News & Events

On 16 February, associated senior researcher Prof. Wim van Binsbergen completed his last PhD supervision as promotor of Pius Mosima. Wim van Binsbergen is an Honorary Fellow of the African Studies Centre Leiden Community. Although retired in 2012, he is still doing research. On the photo: Wim van Binsbergen and Pius Mosima during their first meeting in Cameroon 2005.

ASCL senior researcher Marcel Rutten will give a key note lecture on 19 February for the National Land Commission of Kenya, Directorate of Research, in the 2016 Speakers Series on land Tenure Rights. The title of his lecture is 'Individualization of group ranch land: A 30 years longitudinal overview of effected changes in Kajiado County'. Rutten conducts research notably among Turkana, Orma and Maasai pastoralists. Ongoing projects address the effects of land tenure changes; water innovations and drought coping strategies; and conflicts and co-operation over natural resources (Cocoon Initiative Kenya) together with SEKU-Kitui.

This book, a co-publication of the ASCL and IFRA (Institut Français de Recherche en Afrique), is the first to consequently use quantitative data in addition to qualitative data about violence in Nigeria in very different fields: from oil production to cattle breeding, radical Islam to motor accidents, land conflicts to witchcraft; quantitative data that was previously unavailable or inaccessible. The authors underline the necessity of a trend analysis to decipher the patterns and the complexity of violence in these fields. Open access!

The Netherlands has been an active supporter of international development aid. Dutch development cooperation started in response to Truman’s 'Four point programme' announced in 1949. It began as technical assistance, channelled through multilateral channels. Bilateral aid started in 1962 and was introduced by (then) Minister for Development Cooperation Berend-Jan Udink. Since then, the priorities, target countries and budget of Dutch development cooperation have continuously shifted. This thematic map illustrates how the partner countries for Dutch development cooperation have changed throughout the years.