For the past 50 years, the African Studies program has offered students a number of exceptional opportunities, including African Crossroads, a series that meets on Wednesdays to allow students the opportunity to discuss and share information about the advancements and changes in Africa.
“African Crossroads is a platform for students, faculty, staff and scholars to share their Africa-focused research,” said Bose Maposa, assistant director of African Studies. “As our program is interdisciplinary, having these weekly discussions allows for information sharing and also to showcase different avenues for research in Africa…it allows for a critical view and reflection on scholarly work about the African continent, moving away from Africa of the media.”
Starting Wednesday, this program will be introducing graduate students, who will be sharing their stories about their journeys to Ohio University and their research interests and studies.
“This year as the program celebrates its 50th anniversary, our focus is on the impact the program has made and what lies ahead,” Maposa said. “We will be having current students, alumni, faculty, and other invited guests speak about the legacy of the program.”
Maposa said their goal is to present on current events, with a historical perspective so they can make their audience understand and appreciate the “bigger picture.” The group also tries to collaborate with as many departments to highlight the interdisciplinary nature of the program.
“The series is important for OU as it fits into its overall global mission of raising awareness through research, instruction and publication,” said Ghirmai Negash, associate director of African Studies. “If you take into account that many Africans have studied and worked in Ohio University, and many OU students have traveled to the continent to study its culture, languages, and literature, you can see that the series comes in a sense as one expression or concretization of that linkage and intellectual partnership between OU and the continent.”
Steve Howard, director of African Studies, hopes that the students can feel an up-close opportunity to interact with people who have some degree of involvement in Africa.
“We are always looking for ways to draw the community in,” Howard said.
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