Collaboration with the OECD Sahel and West Africa Club

On April 4, 2017, the University of Florida signed a memorandum of understanding (opens in new tab) with the OECD in Paris to explore urbanization in border areas and women’s trade networks at the local and regional scale. Among the proposed activities include a spatial mapping of the morphologies and functions of border cities (opens in new tab) to understand the role they play – or could play – in building regional integration and a social network analysis of women’s trade networks (opens in new tab). The Sahel Research Group at UF and the Sahel and West Africa Club (opens in new tab) at the OECD are primarily responsible for implementing the research and policy activities of the program. In Paris, Professor Leonardo A. Villalón (opens in new tab) introduced the work of the University of Florida Sahel Research Group (Watch Video (opens in new tab)). SWAC Director Laurent Bossard talked about the new partnership with the Sahel Research Group (Watch Video (opens in new tab) in French). The research program is led by Dr. Olivier J. Walther (opens in new tab) at UF and by Dr. Marie Trémolières at OECD.

Masters of Development Practice Collaborative Research Exchange

In partnership with the France-Florida Research Institute (opens in new tab), the Sahel Research Group is participating in a year-long collaborative exchange bringing together graduate students in the respective Masters of Development Practice (opens in new tab) (MDP) programs of the University of Florida, Université Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar, Senegal, and Institut d’Etudes Politiques (Sciences Po) in Paris. The exchange was inaugurated by a symposium and a week-long series of workshops on the theme of “Development, Security, and Climate Change in the Sahel” at the University of Florida from September 20-26, 2014. Participants met again at Sciences Po, in Paris from March 1-6, 2015 and at UCAD, in Dakar, on May 1-9, 2015. Read More (opens in new tab)

Islam in Africa working group

The Islam in Africa Working Group (opens in new tab) is sponsored by the University of Florida Center for African Studies, with the goal of sharing and expanding both teaching and research on the Muslim societies of Africa. The group offers an interdisciplinary forum for graduate students and faculty to present their current research projects on topics related to Muslim Africa. The working group also periodically invites scholars from outside of the University of Florida to present on their research on issues of relevance to Islam in Africa. Each Spring semester the working group organizes a symposium that brings together a select group of scholars to speak to a theme of particular interest in contemporary Muslim Africa. These themes have included: slavery and social justice in Muslim West Africa, “militant Islam” in contemporary Africa, and Islamic NGOs and development issues in Africa. Members of the Sahel Research Group are also active participants in the Islam in Africa working group and the two groups often coordinate and cosponsor activities.

The working group is coordinated by Professor Terje Østebø (opens in new tab). Faculty co-organizers include Leonardo Villalón, (opens in new tab) Abdoulaye Kane (opens in new tab), and Susan O’Brien (opens in new tab).

Past activities of the Islam in Africa Working Group include a number of symposiums on : Sufism in Africa: Adapting to Changing Realities, The African Madrassa: Transformations of Islamic Education in Contemporary Africa, Islamic NGOs and Development Aid in Africa, Militant Islam in Africa: Fears and Realities, and  Slavery Social Justice & Islam in West Africa.

The program of the Islam in Africa Working Group can be downloaded here (opens in new tab).