ASC Community

The African Studies Centre (ASC) has set up an ‘ASC Community’ of (international) Africa experts. For the time being the focus will be on nineteen African countries: Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Chad, Ethiopia, Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, as part of a programme of in-depth collaboration. This will be expanded to include other countries later.
View our present Community Members.

There are three types of community membership:

1. Fellow of the African Studies Centre: members have a PhD, are an academic researcher (at a university or in some other academic setting) and have published at least three refereed publications on Africa in the last five years;
2. Affiliate of the African Studies Centre: members are working on a PhD on a topic related to African Studies (or will be a Research Masters student), and are affiliated to a Dutch institution or working with support/involvement from Dutch Africanists; and
3. Associate of the African Studies Centre: members do not fit into either of the two categories above but want to have a fully recognized relationship with the ASC Community.

All prospective members (whether fellow, affiliate or associate) must have a link to a knowledge centre (broadly defined) in the Netherlands.

What does the ASC expect from its members?

• You will be an active member of the ASC Community in your country and will (try to) be engaged in collaborative research, information or documentation projects with other colleagues in the ASC Community, and preferably also with staff at the ASC in Leiden.
• In some countries, you will be able, if you are interested, to be involved in attempts to encourage ‘participatory history writing’ about your country and its recent history of development and change. As part of this project, you will be contributing to the activities of Dutch scientific, business and aid agencies and organizations in your country.

What does the ASC offer its members in return?

• You will be visible on the ASC website either as a fellow, an affiliate or an associate of the ASC Community, with the information you have submitted.
• You will receive a monthly newsletter (in English) that will be sent to all members of the ASC Community.
• If you would like to inform the community members of a new publication or project, you can do so by sending an e-mail to asccommunity@ascleiden.nl.
• Your assistance might be requested from time to time in attempts to get research funding or organize research collaboration.
• If you wish, you will be able to have an ASC business card although a small charge will be made to cover the printing and postage costs (please contact Marieke van Winden: winden@ascleiden.nl). In all other respects, ASC Community membership is free of charge. Members will not be paid a honorarium.

Each country has its own ASC coordinator in Leiden and there is a (volunteer) country coordinator as well in each of the nineteen countries that have been selected for in-depth collaboration with the ASC.

If you would like to become an ASC Community member, please fill in the application form and return it via e-mail to asccommunity@ascleiden.nl. Applications for fellowship will first be reviewed by the ASC executive board. There is no deadline for applications.