by Sasha Artamonova, art history graduate student and one of the 2020-21 coordinators of AfriSem
We are very pleased to report the successful conclusion of the annual AfriSem student-led conference, “Africa’s Place in a Globalizing World: Reimagining Governance, Science, Technology, Art, and Culture.” The conference had originally been planned for early April. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizing committee faced the challenge of either postponing the conference or holding it in alternative formats. In the midst of the global health crisis we realized that our theme resonated well with the unfolding situation around the world, so despite the potential problems that might emerge, we decided to hold the conference virtually on July 29–30, 2020.
Ten speakers presented fascinating papers that interrogated the position of Africa in the contemporary world. The speakers represented a range of academic fields such as gender and sexuality studies, art and architectural history, history, and cultural studies. The keynote speaker Professor Ayala Levin’s address “Southern Expertise? Reconsidering the Planning of Abuja, Nigeria” presented her new work about planning the relocation of Nigeria’s capital from Lagos to a more central place in the country.
Neither technical challenges nor time zones stopped our presenters from participating in the conference. We appreciated their flexibility and generosity and we are particularly grateful to those speakers who joined us from other time zones or who could not join us but found extra time to record a video presentation for the conference. We thank our presenters Abdulbasit Kassim (Rice University), Rachel Hodapp (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Tony Yeboah (Yale University), Ayala Levin (Northwestern University), Anisha Bhat (Northwestern University), Sela Kodjo Adjei (Accra, Ghana), Debbie Frempong (Brown University), Christopher Newman (Duke University), Araba Dennis (Purdue University), and Caitlin Monroe (Northwestern University) for their contributions to the academic and intellectual work during these challenging times.
This conference, however, would not be successful without an engaged audience. One hundred and seventy attendees joined the conference’s panels, participated in thought-provoking discussions after each presentation, and socialized during the virtual hangout. People from all across the African continent, the US, Europe, and Australia attended the virtual conference. Although the virtual format is not ideal and we are all still getting accustomed to it, a major benefit was accessibility. While not everyone would have been able to join an in-person event, the virtual conference was available to everyone with a reliable internet connection. Moreover, those who missed presentations or would like to return to some presentations can access the recording of the conference which will be available via Northwestern Library’s Research and Data Repository, ARCH.
We thank the conference organizers—Mariam Taher, Alexandra (Sasha) Artamonova, Austin Bryan, and Patrick Mbullo—for their determination and commitment to the project. We also thank the PAS faculty for their assistance, especially Florence Mugambi. This conference would not have been possible without the support of the Program of African Studies. Thank you Wendy Griswold and Zekeria Salem for your guidance. We look forward to an exciting Afrisem year!
This article originally ran in the PAS Newsletter, Fall 2020, Volume 31, Number 1.