in the ANU and the ACT, funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Another outcome of that project was a major research report, published in August 2021, African Studies at the Australian National University and in the Australian Capital Territory, analyzing the past, present and future of the study of Africa at the Australian National University and the wider Australian University sector.
The major innovation on this updated website is the creation of the ACT Africa Expert Directory which lists experts on Africa from institutions around the ACT, primarily the ANU. We will continue to curate this list, offering a key resource for media, government and non-government organizations seeking expert facts and opinions on Africa. Individuals can request to be added to the list by contacting the website managers.
Another notable addition is the expanded directory of PhD theses on Africa produced in the territory’s universities, a solid measure of the vitality of the study of Africa in the city of Canberra.
Reviewing these directories, it is revealing to note that the vast majority of research on Africa is produced by disciplinary experts (environmental scientists, economists, demographers, etc.) rather than area studies experts. This means that the study of Africa is woven into the fabric of the research culture of the ANU and the ACT’s other universities in ways that are not necessarily apparent.
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Trade with Africa: Public Hearing
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A Senate committee is currently inquiring into Australia’s trade and investment relationships with the countries of Africa.
The committee will hold a hearing in Canberra at Parliament House on 11 May. When it is ready, the program will be available on the committee website:
Submissions can be found at:
https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/TradeinvestmentAfrica/Submissions
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ANUASA Submission to Crawford Review
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Below are selected parts of the submission of the ANU African Student Association (ANUASA) to the 2017 Review of the Crawford School of Public Policy at The Australian National University. More on the report of the review panel later.
Augustus Panton, a PhD Candidate |in Economics at the Crawford School, met with the review panel who congratulated ANUASA for its submission.
“As Australia positions itself as a key partner of Africa, the role of the Australian National
University cannot be overemphasized. As Australia’s National University and a top global
research institution, the lack of an established and coordinated research forum on Africa.“ANU is a noticeable concern, particularly considering Australia’s strong economic partnership with Africa. Amongst several other functions, the proposed institute can champion the coordination of scholarly research on Africa, bringing together scholarly evidence aimed at informing public policy. This will greatly benefit Australian policymakers and private sector and their African counterparts in promoting trade and investment and sustainable development in Africa.
The proposed institute could also be instrumental in organizing scholarly events centered on African policy issues, greatly enriching the learning experience of African Students and others with interest in Africa. Below are some student contributions.
The strength of the Crawford brand with external stakeholders
Currently, no Australian university has an African Studies Institute. The prospect of having
an African Studies Institute could bring together African studies and scholars, in Australian
foreign policy in Africa, provide many gains for both Africa and Australia, and aid policy decision making.ANU is the leading university in Australia and part of the top 20 universities in the world,
therefore developing the institute of African studies will make ANU forward looking, as ANU
will be in a position to make positive influence not only to the Asia-pacific but Africa.Impact on public policy
Governance, conflicts and lack of accountability are among issues hindering development in Africa, and having studies as well as research in these areas can assist in identifying policies and structures required for solving these issues.The impact of our social media activities and areas for development
It is almost impossible to publish anything in the development policy blog. Having an Afric an Institute situated at the Crawford school could improve the visibility of the numerous work done by Crawford researchers and multidisciplinary research done on Africa”
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AFSAAP ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2018
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From the Secretary of the African Studies Association of Australasia and the Pacific (AFSAAP)
AFSAAP ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2018
Africa in Transition: Governance, Society and Culture
Call for Papers
The African Studies Association of Australasia and the Pacific (AFSAAP) cal ls for proposals for preorganized panels, roundtables, thematic conversations and individual papers for its 41st annual meeting to be held at UNSW, Sydney from November 21st to November 23rd 2018.AFSAAP invites ‘papers that engage with, but are not limited to, the theme: Africa in Transition:Governance, Society and Culture. As always, we bring together scholars working in different disciplines. We invite participants to contribute theoretically innovative and empirically grounded papers, panels and presentations that enhance our understanding of these issues. Though the central focus will be on this broader theme, we also welcome contributions on other topics that consider Africa, or Africa/Australia/Pacific relations and Africans in the region.’
‘Abstracts of proposed papers, panels and roundtables should be sent by July 1st, 2018 to Dr. Anne Bartlett, International Studies, Morven Brown 230, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia. Email: a.bartlett@unsw.edu.au
A preliminary program will be announced by August 1st, 2018. Late
proposals for papers will be considered only if space is available. All proposals will be peer reviewed by the program committee. Registration and conference fees must be paid before presenters will beplaced in the formal conference program.’
Please check the AFSAAP website for more details:
www.afsaap.org.au