News & Events
Upcoming Events
CAS Film Screening and Panel Discussion: "The Trials of Winnie Mandela"
October 13, 2026
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4:30PM - 6:00PM EDT
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Harvard CAS Lounge
In Person
As part of Worldwide Week at Harvard, the Harvard University Center for African Studies Africa Office will host a special screening of an abridged version of The Trials of Winnie Mandela , a new Netflix documentary series examining the life, political...
Harvard Africa Mixer
October 15, 2026
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6:00PM - 8:00PM EDT
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Harvard Center for African Studies Lounge
In Person
Join us for this year's Harvard Africa Mixer, part of Worldwide Week at Harvard ! Our largest community event of the year, the Harvard Africa Mixer brings together students, fellows, and faculty from across Harvard who have a connection to or love of...
Peacekeeping in Africa and Beyond with President Olusegun Obasanjo
October 20, 2026
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6:00PM EDT
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Harvard CAS Lounge
In Person
The Harvard University Center for African Studies is pleased to co-sponsor a JFK Jr. Forum featuring former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. Drawing on a career spanning military service, democratic leadership, and high-level diplomacy under the...
ASW - “Constitutional Self-Determination and the (Re)Making of International Law: Lessons from British Nigeria, 1949–1966” with Emmanuel Oyasande
October 26, 2026
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12:00PM - 1:30PM EDT
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Seminar Room - Harvard CAS
In Person
J oin us for the African Studies Workshop with Emmanuel Oyasande, Ph.D. Candidate in African and African American Studies and History at Harvard University. The workshop series provides a scholarly space for Africa-centered research, bringing together...
Latest News
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...
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...
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...
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...