The jury of the Africa Thesis Award is delighted to announce that the 2025 prize has been awarded to Yonwaba Matshobotiyana of the University of the Free State, South Africa, with a thesis on Black women's poetry in South Africa. The jury was blown away by this strong scholarly contribution to Black feminist thought and the field of decolonial literature studies. 

In this special section of the journal Conflict and Society, the authors call for attention to 'conflict continuities' to understand contemporary violence. They argue that past violent conflict may serve to generate new conflict, in reworked forms. The special section was initiated by the CRG ‘Conflict continuities’.

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), held in Morocco last December and January, ended in a chaotic final between Senegal and Morocco. From its birth in 1957, AFCON provided recognition and a stage to imagine the continent differently. Those ideals are still tested today, Chaimaa Radouani writes in a new blog post.

On 28 January, inside the coral-stone walls of the Lamu Fort Library (Lamu island, Kenyan coast), Annachiara Raia convened a first roundtable dedicated to the question on how to collaborate in safeguarding and connecting enduring heritage along the Swahili coast.

Two Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) visited Leiden University on 30 January. Their visit underscored the importance of the university’s expertise on Africa, Asia and Latin America in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape. MEP Marit Maij discussed knowledge collaboration with Africa.

The session on the Master African Studies was well attended during the university’s Master’s Open Day on 6 February. Current students and alumni shared their experiences on the study programme and research project in Africa. Are you also interested in the Master African Studies? Apply now!