Mayke Kaag appointed Professor of the Anthropology of Politics and Governance in Africa

Mayke Kaag has been appointed Professor of the Anthropology of Politics and Governance in Africa at the Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (CADS) on behalf of the African Studies Centre Leiden (ASCL).  

Kaag has been a senior researcher at the African Studies Centre since 2011, and Professor by special appointment of The Anthropology of Islam in Africa and its Diaspora at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) since 2021. With an empirical accent on francophone West-Africa, her research is broadly focused on the political aspects of Africa’s global connections, from the very local level to their global geo-political dimensions. From this perspective, she has among other things worked on land and environmental issues, migration, the socio-political role of faith-based organisations, and the (geo-) politics of education in Africa. In her teaching, she aims to challenge dominant (mostly Western) narratives on Africa and help students to build their perspectives on the world and related questions of politics and governance from African realities.

As holder of the Chair of the Anthropology of Politics and Governance in Africa, she will build on her foregoing work and further develop two research lines in particular, on the politics of education in Africa, and on trust, distrust and trust making in African politics and governance. She will do so in collaboration with colleagues from the ASCL, CADS, and her wider global network.

Kaag is Director of Studies at the ASCL and a member of its Executive Board.

Photo credit: Kirsten van Santen.