Global Africa

Group of People

CALL FOR PAPERS

Global Africa: Past, Present, and Future

 

Conference Dates: April 24-26, 2025
Location: Hybrid (Online and in-person)

Hosted by The University of Kansas’s Center for Global and International Studies, Kansas African Studies Center, Department of African and African-American Studies.
 

The Center for Global and International Studies, Kansas African Studies Center, and the Department of African and African-American Studies at the University of Kansas invite submissions for its upcoming conference, Global Africa: Past, Present, and Future, an interdisciplinary gathering dedicated to exploring the diverse dimensions of Global African heritage and presence. This conference seeks to facilitate a dialogue that explores the multifaceted African perspectives on historical and contemporary global dynamics, with particular attention to the history and state of African diasporic communities, transnational networks, and imagined futures.

 

Themes

We welcome proposals addressing topics including, but not limited to:

  • Historical Movements and Networks: African migrations, trade routes, and cultural exchanges.
  • Colonial Legacies: The impact of colonialism on Africa’s global relations and diasporas.
  • The Enslavement of Africans in the Americas and Its Aftermath: How the current conditions of Afro descendants are tied to the enslavement during the colonial period.
  • Diasporic Identities: Expressions of African culture and identity in the diaspora, especially but not limited to African religions and philosophies.
  • Cultural Production: African and Afro-diasporic contributions to global literature, music, art, and cinema.
  • Global Economies: Africa’s role in contemporary geopolitics and international trade.
  • Global Languages: e.g., Yoruba, Kiswahili, Arabic, and Wolof
  • Decolonial Futures: Visions for postcolonial development, sustainability, and innovation.
  • Technologies and Digital Africa: How technology reshapes African communities globally.
  • Resistance and Activism: African and diasporic movements for equity and justice.

 

Submission Guidelines
We encourage panel and individual paper submissions from scholars, practitioners, and artists across disciplines, including history, sociology, political science, literature, art, media studies, anthropology, cultural studies, and more. Proposals should include:

  • Title of the paper/panel
  • Abstract (200-250 words)
  • Author(s) name, affiliation (if any), and contact information
  • A brief biography (100 words)

 

Submission Deadline: March 15

Notification of Acceptance: March 22

Conference Format
The conference will feature keynote lectures, online panel discussions, creative workshops, and networking opportunities. A select number of papers may be considered for publication in an edited volume or special journal issue after submission, expansion, and thorough revision.

Contact Information
For inquiries, please contact us. We look forward to your contributions to this important conversation.
Luciano Tosta, Director of Center for Global & International Studies; Associate Professor, Department of Spanish & Portuguese: lucianotosta@ku.edu
Glenn Adams, Director of Kansas African Studies Center; Professor, Department of Psychology: adamsg@ku.edu
Shawn Alexander, Professor and Chairperson; Department of African and African-American Studies; Director of the Langston Hughes Center: shawnalexander@ku.edu

Submit a paper or panel proposal.

 

 

In case you prefer the actual URL, it is https://kusurvey.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1LIHuUEKRcRBTIa.