African Studies in Spain

Held in Madrid from March 14 through 16 is the "First International Colloquium of African Studies," on the status of this discipline in Spain.

The objective of the International Colloquium of African Studies of 2013 is to analyze the status of African Studies in Spain. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, there were several different orientations when it came to approaching studies on this continent, its societies and Europe’s interaction with them. On the one hand, as of the Berlin Conference, colonial policies developed an interest in geographic studies to delimit the actions of the colonial metropolises and for ethnic knowledge about their societies. Since the decolonization process, African Studies have been freed from this colonial orientation, and new fields of study have arisen (economics and development cooperation, international relations, cultural and post-colonial studies, media studies, etc.) and new methodologies for traditional fields (physical geography, anthropology, ethnicity, history, etc.).

The International Colloquium of African Studies is an opportunity to increase the visibility of the contributions in the different areas with which older and younger researchers are proposing new paths of knowledge and understanding about the continent of Africa. Through topics ranging from geopolitics and rights in the Mediterranean and Sub-Saharan regions, to economics, cooperation and development.

A secondary objective of the colloquium consists of stimulating relations between groups of researchers and offering a framework for interdisciplinary encounters to share knowledge, as well as serving as a platform for ideas and cooperation. The Spanish Association of Africanists has once again fulfilled its role as a meeting space for activities involving Africa, through its Madrid CMUNSA headquarters and is opening it up to all other institutions at which African Studies activities are regularly held and bibliography produced.

During the opening session, which will take place at the Colegio Mayor Nuestra Señora de África on Thursday, March 14 at 8:45 p.m., the exhibition “The Image of Guinea through Books” will be officially opened.
Participation in the Colloquium is free and an attendance certificate may be requested, for which purpose you must sign up at the sites where the colloquium will be held.