Welcome to the African Studies Institute website at The University of Georgia

The Institute provides benefits to students, faculty and staff encompassing the humanities, social sciences, physical, biological and agricultural sciences, as well as those from our professional schools, such as business, education, law, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, public health and environmental design. We provide classroom and practical experience and thoughtful discourse to students, undergraduates and graduates. We engage in original, collaborative research among faculty, and we encourage and support outreach/service learning opportunities for all with respect to Africa. The Institute's core and affiliate faculty and staff members are housed in various departments of Franklin College and the University's colleges and schools of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Education, Environmental and Design, Forestry and Natural Resources, Family and Consumer Sciences, Journalism and Mass Communication, Social Work, Business, and Public and International Affairs.

The African Studies Institute offers an undergraduate Certificate in African Studies and an undergraduate Minor in African Studies. In addition, the Institute supports the Minor in African Languages and Literatures in the department of Comparative Literature. The African Studies course offerings to maintain these programs have grown over the years and many are cross listed within thirteen departments across the University. In addition, the Institute continues to provide support for the Program in African Languages and Cultures (PALC) in conjunction with the Comparative Literature Department. The support has facilitated course offerings in the following African languages (presented chronologically according to year of establishment): Swahili (1987); Yoruba (1996); Zulu (1998: temporarily unavailable); Manding (2005) and Amharic (2007: temporarily unavailable). Furthermore, the Institute supports instruction in Arabic and Hausa out of its affiliated department of Religion.

The ASI continues to provide the needed exposure to UGA students, through study abroad programs in Africa operated as part of the academic mission of the unit. The Institute organizes the Maymester and the Service Learning study abroad programs every summer in Tanzania. Other study abroad programs in Africa include collaborations with other departments and colleges at UGA as well as African Studies programs in other universities. Such programs include the study abroad programs in Ghana, South Africa, Morocco, Kenya and Nigeria. To further enhance its academic offerings, the ASI hosts and participates in several events throughout the year. These activities include: the Annual Darl Snyder Lecture on Africa; the weekly APERO Africana Lectures; State of the Art conferences and symposia; the Fall lecture and open house; the K-12 Teacher Seminar on Africa; the regional Southeast and the National Model African Union (SEMAU & NAMAU respectively); and the African Languages' Cultural Awareness events.

Come see us, email us, or simply visit our website periodically for news and vital information about Africa and programs in Africa. We hope you will join us in further strengthening the African Studies Institute at the University of Georgia.

Akinloye Ojo
Associate Professor and Director