King’s College London showcases Africa

By Desmond Davies, GNA London Bureau Chief 

London, Nov. 12, GNA – King’s College London has launched its first ever Africa Week to “showcase the work of various departments, units and academics that engage in research, education and outreach activities relating to Africa”.

It will also “facilitate interaction between academics across King’s Faculties working on Africa and African policy practitioners as well as experts from partner institutions”.

Africa Week, which is part of Africa at King’s programme, would highlight “research projects and activities, as well as education and…activities that relate to King’s partnerships with Africa-based higher education, policy and practice institutions”.

King’s Professor of Security, Development and Leadership, Funmi Olonisakin, introducing the week-long programme of events, said: “Africa Week represents one element of a new internationalisation strategy: Internationalisation 2029.

“We aim to have a new kind of global reach, which is underpinned by two core values: the value of cultural competency and the value of global problem-solving.”

Prof Olonisakin, who is also Vice President and Vice Principal, International at King’s, went on: “That mindset of problem-solving is what underpins our partnerships with Africa and the rest of the world.

“But we’re about to showcase the ways in which King’s College London engages Africa and the ways in which our partners in Africa Work with us at King’s.” 

Events during the week are going to focus on film, literature, leadership, education, health, engineering and economics with expert voices, special guests, students and alumni.

On Monday evening, Dr Daniel Steinbach, lecturer in Modern History at the University of Exeter in the UK specialising in comparative European colonial history, gave the first public lecture of the Africa Week.

The event, organised by the Africa Research Group (War Studies) at King’s, marked Armistice Day.

Dr Steinbach discussed the under-recognised role played by Africa in the First World War.

The lecture looked at how the outbreak of war challenged underlying racial concepts and practices of colonialism and how the perception of ally versus enemy changed in August 1914.

He explored how the war on the one hand increased the imperial grip on colonial subjects and yet, on the other hand, allowed Africans to use the upheaval as an opportunity for social advancement.

Dr Steinbach reflected on the nominal recognition given to the contribution Africans made to the war, even though hundreds of thousands lost their lives, mainly in East Africa, during the 1914-1918 conflict.

His research is related to the social and cultural impact of the war on the colonial societies of East Africa.

He is especially interested in the interaction between African, Indian, and European soldiers and civilians in the colonial theatres of war and the representation and memory of these campaigns in Europe and Africa.

On Friday, a day-long conference would focus on the Greater Horn of Africa, looking at the impact of the increasing presence in the region of emerging global powers from China to the Middle East.

Africa Week is co-organised by the African Leadership Centre, School of Global Affairs and Africa Research Group in the War Studies Department in collaboration with departments with interests in Africa.

GNA

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