The African Studies Institute (ASI) is a nexus for Africa-related activities at the University of Georgia. The institute is an interdisciplinary area study institute administratively situated in UGA’s oldest college, the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. The mission of the African Studies Institute is to disseminate knowledge and information about Africa; its people, geography, cultures, languages, economic development, agriculture, education and social structures throughout the University of Georgia (and beyond). In pursuit of its mission, ASI offers varied academic programming including an undergraduate Certificate in African Studies, an undergraduate Minor in African Studies, and a Graduate Certificate in African Studies. In addition, ASI supports the Minor in African Languages and Literatures, the Minor in Swahili, and the Program in African Languages in the department of Comparative Literature and Intercultural Studies. With core and affiliated faculty and staff members from all eighteen UGA’s Colleges and Schools, ASI leverages multidisciplinary Africanist expertise across the University to build research capacity and offer opportunities for instruction and experiential community service. Through African Studies (AFST) courses, academic programming, research projects, and outreach activities, ASI has built strong capacities around seven Pedagogical Focus Areas (PFA): (1) African Languages and Cultures; (2) African Knowledge and Belief Systems; (3) History of the African World; (4) African Literary and Performance Arts; (5) Science, Technology, and Resource Management in Africa; (6) Nutrition and Public Health Research in Africa; and (7) International Law and Justice. ASI is an active institution in the University System of Georgia Africa Council (USAC) and the Southeast African Language and Literature Forum (SEALLF), and is well poised to assume an even greater leadership role regionally and nationally.
