The African Studies Centre Leiden is the only multidisciplinary academic knowledge institute in the Netherlands devoted entirely to the study of Africa. It has an excellent library that is open to the general public. The ASCL is an interfaculty institute of Leiden University.
The ASCL is thrilled that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali of Ethiopia has won the Nobel Peace Prize 2019. Premier Abiy Ahmed (1976) has won the prize 'for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea'. The ASCL is also delighted to announce that Mr Ahmed Ali has agreed to participate in the 'Africa 2020' activities the ASCL and LeidenASA will organize next year.
Prof. Jan Abbink was interviewed by the NOS about the fact that the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed Ali. According to Prof. Abbink, the award is an incentive to continue working towards democracy and synergy between the different population groups in Ethiopia - groups that were set up against each other under his predecessors.
Between 15 and 24 October Jan-Bart Gewald, Professor of African History at Leiden University, will be lecturing at seven universities in South Africa on new perspectives with regard to the period 1780-1840 in South Africa, which can be seen as one of the most fundamental periods of the country’s history. Prof. Gewald asserts that the ‘Time of Troubles’ can be better understood in the context of global interactions.
Namibian beer is celebrated as an inextricable part of Namibian nationalism, both within its domestic borders and across global markets. But for decades on end, the same brew was not available to the black population as a consequence of colonial politics. This book by Tycho van der Hoog aims to explain how a European style beer has been transformed from an icon of white settlers into a symbol of the independent Namibian nation. It is based on Van der Hoog's thesis for the Research Master in African Studies at Leiden University.
Strident Africa is the overarching research programme of the African Studies Centre Leiden for the years 2019-2024. The research programme examines the dramatic changes taking place on the continent in terms of population growth, urbanization, the role of external actors and the impact on the environment, taking into account the historical context. In it, the ASCL draws on the rich heritage of its past research.
