African Centrefor the Studyof the UnitedStates

AFRICAN CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNITED STATES

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TOESTABLISH THIS CENTRE?

There is a need to create African-generated knowledge and more nuanced understandings of the US as a nation and society to inform African thinking, actions and interactions from political relations, through economic and trade relations to cultural intersections, interactions and exchanges.

There is an urgent need for Africans to turn a critical analytical African focus on a nation and society that is a major world power – and has been and is an important actor involved in Africa’s present and future.

Obtaining a critical analytical understanding of another society, with its complex and complicated history, is also a way of gaining a better understanding of ourselves as Africans.

There is a need to create courses and postgraduate programmes to train a new generation of African students and citizens, with a focused knowledge on the US as a nation and a society.

There is a need for an entity that links African scholars, researchers and students interested in the US as a nation and a society, and to train US students who are interested in US influence globally.

There is a need for an academic space for convening Africa-US dialogues by different sectors, groups, movements, policy makers and governments, business and corporations, and sub-regional structures such as the Southern African Development Community, the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union.

There is a need for a resource and repository for specific forms of knowledge that inform policy-making processes in Africa and the US through commissioned research.

There is a need for a base for visiting US scholars and students who are conducting research on Africa.

There is a need for a venue and space for briefings and induction programmes for Africans who are going to the US for training or exchange programmes, as well as for US scholars coming to Africa, to better understand the dynamics of the US and Africa relationships, interactions and connections.

There is a need for a space for conducting induction and training programmes for African diplomats who will be posted to the US.

There is a need for a space for returning African diplomats to reflect, share and write about their experiences in the US.

To facilitate exchange programmes between the Centre and the US.

The African Centre for the Study of the United States is a research centre based at the University of the Witwatersrand, one of Africa’s leading research universities, that will serve as an intellectual base for the study of the US and Africa. The Centre will be African owned and operated, aiming to play a vital role in offering analysis, stimulating scholarly and public debates about the US as a nation and a society, and the ways Africa relates to the US.

WHAT IS IT?

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Foreign Policy and Geopolitics

AFRICAN CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNITED STATES

HOW WILL THE CENTRE DO THIS?

PROGRAMMES OF THE CENTRE

The Centre will fundraise for its programmes from individuals, philanthropic entities, the public and private sectors and research funding organisations in Africa and the US.

An active programme should have core staff consisting of, at minimum: a senior researcher, postgraduate students (MA and PhDs) and postdoctoral fellows.

An active programme must be engaged in most of the following activities: - teaching, - research projects with publication outcomes, - supervision of postgraduate students and mentoring of postdoctoral fellows, - seminars, conferences, public events and lectures, - consultancies, - hosting of visiting academics and students, - hosting artists from different disciplines, and- hosting diplomats, business people and civil society actors.

Dynamics of democracy in its historical contextElections, electoral systems, and the question of representationRepresentation of minority groups and women in political and public institutionsRace, gender, class and cultureCivil society and activismReligion and religious movements

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US-Africa policy in its historical context and the presentThe Cold War and AfricaUS-Africa command and security interestsAid and US foreign policy in AfricaPublic diplomacy

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Law, the Rule of Law and Independenceof the Judiciary

Separation of powersRule of law and independence of the judiciaryHuman rights and social justiceCrime, the criminal justice system and justice

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The Economy, Business, Commerce andSociety

The US Economy and its historical developmentEconomic policies, institutions and economic policy-makingAfrica-US trade and economic relations

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Communications, Media, Culture andSociety

Media and cultural studiesMedia and cultural industries (news, film, television, music, theatre and performing arts)The publishing industry: literary production and societyHeritage institutions

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Politics and Society

Transport and transportation systemsTechnological changeSilicon Valley and the tech industriesAviation

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Technology and Society

US policies and actions with regards to international agreements and obligations on climate changeUS energy policies and impacts and implications for Africa

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Climate Change and Climate Justice

The structure of the higher education systemFunding and financing higher educationResearch funding

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Higher Education

The US healthcare system: policy and practicesHealthcare and public policyHealthcare institutions

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Public Health

Science and policyClimate scienceInnovation systemsWater research

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Science and Society

Drivers and prospects for sustainable futuresRace, gender, class and culture dynamicsIdentities, media and representation

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The Futures of the Youth and YouthDevelopment

AFRICAN CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF THE UNITED STATES

KEY PERSONNEL

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This project is led by Professor Tawana Kupe, Wits University’s Vice-Principal.

Professor Gilbert Khadiagala is the proposed Director of the Centre.

The US-based “The University of the Witwatersrand Fund, Inc.” (Wits Fund)* has indicated its willingness to identify likely US donors and supporters for the project.

The Wits Representative in the US, Ms Nooshin Erfani-Ghadimi, can be reached via nooshin.erfani-ghadimi@wits.ac.za

The Wits Fund is an independent, non-profit corporation charted under the laws of New York State and recognised by the US Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt corporation. In compliance with the IRS regulations, the Board of Directors of the Wits Fund maintains complete discretion over allocation of donations to Wits University. Donations to the Wits Fund qualify for income tax deductions in the United States to the limits covered by the law.

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