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ACT - Africa Centre for Transregional Research

The Africa Centre of Freiburg is a Competence Centre for Transregional, Reciprocal African Studies and Societal Exchange.

Stay informed about events, research and more with the ACT newsletter!

ACT, the Africa Centre for Transregional Research, at the University of Freiburg, is host for African researchers. ACT aims to establish a differentiated image of African reality in the public sphere.

ACT is a competence, service, and information centre for European African studies in teaching, research, and innovation.

With reciprocity of research as its guiding motive, ACT establishes a new form of cooperation between German, European and African researchers.

 

Ongoing research projects of the ACT

Restitution of Dignity?
Human Remains - Kolonialismus - Humanity

The research project focuses on the problem of dealing with the dehumanizing dimensions of colonialism and their effects on scientific practice to this day.

 

Events

Scientific Symposium
"Burundi in East Africa: Opportunities and challenges"

organized by the Baden-Württemberg University Network for Global Partnerships (GloPart), the Africa Centre for Transregional Research and the Arnold Bergstraesser Institute
with the support of the Foundation for Development Cooperation in Baden-Württemberg (SEZ)

18.11.2024 - 19.11.2024

Freiburg Africa Talk
Conflict, Rule of Law and Critical Minerals in Africa

with Dr. Collins Chikodili Ajibo, Prof. Dr. Andreas Mehler
22.01.2025, 20:00, HS1098 (KGI)

 

News

Interview with ghanaian filmmaker and PhD student Aseye Tamakloe ("When Women Speak")

Aseye Tamakloe visits the ACT in the winter term 20204/25 with the Erasmus+ partnership between the University of Freiburg and the University of Ghana. In the interview with the ACT, she talks about connections between cinema und research.

Recording available: Restitution - A positioning

On 27.11.2024, Dr. Richard Tsogang Fossi und Dr. Fiona Siegenthaler discussed questions of restitution, moderated by Prof. Dr. Andreas Mehler. A recording of the Freiburg Africa Talk is now available on the University of Freiburg's video portal.

Evening Event: Strengthening Global Partnerships (18.11.2024)

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the partnership between Baden-Württemberg and Burundi, a discussion event was held on November 18, 2024 at the University of Freiburg on the topic: “Global Partnerships - Challenges and Perspectives for Universities and Civil Society.”

ACT member Gloria Kenyatta defends her dissertation (14.11.2024)

On November 14, 2024, Gloria Kenyatta defended her doctoral thesis on “The Effects of Participatory Processes on Public Policy Development in Kenya's Devolved Governments”. Her supervisors Ewald Eisenberg (Kehl University of Applied Sciences) and Andreas Mehler, as well as the ACT congratulate her warmly!

de-coloniality now funds tim glawion

De/Coloniality Now funds research tandem by ACT member Dr. Tim Glawion (25.11.2024)

In the project, Tim Glawion will conduct research on peace and security in the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo together with academics from the University of Bangui and Ghent University.

ACT welcomes guests for the winterterm 2024/25 (30.10.2024)

As the new semester starts, so do new scholarship programs. We are pleased to welcome guests of the University of Freiburg from Ghana and Nigeria at the ACT.

Get to know the former adademic coordinator of the ACT: Dr. Stephanie Boye  (15.10.2024)

In her recently published dissertation, Dr Stephanie Boye opens up new perspectives on Franco-Senegalese literature and the untranslatable Senegalese term jom. Her unusual career is closely linked to her time in Senegal. In this portrait, she talks about her story.

Interview with Archivist Judith Boateng from the University of Ghana (15.10.2024)

Judith Opoku-Boateng visited the ACT in September 2024 and joined the Restitution Workshop held together with MIASA. We asked her about her passion for preserving Africa’s audiovisual heritage, the role of archives in the restitution debate and the challenges she faces in preserving audiovisual heritage.

Call for Applications extended: PhD Erasmus+ Scholarship for semester stays at University of Ghana (11.10.2024)

All active PhDs in Humanities at the University of Freiburg can apply for funding until the 21st of October 2024.

Symposium: Refugees and Displaced Persons in the Great Lakes Region  (25.09.2024)

The ABI research cluster “Patterns of (Forced) Migration” in association with the ACT, organised a symposium on Refugees and Displaced Persons in the Great Lakes Region, which provided an opportunity for researchers from the region, as well as those working there, to offer their insights.

Former REK-funded Dr. Agbelengor successfully defended his PhD thesis (09.09.2024)

The doctoral student visited Freiburg and the ACT in 2022/23 under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Andreas Mehler.

New ERC Grant for Franziska Zanker (ABI): "The Political Lives of Migrants: Perspectives from Africa" (05.09.2024)

The European Research Council will fund a new research project on migration in Africa, led by Dr. Franziska Zanker at the Arnorld-Bergstraesser-Institut.

Workshop Report: Human Remains in University Collections - Comparison and Entanglement (15.07.2024)

Following research projects by the ABI and ACT on the restitution of human remains, a workshop on “Human Remains in University Collections - Comparison and Entanglements” was held at the ABI on July 15, 2024.

"Of Ears of the Living and Voices of the Dead" (15. and 18.07.2024)

A public science communication experiment on the subject of restitution took place on the Platz der Alten Synagoge in Freiburg, conceived by a group led by Dr. Balz Alter, together with E 3600 sicentific artworks, director Michael Buseke and dramaturge Lucie Tuma.

Calls

We inform you about current calls and open positions here.