News & Events
Upcoming Events
Buna Break: AfriSoc x CAS Open House with Late-Night Study
September 8, 2026
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4:00PM - 9:00PM EDT
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Harvard Center for African Studies Lounge
In Person
CAS is excited to welcome students to the Center for our first Buna Break of the year on Tuesday, September 8, from 4-9pm ET. Buna Break was established in 2025 to provide a space for students to connect and recharge over African coffee. Each Buna Break...
Center for International Development (CID) Open House
September 10, 2026
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3:30PM - 5:00PM EDT
In Person
CAS @ The Harvard Undergraduate International Opportunities Fair
October 2, 2026
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1:00PM - 4:00PM EDT
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Cabot Science Library, Science Center
In Person
The Harvard College International Opportunities Fair is an annual event designed to introduce undergraduates to a wide range of global experiences and funding options available during their time at Harvard. Students can meet with international centers and...
Latest News
Chidi Blyden Appointed 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 appointed Chidi Blyden as the new Executive Director, bringing to the Center a deeply impactful career in public service and private...
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
The Harvard Center for African Studies (CAS) recently hosted a Student Org Leaders’ Luncheon, bringing together presidents, chairs, and student leaders from across African organizations at Harvard. The gathering created space for reflection, leadership...
Harvard Center for African Studies and Brand South Africa to Host “Amapiano: A Cultural Export of Freedom” with Grammy-Winning Artist Zakes Bantwini
CAMBRIDGE, Massachussetts — The Harvard Center for African Studies, in partnership with Brand South Africa, will host “Amapiano: A Cultural Export of Freedom — Panel & Live Performance” on Friday, 8 May 2026. The public gathering convenes leading South...
A Week on AI, African Cities, and Urban Futures: Lagos State and Liberia Delegation Visit Harvard
The Harvard Center for African Studies (CAS) hosted a Nigerian and Liberian delegation to Cambridge for a week long program on artificial intelligence, African cities, and urban futures in Africa. The visit brought together students, faculty, and...
The Harvard Center for African Studies (CAS) Opens Search for Executive Director
The Harvard Center for African Studies is pleased to announce an open search for a talented and experienced Executive Director. The Executive Director works in close partnership with the Oppenheimer Faculty Director and plays a pivotal role in the day-to...
Harvard Alumni and Students Visit African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa for High-Level Overview and Diaspora Linkage within the AU
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — A delegation of Harvard University alumni and students visited the African Union (AU) Headquarters in Addis Ababa for a high-level briefing on continental governance, peace and security, and the role of youth and the African...
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
Cairo, Egypt — Alumni, faculty, and regional leaders from across the Middle East, Africa, and beyond convened in Cairo for the Harvard Alumni Summit – Middle East and Africa 2026, held January 16–18 at the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum. The Harvard...
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
Local Nigeria News Coverage of African Studies Delegation Visit to Nigeria: Nigeria Tribune | The Guardian Nigeria | Acada Extra | The News Accelerator | This Day Lagos Lagos, Nigeria – In a milestone for Harvard University’s wide range of research and...
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.
A Decade of Impact: Celebrating 10 Years of the Harvard Center for African Studies.
Cambridge, USA - As the academic year came to a close with last week’s Commencement celebration, we also marked a major milestone: the 10th anniversary of the Harvard Center for African Studies. The 2024–2025 academic year commemorates ten years of CAS as...
Director's Message: Supporting International Students, Protecting our Mission
Dear CAS colleagues and friends, I’m writing to share information with you about two recent actions taken by the US federal government that gravely threaten Harvard’s academic mission and directly affect the Center for African Studies (CAS). Even for...