News & Events

'Decolonising African Studies: questions and dilemmas for libraries, archives and collections' was the theme of this year’s conference of the UK Libraries and Archives Group on Africa (SCOLMA). Most talks concentrated on issues of decolonising archives in African and in western countries. Archives’ historical trajectories were sketched, possibilities and problems of repatriation of (parts of) archives were discussed, and alternative ways of dealing with archival material were presented.

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. 

A new research project by Prof. Marleen Dekker aims to investigate the social norms that guide and constrain the financial decision-making of Zambian men and women. It also aims to explore ways of incorporating knowledge about these norms into financial services, financial literacy programmes and policy design. (Photo copyright: Financial Sector Deepening Zambia). 

This workshop facilitates exchange and dialogue between 12 early career researchers working on topics of law, (human) rights and governance in Africa. We welcome researchers from a wide range of disciplines – i.e. African studies, law, anthropology, sociology, geography, political science and development studies - to apply in order to meet and exchange ideas and findings. Through adopting an interdisciplinary approach, we bring together researchers from different universities, faculties, and departments to exchange and work on new research agendas from diverse perspectives.

How do different regions in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa organise their regional collaboration? And what can be learned from these different regions to make the EU itself leaner, smarter and more legitimate? Leiden University has won a prestigious Jean Monnet grant to establish a Centre of Excellence addressing these questions. The centre, called CompaRe, will focus on comparative regional integration. Prof. Ton Dietz will participate in the centre on behalf of the ASCL.