The Africa Institute was founded to be a pillar in enhancing the study, research, and documentation of Africa, its cultures, and people. In particular, the unique position of the institution in Sharjah, UAE, is expected to propel further analysis of African and Arab relations. Besides being an interdisciplinary academic research institute, The Africa Institute has gone the extra mile and runs lots of non-academic programs that are focused on reaching out to the general public.Talking about the deep-rooted Afro-Arab relations, the company’s spokesperson remarked, “Medieval and modern scholars all agree on the fact that Africa and the Arab Gulf region have had interactions for many generations. This is primarily attributed to the close geographical proximity that has seen these two groups have exchanges that influence past and present events. As an institute, we seek to discover and re-discover the extent of these relations that have been on-going for several centuries and how they can be strengthened for a better future.”
History got to be repeated and a channel for a better future in the field of Afro-Arab studies created when The Africa Institute hosted the Global Africa Conference. This conference was an actualization of the seeds that were sown in the first symposium on African and Arab relations held in the year 1976 in Sharjah. It was impossible to miss the feeling of re-birth as The Africa Institute hosted the conference in the very venue where this symposium was held in the newly rebuilt Africa Hall. The best part is that the conference was centered on the future of African and African diaspora studies in the modern age.
Speaking about the numerous events to be hosted in the year 2020, the company’s spokesperson said, “Our way of reaching out to the community at large is through events as they are suitable channels for passing across information efficiently. This year is not going to be any different, and just as we have always hosted top of the line events, we are keeping up the spirit. To make it easier for you to get in touch with the current and upcoming events, we keep our website updated with the latest information.”
There has been a tremendous shift when it comes to the approach to African studies, and The Africa Institute is keen on building the new generation of think-tanks. The open approach to these new frontiers and the inclusivity of different ideas by the institute has further given it an edge in the scholarly field. The Africa Institute is equally keen on developing broader international processes and knowledge circuits, thereby making African studies the global enterprise it is. As such, the institute pays lots of attention to its curricula and programs that reflect on these high standards.
About The Africa Institute
The Africa Institute was established in the year 2018 as a postgraduate studies institute and a think-tank that centers its operations on in-depth research to propel African and African diaspora studies in this century.