News & Events
Find the latest news below, and our event calendar on the right.
Would you like to stay updated on our latest research news, publications and events? Please subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
Posted on 9 November 2011, last modified on 9 October 2023
19 February 2021
This volume by Jon Abbink and Shauna LaTosky explores the constitutive role of rhetoric in socio-cultural relations, and contains both theoretical chapters as well as fascinating examples of the effects of rhetoric used (un)consciously in social praxis. The elements of power, competition and political persuasion figure prominently. It is an accessible collection of studies, speaking to common issues and problems in social life, and shows the heuristic and often explanatory value of the rhetorical perspective. Of the thirteen chapters, seven are on African cases.
16 February 2021
This online seminar by Blessing-Miles Tendi, Associate Professor in the Politics of Africa at the University of Oxford, focuses on the life of Solomon Mujuru, an illustrious African liberation fighter in the 1970s and, until his assassination in 2011, an important figure in Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU PF party in Zimbabwe. Tendi's biography of Mujuru throws light onto the opaque elite politics of the 1970s liberation struggle, post-independence army - Mujuru was the first black commander of independent Zimbabwe's national army - and ZANU PF.
16 February 2021
The ASCL is deeply saddened by the news that Dr Bernard Berendsen died on 11 February. Bernard has been very important to the African Studies Centre Leiden, for a very long time. Bernard worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Head of the Africa Desk and Ambassador for the Netherlands in Tanzania (among other functions). He was a member of the ASC's Advisory Council and later of its Curatorium. He supported the integration of the African Studies Centre in Leiden University in 2016, after which he became the Chair of the new Advisory Board of the African Studies Centre Foundation. The ASCL will remember Bernard’s commitment, his wise advice, his kindness and his foresight.
11 February 2021
On the occasion of the conferral of an honorary doctorate to Mozambican children's rights activist Graça Machel, a 60,000 euro fund has been set up to enable two female students from South Africa each year to follow the Master of Laws Advanced Studies programme in International Children’s Rights. The fund was announced by the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof. Joanne van der Leun, during the Dies Natalis of Leiden University on 8 February 2021. Upcoming deadline for application: 1 April.
04 February 2021
Newspapers from Africa are among the hardest items to collect systematically. Therefore, the ASCL is happy to supply access to yet another small collection of (print) newspapers from Somalia. The Swedish publisher SCANSOM, long active in the field of Somali publications, has digitised and republished fourteen volumes of mainly English, and some Somali language newspapers. The newspapers were originally published in the period 1961-1987, an important period of time just after Somali independence. Read more in the latest Library Highlight!
04 February 2021
To mark the conferring of an honorary doctorate on human rights and child rights activist Graça Machel on 8 February 2021, the ASCL Library has compiled this web dossier on children’s rights in Africa. The dossier includes titles from the ASCL Library collection, extended with sources available through the broader Leiden University Library collection. The dossier is introduced by Ton Liefaard, professor of Children's Rights at Leiden University. Read the web dossier.
29 January 2021
Prof. Marleen Dekker has been appointed as the new director of the African Studies Centre Leiden. She will take up her new position on 1 April 2021 for a period of four years. Marleen Dekker is Professor of Inclusive Development in Africa at Leiden University. She will succeed Prof. Jan-Bart Gewald, who will continue as Professor of African History and senior researcher at the ASCL. The Board of the ASCL would like to express its gratitute to Professor Gewald for his huge commitment to the ASCL during his directorship.
29 January 2021
Recently the memoirs of Professor Charles Odidi Okidi, former Dean of the School of Environmental Studies of (then) Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya, were published. Title: In Pursuit of Excellence. From 1991 onwards the Netherlands supported this School. Ton Dietz was the scientific coordinator on the Dutch side. In his memoirs, Prof. Okidi writes: ‘It is desirable that a tracer study be done to find out what has happened to those who went to Amsterdam. Where are they?' Dietz, a pensioner but very actively involved in the Africa Knows! conference, did a deep search on the internet. Read his blog!
Pages
11 June 2024