LeidenGlobal Step Talk by Ton Dietz: On the move: African Migrants

A LeidenGlobal Step Talk by Prof. Ton Dietz on ‘African Migrants on the Move’, followed by the opening of the LeidenGlobal Exhibition ‘Heritage on the Move’ at Wijnhaven Building, The Hague. Please register for this event.

Until 1 September 2017 Ton Dietz was the director of the African Studies Centre Leiden and Professor of the Study of African Development at Leiden University. At his valedictory lecture at Leiden University, Ton received the Order of Merit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for his outstanding contribution to the State. Recently Ton Dietz was interviewed by de Volkskant, predicting that more economic growth in Africa will lead to more emigration from the continent. Read the interview (pdf, in Dutch).

Over the years Ton’s research focused on all the transitions that the continent Africa went and is still going through; the political and human geography of Africa, the impact of climate change, demographic transition, the use and exploitation of (natural) resources and development.

In this Step Talk Ton will give insight to better understand African migration to Europe. What are the consequences of the rapid population growth for the future of the world and for Africa: urbanization, migration, resource competition, prospects for economic growth and political turmoil. What does the current situation (slowing down of economic growth, and the start of the Brexit-Trump era) mean for Africa? What does it mean for Europe when African migrants move here, and what does it mean for their own identity and cultural heritage?

The Step Talk will be followed by the opening of the LeidenGlobal Exhibition ‘Heritage on the Move’, a series of 12 photographs, provided by scholars of the LeidenGlobal partners, that show how all over the world people's heritage is changing through migration.