Prospectus

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Connecting Dreams: Europe in Africa, Africa in Europe

Course
2014-2015

Admission requirements

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Description

There have always been connections between Europe and Africa, and there has always been migration. In this course we study these migrations and connections. We look at the novelists who travelled through Africa in the nineteenth century, the explorers, the European immigrants and the missionaries, but also at the current expats of the major multinationals (Shell, Unilever). We combine this with a study of Africans in Europe: the few who came before the twentieth century, and the larger numbers who came in recent decades. We study the ties of all these migrants with each other and with their countries of origin, and the organisations they created (enterprises, churches).
After an introduction into the literature students do research based on primary sources: newspaper articles, novels, interviews, visual material (photos, paintings), government publications and business archives.

Course objectives

  • Knowledge of current and older academic debates.

  • Ability to do independent research.

  • Ability to present findings orally and in writing.

Timetable

See here.

Mode of instruction

Research seminar.

Course Load

280 hours in total:

  • Writing paper: 90 hours.

  • Attendence: 36 hours.

  • Preparing for class/reading literature: 48 hours.

  • Preparing presentations: 16 hours.

  • Doing research: 90 hours.

Assessment method

Two presentations (20%) and the final paper (80%) (8000 words).

Blackboard

Blackboard will be used to present the reading list, and the timetable.

Reading list

Articles that can be downloaded from the university library. The list will be distributed at the first meeting.

Registration

via uSis.

Contact information

Email: Mw. Prof. Dr. M.L.J.C. Schrover and Mw. Prof. Dr. M.E. de Bruijn.

Remarks

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