About the Program
In 1948, the distinguished scholar Melville J. Herskovits organized the Program of African Studies at Northwestern. Since then, the program continues to be globally recognized as a leader in conducting and facilitating Africa-focused research, scholarship, and arts. Through sponsorship of multidisciplinary courses with African content, language training, and promotion of Africa-based study, it supports and enlivens the undergraduate study of Africa while serving as the University’s “headquarters” for formal and informal interaction among interested students, faculty, and visitors. The program brings undergraduates studying Africa together with faculty and other experts in many areas of inquiry—across disciplinary boundaries and regional specializations—for lectures, seminars, workshops, conferences, and research programs. Northwestern’s Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies, an unparalleled resource for students and scholars, is the largest Africana collection in existence with subject matter ranging from art, history, literature, music, science, technology and religion to communications, engineering, management and cooking. Over the years the program has remained in active contact with its counterparts in Africa and elsewhere, while expanding its role in the University and off-campus communities. Northwestern University's Program of African Studies, is committed to a decolonized approach to African Studies on many fronts; Structural, epistemic, and relational among others. We remain committed to this approach as we promote awareness of, study of, research and application of knowledge from and about Africa across interdisciplinary networks of partners and communities of research and learning on the continent as well as across the diaspora.
Vision & Practices
- We aim to create truly collaborative and international working groups.
- We aim to promote continental driven research and collaborations.
- We aim to expand areas of knowledge production and generation
- We aim to create and sustain deep African Continental and global partnerships
- We aim to broaden and continue our archival work of cultural production on the continent
Interdisciplinary Focus
As one of Northwestern University's research institutes, PAS encompasses a thriving community of faculty, visiting scholars, graduate and undergraduate students who specialize in a variety of disciplines across the university. PAS promotes interdisciplinary coursework and programming that focuses on current events, language training, study abroad programs, and of course, research. In addition, PAS grants an Adjunct Major and Minor in African Studies at the undergraduate level and a Certificate in African Studies at the graduate level as well as administers several grants and fellowships to encourage academic research on Africa and the diaspora.