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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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Technology Transfers Between China and Ethiopia
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‘Does China’s BRI and Private Investment Abroad Help Industrial Development in the Third World? Tenuous Technology Transfers Between China and Ethiopia’
Speaker Dr Liang Chen
Hosted by Australian Centre on China in the World
Date and time
Thu 14th Mar 2024, 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm AEDTLocation
Seminar Room + Online, Australian Centre on China in the World
The Australian National University, Building 188, Fellows La, Acton ACT 2601, AustraliaEvent description
China’s quick expansion in the developing world, in particular the Sub-Sahara African countries, has spawned public debates and generated new fields of scholarship over the past couple of decades. In this talk, I will examine whether China’s Belt and Road (BRI) projects and private investment contribute to the industrial development in Africa through the lens of technology transfer. My findings are drawn from three case studies of Chinese firms in Ethiopia. Counterintuitively, my study shows that this process is not a straightforward process in which China holds the reins, as is generally assumed. African countries and people, though less economically developed, have demonstrated that they hold bargaining power vis-à-vis Chinese investments and technological transfers at the intra-firm level. Through interviews in Ethiopia with Chinese managers, technicians and workers and their Ethiopian counterparts, this research reveals that technology transfer is entangled with global and local forces, power contestations between Chinese and Africans, and managerial considerations. These transference processes are not developmentally driven nor driven by political efforts at solidarity with the Third World as in the days of Mao. Transferring technology is also a slow process that has some spillover effects on other domains such as labour relations. It is hoped that this research will supplement and add insights into other scholars’ research on technology transfer and market forces in developing countries.Registration
https://ciw.anu.edu.au/event/does-chinas-bri-and-private-investment-abroad-help-industrial-development-third-world-tenuous
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Happy International Women’s Day!
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Today, on International Women’s Day, we celebrate the incredible achievements of women worldwide. In honour of this occasion, let’s highlight the remarkable women who contribute to the ANU African Studies Network (ASN). Here they are:
Karo Moret-Miranda:
Karo is a lecturer at the Australian National University School of History, focusing on African and Afro-descendant studies. Her work delves into the enduring impacts of colonialism and aims to challenge racism and xenophobia, advocating for marginalized voices to be heard and valued. Karo gave a keynote speech at the 2023 ASN Conference. Thank you, Karo!
Audrey Kalindi:
Audrey completed her PhD at the Australian National University, specializing in maternal and child health. With a background in demography and economics from the University of Zambia, she employs both quantitative and qualitative methods to study population health disparities, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Audrey was the committee chair of the 2023 ASN Conference, where she did an exceptional job. Happy International Women’s Day to you, Audrey!
Miranda Zvidza:
Miranda, a Business Development Manager at ANU and founder of “Elevate Growth Consultancy,” is dedicated to uplifting the African Community in Australia. Through coaching, speaking engagements, and consultancy, she integrates her expertise, experiences, and faith to foster personal and entrepreneurial growth. Miranda’s support of the ASN, especially in business development, is incredible. Enjoy your day, Miranda!
Safiya Okai-Ugbaje:
Safiya is a systems thinker and researcher with a focus on IT for development (IT4D) and educational technologies. She is particularly interested in the practical applications of AI and large language models to address challenges in emerging economies. Safiya is an active member of the ASN.
Hilda Agyekum:
Hilda, a PhD student at the Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU, previously worked in research and evaluation in Ghana. With a background in disability studies, she now engages with broader development issues, serving as a college representative for African studies at ANU.
Rita Agha:
Rita is a PhD student at the UNESCO Chair in Science Communication for Public Good at the Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, Australian National University. Her research interests are in the areas of sexual and reproductive health care and the sociology of communication in Africa. Rita’s work seeks to contribute insights to these critical areas, reflecting her commitment to fostering positive societal change through scientific communication. She has been the co-convener of the ASN since 2023, and the network has grown exponentially under her leadership. Good job, Rita!
Happy International Women’s Day!
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Happy Independence, Ghana!
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Sound: Part of Ghana’s National Anthem, retrieved from the CIA World Factbook.
Today, we celebrate Ghana, the first African country in Sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence in 1957. The country was previously called the “Gold Coast” by its colonizer, Britain. Ghana has a rich socio-political and economic history that has influenced its current development.
Let’s now dig deeper into the socio-economic and political context of the country.
Politics and History
While diverse, present-day Ghana was largely dominated by the Asante Asante Kingdom until the 19th Century, when the British finally colonized it. However, the brave Asante and other ethnic groups persistently resisted British imperialism and gained independence in 1957 under Kwame Nkrumah.
After Nkrumah, the country went into political turmoil again, with numerous coups. Specifically, after taking power in the early 1980s, Lt. Jerry Rawlings cracked down on freedom and banned political parties and constitutionalism. He only restored multiparty rule in 1992, marking a turning point in the country’s political history. A series of elections have been held in the country since then. President Akufo-Addo is now serving his second term in office after re-election in 2020, and the country is gearing up for another election in 2024.
Ghana is often used as one of Africa’s most stable democracies and an active player in international affairs. According to the World Bank, the country ranks among the top three African countries for freedom of speech and press. But Ghana’s ascent to the international stage is not new. In fact, the country’s founding father, Kwame Nkrumah, was a dedicated pan-Africanist and the founding member of the Organisation of African Unity, now the African Union. Nkrumah’s successors have inherited the same pan-African spirit. Ghana, for instance, is an active player in peacekeeping missions abroad and a prominent member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc. In 1960, for instance, Ghana participated in the peacekeeping operation in the Congo and the Liberian and Sierra Leonean crises in the early 1990s. In June 2021, Ghana was elected to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2022–2023 term.
Ghana is one of the African countries with diplomatic representation in Canberra.
Economy and society
In 2019, Ghana was crowned the world’s fastest-growing economy. However, the country is now battling some of the highest inflation rates it has seen in decades. Measured at 50.3% in 2022, Ghana witnessed a very high inflation rate. However, in January 2024, the annual inflation rate increased to 23.5% from 23.2% in the prior month, staying well above the central bank’s target band of 6% to 10% (Trading Economics, 2024). The World Bank estimated growth in Ghana at as low as 1.5% in 2023, remaining muted in 2024, and will be 2.8%. In 2021, the country’s public debt rose from 79.6% to over 90% of GDP in 2022. The country is not doing very badly in terms of unemployment, as the highest unemployment rate it has registered since the 1990s was 10% in the year 2000. In fact, in 2022, the unemployment rate in Ghana was estimated at just about 3.5%.
With a GDP of US$77.3 billion in 2022, Ghana is Africa’s 10th largest country by GDP. The country relies on gold, cocoa, and oil exports. Originally known as the “Gold Coast,” Ghana is Africa’s largest gold producer, with gold accounting for over 40% of its export earnings. The per capita GDP of Ghana was US$2203.6 in 2022 (the 18th highest in Africa). In fact, in 2010, Ghana achieved middle-income status.
About 56% of Ghanaians were under the age of 25 in 2020, and the country achieved an urbanisation rate of 59.2% in 2023 and a literacy rate of 79% (2018 estimate).
Happy 67th Independence Day, Ghana!