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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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Examining Recent African Mining Conferences
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Revised topic for the second talk in the African Discussion Group series
“Examining Recent African Mining Conferences: Lessons learnt re Governments, the African Union, Corporates, NGOs and communities.
It will include a joint round table discussion of what are essentially Africa wide governance issues, with the students (and others) contributing from their own country’s experiences,
Date: Thursday 25th October, 6pm
Venue: Fenner Seminar Room, Building 141, Fenner School of Environment and Society
Linnaeus Way. This building is at the corner of Daley Road and Linnaeus way
Speaker: Margaret O’Callaghan (Visiting Fellow at the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy)Our presenter Margaret O’Callaghan will speak on the impact of mining in Africa and the role played by corporates, civil society, government agencies and other key actors using Zambia as a case study.
The presentation will provide an overview and analysis of conferences focused on mining in Africa, including those run by corporates, civil society, regional agencies and governments. It will highlight the resulting issues, especially those related to costs and benefits for both the continent and mining communities.Margaret is a Visiting Fellow at the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy. Formerly a teacher, community worker, researcher and writer, a major part of her career focused on international development assistance working with AusAID (1987-93) and serving as UN Population Fund Representative to PNG (1993-1998) and Zambia (1998-2005).
This second discussion series promises to be interactive and exciting for those interested in learning and contributing to discussions on mining in Africa.Please RSVP through the link to secure your place: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/african-discussion-group-discussion-series-2-tickets-51323764762
There will be snacks and non-alcoholic drinks after the presentation.
Hope to see you all there!
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The ANU’s Ceri Shipton named as Australia’s Leader in the Research Field of African Studies and History
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The September 2018 issue of the Research Supplement of The Australian was devoted to ‘The Stars of 2018’.
Pages 36-38 were devoted to Australia’s Australia’s Research Field Leaders and Institutions in the Humanities, Arts and Literature. Dr Ceri Shipton of the ANU was named as the Field Leader in African Studies and History, while Charles Sturt University was nominated as the Leading Institution.
Dr Shipton has worked on research projects in East Africa, Arabia, India, and Polynesia, and on periods from the Lower Palaeolithic to the Neolithic.
He is a researcher at the School of Culture, History and Language at the ANU. In article entitled ‘Kenyan cave sheds new light on dawn of modern man’ he said that ‘the Panga ya Saidi cave sequence dates back 78,000 years and is the only known site in East Africa with an unbroken archaeological record of human habitation.’
https://chl.anu.edu.au/news-events/news/976/kenyan-cave-sheds-new-light-dawn-modern-man
Just one example of his African work is ‘Taphonomy and Behaviour at the Acheulean Site of Kariandusi, Kenya’, African Archaeological Review, 2011. Acheulean refers to a range of Paleolithic tool-making traditions spreading from Africa to the Middle East and Asian.
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ANU African Discussion Series: Energy in Kenya
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This is the first of the ANU’s African Discussion Series
Topic: Lighting the way? Understanding energy and development in Kenya
Date: Friday September 28, 2018
Speaker Dr Edwina Fingleton-Smith.
Edwina is a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Fenner School of Environment and Society. Prior to starting her PhD at Fenner, Edwina completed a Masters of Environmental Law and Sustainable Development at SOAS (University of London) and a Bachelor of Development Studies at the Australian National University Edwina previously held a position as a research associate with international development NGO Practical Action working on the development of market-based energy access projects and the links between women’s economic empowerment and energy access.
Venue: Fenner Seminar room 1.01, Building 141, Fenner School of Environment and Society Map https://studentvip.com.au/anu/main/maps/83402
Time: 6pm – 7.30pm. Light refreshments will be served around 7pm.
Abstract
Of the 1.06 billion people who don’t have access to electricity globally, nearly half reside in sub-Saharan Africa. More than 60% of the population of sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to electricity and in many rural areas that number can be as high as 95%. This makes energy access one of the most critical areas for development across the continent if it wants to meet its development targets. Over the past several years, energy access has risen as a global priority, most notably evidenced in its status as a stand-alone Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 7). Despite the increasing importance on energy for development we have little understanding of how to use it effectively to maximize development outcomes. Based on qualitative research conducted in Kenya, this presentation will ask if we need to reassess our assumptions about the value of energy for improving development outcomes. This includes areas such as the capacity of energy to improve productivity and economic development, the role of energy in improving women’s lives, and what theoretical models around energy use in developed countries can tell us about energy use by the billion people who don’t have access to electricity and the 2.7 billion people who still cook over traditional fuels.