News & Events
Upcoming Events
The Scramble for Revenue: Fiscal Capacity and Forced Labor in Colonial Africa.
November 2, 2026
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12:00PM - 1:30PM EST
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Harvard CAS Lounge
In Person
Join us for an African Studies Workshop with Marlous van Waijenburg, Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, presenting The Scramble for Revenue: Fiscal Capacity and Forced Labor in Colonial Africa . Van Waijenburg’s...
Buna Break: African Language Tables
November 3, 2026
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4:00PM - 9:00PM EST
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Harvard CAS Lounge
In Person
Are you thinking about taking an African language next year? Have you already studied one at Harvard, or do you speak one at home? Maybe there’s simply a language you’ve always wanted to learn. Join NSA and the Harvard Center for African Studies for a...
Latest News
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...
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...