News & Events

Liesbeth Kanis has started as the new Head of the Library, Documentation and Information Department at the ASCL. Kanis has a broad experience in scholarly information that ranges across the globe, including in Africa and Asia. She aims to ensure that the library serves not only academics and the public, but also offers globally accessible, impactful resources.

The article in Trouw discusses how China, Russia, and Iran are taking advantage of instability in the Horn of Africa to expand their influence and strengthen ties with autocratic leaders in the region. Jon Abbink explains that these foreign powers are pursuing strategic and economic interests amid ongoing conflicts in countries like Sudan, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

This new book, edited by Jon Abbink, explores policies and governance initiatives in Ethiopia introduced after the federal government launched its 'Reform Agenda' in 2018. It features key topics including women’s empowerment, agrarian governance, youth (un)employment, and foreign direct investment.

To mark the retirement of Jos Damen - the ASCL's former Head of the Library, Documentation, and Information Department - the Library staff and Marleen Dekker, director of the ASCL, pay tribute to Jos with the help of a book or a film they associate him with: Jos Damen in 11 books and films!

The ASCL is saying farewell to its esteemed Head of the Library, Documentation, and Information Department (LDI) Jos Damen. After having dedicated his expertise and passion to the ASCL and particularly its library (now known as the African Library) since 2006, Damen is retiring.

On 21 March 1940, South African photographer Ernest Levi Tsoloane Cole was born. In the early 1960s, he started to freelance for clients such as Drum magazine, the Rand Daily Mail, and the Sunday Express. This made him South Africa's first black freelance photographer.