The one-day conference at the King’s Manor in the city centre, on 18 February will explore the relationship between African states and democratic movements – States and democracy in Africa: expectations and contestations.
The network was established last year by a small group of Yorkshire-based Africanists, mainly political scientists, historians and developmentalists, and is providing a base for the exchange of ideas and experiences. To celebrate its formation, it is holding a series of launch events across Yorkshire.
Professor Allison Drew, from the University of York’s Department of Politics, is one of the network’s founders and a speaker at the event. She said: “African studies in Yorkshire has a proud tradition and vibrant present. Africanists in Yorkshire’s universities are carrying out an exciting range of world-class research in a wide range of disciplines. Thanks to the new network we now have a base for the sharing of ideas and for the development of research agendas.
“The conference at York will consider the barriers to democracy in Africa and how these can be overcome.”
Although based in Yorkshire, the network is open to all Africanists interested in participating in its activities. Thanks to financial support from the journal Review of African Political Economy, the series of half-day and full-day conferences marking the network’s launch are free. Travel subsidies are available to research students wishing to attend.
Speakers at the York event, which will be held from 10.30am to 5pm, are June Bam-Hutchinson, Institute for Public Understanding of the Past, Professor Allison Drew, Department of Politics, Njoroge Waithera and Lars Waldorf, Centre for Applied Human Rights – all University of York, Job Akuni, University of Bradford, Eudora Chikwendu, SUNY New Paltz, USA and Centre for Women’s Studies, University of York, and Justin Pearce, St Antony’s College, University of Oxford.
Space at the conference is limited and anyone interested in attending should email allison.drew@york.ac.uk.
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Notes to Editors:
For more information on the Yorkshire African Studies Network visit www.yasn.group.shef.ac.uk
