Harvard University Center for African Studies
Explore courses on Africa across Harvard and across business, law, government, history, literature, language, and more
Harvard University offers a wide range of Africa-focused courses that aim to equip students to think rigorously about Africa from interdisciplinary and transnational perspectives.
These courses span business, government, law, history, film, literature, religion, languages, design architecture, and thematic seminars offered across the graduate schools and College, including the Department of African and African-American Studies.
News Stories
From the Director's Desk: H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of the Republic of Nigeria
Dear all, From the Director’s Desk is an occasional series where I will share a few high-impact themes or observations from recent CAS events. Harvard is a busy place and we have a global audience. There are thus many reasons people cannot always be in...
Student Lens: Reflections from H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo's Visit to CAS
Cambridge - On October 20, the Harvard Center for African Studies hosted former President of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo for a fireside chat coordinated by the Nigerian Students Association (NSA). The former president was at Harvard to discuss peacekeeping...
Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio at the JFK Jr. Forum: Africa and the Shifting Geopolitical Landscape
Cambridge - On October 29, the Harvard University Center for African Studies, with the Institute of Politics and the Center for International Development, welcomed His Excellency Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, to the John F...
CAS convenes a Faculty Research Roundtable with Harvard Professors and Key Ministers of Sierra Leone
Cambridge, Mass. — On October 29, the Harvard University Center for African Studies welcomed His Excellency Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, for a Harvard visit that included a welcome motorcade and flag ceremony with the...
Student Lens: Reflections from Sierra Leone’s Presidential Visit to Harvard and CAS
By Wantoe Teah Wantoe Harvard Graduate School of Education | Master’s Candidate, Education Policy & Analysis Last week, I had the privilege of helping co-organize H.E. Julius Maada Bio’s, President of Sierra Leone, visit to Harvard; specifically, a...
CAS at UNGA: High-Profile Africa Convenings on the Sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly
NEW YORK CITY — The Harvard Center for African Studies (CAS) attended the Global Africa Business Initiative’s (GABI) annual Unstoppable Africa 2026 convening before the 81st United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York City. Hosted by the United...
Welcome to the 2026-2027 Academic Year
Dear friends and colleagues, Welcome to a new academic year at Harvard's Center for African Studies! We hope you’ve had a restorative summer and are excited for the many programs, events, and research and learning opportunities in the months ahead. Africa...
Chidi Blyden Hired as New Executive Director of Harvard Center for African Studies
August 31, 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Cambridge, Mass. — The Harvard University Center for African Studies (CAS) has hired Chidi Blyden as the new Executive Director, bringing to the Center a deeply impactful career in public service and private...
Upcoming Events
Progress, Interrupted: Malaria’s Uneven Gains Amid New Threats & A Changing Funding Landscape
November 13, 2026
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2:00PM - 4:00PM EST
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Kresge, Snyder Auditorium (G1)
The Harvard Chan School of Public Health's Defeating Malaria - From the Genes to Globe Initiative is hosting a symposium on global health financing, data-driven policy, and the future of malaria elimination on November 13, 2026, from 2–4 p.m. at Harvard T...
ASW Special Firside Chat: "African Women in Law - A Comparative Perspective"
November 19, 2026
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12:00PM - 1:30PM EST
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Harvard CAS Lounge
Join us for a special African Studies Workshop with J. Jarpa Dawuni, Professor of Political Science at Howard University, presenting African Women in Law: A Comparative Perspective . Drawing on extensive empirical research across the continent, Dawuni’s...
Faculty & Student Research at CAS
Exploring Pathways for Sustainable Human-Lion Coexistence in Kenya
Faculty Research Spotlight: Andrew Davies Andrew Davies, Associate Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (FAS), was a 2023 recipient of the Motsepe Presidential Research Accelerator Fund for Africa . The Motsepe Fund is made possible by a...
Improving Livelihoods for Smallholder Coffee Farmers in Ethiopia
Student Research Spotlight: Katie Chen and Vaibhav Parik The Harvard Center for African Studies offers funding to Harvard graduate students traveling to Africa for thesis or dissertation research or for fieldwork connected to an academic project. At the...
Bridging Education and Technology: Exploring Rwanda’s School Data Management System
Below is the written report from HGSE student, Ayo Arowolo, who travelled to Rwanda for her research project in Spring 2025.
The Role of Food Vendors in School Food Environments: A Qualitative Study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
The Harvard Center for African Studies offers funding to Harvard graduate students traveling to Africa for thesis or dissertation research or for fieldwork connected to an academic project. At the end of their CAS-sponsored travels, students must submit a...
Journals, Research, & Working Papers
This new section highlights recent outputs from the Harvard University Center for African Studies, featuring journals, research contributions, and working papers generated through CAS conferences, workshops, and symposia. It offers a curated space for showcasing emerging scholarship, ongoing intellectual projects, and newly released papers that reflect the breadth of academic work across the continent and the global African diaspora.
Working Paper
2025
Sarah Setlaelo and Chantelle Gray. 2025. “Special Issue on Mabogo Percy More”
Sarah Setlaelo and Chantelle Gray. 2025. “Special Issue on Mabogo Percy More”
Sarah Setlaelo. 2025. “Stella Nyanzi the Activist-Philosopher”
Sarah Setlaelo. 2025. “Stella Nyanzi the Activist-Philosopher”