News & Events

Wouter van Beek's memoirs Thuis in Afrika, een dubbelleven (At home in Africa, a double life) were festively presented on Friday 6 November at the ASC. During the book launch former students called back fond memories of their former anthropology Professor. Wouter presented the first copy of his memoirs to Erica Terpstra, former State Secretary of Sports, who visited Wouter at work in Dogon area in Mali with her TV travel show. Take a look at the pictures!

Our latest Acquisition Highlight is about Chappie, a new film by South African director Neill Blomkamp. Set in stark Johannesburg, it is a tale of a sentient robot finding the best and worst of humanity, and while it may not be perfect, it asks questions about right and wrong, how we should pursue and use technology and treat other members of humanity. Actually, Chappie himself is more fully developed than those in charge. Also starring Sigourney Weaver, Dev Patel and Ninja and Yo-Landi Visser, the duo better known as the South African rap-rave group Die Antwoord. Read the Acquisition Highlight!

This report is the result of the Roundtable on Labour Issues and Trade Unions in Africa that was organised by the ASCL and SOAS London on 15 December 2015 in Leiden. Title of the Roundtable: An African precariat? Africa’s informal workers and inclusive development. The report was written by Zjos Vlaminck (ASCL) en Mark McQuinn (SOAS).

One of the last articles that our late colleague Stephen Ellis (1953-2015) completed, has recently been published by African Affairs, the journal of which Stephen was a co-editor 2003-2007. The article, co-authored by Mark Shaw (director of the Centre of Criminology, University of Cape Town) and entitled 'Does organized crime exist in Africa?' has been published Open Access to allow as many people as possible to read it.

In their book on homosexuality in Africa, Bart Luirink and Madeleine Maurick offer a journalistic account of African gays and lesbians’ struggle for equal rights. The authors argue that present day waves of intimidation against the African LGBT communities are a response to the immense changes the continent experiences, thus moving away from what they consider as a too isolated approach of the struggles of sexual minorities in Africa. Luirink and Maurick will present their observations on 26 November, followed by a discussion with the audience. Language: English.