Leiden Africa Platform Annual Meeting

Originally planned to take place on 14 November, the day the nationwide protest against the budget cuts were planned to take place in Utrecht, the Leiden Africa Platform Annual Meeting was held on 9 December 2024, at the Wereldmuseum Leiden.

The event was kicked off by David Ehrhardt, and Marc Holtkamp speaking about the transition from LeidenASA to Leiden Africa Platform and Africa Region Group, followed by LDE Dean Wim van den Doel who informed the participants of current and forthcoming LDE initiatives for research and education in Africa and Indonesia. Note: deadline for LDE GLOBAL project submission is 1 March 2025!

Melle Leenstra (picture on the left, Chief Knowledge and Inspiration Officer Africa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs) spoke about his long lasting relationship with the African continent, first as an MA student, and later on as PhD candidate, and on the Africa Strategy 2023-2032 submitted to parliament by the previous government. Leenstra stressed the need to connect with African interests and African realities if we want to pursue our interests in the African continent. Mamadou Hebié (Grotius Centre) and David Ehrhardt (LUC) responded to Melle’s lecture, among other things stressing the importance of and need for strong states.

After the break a number of Leiden Africa Platform members presented on their research, or on other Africa related activities:

Corinna Jentzsch (picture on the right) on Countering Jihadi insurgencies in Africa 

Caroline Archambault on International and cross-cultural exchange in teaching and learning methods

Philippe Peycam & Laura Rabelo Erber on Africa-Asia: A New Axis of Knowledge and Collective Africa-Southeast Asia Platform (CASAP)

Tienke Vermeiden and Sagni Girma (LUMC) on Maternal and Fetal Care (project with partners in Tanzania and Ethiopia)

As always the meeting ended with a round of short pitches, this year by Hangyu Zhou, Winnie Nakatudde, Azeb Amha, Theo Poumpalov, Victoria Nyst, Asrat Asegie, and Matt Canfield.

(Photos: Maaike Westra)