Harvard University Center for African Studies
Welcome to the 2026–2027 Academic Year at Harvard University’s Center for African Studies (CAS)
Begin the new academic year by reading a Welcome Message from our Faculty Director, reflecting on the past year and sharing the Center’s vision for the Harvard community. We are also pleased to welcome our New Executive Director, who will help advance the Center’s mission and strengthen its Africa-focused scholarship, programming, and engagement. Finally, we look back on the past year’s accomplishments with a sneak peek at our Year in Review, highlighting the Center’s research, programs, events, and learning initiatives. Follow us on social media for a preview, and look out for the full report, which will be published soon.
Upcoming Events
Center for International Development (CID) Open House
CAS @ The Harvard Undergraduate International Opportunities Fair
News Stories
Chidi Blyden Hired as New Executive Director of Harvard Center for African Studies
Six projects chosen for Motsepe Presidential Research Accelerator Fund for Africa
The Motsepe Fund was established in 2020 to support faculty-led and student-driven research projects that focus on advancing key challenges and opportunities facing Africa, with a focus on projects falling within the STEAM rubric (the application of the...
Leaders Across Harvard’s African Student Organizations Gather at CAS Luncheon to Shape the Year Ahead
Harvard Center for African Studies and Brand South Africa to Host “Amapiano: A Cultural Export of Freedom” with Grammy-Winning Artist Zakes Bantwini
Harvard Alumni and Students Visit African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa for High-Level Overview and Diaspora Linkage within the AU
Inaugural Middle East and Africa Harvard Alumni Summit – CAS Faculty Director Dr. Zoe Marks joins alumni and colleagues at newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo
Harvard Kennedy School JFK Forum Panel Warns of Escalating Atrocities in Sudan, as a second Genocide Unfolds
Since 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a devasting civil war. Harvard Kennedy School held a 2024 JFK Jr. Forum on the attacks by a powerful paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the Sudanese Armed Forces. Zoe Marks, the Oppenheimer...
Nigerian Tribune: Harvard University Center for African Studies Strengthens Connections on the Continent with Landmark Week in Lagos
Faculty & Student Research Spotlights
Exploring Pathways for Sustainable Human-Lion Coexistence in Kenya
Improving Livelihoods for Smallholder Coffee Farmers in Ethiopia
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
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.