Mapping Higher Education and Research in Africa
Since the 18th century, when students of Professor Carl Linnaeus travelled across the world, Uppsala University has been engaged in research on the African continent. So, while Forum was founded in 2011, we have a much longer history.
In recent years, different studies of Uppsala University's higher education and research engagements in, and with Africa indicate that Forum for Africa Studies continues to play a key role in the construction of a vibrant, lively and productive environment for researchers engaged with Africa from a a wide range of disciplines and faculties. By organising small and big events (from weekly, informal research seminars, to public lectures and international symposia), the Forum has consolidated its unique identity and has become one of the landmarks of Africa Studies in our city.
Please read our annual reports for more information about the Forum's work and activities.
The 2011 Mapping
In order to reconstruct the history and explore future possibilities for African Studies, Uppsala University in early 2011 commissioned a study (Kay Svensson project leader) that was carried out by Simone Noemdoe:
"Mapping Uppsala University's Activities on Africa". Pdf, 1 MB.
The 2012 Survey
During 2012, Professor Tekeste Negash went beyond mapping and contextualized the research on Africa carried out at Uppsala University. The survey concentrated on the work produced by the major departments (Archaeology, Cultural Anthropology and Peace and Conflict), and discussed the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion of issues and areas, as well as scrutinized the role and responsibility of Universities of World Class, like Uppsala, in mapping out knowledge about the human condition. In the Fall of 2012, Forum for Africa Studies organized a conference on strategies to scale up Uppsala University's Africa research.
The 2016 Mapping
In 2016, Molly Sundberg, Coordinator of Forum for Africa Studies, undertook a new mapping of academic activities pertaining to Africa at Uppsala University. The mapping was based on three main methods of data collection: a) interviews with key Africa scholars at UU; b) an online questionnaire filled out by 137 researchers on current scholarly work on Africa, and; c) a review of doctoral theses produced at UU between the years 2000 and 2016. The report of the mapping is called:
The 2023-24 Mapping
In 2023-24, Kajsa Hallberg Adu and Jecinta Okumu, Coordinators at Forum, undertook a comprenhensive mapping of Uppsala University's higher education, and research engagements in and with Africa. The report is soon to be launched.